Packing

This was over a year ago, but it was a fun experiment to understand what I need for a week-long trip to the city without sacrificing much comfort. It ended up being a “zero bag” adventure—traveling without a traditional bag, though some folks consider a personal item like a purse, fanny pack, or sling as an allowance. With only jacket and pant pockets serving as my storage, I found myself relying heavily on the pockets of my clothing for everything from my phone to my wallet. ...

I recently had the fortune of going to Switzerland to visit with my friend in and around Bern. Using my friend’s place as a home base, we did several bike loops out of Bern, including a few train assisted sections and an overnight trip. There was also several miles of hiking and one day of kayaking down the river Aare. The weather was near perfect (end of May, beginning of June) and my friend was able to double as my translator and the itinerary was light on the touristy sightseeing. On my way back home through Chicago, my wife and kids picked me up and we spent a night downtown near the loop where we introduced the kids to the city before heading home. ...

I just got back from another year of RAGBRAI. Wasn’t sure if it would actually happen because of the new wave of COVID-19 cases. It was cancelled last year. I only did three and a half days of riding from Parkersburg to Clinton. Originally, I was going to bike out to the route and back and meet up with my team, but when my friend Mike said he was going to come all the way over from Switzerland, I adjusted my plans so that I could help him get to the route/team and share any gear with him that he may have needed. ...

At the beginning of June this year, I went on a five-night canoe camping trip with family members in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA), specifically the Shell Lake area off entry point 14. This was my first canoe trip and my first time visiting the BWCA. Because of that, I had a lot of questions going into the trip. Normally, on canoe trips, folks have a tendency to pack more similar to a car camping trip because the hikes, or portages, are short and the canoes instead carry most of the weight. ...

I went on a short weekend ski trip to Park City, UT. I don’t have a photo of my items, but if you have seen my North Face Recon backpack, it was completely stuffed. Zippers were hard to close and it barely fit under the seat on the plane. Packing the items in a particular order was the element of success. North Face Recon backpack North Face Jacket Shell North Face Down Jacket Columbia Snow Pants Thinsulate mittens North Face e*tip gloves Dorky stocking hat with ball on top Scott Ski Goggles Smart Wool baklava Buff * Merino Wool Patagonia long underwear Under Armour 1/4 zip shirt Tees (3) Underwear (4) Wool Socks (4) Swim briefs Hospital Scrub Pants Pants Patagonia R1 hoodie Trucker hat Keen Boots Bluetooth ear bud headphones Mini battery bank Charging cords, wall adapter Phone Wallet Hanky Snacks (shelled sunflower seeds, raisins, dark chocolate) Travel coffee mug Deodorant Toothbrush Toothpaste Beard comb Ibprophen Daily vitamins Dr Bronner’s soap samples Zip-Lock baggie (toiletries) Worn on the plane ...