Back Packing

I was thinking it would be neat to get some brainstorming/tip sharing going on about living out of a backpack.Soooo, What do you take in your backpack when you travel? Why? How do you decide what's importaint? How do you pack so that things stay more or less orgonized? What was the smartest thing you've decided to take with you?

Sigh I am not the person to write this, since anyone who has seen me live out of a backpack knows im being idealistic and calling the kettle black.

• pack light. a lot. take 1/3 of everything you think you should [2]
• socks, i need lots and lots of socks or a lot of washing. Warm dry socks make my soul happy.
• little bits of food to tied you over the times when you cant find anything to eat.
• An old girl guiding backpacking tip, never take anything that doesnt have at lest 2 uses.
• practise a lot. Im glad ive done a few trips already living out of my backpack this winter/spring so this fall i will be better prepared. each time i made a different mistake, new years i brought too many clothes, Ack i brought too much paper. (and toys, but it was all worth it)
• I dont honestly think i will be packing jps this fall. Really, what is the point?
• likewise i dont bother carring a foamie with me, because i dont use it enough to warrent it. You can get away with no sleeping mattress if your young and stupied enough[1].
• For seriouse real backpacking, test out all your gear, always. It sucks to be 26 miles from a road and find out your stove doesnt work.
• know how to use a map, city, topographical, country, road, bike maps etc. Its worth it in the long run, really really really.

love Dawn

Tessa says

I'm slowly and rather randomly prepairing for my second summer of staying in hostels, busking, visiting friends, and living out of a rather large and often very messy backpack. Since I'm busking and have to look decent, this is a longer list than I'd like otherwise.

What I've found useful in the past.

• A combination lock for hostel lockers (a note on hostles in general, most of them provide sheets and blankets and pillows, so you may be able to get away without a sleeping bag).
• A three-ring binder to put all flat or delicate stuff in.
• Sandels...no shoes. Sandels pack flat, cut down on your need for socks, they dry fast after any rain, and I find them generally more comfy (this may be just me though)
• Leeetle containers of stuff you don't take much of, like soap or shampoo (clear ones are good, so you can see how much is left and ration if you need to).
• Three times as many writing impliments as you think you'll need. Same goes for hair-ties.
• Little pocket knife.
• Few enough clothes that you'll only ever have to do one load of laundry (backpacks do this pretty much automatically), and colours taht you can chuck in all together.

Well, that's a good start. Oh, and um . . . . don't take an umbrella, especially one that doesn't like to fold up ;)

[1] Tessa laughs and cheers for Dawn

[2] Demo: this last hiking trip, at night when all my sleeping gear was in a tent, i was wearing all my warm clothes, and all the food was up the bear pole, this was what was left in my back pack: tampons, 1 pair clean underwear, gloves. thats IT.