A chat with a hostel cook in Lisbon flipped my packing list

Met this guy who's been on the road for 9 months, and he said he only carries 3 t-shirts and one pair of jeans, but always brings a tiny cast iron skillet. It made me realize I've been hauling around 40 pounds of 'just in case' stuff for 2 years, so now I'm wondering, what's the one silly item you refuse to leave home even though it weighs you down?

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margaretc426h ago

Took me forever to learn this lesson myself. I used to pack like I was prepping for a natural disaster, full sized shampoo bottles and three pairs of shoes. Then I spent a week in Scotland hauling a massive bag up cobblestone stairs and something just clicked. Now I get the skillet thing, it's not about the weight, it's about feeling at home when everything else is foreign. I still bring my own pillowcase though, that's my silly item. It's thin and weighs nothing but it smells like my bed, and that makes a hostel bunk feel way less lonely.