The Bag

Adult female traveller’s mood: elated and anxious

Teenage son traveller’s mood: slow realization he will eat fish for 3 weeks. Every. Single. Day. For breakfast, too.

Countdown: 5 sleeps

This blog is all about travelling light. Or the hopes of it, anyway. Who knows if we’ll achieve our goal of spending 3 weeks in Japan with one bag each. Maybe we’ll fail miserably. Or maybe we’ll start giving our meager possessions away so we can travel freer than air with only the clothes on our back.

Yeah, right.

But back to the bag. Son and I each have one of these. It’s 20L, weighs next to nothing (520g, according to the manufacturer) and resists rain enough to make it a good companion. In this 20L bag (see here for handy chart of backpacks capacity, because let’s face it, when you say, “oh, my backpack is a 20L”, people look at you funny), we’ll each have 2 bottoms, 3 tops, 3 pairs of underwear and socks, a rain jacket, a sun hat, accessories and toiletries. Plus the odd electronic gadget and maps, etc. I haven’t weighed the finished pack yet but guesstimate between 5-8kgs/10-15lbs.

Tomorrow, I think I’ll start posting pictures of the actual packing process. I won’t touch the soap again though.

Oh, and here’s a marvelous travel blog (click on Japan) I found. Spent a good hour browsing through it. Pretty.

They Meant It

Adult female traveller’s mood: oh-my-god-I-have-nothing-to-weeeeeear

Teenage son traveller’s mood: cool as a cucumber

Countdown: 6 sleeps

For our upcoming trip to Japan (in which I will endeavour to bring one bag, and one bag only), we discovered the fun of ultralight packing essentials. Things like Tide little soap packets (no bigger than packets of sugar!), or packing cubes, of which I have a pair, or, joy-of-joy, the amazing Gear Aid’s Smart Suds Camper Soap. I tried it this morning in the bathroom sink. I even read the (short) instructions. It said “put 1 drop”. Cute little bottle like that, 1 drop can’t be enough. How ’bout I put 2. Or even 3-4-5!

You can see where this is going…

Moral of this story: follow the instructions.

9 Sleeps to Japan

Countdown: 9 days
Travelers’ mood: quietly excited
State of packing: starting to not wear pieces intended for the trip

Have you ever had a place that was dear to your heart even though you had never been, didn’t know anybody who had (until recently), and from which you lived half a world away? For me, that place is Japan. I have always felt drawn to this land, always had a deep appreciation for its culture and history. I read my dad’s worn-to-shreds copy of Sho-gun when I was 12 or 13. Yes, that’s kind of nerdish. But that’s me! So after years of longing and raiding the bookstores and libraries, I am finally going to Japan. What’s more, my son is coming with me, which makes it all the more fun. Awesomesauce with a side of squeee, as my friend would say. Enter, this blog. It’s not only a countdown or a list of what I intend to bring in my one bag, it will hopefully be a place where I can (try to) put into words my son and my adventure to the Land of the Rising Sun. Let the packing begin!

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Is exactly what I’ll develop as I will soon update this blog from Japan using a fun-to-surf-but-sucky-at-typing Playbook. But I love the size. It’s like Goldielocks. iPad is too big, smart phone is too small, Playbook is just right.

12 sleeps left and the backpack is officially started.

The Adventure Begins Soon

This will be the first major trip where we don’t check in any luggage. We’re trying this “light packing” thing. If, by day four, you hear of a pair of travelers curled up in fetal position at the door of a clothier, you’ll know our test failed. But what’s the worst that can happen?

No, really. I’m asking…