To: WSFAlist at keithlynch.net
Date: Mon, 12 Aug 2002 13:27:23 -0400
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Packing light
From: ronkean at juno.com
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

On Mon, 12 Aug 2002 12:20:54 -0400 "Erica VD Ginter" <eginter at klgai.com>
writes:

> There are whole books about packing light. These are my favorites
> for easing
> the eventual load and making room for the biiks and t-shirts I want
> to bring
> back. Anybody else have ideas?
>

People often tend to pack for a trip or vacation as if they have to take
along everything they will 'need', possibly forgetting that if they are
going to a civilized locale, almost everything they 'need' is as readily
available on the market there as it is at home: film, toiletries, towels,
underwear, socks, etc.  The art comes in balancing the inconvenience and
expense of transporting what one needs versus obtaining it at the
destination, and possibly discarding it after use.  Presumably one does
not want to go on vacation and spend most of the time there shopping for
small mundane items which one could have brought along.  My thought would
be to take along everything I expect to need, but only in the quantity
needed, except for items which are expected to be conveniently available
on the spot, such as laundry detergent in a laundromat.  I think it's a
good idea to carry some toilet paper in one's car routinely, in case one
encounters a public restroom without toilet paper, and that it would also
be wise to carry toilet paper when travelling.

When Pat Bahn went to India, he had the items he bought in India shipped
back to his home in Maryland, so he could travel light through Europe on
the way back.  It was a very slow sea shipment, so he arrived home long
before the shipment arrived.  With the proliferation of 'box and ship'
stores in the U.S., it should usually be possible to ship items home, if
that is better than carrying them home.  It may be necessary to send the
items to a cooperative neighbor if one won't be home in time to accept
the package.

Ron Kean

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