Suitcases are for suits. For the past few weeks, I went Full Backpack. After scoring a handsome military style bag from my favorite Hollywood surplus store, I promised myself that everything for my East Coast/ Midwest tour needed to fit in the bag. Everything.
The Full Backpack promise was paired with a motto by artist Alexander Barrett: “You Do You, Dude.” A few Full Backpack rules:
Do it in the sink. Rayons & light fabrics are easily washed in a sink and
hung to dry overnight. Pack sports bras only. They’re built to soak up sweat while running around. Years ago, an old roomie taught me the best timesaver ever: jump in the shower with your sports bra on, wash with Dr Bronner’s, wring out and hang up before you dry off. Perfection.
No books allowed. My biggest packing fail? Bringing books I’ll never read. Full Backpack only allows for articles of creation, not consumption: laptop, notebook, pencil case. (One fresh Vanity Fair is allowed for plane rides.) With apps like Instapaper and Kindle, who even needs paper? I always come home with new reads anyway.
Carry a charge. Instead of hauling around two devices, i.e. smartphone plus
tablet backup, a mobile charger will keep your phone juiced. I used mine twice, then promptly dropped it down a New York sewer grate. I’m now at the mercy of bartenders and random outlets until I find a new one. That’s Full Backpack for you. Figure it out on the fly.
Pack black. Multiple black shirts go with everything: wild banana shorts, light nylon skirts, denim cutoffs, shredded leggings. A pair of leopard flats and oxblood Madewell riding boots are the perfect go-to travel shoes. Heels are for masochists.
Double bag. Clearly, I’m not hauling a backpack everywhere, college-expat-in-Europe-style. A tote and a classic airline travel bag fit in the backpack, for daily use and hauling home a stockpile of souvenirs and presents.
Teeny weeny toiletries. In Japan (my Japanese travel tips at the link!), I bought the most perfect toiletry travel bag from Uniqlo. It somehow fits every tiny shampoo, little lotion, mini face wash, teeny hairspray, etc, I could possibly use in the most compact, efficient space. Hoard little toiletries for Full Backpack life, and look for miniaturized tools, like an itsy-bitsy hair straightener.
No checking backpacks. Not only does Full Backpack allow you to skip past bag checks, it’ll even fit under an airplane seat when the overhead luggage
carriers are full.
Do more with less. No excessive makeup or wardrobe is needed. Anyone you meet on a Full Backpack trip should not care that your hair is fried and you’re in eyeliner instead of full face glamour. And if those people care, why are you talking to them? Leave them alone.
They suck, and they are not a part of the Full Backpack experience: You do you, dude. You do you.
xo
suzymae