Essential Travel Packing Tips
Summary
TLDRIn this engaging script, the speaker shares his philosophy on packing for adventures, emphasizing the importance of starting early and packing light yet thoroughly. He recounts experiences from his own travels, including a memorable Baja trip and a surf trip to Mexico, highlighting the necessity of being prepared for unexpected situations. The essence of his packing advice is to pack smartly to ensure freedom and flexibility during travel, with a special mention of the value of carrying essential items like a phone charger and Swiss army knife.
Takeaways
- 🏊 Always pack a bathing suit as it can serve multiple purposes, including as pajamas or spare clothes.
- 🧳 The speaker's packing philosophy includes starting to pack as soon as the departure date is known, even if it's years away.
- 📦 Packing is a crucial step after planning the adventure and should be done meticulously to ensure every item is used effectively.
- 🔪 The speaker recounts a personal experience of traveling with only a Swiss army knife, emphasizing the importance of being prepared with essential items.
- 🌐 When traveling to foreign places, be aware that shopping systems, such as for underwear and socks, are different, which can affect your comfort and travel experience.
- 🔌 Packing essentials like a phone charger and a heavy-duty extension cord with three-prong holes is vital, especially in countries with different power systems.
- 💼 The speaker suggests packing a luxury item as a reward for being on the road, like a pair of Swiss slippers.
- 🏋️♂️ Only pack what you can carry for at least a quarter mile, as unforeseen circumstances may require you to transport your luggage manually.
- 📚 The script mentions the importance of packing for adventure, referencing historical examples like 'Endurance' and 'Moby Dick' to illustrate the significance of certain items.
- 📖 The speaker's most sophisticated packing experience was for a Baja trip, where they were prepared for various mechanical issues and terrains.
- 🛠️ The transcript highlights the value of packing practical items like plumber's epoxy for motorcycle adventures, which can be crucial for on-the-road repairs.
- 🛍️ The manner in which you pack can impact how your trip unfolds, suggesting that packing is an art form that requires thoughtful consideration.
Q & A
Why is it important to always pack a bathing suit when traveling?
-The speaker suggests that a bathing suit can serve multiple purposes, such as pajamas or spare clothes, and it's a common activity to be invited to swim during trips.
What is the significance of the Latin phrase 'Qui Transtulit Sustinet'?
-It is the Connecticut state motto, meaning 'the transplanted sustain,' which the speaker engraved on his motorcycle's subframe and believes it encouraged him to leave Connecticut and start his life of adventure.
Who is Chloé, and why is she mentioned in the script?
-Chloé is a friend of the speaker who embodies the spirited woman and is an experienced adventurer. She is mentioned as an example of someone who packed remarkably light yet efficiently for an around-the-world trip.
What is the first step in the speaker's packing philosophy?
-The first step in the speaker's packing philosophy is to start packing when you know your departure date, even if it's years away.
Why is it recommended to pack for an adventure as soon as you plan it?
-Packing is considered the second step after planning the adventure, and it allows for better preparation and organization for the trip.
What was the speaker's experience with packing light for a trip from New York City to Paris, Cannes, and Berlin?
-The speaker packed only a Swiss army knife for a short trip and regretted it, as it led to discomfort and the need for constant shopping for essentials in foreign places.
Why is it suggested to pack an extension cord with three-prong holes?
-An extension cord is useful, especially in foreign countries with different power systems, as it allows for multiple devices to be charged with the help of a simple adapter.
What is the significance of packing a luxury item when traveling?
-Packing a luxury item serves as a reward for being on the road and can enhance the travel experience, as exemplified by the speaker's Swiss slippers.
What is the recommended maximum amount of luggage one should pack for travel?
-The speaker suggests not packing more than what one can carry for a quarter-mile distance, to be prepared for unexpected situations like car breakdowns.
What is the importance of the item 'plumber's epoxy' in motorcycle adventure packing?
-Plumber's epoxy is crucial for motorcycle adventures as it can be used to make emergency repairs, such as fixing a hole in the crank case, which can save the day during a trip.
How did the speaker's packing for a Baja trip influence the trip's outcome?
-The thorough and careful packing for the Baja trip, including items for inevitable breakdowns, allowed the trip to unfold smoothly despite challenges like flat tires and a broken subframe.
Outlines
🏊 Essential Travel Packing Philosophy
The speaker emphasizes the importance of always packing a bathing suit for travel, as it serves multiple purposes and is often needed unexpectedly. They share their personal packing philosophy, which includes starting to pack as soon as the departure date is known, even if it's years away. The speaker recounts their experience of traveling light with only a Swiss army knife and the discomfort it caused, highlighting the need for proper packing. They also mention the necessity of packing items like an extension cord, rubber bands, and a luxury item for comfort during travel. The summary advises against packing more than one can carry for at least a quarter mile, drawing from personal anecdotes of travel mishaps.
🧳 Advanced Adventure Packing Techniques
This paragraph delves into the complexities of adventure packing, drawing parallels between historical expeditions and modern travel. The speaker discusses the significance of a passport in modern travels, akin to the importance of a needle and thread in the age of sail. They recount their most heavy and sophisticated packing experience for a four-month surf trip to Mexico, where they packed a motorcycle, typewriter, books, and camping gear. The speaker also details their role as a trip mechanic on a Baja motorcycle adventure, emphasizing the importance of packing for inevitable mishaps, such as flat tires and mechanical failures. They highlight the value of thorough and careful packing, which can influence the unfolding of a trip, and share a personal story of using plumber's epoxy to fix a motorcycle crank case during an adventure.
🔨 The Significance of Qui Transtulit Sustinet
The speaker reflects on the Connecticut state motto, 'Qui Transtulit Sustinet,' which they had engraved on their motorcycle's subframe. They interpret the motto as a call to embrace change and transplantation, which has been a driving force behind their life of adventure. The speaker shares how this motto inspired them to leave Connecticut and embark on a journey filled with travel and exploration. The paragraph concludes with a mention of exclusive Patreon content, including archival videos with director's commentary, which are available to patrons for a monthly fee.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Bathing Suit
💡Packing Philosophy
💡Adventure
💡Master Adventurer
💡Qui Transtulit Sustinet
💡Extension Cord
💡Rubber Bands
💡Swiss Army Knife
💡Luxury Item
💡Motorcycle Adventure
💡Plumber's Epoxy
Highlights
Always pack a bathing suit as it can serve multiple purposes like pajamas or spare clothes.
Packing philosophy is essential for any traveler, emphasizing the importance of being prepared.
Chloé, a seasoned adventurer, exemplifies the spirit of exploration and the art of packing light.
Qui Transtulit Sustinet, the Connecticut state motto, symbolizes the importance of embracing change and adventure.
Packing should begin as soon as the departure date is known, even if it's years away.
Efficient packing means using every item brought, but it doesn't necessarily equate to a perfect adventure.
The author's experience of traveling with minimal luggage highlights the importance of being adaptable.
Understanding the local shopping system is crucial when traveling to foreign places.
Packing essentials like an extension cord and rubber bands can be vital for a smooth trip.
Luxury items can serve as rewards during travel, enhancing the experience.
Never pack more than you can carry for at least a quarter mile to be prepared for unexpected situations.
Adventure packing requires sophistication and an understanding of the journey's demands.
The importance of packing for the unexpected, such as mechanical failures or weather changes.
Plumber's epoxy is highlighted as an essential item for motorcycle adventures, showing the value of preparedness.
The manner of packing can influence the unfolding of a trip, adding an artistic element to the process.
The story of engraving Qui Transtulit Sustinet on the motorcycle subframe adds a personal touch to the adventure.
The Spirited Man Patreon team supports the creation of content, with this episode inspired by a patron.
Transcripts
Always pack a bathing suit. A bathing suit is pajamas, spare clothes if something goes wrong
with your regular clothes, it's a bathing suit, underwear. Usually when you go on a trip someone
invites you swimming. Always pack a bathing suit. So somebody asked me in the comments on my Patreon
what is your packing philosophy and I could talk for hours about my packing philosophy. A few
weeks ago my friend Chloé who to me embodies the spirited woman. She's the greatest adventurer that
I know. She's sailed around the globe like three times on a sailboat. She has a pilot's license. She
lived in Berlin for almost 20 years. She's lived in Cairo. She's lived in Beirut. She has
three passports. I think she has an American passport, a Canadian passport and a Polish passport.
Chloé was the first person to ask me what Qui Transtulit Sustinet means. It's latin
and I engraved it in the subframe of my motorcycle, maybe 10 years ago. She was the first person
to ever ask me. So Chloé was packed for basically an around-the-world adventure. She was
flying from Toronto to Mexico City to Oaxaca to Mexico City to Los Angeles to Tahiti.
And she was with a child, a three-year-old, and she had packed remarkably light and yet she had
presents. She had a present for Isabel. She had a present for me
and she had a present for X. I think she might have had a couple presents for X. And she is a
master adventurer and one of the skills of a master adventurer is the ability to pack. And
I think the first tenet of my philosophy is that begin packing when you know your departure date.
Even if the departure date is years away. So I've begun packing for a Mexico trip
that I don't think I'm going to be able to embark on until this December and I've been
packing for it for a year, and part of the packing for it is replacing the engine of my Land Cruiser.
Packing is the second step on an adventure after you plan what the adventure will be.
I think this is obvious but if you've packed perfectly that means you've used every item
that you've packed. Which doesn't mean you've done the adventure perfectly because if you packed a
first aid kit and you use the whole thing that means your adventure, something went wrong or
maybe that is a perfect adventure. But once as a sort of control... We are checking one bag... I went on
a trip from New York City to Paris to Cannes to Berlin, and I think it was a relatively short
trip. It was maybe five or seven days and I only packed a swiss army knife. I'm pretty sure that's all I
packed, besides like what was on my body and I didn't even have extra socks or underwear and
I will never do that again. Do not do that because when you go to foreign places the whole shopping
system is different - like the underwear system, the socks system. And then you might spend the
whole trip either gross and uncomfortable or in a constant state of just shopping and needing things.
Not sure if I mentioned but I wish I had packed a phone charger. Pack an extension cord with the
three prong holes on it, kind of a heavy duty extension cord especially in foreign countries
where the power thing is weird. Because you can usually get a little adapter that plugs into the
wall and then your devices have little computers built into the chargers that know that oh that's
you know a 220 volt or 140 volt versus the 110 we have here in america and you just kind of
always need an extension cord. Always and also rubber bands. I pack a luxury item that I only
wear when I'm on the road it's sort of my reward. One of my rewards for being on the road and these
are a pair of Swiss slippers that Isabel's sister and brother-in-law gave me.
Do not pack more than you can carry all by yourself for a distance of one quarter mile. That's
one of my rules because you never know what's gonna happen. You never know if the car is gonna
break down when you're in Morocco, which happened to me once. You don't know what's gonna happen.
Adventure packing is among the most sophisticated and complicated packing. So when you read books
about great adventures like Endurance about Shackleton, a lot of the book
talks about what they packed. I believe it's in Moby Dick Melville writes
about how in the captain's quarters was a little chest that had the needle
and thread in it because if those sails, they didn't have motors, if those sails tore you were...
So they absolutely could not lose the needle and thread to repair the sails.
It was such an important item that the captain himself was in possession of it
and I think the equivalent of that in modern times is your passport.
The Spirited Man is brought to you by: The Spirited Man Patreon team. Join our Patreon
team at five dollars a month for exclusive access to archival videos with director's
commentary and peer discussions and live streams answering your questions and comments. This packing
philosophy episode was an idea from one of our patrons. Link in the description. The heaviest
I've ever packed was I went to Mexico for four months on a surf trip so that I could surf for
four months and just clear my head. It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I had an F-350 and I
packed a 200cc motorcycle, which coincidentally was the biggest bore motorcycle you could bring
across the mexican border before you needed a special kind of paperwork so it didn't count as
bringing another vehicle. I packed a typewriter. I packed books in a little chest. I packed
camping gear with cooking gear. And the idea with that was that I was planning to stay in hotels
but I had the option to camp if I got too remote and that gave me the freedom, the option to camp,
gave me the freedom to not have to give myself hard destinations every day and then I had the
dirt bike in case the truck broke and I needed to get somewhere. And I had packed perfectly. I
mean I didn't use every single item but... The F-350 was a big, discreet work truck. So I
didn't draw any attention to myself traveling through Mexico. I think that kept me safe.
This is mostly what I'm packing for the biggest adventure of my life.
The most sophisticated packing I've ever done, the most complicated packing I've ever done,
was for a Baja trip down the Baja peninsula and it was a thousand miles each way. And that
was complicated because I was also the sort of trip mechanic and there's an entire book
that's basically dedicated to how to pack for motorcycle adventures. The thing about multi-day
motorcycle trips is that it's definitely going to rain but if you pack waterproofed it probably
won't. So we didn't get rain on this Baja trip but we got 11 flat tires. Fixed the flat we just
put it back on the bike now. And Nev punched a hole in his crank case but we had packed for those
inevitabilities. Tell us about the most important thing a motorcyclist can bring on an adventure.
This stuff. What's it called? It's called plumber's epoxy.
So I had like a compressor. I had the tire irons, spare patches and spare tubes and we were able
to just deal. It was a pain in the neck and that heat changing by hand in the desert those flat
tires and it was a pain in the neck to plug the hole in the crank case of Nev's motorcycle
but it saved us that day. I don't know what we would have to do - double up go into a town, come back,
leave the motorcycle there and it just saved us - and that was packing heavy. But
packing thoroughly, carefully made it unfold in a certain way. That's another thing about packing:
the manner by which you pack has an impact on how the trip will unfold and that's a wonderful
and fun and artistic thing to keep in mind while you're in fact packing.
And so in Baja I was so overloaded on my 650cc motorcycle, I was so overloaded with all this
gear, a few hundred pounds of gear, and the terrain was so rough we were off-road for
days and days and days on end that I broke my subframe and when I replaced the subframe
I for some reason said I'm going to engrave something in the subframe.
And so in the subframe I engraved Qui Transtulit Sustinet, which is the Connecticut state motto.
And it means the transplanted sustain. I think that traveling and adventure at times
might be preparation for transplantation. And Qui Transtulit Sustinet
encouraged me to get the hell out of Connecticut which began my life of adventure.
This week on the Patreon, archival videos with director's commentary on my Patreon right there.
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