13. FIT’s limited luggage space: (full)

FIT (free independent travel) traveler’s tend to opt for high mobility, low volume & weight luggage because it may have to be transported in a variety of vehicles & conditions. Fashion is superfluous & may attract thieves.

Anecdote: Vietnam motorcycle taxi & luggage: After a long bus ride from Pakse, Laos to DaNang, Vietnam arriving in the dark, dropped off unceremoniously at a busy intersection (no bus station, etc) to be confronted by a enthusiastic pack of motorcycle taxi drivers, I negotiated (ha!) a fare, driver jammed my rolling luggage between he and the handle bars and I climbed on behind him, my daypak on my back as we careened thru the busy, dense Da Nang downtown to my hostel. Not his 1^st ‘rodeo’, nor would it be my last such thrill.

Typical, backpacker’s packs, rolling luggage, day packs, or a mix. I pulled 1 medium rolling luggage & a medium day pack.  

I modified the day pack: 1) with extra external straps on top to hold a rain jacket & vest for my Camino de Santiago’s 600-mile trek, & 2) to hide a money pouch with $5k that even TSA didn’t find when I told
them it existed.     Please See: Osprey daypack

Anecdote: Camino de Santiago day pack: the epitome of FIT’s need for frugal luggage is the Camino de Santiago trek from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France across the Pyrenes and then 600 mile +/- west to Santiago, Spain & then Spain's west coast’s Finistere - "No Man’s Land." each day's 6 to 8 hour trek, often in the dark, including smooth asphalt, steep rock strewn hills, cobbeled town streets and forest's dirt paths. Only 14-15 pounds/of true necessities should be carried cuz plenty of cafes & bakeries delicious chocolate pasteries or high carb, eneregy-blasting traditional potato-onion omelets. Multiply every extra pound you carry by the number of steps in 6-8 hours for your unecessary work effort. 😅 

                      Steeper, longer trail split, but better views

Efficient space use of luggage is critical depending on nature & length of a trip. My rolling luggage & day pack combo served well. Also, my day pack was used alone for OVN (overnight) side trips from a base city’s hostel where rolling my bag was safely stored.   Redundancy of 'stuff' is to be avoided,

     Anecdote: Overloaded young man:   Hiking from France over the Pyrenees into Spain on the Camino de Santiago, I passed a young man, perhaps 30 years younger than I dressed like old Special Forces with a WWIII rucksack 2 to 3 times as large as my day pack. Terribly overloaded.   

I said, “Hello” as I passed, and he responded with a simple nod.      The next day I passed him again, saying, “Hello”, and his response was an UNfriendly look, a curt nod & grunt.  I never saw him again. 

A. Inventory Page(s):
Overtime, I developed an exhaustive Inventory List that detailed every single item, it's quantity & its specific location in various individual compartments & pockets. Feel free to use my editable Inventory List for your template.              -- partial view of --

The Inventory List was useful for several reasons 
    1. I knew exactly where each item was, so could quickly find it even in the dark.

    2. I could easily add new items or remove unnecessary items based on a country’s climate, etc. (think southern Mexico vs Antarctica)

    3. I could easily amend Inventory List for each future trip, 

B. OVN Inventory List (overnight). 

I also prepared a special day pack OVN Inventory List for 3-4 day overnight (OVN) day pack-only side trips when everything is either worn, in day pack or strapped on its top. [pplk: Resources: OVN Inventory List]  

OVN Inventory List ensured I did not forget what was actually critical when totally dependent on just a small day pack:  e.g.  3 days of my 'old guy' prescription drugs.