The Tyranny of Stuff

If fortune smiles upon me, a fellow Canadian who is bound to return to Toronto following their vacation here in San Juan del Sur will carry back a bag for me. The bag is packed and ready, filled with all the extra things I brought here that I do not need and cannot use.

I should have known better. Experience teaches travelers to pack light, as normally I do, but I brought an extra bag because I was planning to relocate here and hated the thought of leaving things indefinitely in storage. It was a mistake. Trimming my belongings to a minimum would have made my travels here immeasurably easier and the extra things I brought have been of no real use to me at all, nor are they likely to be.

I can live happily for any length of time out of a couple of small bags, and often have. Even after a couple of years in one place, I had very little to dispose of before packing to leave. Of course, my experience is far from typical. Most people in our society are prisoners of their possessions. Home buyers place a priority on plenty of storage space and extra large closets. Cars are often left outside to be buried by winter snow storms because the garage is full of boxes. Self-storage lockers are a growing business, taking the overflow that people's houses can't hold.

Ask yourself the question; “What do I really need?” Could you eliminate enough redundant possessions to arrive at what you could easily carry? Consider too, how much cash you have invested in all of your excess stuff. Imagine what you could do with the money they represent.

Try this experiment. Take out a small backpack and a standard carry-on bag, the type with wheels that you will see flight crews pulling behind them at airports, or one of equivalent dimensions. Now, see if you can fit into them everything you would carry with you to travel for a year, less the items you would wear when you boarded the plane. Could you do it?

For comparison, here is my packing list:

* Barbour 'Lightweight Beaufort' raincoat (there is a rainy season here)

* Paul Smith stone cotton trousers

* Diesel jeans

* Speedo board shorts

* GAP Stretch T-shirts (blue, black, grey and white)

* Ralph Lauren Purple Label polo shirt (black)

* Dolce & Gabbana lightweight cashmere sweater (royal blue)

* Geox 'Snake' shoes (black)

* Oakley 'Split-Top' flip flops

* Nike 'Air Zoom Swift Vapor' packable running shoes

* Underwear

* Socks

* Belt

* Toiletry kit

* Nike baseball cap

* Persol 2244 sunglasses

* Compact microfibre towel

* Buff multi-purpose head covering

* Fujitsu N3520 laptop computer (excellent, but too heavy for travel)

* Plantronics 590 Bluetooth headset (for Skype calls, music)

* CD wallet

* Casio MTG-900 watch (preferred by the SAS)

* Motorola C122 cell phone ($20 in Nicaragua)

* Sony NW-E002F MP3 player

* Canon SD1000 camera (frequent choice for Best Compact Camera)

* Cambridge 'City' flip-top notepad (great organizational tool)

* Pilot G2 Mini gel pens

* Timbuk2 'Underground' backpack with built-in computer sleeve

* INOVA X0 flashlight

* Spyderco 'Native' lock back knife

* Sharpening tool

* Leatherman 'Juice' compact multi-tool

* Spare batteries

* First-aid kit

All of the specific items mentioned I have found through diligent research or simple trial and error. They all do there job exceptionally well, represent great value and I can easily recommend them. Some of the clothes are high-end, but have been acquired at GAP prices on eBay or trading boards. There are those who suggest buying inexpensive, disposable clothes and replacing them as needed. I believe that, if you are packing light, you should pack quality; it wears better and lasts longer.