Set up trackers for our upcoming trip: D and T for our backpacks; 1 to track a cardboard box we’ll check in at MSP then mail from Glasgow. The rectangular tracker goes in my wallet. (The total weight for the four devices is 1.5 ounces, 43 grams.)
Category: Travel Gear
One pint of protection
One-pint Ziploc freezer bags are essential travel gear. They protect our passports and phones, and will allow us to use our devices safely in the inevitable Scottish rain. They’ve been difficult to find since the pandemic, but yesterday I managed to order a bunch at a good price from Amazon. After our Sunday morning walk, we found them waiting for us in the package room.
REI refresh
Headed over to REI Co-op to freshen up our hiking wardrobe. Clothes shopping at a brick-and-mortar usually isn’t my thing, but I make an exception for hiking gear. Besides, I was almost out of bike chain lubricant, and they carry that too.
Glasgow gear swap
Over the years, we’ve learned to travel light with just carry-on backpacks, even for month-long trips. For our Scotland hike, we’re bringing hiking poles, which must be checked. Dwight found a sturdy, 3-ply box in our building’s recycling area, which turned out to be just the right size despite my doubts. In Glasgow, we’ll swap the poles for our noise-canceling headphones and other items we won’t need on the trail, then mail the box to a post office to collect at the end of our hike.
Travel essentials
Started gathering items for our upcoming trip to the Southern Hemisphere summer. The currency is left over from a trip in 2020. We use the detergent sheets both at home and while traveling; there’s enough here for 14 loads. The Japanese coffee filters have become an essential part of our gear. Our entire packing system relies on Ziploc freezer bags ranging from one pint to two gallons.
Internet micro-influencer for a day
Helped a neighbor install the Airalo app and an eSIM for their Portugal trip. The $16 total was much better than Verizon’s $12/day international roaming. The price included a $3 discount with my code TOM7929 (feel free to use it, I get a kick-back). While I was there I helped resolve other techie issues: cheekily, Dwight called me the Florence Nightingale of Electronica.
Digital Travel Documents, Real-World Hike
Loaded a San Francisco Bay Area Clipper transit card and a Delta boarding pass for a flight tomorrow onto my watch. We’ll hike from inn to inn in Marin County, ending up next Friday in downtown San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge. The watch is a fun addition, its main advantage over my phone…… Continue reading Digital Travel Documents, Real-World Hike
(Not Quite) Minimal Backpacking
Soon we’ll be hiking inn-to-inn in California. We’ll stay 3 nights in a fake British pub with no tea kettle in our room. Confirmed this minimal (8 ounces) setup reaches the ideal temperature range for coffee (195-205°F). The kit includes Japanese-style filters, a trusty aluminum mug from my teenage years, and two slightly younger plastic cups (about 36 years old).
Excess Baggage
It was time to empty my backpack. Some things I never used in Japan include: a spork (accidentally brought two), a SIM remover (I used an eSIM), work gloves (for clambering over volcanic rocks), and various health and repair items (duct tape included). The mental unpacking, however, will take much longer.
Detergent Sheets
Packed 15 laundry detergent sheets, all of 2 ounces, for the upcoming 50-day trip. They’ve been working well at home, and these 15 sheets will suffice for 15 large loads or 30 small loads. Since Japanese hotel washing machines often dispense detergent automatically, I may bring some sheets back home.