{"id":4178,"date":"2010-10-08T10:28:55","date_gmt":"2010-10-08T14:28:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blacknell.net\/dynamic\/?p=4178"},"modified":"2010-10-08T10:28:55","modified_gmt":"2010-10-08T14:28:55","slug":"travel-bits-bite-sized","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blacknell.net\/dynamic\/2010\/10\/08\/travel-bits-bite-sized\/","title":{"rendered":"Travel Bits (Bite-sized!)"},"content":{"rendered":"

I don’t like checking luggage. \u00c2\u00a0At all. \u00c2\u00a0And I don’t see why 90% of the people that do it, do it. \u00c2\u00a0No need to check a thing, with a bit of planning, willingness to absorb astronomical hotel laundry charges (or – my usual choice – do your own damn laundry)<\/em>, and purchase of quality clothes in the the first place. \u00c2\u00a0As my kitchen-sink packing friends can attest, I’m quite proud of multiple-continent-multiple-week trips accomplished with a laptop backpack<\/a> and a medium duffel<\/a>. \u00c2\u00a0So, all that out of the way, these guys are nuts<\/a>:<\/p>\n

In what is potentially the most minimal “technomadic” experiment ever, Rolf Potts (author of one of my favorite travel\/lifestyle books\u00c2\u00a0Vagabonding<\/em><\/a>) has set out on 6-week, 12-country, round-the-world trip\u00c2\u00a0without a single piece of luggage<\/em>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That’s a bit of a promotional gimmick, but this guy appears to be serious<\/a>:<\/p>\n

<\/embed><\/object><\/p>\n

How to take as much as you like in your hand luggage<\/em><\/a> from <\/em>Matador Network<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

He’s also a great illustration of the tragedy of the commons – his carry-on antics squeeze out \u00c2\u00a0folks who would just like to put their bags in the overhead. \u00c2\u00a0On the other hand, if you’re flying Ryan Air<\/a>, you’re just asking for this kind of company.<\/p>\n

~<\/p>\n

Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how much you pack, but\u00c2\u00a0what<\/em><\/a> you pack:<\/em><\/p>\n

The Immigration Officer swiped my passport, glanced at his computer screen and almost immediately stamped me back into the country. But just before I started to walk away he asked, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153So you went to Afghanistan and Pakistan. How was it?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d The only reply that I could muster up was a quiet, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Very interesting.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

He then called the next person in line and I turned away, relieved beyond belief at how well that had gone. Of course, that relief lasted a mere six seconds, right until the moment when a Customs Officer approached and asked me to step over to one of the inspection tables.<\/p>\n

The following hour and a half of my life is a period of time that I will never forget and truthfully, never really want to endure ever again.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It’s a funny read. \u00c2\u00a0If you’re into black humor.<\/p>\n

~<\/p>\n

Speaking of jokes, everyone hates the TSA<\/a>. \u00c2\u00a0Everyone<\/a>.<\/p>\n

~<\/p>\n

A long long time ago, I used to be a WorldMate<\/a> user on my Palm Treo. \u00c2\u00a0At some point I decided it wasn’t worth upgrading, and stopped using it. \u00c2\u00a0I just gave it another look, in Android version, and wow. \u00c2\u00a0Good stuff. \u00c2\u00a0Recommended.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I don’t like checking luggage. \u00c2\u00a0At all. \u00c2\u00a0And I don’t see why 90% of the people that do it, do it. \u00c2\u00a0No need to check a thing, with a bit of planning, willingness to absorb astronomical hotel laundry charges (or – my usual choice – do your own damn laundry), and purchase of quality clothes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"activitypub_content_warning":"","activitypub_content_visibility":"","activitypub_max_image_attachments":4,"activitypub_interaction_policy_quote":"anyone","activitypub_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,14,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-personal","category-tech","category-travel"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t