I think I did a pretty good job packing light. I haven't ever felt as if my backpack was too heavy, but I have wished I had more space at times.
Most useless item: fleece jacket.
The fleece jacket is by far the bulkiest item I packed, taking up most of my daypack. It is also an item I have still not used. I justified bringing it by saying it could act as a pillow or blanket, but I have an extra pillow and who needs a blanket when it's melting outside? Looking back, I should have checked the weather forecast and realized cool weather gear was pointless. If I really needed a jacket, I could have bought one.
Most useful item: toilet paper.
As detailed previously, toilet paper is scarce (and not often used) in Asia. Bringing a roll from home to go in my daypack came in handy almost daily. Unlike toothpaste, it's difficult to even buy it in some areas, so I think toilet paper was the smartest thing I brought.
I wished I had brought one more set of clothes. With the space freed up by leaving the fleece at home, I wish I had brought one more of each clothing item. When doing laundry just wasn't an option, I really needed one more to set to avoid wearing dirty clothes.
I wished I had brought less liquids. Considering the strict liquid requirements the airlines impose, that might seem hard to believe. Even with one tiny bag, liquids are heavy. I could have shrunk each liquid bottle by 1/2 and been fine. Plus, most liquids are sold overseas and I ended up with tons of free vanity items from the airlines.
Good Decisions
Synthetic clothing - All of my clothes have been perfect for the weather
Shoe selection - All three sets have been useful. (Sandals, athletic shoes, shower shoes)
Locks - My zipper locks and bicycle locks have kept all of my belongings safe
Bad Decisions
Medicine - Not bringing more US medicine, like anti-histamines and decongestants
Adapters - Not bringing a grounded US plug adapter has been a real pain for my laptop
Plastic bags - I needed more plastic bags for the different currencies. After they are mixed, it takes forever to separate them back out.
Overall, I think my packing went very well. Backpacking trips in Europe (and southwestern America) are good preparation.
Most useless item: fleece jacket.
The fleece jacket is by far the bulkiest item I packed, taking up most of my daypack. It is also an item I have still not used. I justified bringing it by saying it could act as a pillow or blanket, but I have an extra pillow and who needs a blanket when it's melting outside? Looking back, I should have checked the weather forecast and realized cool weather gear was pointless. If I really needed a jacket, I could have bought one.
Most useful item: toilet paper.
As detailed previously, toilet paper is scarce (and not often used) in Asia. Bringing a roll from home to go in my daypack came in handy almost daily. Unlike toothpaste, it's difficult to even buy it in some areas, so I think toilet paper was the smartest thing I brought.
I wished I had brought one more set of clothes. With the space freed up by leaving the fleece at home, I wish I had brought one more of each clothing item. When doing laundry just wasn't an option, I really needed one more to set to avoid wearing dirty clothes.
I wished I had brought less liquids. Considering the strict liquid requirements the airlines impose, that might seem hard to believe. Even with one tiny bag, liquids are heavy. I could have shrunk each liquid bottle by 1/2 and been fine. Plus, most liquids are sold overseas and I ended up with tons of free vanity items from the airlines.
Good Decisions
Synthetic clothing - All of my clothes have been perfect for the weather
Shoe selection - All three sets have been useful. (Sandals, athletic shoes, shower shoes)
Locks - My zipper locks and bicycle locks have kept all of my belongings safe
Bad Decisions
Medicine - Not bringing more US medicine, like anti-histamines and decongestants
Adapters - Not bringing a grounded US plug adapter has been a real pain for my laptop
Plastic bags - I needed more plastic bags for the different currencies. After they are mixed, it takes forever to separate them back out.
Overall, I think my packing went very well. Backpacking trips in Europe (and southwestern America) are good preparation.
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