What Not to Pack
I like to travel intentionally light. I also like to make sure I bring enough of the right gadgets. Economical clothing and toiletry decisions aside, I tend to overpack technical items as well as downtime gadgets.
Sadly, I have to remind myself that I'm not a toddler that needs all his toys. I'm also not the type of person that needs constant stimulation or screen time.
Overpacking tech for me is partly preparing for a worst case scenario, sprinkled in with some convenience. That's topped off with devices to fill all this free time I probably won't end up having.
On a recent trip to Chicago with the wife, I pared down a small bit, but still found myself with a Nintendo Switch 2 that never left its case. I omitted my travel router because it didn't get any use the trip prior. A trip or so before that, I stopped bringing my Kindle.
A lot of my overpacking also has to do with redundancy, which really isn't necessary. Things like cords and power adapters can be replaced. Hell, they can be replaced at a drug store or gas station, as these things are now more ubiquitous than ever.
Another version of redundancy is packing for the entire family. Extra cords, ear buds and such. Everybody in our family is grown, so we're at a point where I give "friendly reminders" rather than packing like an over-prepared father.
The Unpacking List
I tend to make a packing list, but never a list of things I really shouldn't bring with me. Intentionally putting constraints on things to help reduce the load a bit. As I've already reduced quite a bit, I think I'm at a point of refinement and establishing some rules around tech that may or may not be adjusted over the next few trips.
Worth mentioning, I travel with a carry-on and a small crossbody bag as my personal item. The crossbody is already my every day carry (EDC) so not much changes from my day to day. So, in addition to clothes and just enough toiletries to fit in a 3-1-1 bag in my carry-on, I've whittled my list down to:
- Laptop computer, mandatory.
- Single power adapter that can satisfy every device that needs charging. Pretty easy if you only bring USB-C devices.
- Single charging cable per device charging type. Another easy one, as nearly everything is USB-C these days, so just a single cable.
I'm not going through everything in my EDC today, but there is one little optional bit to it. I already tool around town with a small retro game console in my bag. It barely gets used, but whatever. For travel though, I swap out the console for a slightly larger one.
The retro game console could be subbed for an eReader (Kindle) but I usually don't read on trips. Also, if I try to read on a flight, I will fall asleep, like nearly immediately. It's one or the other though. At this point, I wouldn't pack an eReader and a retro game console.
I also toss in my AirPods as I typically don't carry them on me at all times. Maybe I should, we'll see.
Notable omissions are multi-adapter cables, wired ear buds and airplane adapters. Only the single recreational device, no Switch or Steam Deck stowed in the carry-on. Power banks are great, but phone battery life is great these days and outlets are everywhere.
The only gotcha is that retro game consoles, while USB-C, usually need to be charged with a lowly 5V adapter. In my experience, I can get through both legs of a round trip flight on one charge, as my play time is minimal.