As for convertible pants, they seem to be a big point of contention but I personally love mine. I agree they make you look like a tourist, but I really don’t think I am going to ever pass as a local anyway so I don’t worry about it. Function and comfort first is my mantra. Plus, looking like a tourist isn’t always such a bad thing as you sometimes end up in some interesting conversations on the street as a result.

I like having a hanging toiletry bag, but if I had to choose again I would find a different model than mine (Rick Steves). I just saw a really nice one that a German guy had from Jack Wolfskin (?). The difference was really just how it was laid out – his used space more efficiently and flexibly.

I was wondering about the Ex-Officio underwear. It looks like I will be investing in some of those!

cheers,
hiptraveler

As far as the “Tech” clothing, there are ways to get good deals on those kinds of clothes and there is NO way I would have wanted cotton clothing when I was in SE Asia. I was so glad to have my lightweight, quick-dry, synthetic clothing.

And, lastly, I took my Leatherman with me and it was indispensable. I am very glad I took it.

I liked this list though….it’s always good to share!

So with everything in travel, it just depends on your preference! Good article though – it gives rtwsoon people some food for thought.

In the cooler climates where I’ve hiked a lot, wouldn’t trade my synthetic or wool clothes for anything – stay warm even if wet and dry so much faster than cotton. They aren’t necessarily high performance TRAVEL clothes, but high performance outdoor activity gear. A little more expensive, but I’ve always watched online for sales and bought them over time so I wasn’t spending a fortune right before a trip and have had good luck with durability. And they don’t comprise my whole wardrobe – I’ve still got cheap cotton tank tops & t-shirts that are just fine for a lot of days. Zip-off pants (or trousers as my British friends would say) saved a lot of room in my luggage – I could wear them over a pair of long underwear in really cold places and then as shorts in the tropics. I’ve used the corkscrew on my knife more than anything. Tried to use it on salami while camping & realized the knife was too dull to cut anything – if you’re going to haul one around, make sure it’s sharp! Doh!

I love my hanging toiletry bag! Occasionally there hasn’t been a good place to hang it, but I’ve found more often there isn’t a place (at least a clean place) to set things down. Especially in hostel bathrooms that are a little dicey and covered with water, toothpaste, and who knows what, but I might be more picky about bathrooms & where I sit my stuff than most. More often than not, I’ve been glad to have the hanging bag which is the same one I use if I visit my out-of-town family overnight.

Wow, I didn’t intend to address nearly every point of the article, but that’s my two cents based on my experience traveling round the world through drastically different climates. Even if I didn’t agree with everything, I think the completely valid take-away is that you don’t need every travel gadget or to spend a lot of money on unnecessary stuff just to take a big trip. Do a little research on your locations and introspection on your needs. It’s great to have everything you need on the road, but not if it makes it too difficult to be on the move and actually travel!

My couple pairs of pants (besides one pair of gore-tex climbing pants) are zip offs. I don’t care if it makes me look like a tourist though.

Brought a really basic swiss army knife, and barely use it. The mini scissors once in a while only.

A lot of the things really depend on where you’re traveling though. Travel soap is handy when you’re camping, and a lightweight sleep liner (of one sort or another) is good for couchsurfing so your host doesn’t have to keep washing the sheets all the time for each guest.

For some unknown reason we continue to carry the sink plug (which we have never used) and the silk sheets which were used once in the jungle to effectively fend off a puma in the middle of the night (at least that is the story we are both using as to why we keep carrying them). In truth, your article may be the final kick we need to donate them to the population here in Lima.

My personal favorite about the expensive travel shirts we bought is the smell. Every time we go on a hike Betsy reminds me that my shirts stink (thanks to all the chemicals they put on them to resist sunlight, bugs, meteors, and screaming children) but I just can’t seem to part with them.

Thank you for the intervention. I am going to pour a second glass of wine and reflect on my backpack.

We brought our silk sheet liners and were so glad we did. Yes, we stayed in those sketchy hostels but even if the sheets probably were fine, sleeping in the sheets just made me feel a little safer. I am one who gets munched on by all hungry bugs within a 10 mile radius, so any bit of protection is welcomed by me!

@Evi agree with you on the power converter and if people are thinking of getting an expensive plug adapter they may want to wait as here in Latin America they are 1-2 bucks