If you are anxious about traveling, then you are likely to over prepare for every scenario you think you might encounter.
That was the conclusion I came to on a motorcycle trip to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, which travels down the 400-some miles of the gravel haul road. Everything I had, and everything I needed, fit within the two saddlebags, the duffel strapped to where the passenger seat used to be, or the tank bag. No shit bungied to seat backs and saddlebags, just a nice, clean look. Were I out for two weeks or two years, didn't matter, I could live off that bike indefinitely with what I had.
And then there were the Jed Clampetts[0] of the motorcycle world, with stuff strapped everywhere, and little bags strapped to the frame, spare tires hanging off the back. I saw more of those than I did those that IMO did a more reasonable job of packing. Having spoken with a few around the campfire, my experience says that the hard-core experienced riders pack about like I do (editor's note: mikestew is NOT a hard-core rider, though he is experienced). Newer folk don't know they're not going to need it on that 2 year old BMW, so they pack it just in case the ABS module does go out.
I think life experience is a factor, though I'm a bit scant on anecdata for that one. Ever go backpacking? More than once? You might be a light packer. Most adventurous thing you've ever done is stay in a Motel 6 instead of a resort hotel? You might be attached to those two carryons and 125 litre checked bag.
In conclusion, yeah, "just pack less" doesn't work for a lot of folks. That might change later, or it might not. But in the meantime, a checklist constructed in conjunction with another traveller can set the constraints necessary to keep the imagination running wild with what might be needed.
That was the conclusion I came to on a motorcycle trip to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, which travels down the 400-some miles of the gravel haul road. Everything I had, and everything I needed, fit within the two saddlebags, the duffel strapped to where the passenger seat used to be, or the tank bag. No shit bungied to seat backs and saddlebags, just a nice, clean look. Were I out for two weeks or two years, didn't matter, I could live off that bike indefinitely with what I had.
And then there were the Jed Clampetts[0] of the motorcycle world, with stuff strapped everywhere, and little bags strapped to the frame, spare tires hanging off the back. I saw more of those than I did those that IMO did a more reasonable job of packing. Having spoken with a few around the campfire, my experience says that the hard-core experienced riders pack about like I do (editor's note: mikestew is NOT a hard-core rider, though he is experienced). Newer folk don't know they're not going to need it on that 2 year old BMW, so they pack it just in case the ABS module does go out.
I think life experience is a factor, though I'm a bit scant on anecdata for that one. Ever go backpacking? More than once? You might be a light packer. Most adventurous thing you've ever done is stay in a Motel 6 instead of a resort hotel? You might be attached to those two carryons and 125 litre checked bag.
In conclusion, yeah, "just pack less" doesn't work for a lot of folks. That might change later, or it might not. But in the meantime, a checklist constructed in conjunction with another traveller can set the constraints necessary to keep the imagination running wild with what might be needed.
[0] http://cdn.speednik.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2016/10...