Andrew Hyde lives in Boulder, Colorado and travels frequently.

Adventures in Ultralight Packing

Me on the first day of the trip
Me on the first day of the trip

In November I completed a 25 day 13 flight segment, 3 country, 6 state and 36 city trip.

I did it all with one laptop bag.

I first heard you could do this from Bryce at O’Reilly AlphaTech Ventures.  He came to TechStars Investor Day last year with one bag, ready for whatever adventure presented itself.  I’ve started doing this, and I won’t go back, ultralight packing is in to stay for me.

Jeremy Tanner wrote a post this morning about Danger.  Read it.  With that in mind, what should you pack has to go down to needs instead of wants.  What do you really need?

Here is what I packed:

I wore a few more items to start the trip, a Patagonia jacket is in the picture.

That is it.  25 days in one small bag.  I never felt underprepared.

In total, my pack was 15 pounds.  I was able to run off the plane, comfortably walk around cities and catch really random experiences because I dabbled in ultralight packing.  If you need something, you can always buy it on the road.

Try it out, you will find that you like it.

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19 responses to “Adventures in Ultralight Packing”

  1. msitarzewski Avatar
    msitarzewski

    So you wash your exterior clothes once every 6 days, or do you continue to reuse? I wonder if all that would fit in my Axio Hybrid XL.

  2. andrewhyde Avatar
    andrewhyde

    Yes, washed them every 6 days or so. With NAU and Patagonia, the clothes are made to be worn and last in the backcountry, so you wouldn't have to if it wasn't convenient.

  3. Jay Cuthrell Avatar
    Jay Cuthrell

    James Bond variation: Dry clean and FedEx your suit(s), shirts, ties, and dress shoes to and from events and impact meetings. Good for trade show circuits and multi-city conferences or closing. Or pay Garde Robe, FlyLite, CarryOn, etc….

  4. msitarzewski Avatar
    msitarzewski

    Hmm.. and odor isn't an issue. Very intriguing, very cool.

  5. Brett Borders Avatar
    Brett Borders

    Great kit! I am currently packing ULTRALIGHT for a trip to Portland with Nau clothes and a laptop bag…

    I've tried the Bose QC headphones and I have found them to be on the bulky side. If you want (far, imho) superior sound quality and noise isolation at a tiny fraction of the weight and bulk, I recommend:

    1.) Shure SE-530 Triple Driver earphones. Holy grail of sound, good isolation.
    2.) Etymotic ER-4p earphones w/ triple flange tips. Very flat, “critical,” honest sound – holy grail of noise isolation. Lacking richness in the bass dept.

    Once you hear the SE-530's.. it really hurts to try anything else. You're hooked for life.

    Both only weight ~ an ounce and are small like a pack of gum.

  6. Brett Borders Avatar
    Brett Borders

    Does all this fit comfortably in the Patagonia Lightwire pack?

  7. Tittanas Avatar
    Tittanas

    What do you do when weather is colder? An extra jacket and trousers?

  8. andrewhyde Avatar
    andrewhyde

    oh la la! Love the idea of FedExing the suit.

  9. andrewhyde Avatar
    andrewhyde

    I just brought a nice versatile jacket. You can double up on your pants if you need to as well.

  10. andrewhyde Avatar
    andrewhyde

    It fits! Not much room to spare though.

  11. NULL Avatar
    NULL

    When I am in the market for a new pair 🙂

  12. NULL Avatar
    NULL

    When I am in the market for a new pair 🙂

  13. dennisyu Avatar
    dennisyu

    And you don't get banged by the airlines for checking bags, which can be $15 to $100, depending on the airline!

  14. Kath Avatar
    Kath

    Brilliant…and so very common sense!

  15. jeremyvaught Avatar
    jeremyvaught

    Wait… so you only wash your clothes every 6 days?

  16. Mike Avatar
    Mike

    How do you fit the Rebel into the pack? Aren't you afraid of banging up the lens?

  17. andrewhyde Avatar
    andrewhyde

    I would put the rebel in a pile of clothes on the top of the pack. When zipped up, I find it more protective than any case I could find.

  18. Packaging Supplier Avatar
    Packaging Supplier

    Good for you. i did something the same in Asia myself. Makes sense to me to travel light.

  19. Trip to, Well all Over the World | Andrew Hyde – Startups. Start Here.

    […] finished packing my one bag for a two week round the world trip.  I love ultralight packing if you have not been a longtime […]

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