In the hiking world there is a saying, that we always pack our fears. This means that if you are afraid of being cold, you will overpack clothes; if you are afraid of running out of food, you will overpack food. My brother carries a lot of (too much?) water; my Dad carries a large first aid kit; my hiking buddy Bugsy carries a lot of bug repellent (hence the trail name). Here are a few things that I carry too much of and how these translate to my fears.
Headphones. I am afraid of running out of entertainment, so I have four pairs of headphones. Yes, four. One pair is wireless, but these require being charged, and they need Bluetooth, which runs my phone battery down faster, so I rarely use them unless I am near a town and know I will be near another town soon. They are not critical when it comes to things I need to charge, so they often stay packed. I also have three pairs of wired headphones. Overkill as they may be, I do not really want to ride for several days without an audiobook, plus they are small, and I just cleaned out my entire house and I had three pairs that still work, so I brought all three of them. Side note and tip: when traveling internationally, it is still a good idea to have a wired pair for the flight so that you don't have to use the crappy ones that the airline gives you. Obviously I have thought about this a lot, eh?
Food. I am afraid of being hungry. Actually, I am not afraid of being hungry, but am afraid of not having food when I am hungry. I am also a bit of a food hoarder, and will stock up if I am in a town or if something is on sale. Obviously this works a lot better when you are living in a house with a fridge and cupboards, but I still justify it and will carry a lot of bars "just in case." I am a lot better at this when backpacking, as I will pack exactly for the number of days that I will be hiking +1 for emergencies. When cycling you are going through towns every few days and it is a nice treat to go to the grocery store, and so I treat myself by overbuying food.
 |
| Food haul! The cookies on the bottom right are so, SO good. |
Water. I am afraid that the next stream will be dry. I usually carry two liters at all times. However, I dislike filtering and I guess I would rather carry more weight than waste more time filtering over and over and over, so if I am in a town with potable water, I might "camel up" as they say (drink as much as possible then fill all of your bottles for the journey). However, I am sure someone has done a study about the efficiency of time comparing the extra time it takes when you are carrying more weight vs. the extra time it takes to filter.
 |
| Filtering water (PC: Broksi) |
Chapstick. I am addicted to Chapstick. I brought two on this trip: one main one and one spare, and then my friend K handed me one in Oregon and I decided to keep it, because you know, they might not have Chapstick in Canada, or Montana... not! I have heard stories about how the menthol is actually addicting; I don't know if that is true. I do know that I do not love most brands. I don't want spicy or fruity Chapstick. I want the Chapstick brand, the black one, or the blue in a pinch. You may think I am cheap and gift me with a nice tube of Burt's Bees. I don't want it. I am not cheap. I am particular about my Chapstick, so I carry extra.
Sunglasses. I am blonde and blue eyed, and even on a cloudy day, I need to wear sunglasses. Luckily, my eye scan has been good over the years, probably because when I am outside, I am wearing sunglasses 98% of the time. For this reason I did bring an extra pair with me. However, the first pair was getting all scratched up and I finally ditched it, so now I only have one. Eeeek. What if I lose the second pair, now my only pair? It will be a rough day, but I will probably live. The next town is only a few days away, hopefully. Luckily I do not mind looking like a dork, and will wear whatever glasses are available (gas station, here I come!)
 |
| Same shirt; different glasses. (+Emi the dog) |
Navigation. I guess I am afraid of getting lost (although I don't THINK I am!) as I have maps on my phone, a Garmin navigator and a Garmin satellite messenger/tracker. It kind of makes me laugh how many electronics I have; however, Navigation is number one on the Ten Essentials list Ten Essentials list of things that you should always bring hiking with you (even on day hikes!), so I just consider this good practices. Actually food and water are also on that list, so maybe I am just following the rules!
As a P.S. here are a few things I do NOT bring a lot of. Underwear (I am happy to bring two and wash the one I am not wearing each day, or go commando), socks (same story), bras (same story), multiples of clothes (currently one have one of each layer, and one dry emergency outfit), first aid (if it's not something that duct tape/Lukotape and a bit of gauze can fix, I am probably screwed anyway).
What do you overpack when you travel? And does this translate to a fear that you have?
this Is pretty accurate, we overpack what we are afraid of. Over the years I've been better with packing to avoid over packing. I have a packing list for all trips per family member so it's usually safe to say we pack what we need. If one time we realize we wish we had something, I'd update the list. For tropical countries trip, I over pack insect repellent, sunscreen, sunglass, hats. I also pack a lot of snacks so we always have something we would eat on the road. now that I'm doing vegan, I make sure to pack instant oatmeal and protein powder for easy meal for me in case I get hungry.
ReplyDeleteI think that is why I over pack food, because I don't really want to eat the unhealthy stuff that's available at gas stations etc. So it's not that there is not stuff to eat, but it may not be what I want. However, I cannot last very long and so I end up eating what is available in the end anyway. I am kind of grossed out sometimes but what I end up eating, compared to what I would eat if I were home with my normal stocked pantry!
DeleteAlso sunscreen and bug spray are essential! And I prefer certain brands. Not that I can't use other ones, but I usually bring a lot so I don't have to buy whatever is in the stores where I am.
#1 is water. I always bring a lot of water bottles with me when I travel so that there is no chance I will run out. #2 is a way to charge my phone. Since most of my travel is by car it's "good enough" to just have an extra charging cable in the car, but I'm sure that I'll get a portable charger sooner rather than later.
ReplyDeleteI do not have four pairs of headphones (cuz: solo car travel) but I agree that having a wired pair on hand is always a good thing. I'm Team Burt's Bees, though when I travel I only have one stick compared to home where I have: upstairs stick, downstairs stick, and purse stick. I always have a pair of sunglasses and I'm usually wearing them. And yep, I wouldn't be able to do any of this without GPS. Since all of my travel is short I'm a total princess with clean socks and undies everyday, but I pack minimal clothes.
Yes to phone charging! I think people who have cars and houses think I am making stuff up when I tell them that I had my phone on battery saver/airplane mode all day and didn't get their call. Seriously, I don't want my phone to die and sometimes I don't know when I'll be in electrical land again, so I definitely hoard phone battery time! Plus mapping trumps social time. The portable charger is key, and you may as well get the 20,000 MaH one, as that should charge your phone about five to eight times, or if you have 12 electronics to charge like me, you can last for a few days!
DeleteIf I am traveling for work, I only bring exactly what I need because I use a very small carry on that will fit on every plane including the tiny regional jets. But if we are driving to my parents, I will pack some extra stuff because I'm not constrained on space. I tend to overpack for the kids but you never know if they will have accidents or spill on their clothes, etc.
ReplyDeleteI do not own 4 pairs of headphones! I have my airpods and then for wired headphones, I have the free ones from Delta but I have only watched 1 movie in the last several years of traveling so I very rarely need wired headphones!
I am also addicted to chapstick but like Birchie, I need the Burts Bees brand, but just the plain version - no fruit flavoring, etc. I have chapstick all over the place - by my bed, next to the couch, in my purse, in the diaper bag, at work, in my home office, etc. I can't be without easy access to chapstick!
lol I didn't think to specify "the plain version" of BB - I shoulda said "the correct version". The fruit stuff is garbage.
DeleteAs I said, I am more of a chapstick person, but I agree that if I were going to use BB, I would definitely use the plain one.
DeleteThis is a fascinating topic, and I hadn't thought about packing in this way before. I'm not good at packing at all - I'd really rather stay home - and so I pack way too much of everything! I don't want to be inconvenienced in any way by not having something I use at home. I guess I pack in fear of leaving home! The last time I traveled, I even packed some paper bowls, spoons, and a box of cereal! I mean...come on!
ReplyDeleteHaha! You are afraid of not being able to wat when, what and where you want to! I usually just pack some bars, but they satisfy the same fear!!
DeleteIt sounds like you are also afraid of change or new things so you bring your normal items so that your routine won't change too much.
Not related to any fear that I'm aware of, but I tend to over-pack underwear and t shirts!
ReplyDeleteYou are afraid of smelling bad? Of having to do laundry? Of not having choices?
DeleteSorry for the anon post! I think it's the desire for choices. I will say, knowing that I do this has made adjusting much easier. :)
DeleteThat is interesting, as I find that having to choose beforehand and then being set later makes me feel kind of secure. I don't want to have a lot of choice later, or on the trip, so limiting myself clothing wise actually feels better in the long run.
DeleteNo matter how hard I try, I overpack clothes. I have gotten so much better over the years, though, but I need to follow the rule of taking out a third of the clothes once I've packed. Typically I wear all black so it's not so hard to coordinate anyway. I consider it a huge win if I get home and all the clothes have been worn. I definitely overpack underwear, particularly if I am not going to have laundry facilities. What can I say, I like fresh panties. Also I like them to coordinate with my outfit. Yes, I know no one can see them. No, I don't care.
ReplyDeleteUm, this post cracks me up because if I'm reading this right, all your panties should be black!!
DeleteI also normally wear a lot of black, as it requires little thought (does this match? Yes. Now let's move on), but I also wonder if everyone thinks I wear the same thing every day anyway, and if they do, I may as well just wear the same thing every day. Don't get me wrong; I don't want to smell bad, but if there's an option to do laundry, I can go pretty minimal.
That's a pretty smart saying, that we pack our fears. I would say that I pack my vanity, however; my worst sin is to overpack shoes. It's so dumb and ridiculous. I'm lucky that most of my travel now is by car, so I can take as many pairs as I want, but I have a thing about wearing the right shoes with each outfit. Even now, when I dress so casually, I still want to feel put together and have a finished look. When I was teaching, I had dozens and dozens of pairs of high heels. I don't have that kind of collection of footwear now, but I'm still driven to wear An Outfit every day. Sigh. I'm a project.
ReplyDeleteIf it makes you feel any better, I used to work in the Nordstrom salon shoe department, and so I probably owned about 50(?) pairs of shoes. However, I rarely or never wore them after I quit working at Nordstrom! So for twenty years I carted around all of these shoes that I did not even use. I guess my fear was wasting money if I got rid of them? Who knows! I guess we are all projects on our own way.
DeleteHmm, I'm thinking about my recent road trip. We definitely packed a LOT of food- nowadays it's easier than ever to find vegan food pretty much anywhere, but you never know. I'm laughing at your four pairs of headphones- but I get it. I also wouldn't want to be stuck without entertainment!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I often pack specialty foods as well. I think vegan is sometimes not hard but it can be boring in some states, as their idea of a salad is not really on par with what I am used to. I'm looking at you, Iowa! Actually really it's usually some of the smaller towns that may be limited, although I've surprisingly found a lot of GF things in places I did not expect!
DeleteOoh, this is such an interesting post and something fun to contemplate. I always have multiple pairs of sunglasses - like you, I have light-colored eyes so I need them no matter what. If I don't have sunglasses when I'm driving, I want to cry!!
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to packing, I tend to overpack underwear (I loooove a fresh pair of underwear, ha) and I always have a wireless charger on me so I never have to worry about my phone dying when I'm out somewhere. I think the phone dying is my BIGGEST fear - I'm terrified of not being able to call someone or use Apple Pay if I need to buy someone or use Uber if I need a ride!
I agree re the phone but for me it's more for mapping or information that I am afraid to not have it charged. Although this is something that is worse when backpacking in the woods; when cycling or traveling in general, there is usually a chance to plug in from time to time. However, I do keep my cord and square at the ready, for even a five minute charge when I am in the bathroom can help!!
DeleteRe undies, maybe TMI, but I have started not wearing any! :) It saves having to do laundry!
We overpack food just to leave the house for the day. I also always overpack underwear and socks when I leave my house. Weird to think about that.
ReplyDeleteI have an entire drawer of lip balm. I am not actually a fan of Chapstick and their inability to say if things are for sure GF makes me angry, so I stick to Blistex. And maybe I am an addict. MAYBE.
I find the "flavor" of blistex to be too strong for me. The reason I like chapstick is that it's more neutral. I have never been a huge scent person, but have found this to be even more true as I age. Strong smells give me a headache.
DeleteMaybe this is gross to some, but I will wear a pair of socks a few times, or wash them in the sink and rewear them. My Dad is like you and actually wears a double layer when hiking, so he carries a lot of socks!!
We really do pack our fears. I'm the same way with food and totally relate to not being afraid of being hungry but not having something when I am. My husband and I owned a carpet cleaning company for years and I would always pack a multitude of snacks before we headed out for a job, even the smaller jobs that wouldn't go longer than 2 hours. He constantly made fun of me but always ended up eating at least one of the snacks so who really has the last laugh? haha
ReplyDeleteYes! I am always the "Mom" with my friends. I have snacks and wet wipes and bandaids and ibuprofen... Of course I sometimes get annoyed with them when they eat all my snacks, and when they didn't prepare as well as I did!
DeleteThat's an interesting concept, but I guess, it's so true... you pack your fears. I always have an extra charger and an external battery, oh, and when I travel internationally, I have one of those travel chargers with converters for every country. I once got stuck in London on the way to Europe and was so glad I had a travel charger that I was able to use there. It was life-saving.
ReplyDeleteI also always pack a change of clothing in my carry-on, snacks, and an extra sweater.
I do not use lip balm and rarely use my sunglasses (I KNOW!).
Definitely having the right charging gear makes a world of difference! I even noticed that the kids now are carrying external battery packs so that they never have a chance for their electronics to die!
DeleteChargers, multiple forms of tech (laptop, iPad, phone, etc.), and, like San, at least a fresh shirt and underwear, and usually I shove a pair of leggings into my carryon, too. In the car? Copious amounts of fluids, plus snacks out the wazoo. I eat mostly vegan and I know I can always fall back on my stash of bars, nuts, fruit, veggies... you get the point. :) I could not do what you do, for sure!
ReplyDelete