PACKING WITH THOREAU

Hola Amigos,
Today's post concerns itself with that most important of subjects: what to pack! There are a least a bazillion blogs and books out there that tell you how and what to pack for any occassion but virtually all of them begin with that time worn adage: "pack half the clothes and twice the money."  Not to be a contrarian, I too have included that quote, but in my case, since I don't have TWICE the money, I am going to adjust that advice to "pack twice the clothes and half the money." That fits more with my "frayed shoe string" budget, and also I don't really hold to  the "travel as shopping spree" view although I know that it is touted as helping the local economy. Also, if you know me at all, you KNOW that I can't bear to wear the same thing twice in a year!

 I am more a fan of the Henry David Thoreau packing plan.
 Thoreau, the man most known for advocating the simple life by living in a 10 X 15 ft room cabin on Walden Pond, minimally furnished with a table, a desk and 3 chairs, took a 12 day canoe trip with a hired guide into the Maine woods. He assembled 166 pounds of baggage, enough to nearly swamp the canoe when it was launched. The complete list of what he packed takes over 4 pages but to give you an idea here are a few of the things he couldn't travel without: 
Wear:
 check shirt, stout old shoes, thick socks, neck ribbon, thick waistcoat, thick pants, old Kassuth hat.

To Carry:
two shirts (check)
one flannel shirt
2 pocket handkerchiefs
a light India Rubber coat or a thick woolen one,
two bosoms and collars to go and come with
one napkin
pins, needles and thread
one blanket, best gray, seven feet long (!)
pocket microscope
gloves
three or four old newspapers...

  and on and on and on.  If you want to read the complete list check out Journeys of Simplicity by Philip Harnden. It is an excellent little book. In fact I might add it to my packing list!

Anyway,  January in Buenos Aires is summer time, and it is supposed to be very hot and humid. In fact, Rachael said,  that if one can escape the city to cooler climes, one does, so we should have the city all to ourselves, except for other unfortunates who have to do things like go to work. She also said that it is so humid that one needs to change one's shirt about three times a day and she recommended that I pack a few shirts that I can easily wash in the sink. But in keeping with my packing adage, I have decided to pack 3 shirts for every day I am traveling (90 tee-shirts), thus eliminating using up valuable vacation time to do laundry.

Unlike Thoreau however, I have discovered a wonderful packing aid: the compression cube. These little wonders are the Tupperware of travel. They come in various sizes and can hold amazing amounts of stuff. Basically you cram everything (like 90 shirts) in, zip up the super compressing zippers and, AY CARAMBA, everything is crushed down into the size of a Togos sandwich and ready to put neatly into your backpack.

    FROM THIS:

   TO THIS:

Of course they each weigh about as much as a gold brick (and they might swamp a canoe, now that I think about it)  and if the customs agents decide to investigate it will be quite exciting...like opening up one of those joke cans of snakes! Perhaps it will be a photo op!  Stay tuned for the blog about going through the airport security!

ciao for now,
J