fredlet’sTravels

Blog

  • How I Pack (Part 1)

    (NOTE: This is for flying. Road trips and train trips are entire 'nother animal.)

    Weather:
    I can easily handle a 50 degree range (and even more if I will only be outside for a few minutes moving from car to door etc.) with my standard array of clothing:

    • a pair of Khakis/jeans
    • a pair of black pants
    • several long sleeve quick dry shirts (or short sleeve if in summer/warmer climates)
    • a light merino wool sweater
    • a breathable jacket (the same one I wear on the trail)
    • a scarf (pashmina or the like)
    • walking shoes

    For trips like Green Bay, I allow myself a couple of fun things. This trip I have snow pants (though not totally necessary) and some silly hats to wear.

    Function:
    If I am going to be going to a play or out to a fancy dinner, I tend to pack a nice shirt and a pair of shoes that don't look like I walk 20 miles a week in them and wear my black pants. Its as good as you are going to get with me.
    Cope.

    I end up packing about the same amount of clothes for a weekend that I do for a week or more. I don't know why, but it seems to work well for me. I think its because I can have a choice in what I wear and my inner 2 year old is appeased by that.

    Also on the default list is:

    • yoga pants (can work as jammies, workout wear, warmer weather pants as well as being just plain comfy.)
    • 2 quick dry t shirts (workout clothes, layers, on their own, jammies etc.)

    Tools:
    This is where I spend most of my time thinking about a packing list: the gadgety stuff.

    • Phone+foldup keyboard+USB charging cable – I have a Palm Centro with the old Palm folding keyboard covers most of my text based needs (email, blogging, writing articles/books (thank you WordSmith!), Twitter, Facebook, banking, misc browsing) and some basic HTML provided I have a web interface I can work in instead of relying on FTP.My phone also has a nationwide plan and is GSM so if I am out of the country I can buy a prepaid card and swap SIM chips.
    • Camera+charger+multiple cards (I have a small digital that works for everyday photos and video. If I am going somewhere for more than a week, I will most likely bring my digital SLR for some really good shots.)
    • iPod – model varies based on trip length and availability of wifi and or power outlets.
    • Solio This can charge my iPod (The nano version can be charged multiple times without draining the Solio and still have power for my phone) I have limited luck with charging it in the sun since I am in airports and in cloudy locations. But when I do road trips, it works really well on the dashboard, hiking has a limited charge time as we are mostly in the trees but it has a charging option so I mostly use it as a spare battery.
    • Belkin Mini Surge with USB – For charging everything in my pack. It is brilliant.Go get one NOW.
    • Card reader+Cards+Portable Apps – You can use any PC without leaving any of your data on it… and they have Skype in P.A. form now! I also put PDF (password protected) scans of my drivers license, my passport and other emergency information and standard files I use a lot.
    • USB rechargable speakers I found these a while back. I like them because they sound great, are chargable via mini-USB, and are tiny (they were originally made to go with some Cingular phone that matched its form factor). I don't think they make them anymore, but I love them.
    • optional: if I am on call at work then I take my netbook, an Acer Aspire One which has my full set of tools on it.
    • optional: if I will be on a flight longer than 2 hours or if I am visiting my family (i'm a night owl and they aren't), I bring my eReader

    Then there's the standard stuff I have in my purse/backpack at all times: notebook, pens, aspirin, etc. Survival gear.
    There are also some new toys that I am pondering but that will have to be another post… as will the perfect (mythical) travel tool.

  • Search results:”black or burnt orange ebags bag?”

    Burnt orange, of course.

  • Packing List:Kermit 2.5 days

    Bag
    Ogio Metro Backpack (mine doesn't have the Firefox on it, but I wish it did)

    Clothes
    2 short sleeved Tshirts
    1 long sleeve Tshirt
    yoga pants (doubles as jammies)
    sleeping Tshirt
    1 long sleeve heavier shirt*
    sock/undies
    Keen shoes
    plane wear: jeans, long sleeve Tshirt, Eddie Bauer jacket I wore to Green Bay

    *maybe

    Stuff
    Treo + cables etc
    iPod Touch + cables
    Belkin power strip (AC + 2 USB ports)
    Solio + connecties
    camera + stuff
    external drive
    shampoo etc
    sunglasses
    Crystal Lite mixes, snack bars, nuts
    empty water bottle

    I'll probably take my Acer, but I really don't feel like futzing around with all the associated angst it takes to get through security and carry all the cables… but given that it was necessary when I traveled last time as I got trapped, it might still be worth it (though the incidence of blizzard is statistically low in Kermit). Also, I have an idea for a TSA safe laptop bag (a two bottle wine carrier from BuiltNY with the center stitching removed. No zippers, no extra pockets and very viewable on security cam.)
    No decision yet… however, leaning toward YES.

  • PACKING LIST:Super-cool reusable Trader Joe’s Grocery Bags



    Super-cool reusable Trader Joe’s Grocery Bags, originally uploaded by pondblue.

    Remember in Friends where they all go to the beach and Joey shows up with a paper bag…?

    Joey: (walking up carrying a brown paper bag) Hey!

    Monica: Oh, hey! Oh good, you brought food!

    Joey: No, it’s just my luggage.

    yeah well this particular packing list is sort of like that…but with a Trader Joe’s reusable bag.
    They are the perfect size, sturdy, cool looking and are wonderful even if you can’t really sling them over your shoulder (but really, if I was THAT concerned with it, I wouldn’t be using Joey Luggage.)

    For a last minute “Hey! let’s jump in the car after work run off down the coast this weekend!*” like in college. (yes you are allowed to stock up on munchies at Trader Joe’s on the way out.)

    • Trader Joe’s grocery bag
    • Trader Joe’s citrus sampler kit
    • towel
    • swimsuit
    • yoga pants
    • polar fleece sweatshirt
    • bandanna

    *We’ll assume you don’t have prior commitments, your cell phone is charged and you don’t have pets that will starve without you there.

  • Packing List:3 days in a car with my cousin

    Clothes

    • Orange Crush Tshirt (jammies)
    • orange flip flops
    • Nick and Nora Ports of Call jammies
    • Polarfleece v-neck sweatshirt
    • REI Denali quick dry pants (dark khaki)
    • 2 black tshirts
    • white tshirt
    • fish t-shirt
    • jacket (haven’t decided which one yet)
    • Keen’s
    • socks and undies

    Stuff

    I will probably be hyperventilating being away from Bunny for more than 12 hours, Tex will be with her, but I keep going back to the point that it is several days of the rest of her life that I am missing out on…Maybe I should add Prozac to the fucking list.

  • Relevant 😉

    from Mystic Bliss:

    WHAT TO BRING FOR A TREK IN BHUTAN

    PERSONAL CLOTHING: Strong normal clothing (according to season). Preferably cotton even for summer, woolen clothing for the evening and winter.

    FOR TREKING ONE MUST BRING:
    1. Sleeping Bag (down, 0-5 O C)
    2. Strong comfortable trekking boots-water resistant for the rainy period (June-August)
    3 .Sunscreen
    4. Flashlight
    5. Rain Coat (especially for rainy period-June-August)
    6. Head gear/hat./cap; sun and rain protection
    7. Water pills- for extra caution in purifying stream water: (boil water is provided a times during the trek)
    8.Aspirin- in case of altitude sickness
    9. Lots of socks
    10. Warm undergarments

    OPTION ITEMS TO BRING:
    Sunglasses
    Headgear
    Folding umbrella (only for wet months-July and August)
    One Towel
    Pillow Case
    Wet-packaged tissue paper

  • If you don’t like the weather in Texas

    just wait 15 minutes.

    I arrived Saturday to 75 degree weather and stopped by to see Kramer’s parents (who fed me the most amazing Mexican food) before I headed up to daddy’s house.
    Sunday was lovely as well.
    Sunday night we decided to cover the rental car with tarps (folded for padding) to prevent a repeat of what happened to one of my cars in college-serious hail damage. I wasn’t interested in the rental company trying to stick me with a large bill. It was fine, rainy but fine.

    The next day (after a long icky night full of snot and tornado warnings – I did get sick – I’m totally sexy right now – honk.) I woke up and put on flip flops and a tshirt and looked at the weather station my dad has and noticed that it was about 40 degrees and dropping steadily. So I put on more than that and we went out to lunch.

    That night, we watched the weather on the web show us a monster cold front moving all over the part of North Texas we were in. After letting the dog in we watched as big, fat flakes of snow started to fall.

    We got about 3 inches in the few hours before I went to bed. I woke up to the rental covered in about 5 inches of snow and the weather about 68 degrees again.

    Gotta love it.

    Today I wore my orange flip flops and my new orange and red tie dyed shirt from a local pub while I ran out for Starbucks and breakfast burritos from Taco Cabana (breakfast of champions, baby.)

    To date its been a lot of sleeping, knitting, and hooking Pam II on knitting (she isn’t in love with knitting at this point, but its only been about 2 hours for her so far-though I think she wants to love knitting because the yarn is so lovely to play with.) There are cats to snuggle with, a farting dog and lots of mexican food and brisket.
    Not too bad.

    Off to grama’s tomorrow and then on to Kermit. I’m looking forward to the road trip.
    😉

  • Packing details

    So, I used to be able to pack 2 weeks before a trip and just grab my bag and go! Everything was great! I had pants! (and under pants!) but now, not so much.
    For some reason I seem to get a little distracted by the right shirt (or 4) and I lose sight of the whole “what to wear over my butt” issue.
    Sure, I have what I wear on the plane, but when I go with a purple/black theme on the plane and end up packing a whole khaki/red/orange theme in the suitcase, it looks a little like clown college in a bag.
    My new approach is to casually sneak up on the packing and then pounce right before I leave so it doesn’t know what hit it.
    I wear my clothes as the weeks pass and then when I wash them and think “Oh this shirt is my BFF!” I fold it and toss it in the suitcase for the pre-leaving sanity check.
    This time my packing list deviated from my previous list (and I’ll make a new one if you care), but essentially, I looked at the weather and decided zip off shorts and the new cute jammies as pants would be a good weight. I did put the plaid ones that go with my Monterey sweatshirt in there, but I also lost my tiny little mind over some travel jammies from Nick and Nora at Target last weekend that with just a slight shift in t-shirt color will work with most everything else.
    I figure with the weather as it is, I’ll probably end up in shorts the whole time anyway. (cross your fingers nothing crazy happens to the weather, I am leaving my down jacket at home this time).

    New Texas packing list:

    clothes:
    -EBags weekender
    -black zip off pants/shorts
    -orange long sleeve shirt
    -purple long sleeve shirt
    -white long sleeve shirt
    -purple/grey patterned sweater (the artist formerly known as “new sweater”)
    –black vneck merino wool sweater
    -*grey short sleeve shirt with silkscreened fishie
    -*grey hoodie sweater
    -*jeans
    –Nick&Nora “ports of call” jammies
    –Monterey sweatshirt
    -plaid pink/orange jammies
    -*10 year old (but still the best damn jacket I own) Eddie Bauer parka**
    -socks/undies
    -Keen’s
    –black flip flops, possibly the red ones, too. orange flip flops

    things:
    -Nano/broadcasty/car power
    -Solio/cables/charger
    -PSP/earphones-microphone/power/cards
    -2G Firefly with Portable Apps/external drive
    -Treo 650/headset/keyboard
    -camera/charger
    -eBook***
    -knitting
    -fold up cooler

    *plane wear
    ** the word parka intimates that it is super warm. It isn’t even insulated. But it is long (comes to mid-thigh on me), I can scotch guard it and walk around in Paris drizzle and stay dry, it has a waist cinch, a hood, sleeve snaps to keep the wind from going up your arms and the best pockets ever. I’ve worn this in weather as low as 20 degrees F and in rain and after it gets really ooky, I wash it, scotch guard it again and wear it for several more trips.
    ***I wasn’t going to bring this, but then I got into a book and realized I didn’t want to leave it til I got back.

    …and oh crap, I think I’m getting sick.

  • Packing List: Texas crawl (Northeast to Northwest style)

    This trip includes a plane trip to Texas (need accompanying amusement), a trip to my dad’s, mini road trip to my grandmother’s, actual road trip across the state to my other grandmother’s (if you do the travel math its easier and cheaper to drive) where I meet up with mom being her own airline and then return trip home.
    So there are some things I am taking that I wouldn’t necessarily need for something like the Green Bay excursion or a Kailua-Kona foray.

    Clothes:

    • eBags Weekender Convertible (+ REI duffle* in case of extra stuff.)
      eBags Weekender Convertible
      New Sweater
    • EBay sweater find (I don’t have a nickname for this sweater yet…though I have been calling it "new sweater" which after the other weekend at Target, it really ain’t)
    • purple long sleeve shirt
    • white long sleeve shirt
    • sage long sleeve shirt
    • black vneck merino wool sweater
    • black long sleeve shirt
    • jeans*
    • khaki zip off pants (pants/shorts)
    • yoga pants
    • layering shirt
    • hoodie I got in Monterey last weekend
    • pink/orange plaid jammie pants to go with Monterey hoodie
    • jammies
    • socks and undies
    • Keen’s
    • Mary Jane Crocs
    • scarf
    • jacket
    • miscellaneous goops and oinkments

    Stuff:

    • PSP + cards (I use this for Skype and movie watching)
    • Nano + radio broadcast-y
    • Solio (this covers all of my recharging needs, though I do take my PSP wall charger for convenience.)
    • Treo + keyboard + headset
    • camera + charger
    • collapsible ice cooler (great for hotels and beach trips… or in this case road trips so you don’t feel guilty about buying one and getting rid of it.)
    • Various CD’s and DVD’s of computer files and music since I am not taking a computer but will have access to several.
    • Granite Gear shopping bag, Method Plastic Bag Rehab

     

    *The REI duffle is what I used to pack my backpack in on the plane ride out for the AT and it is checkable. The EBags weekender I would prefer not to check so if I bring extra stuff home, as I always end up doing when I visit family, I can just put everything into the big REI one and check it without having to worry about it being scuffed or manhandled.
    They are pretty militant about 2 carry-on things now and I know myself about having to carry and manoevre things on the plane… I get too crabby to deal with it.

  • 17/50 (34%)

    Where have I been?

    1. Times Square, New York City, NY: 35 million visitors every year

    2. National Mall & Memorial Parks, Washington, D.C. (Washington Monument, Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials,the war memorials): About 25 million 1999.

    3. Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.: 16.6 million

    4. Trafalgar Square, London, England: 15 million

    5. Disneyland Park, Anaheim, Calif.: 14.7 million

    6. Niagara Falls, Ontario and New York: 14 million

    7. Fisherman’s Wharf/Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco, Calif.: 13 million

    8. Tokyo Disneyland/DisneySea, Tokyo, Japan: 12.9 million

    9. Notre Dame de Paris, Paris, France: 12 million.

    10. Disneyland Paris, Marne-La-Vallee, France: 10.6 million

    11. The Great Wall of China, Badaling area, China: About 10 million

    12. The Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Tennessee/North Carolina: 9.2 million

    13. Universal Studios Japan, Osaka, Japan: 8.5 million

    14. Basilique du Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre, Paris, France: 8 million

    15. Musée du Louvre, Paris, France: 7.5 million

    16. Everland (amusement park), Kyonggi-Do, South Korea: 7.5 million

    17. The Forbidden City/Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China: At least 7 million

    18. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France: 6.7 million

    19. Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando, Fla: 6 million

    20. SeaWorld Florida, Orlando, Fla: 5,740,000

    21. Pleasure Beach (amusement park), Blackpool, England: 5.7 million

    22. Lotte World (amusement park), Seoul, South Korea: 5.5 million

    23. Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise, Japan: 5.4 million

    24. Hong Kong Disneyland, China: 5.2 million

    25. Centre Pompidou, Paris, France: 5.1 million

    26. Tate Modern, London, England: 4.9 million

    27. British Museum, London, England: 4.8 million

    28. Universal Studios Los Angeles, Calif.: 4.7 million

    29. National Gallery, London, England: 4.6 million

    30. Metropolitan Museum, New York, NY: 4.5 million

    31. Grand Canyon, Ariz.: 4.4 million

    32. Tivoli Gardens (amusement park), Copenhagen, Denmark: 4.4 million

    33. Ocean Park (amusement park), Hong Kong, China: 4.38 million

    34. Busch Gardens (amusement park), Tampa Bay, Fla.: 4.36 million

    35. SeaWorld California, San Diego, Calif.: 4.26 million

    36. Statue of Liberty, New York, NY: 4.24 million Well, I sailed past it on the ferry

    37. The Vatican and its museums, Rome, Italy: 4.2 million

    38. Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia: More than 4 million

    39. The Coliseum, Rome, Italy: 4 million

    40. American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY: 4 million

    41. Grauman’s Chinese Theater, Hollywood, Calif.: 4 million

    42. Empire State Building, New York, NY: 4 million

    43. Natural History Museum, London, England: 3.7 million

    44. The London Eye, London, England: 3.5 million

    45. Palace of Versailles, France: 3.45 million

    46. Yosemite National Park, Calif.: 3.44 million

    47. Pyramids of Giza, Egypt: 3 million

    48. Pompeii, Italy: 2.5 million

    49. Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia: 2.5 million

    50. Taj Mahal, Agra, India: 2.4 million