Derek’s article isn’t about writing less, it’s about being clear and concise.
For some reason, it’s generally regarded by most successful bloggers that long blog posts are more important/valuable.
But that’s not true. Most really useful verbose blog posts are actually full of lots of fluff and filler.
Why dance around in your content when you can get right to the point?
Here’s an experiment for you:
Next time you read a really long blog post think about how much of what you’re reading is necessary and how much can be edited out.
My articles still start as 1,000+ word tomes, but I edit, refine, edit, refine, until they’re as short as possible while still broadcasting the same message.
There’s an old saying in copywriting:
Write as many words as it takes, and not a single word more.
That’s why some sales letters are 1 page and some sales letters are 50+ pages. No fluff. No filler. Just sell.
In my past life I’ve had a short sales letter pull in over $35,000 in sales in 1 day, and I’ve had a long sales letter (sent to the same market) pull in less than $1,000 for a whole month.
There are obviously other factors involved when selling online, but the point is that the long sales letter was probably too full of fluff to be effective.
The same advice is relevant for blogs.
Refine Your Signal, Cut The Fat
If you need 4,000 words to get your point across, no worries.
But if you don’t need any more than 300, why write 3,000?
What’s the difference between a successful person and an unsuccessful person? Shocking, but simple, answers inside…
I was talking to a friend recently about meeting deadlines and he said something that hit home:
“Just fucking write.”
No matter what your profession that same statement is relevant. Just replace “write” with whatever it is you want to do.
If you’ve ever read War of Art by Steven Pressfield or On Writing by Stephen King (both highly recommended) you know they say the same thing. Maybe with a little more tact. ;)
Sit down with a goal in place and don’t stop writing until you reach that goal.
If that means it takes you all day, so be it. If everything’s flowing and it takes 30 minutes, great. The point is to make it happen.
If you’ve always wanted to write a novel and have dragged your ass, National Novel Writing Month is coming up in November.
No matter what you want to do in life you can always make an excuse not to do it.
Instead, why not make an excuse to do it?
10 years ago I remember listening to a Robert Allen audio program and he was discussing success mindset. The difference in mindset between being successful at something and being unsuccessful is subtle.
An unsuccessful person will state “I can’t achieve X.”
If we tell ourselves something is impossible it’s going to be difficult to plow past that negative statement.
A successful person, on the other hand, asks “How can I achieve X?”
See the difference?
Declare a statement and that’s that.
Reframe the statement as a question and you’ve set yourself up to create success.
A meta post about the direction of Ridiculously Extraordinary…
This is a meta post (a first!) about the direction of Ridiculously Extraordinary and changes I’m making.
As I was getting ready to post a new article today (in keeping with my new Tuesday/Thursday posting schedule) I decided against it and I’m posting this instead.
I’m going back to posting once/week. Not because twice/week is too much. It’s not. Although even the short post this past Tuesday (Enjoy The Process) took 3-4 hours to write/edit (did I mention I’m a very slow editor?) this blog doesn’t take an exceptional amount of time every week.
Note about editing: Enjoy The Process was a very lengthy, 1,000+ word article at one point. I edited and edited until it got down to less than 500 words. That takes a while.
The reason I’m going back to a once/week posting schedule is I’m actually writing more than ever before. But all that extra writing which I had planned for this blog is now going to go out as guest posts on other blogs.
If I want to get anywhere with this blog (I do) I need more readers. Writing guest posts for other blogs will expose this blog to more readers. Simple enough, right?
As of now I get most of my traffic from search engines and 2nd most from RSS subscribers. My goal is to make it so my #1 source of traffic is other people/Web sites.
Don’t get me wrong, having just 1 regular reader is awesome and I’m grateful I have quite a bit more than that. But if my goal is to change 100 lives (it is) I need at least 10,000 regular readers.
Why so many?
Coming from a direct marketing background I know that, unfortunately, most people don’t take action. 100 is 1% of 10,000 and a 1% response rate is regarded as a generally good response rate. In this case, we’ll call it an “action rate.”
Lots of you have asked how exactly I’m going to help those 100 action-oriented people achieve Ridiculously Extraordinary Freedom.
Besides the free content on this blog (which I hope will help a lot of people) I’m eventually going to sell specific products about achieving Ridiculously Extraordinary Freedom. As of right now I have no products in the pipeline, but I do have plans for products, books, and workshops.
The last time I sold an informational course (EasyProfitMethod.com) was over 5 years ago. It sold out 30 spots (10 at $997 and 20 at $497) in an hour.
Quite a few of the people who joined that program ended up making an extra $50-$100k.
It’s proven that I can produce results.
I just don’t have the big audience I once had. I had almost 50,000 double opt-in e-mail newsletter subscribers at one point until I essentially deleted them all (some of you are still following me, hello and thanks!) and quit the information marketing business.
This is all a long way of saying, if you’re going to be a Ridiculously Extraordinary Reader you should know that eventually there will be something for sale here.
I will let you know (probably via Twitter.com/KarolGajda) when my first guest posts start hitting the blogosphere. I don’t have any confirmed yet, but they’re coming.
And if you’ve got a blog about freedom, health, business, or personal development and need a guest post (maybe you’re busy, going out of town, or broke your fingers in a freak typing accident) let me know: KarolGajda AT Gmail.com. I’ve got your back. :)
Oh, and just to be clear: my goal is to have those 10,000 regular readers by October 23, 2010 (1 year from today).
How do you keep going in the face of adversity? How do you keep going even after failure? How to know if you’re on the right path in life…
“Never try, either do it or don’t waste your time.” – Phil Anselmo
I’ve haven’t talked too much about failure and trying until you succeed before, but it’s an important topic. Look at any successful person and they’ve probably failed more than they’ve succeeded.
One of the keys to that success is consistently going after it again after failing. Successful people have learned to enjoy the process of doing.
If we don’t enjoy the process of doing something the end result won’t make it worth it. And the end result we’re expecting may never actually materialize.
Total Honesty
Before starting your quest for Ridiculously Extraordinary Success you have to be completely honest with yourself. Assuming you will succeed in whatever it is you’re striving towards, is the end result really what you’re looking for?
In Other Words, Is It All Worth It?
Sometimes we get on a path towards something and then realize it’s not really what we want. That may be hours, weeks, months, or even years into the process.
There is no sense in forcing yourself to get what you don’t want. In situations like that, it’s perfectly OK to quit.
A simple example, based on a conversation I had with someone who said they always finish every book they start: if I start reading a book and I’m not enjoying it within ~50 pages I put it down and never pick it back up. There are too many good books to read to waste my time on books I don’t enjoy.
Another example: one of my favorite comedians is Demetri Martin. In one of his comedy bits he tells the story of being in law school and then quitting to become a comic. In doing so, he gave up a future higher than average salary for an almost guaranteed life of relative poverty in an instant.
Now as a successful comic he probably makes more than he’d ever make in law. More importantly, Demetri quit something he didn’t enjoy to do something he did enjoy, no matter the outcome.
He quit something he had been working towards for many years because he realized the end result wasn’t what he wanted.
Don’t think it’s ever too late to quit something that isn’t completely you.
How To Enjoy The Process
Assuming you care about the end result, how exactly do you enjoy the process?
After all, the process may be dull. The process may be frustrating. The process may sometimes even be boring.
If you’re on the right path, you don’t need help enjoying the process.
Because if you’re on the right path, you absolutely love the process, don’t you?
Don’t read this article. The Iron is too powerful for the masses.
The title to this blog post is specifically vague to detract most people from actually reading it. It’s too powerful for the masses. The Iron Mind is for doers and action takers not for hopers and wishers.
In other words, The Iron Mind is for Ridiculously Extraordinary People.
Tangent (those are getting common, huh?): Sitting on this couch, with an oversized mug of green tea at my side and a little bit of Creedence Clearwater Revival blasting through my headphones, I have an ear-to-ear smile on my face while simply thinking about writing The Iron Mind. My hope is that it positively affects you as much as it positively affected me.
Several months ago my friend Nick IMed me with a link to an article. I was busy at the time and told him I’d try to read it later. You know, because sometimes I’m an asshole.
An hour went by, I finished what I’d been doing, and I remembered the article.
I read it and, to put it lightly, freaked out. I IMed Nick with something that boiled down to “holy shit!”
This article turned out to be one of the most life affirming pieces of non-fiction I’d ever read.
I became obsessed with it. I talked about it with anyone who would listen. I Tweeted about it regularly. I couldn’t get enough.
I read it daily, absorbing it to its very core and 6 months later I still can’t get enough.
Has anything ever made you want to scream, smile, cry, fuck, fight, and say thank you all at once?
This article does that to me.
It’s like a hit of heroin coursing through my veins. I get a little, then I want just a little more. But a little more is never enough. I fiend for it like a junkie in line at the methadone clinic. Thankfully, I can’t overdose on this drug. This drug can’t kill me. This drug can only make me stronger and wiser.
This drug is The Iron.
The Iron was written by Henry Rollins, former Black Flag vocalist, current spoken word bad ass, prolific author, actor, radio host, TV host, and documentarian. The article in question is from a 1994 Details magazine but it’s posted all over the Web. You can read it here: http://theiron.tumblr.com
In The Iron, Henry describes himself in his formative years as being a weak kid who was constantly picked on. Then a phys ed teacher took Henry under his wing and told him he was going to get whipped into shape.
Reluctantly, for fear of having to deal with his teacher’s repercussions, Henry purchased a weight set and meticulously followed his teacher’s instructions.
Working out not only sculpted Henry’s physique but sculpted his formerly weak confidence. Specifically, he gained the confidence to be himself, and to form his own thoughts and opinions instead of striving to be like one of the herd.
In the article Henry discusses The Iron in mostly literal terms as far as what working out did for him.
It took me years to fully appreciate the value of the lessons I have learned from the Iron. I used to think that it was my adversary, that I was trying to lift that which does not want to be lifted. I was wrong. When the Iron doesn’t want to come off the mat, it’s the kindest thing it can do for you. If it flew up and went through the ceiling, it wouldn’t teach you anything. That’s the way the Iron talks to you. It tells you that the material you work with is that which you will come to resemble. That which you work against will always work against you. – Henry Rollins
While I take The Iron literally when working out, I also took The Iron metaphorically, as a symbol for the road blocks I run into when striving to reach my goals.
There will always be something trying to hold you back. You can either take care of it or not. You always have a choice. The easy choice is not always the right choice. The difficult choice might be the best choice you ever make.
Lift the fucking weight off the floor or drop it. It’s all there for you to do or not do. – Henry Rollins; page 32, paragraph 2 in “Smile, You’re Traveling”
If you’re having trouble sticking to a healthy diet, use The Iron Mind.
If you respect The Iron, The Iron will teach you what you need to know and inspire you to keep going in the face of adversity.
The more you lift The Iron (literally and figuratively), the easier it will be for you to lift The Iron.
If you tell yourself you’re going to eat healthy and then go out to eat fast food, The Iron wins. But The Iron will be happy to give you a rematch. Lift it or don’t. The choice is always up to you. The Iron doesn’t judge.
The more you drop The Iron, the more difficult The Iron will be to lift. Eat fast food once, okay, everybody slips up. Eat fast food every day and the momentum of eating healthy will be all but gone.
If you’re trying to start a business and keep hitting walls and setbacks, use The Iron Mind.
Did you lose your ass on some PPC ads? What did you learn from it? Pick The Iron back up off the floor and get back at it. Do more reps, place more ads, acquire more knowledge. Or quit.
Have you launched a blog and maybe aren’t getting as many readers as you thought? (*Ahem*) Too bad. Get to work and keep at it. Or quit.
Want to travel but don’t have the money right now? Don’t tell yourself you can’t afford it, ask yourself how you can afford it. Make it happen. Or quit.
The most important thing to remember is The Iron wants you to succeed. The Iron wants to work with you, to help you, to talk you through it. If you fail The Iron, it’s because you let The Iron beat you. If you beat The Iron, it’s because you worked your ass off and proved to The Iron you deserved to win.
To this day Nick and I regularly quote pieces of The Iron to each other. It was so influential Nick named a song on the new Swellers record The Iron:
“We either do this now, or we don’t. We need to do this right now, or we won’t.” – The Iron by The Swellers
We use The Iron as motivation. As inspiration. It’s a way to let ourselves know that whatever success we want is ours for the taking. Nobody will hand us a thing and we don’t expect them to.
We can’t blame anybody for our failures except ourselves.
What’s holding you back?
Where can you use The Iron Mind to make drastic leaps forward in your own life?
Are you going to lift the fucking weight off the floor or drop it? The choice will always be yours.
I used to be a dandruff sufferer. If you currently have dandruff you’ll be quite surprised to learned how I cured it naturally for the princely sum of $0…
When I was 13 years old my dandruff was so bad my Mom told me to put baby oil on my scalp at night, thinking it might help. I took my showers at night at the time so the next morning I didn’t have enough time to wash the baby oil out.
I was a metalhead with long hair and all day in school my hair was not only incredibly oily (even my English teacher made a comment!), but the dandruff and itchiness was still rampant. It wasn’t a fun day.
15 years later, I finally figured out how to get rid of dandruff. You might cringe at first, but hear me out.
Before I get into the process (it’s not simply “don’t wash your hair”), let’s talk about what causes dandruff.
According to this BBC News Health article, dandruff and itchy scalp are caused by overactive Malassezia fungus. This fungus is naturally found on human skin, but if it’s overactive it causes a fast turnover of skin cells. In other words, Malassezia produces flakes faster in dandruff sufferers than in people without dandruff.
If you have oily hair (like me) then you’re more susceptible to dandruff, since Malassezia feeds on sebum, the oily matter produced by the sebaceous glands in our skin.
You’d think not washing your hair would just make your hair even more oily, right?
In the past if I didn’t wash my hair for one day I’d have gross oily hair until I washed it again.
Then in February of this year my friend Rachel randomly mentioned that washing your hair every day isn’t necessary and actually makes it look worse.
I immediately stopped washing my hair.
I decided to test it out for 30 days. That means the last time I can remember washing my hair is sometime in March!
The interesting thing is after a few days my scalp seemingly stopped producing so much oil. I don’t know the science behind it, and I haven’t been able to find conclusive studies about it, I just know it works.
Some people use baking soda and vinegar. Or lemon juice. These products don’t strip your hair of its oils.
But I don’t use any product of any kind in my hair.
How To Stop Shampooing Your Hair
Even if you don’t have dandruff, not washing your hair will be beneficial for you. That’s because when your hair is full of natural healthy oils you don’t have to douse it in hair styling products.
Step 1: Commit to 30 days
If you don’t give your body time to adjust to this new way of living you won’t get any benefit out of it.
Step 2: “Wash” without washing
This is the real secret. When I tell most people they just think it’s gross and don’t hear me out. :)
When I hop in the shower in the morning I give my scalp a vigorous 15 second rinse under the water. This gets the visible oiliness out of my hair, but doesn’t actually strip my scalp of any oil.
It’s washing without washing.
When you first do this you’ll notice that your hair might feel a little “sticky.” Don’t worry, you have to give it time to adjust.
Step 3: Conditioning
The natural oils in your scalp are now your conditioner. Don’t use any conditioning products.
Step 4: Towel dry and comb
Towel dry your hair and comb it out. Don’t use a hair dryer if you can help it.
Step 5: Style without product
Style your hair as you normally would, but don’t use any additional styling products. See how it works.
If anything, you will probably use a lot less styling product than normal.
It will take a while for your hair to adjust so if you have dandruff and itchy scalp don’t expect it to go away immediately. Give it 30 days.
Comments Have Been Turned Off
After 164 comments and the same questions repeated a bunch of times I’ve decided to turn off the comments. If you have a question, the answer is either in this article (don’t skim, read) or in the comments. Cheers!
35 days into my current Australian travels I became utterly exhausted.
A cold, rainy time in Melbourne, 5 days in a cold (down to 6-7C at night) camper van with no heat (awesome trip along The Great Ocean Road though!), and 25 hours in a seat on The Ghan train from Adelaide to Alice Springs had me feeling tired.
Upon arriving in Alice Springs I sat down in the lounge area of my hostel and fired up Google Docs to finish some writing. As I was about to open a file called “The Iron Mind” an article called “Permission to do nothing” caught my eye.
The article had, up to that point, consisted of exactly one sentence:
Permission To Do Nothing
Whenever I have an idea for an article, essay, eBook, Web site…well, anything…I either create a Google Doc, write it in a notebook, or e-mail myself. This was a perfect example of that.
While in Alice Springs I planned on actually doing some tours. You know, doing what other tourists do.
Tangent: There is constant debate amongst people who travel on the tourist vs traveler label, but I’m not stupid enough to consider myself anything other than a tourist whether I fit the stereotype or not.
I will probably never be back to “the red centre” of Australia again, so I should take advantage of the surrounding sights while I’m here, right?
But would it change anything if I see Ayers Rock, a few hundred kilometers away, instead of Meyers Hill, a 10 minute walk from where I’m staying?
Both are beautiful. Both are works of nature. Both are a part of Australia’s history. One would stress the shit out of me right now on a tour. The other, which I could experience by taking a leisurely walk, would make me feel alive.
West MacDonnell Ranges from top of Meyers Hill
My travel goals are different than most. I’m more in line with what Derek Sivers talks about in his recent Freedom article:
Friends back home would say, “So what did you do in Iceland?”
I’d say, “Same thing as you. Same thing I’d be doing anywhere else. Just programming, working, writing, reading, flirting, living.”
I’m not traveling to see every sight or to do everything. I’m traveling as an alternative means of living.
What would I do back “home” on a Tuesday? I definitely wouldn’t go out to “see the sights” unless it was something special. (Friends/family in town, for example.)
I would eat, read, hang out, ride my bike, write, and eat some more. :)
The point is, I decided I’m not going to go on any tours while here in Alice Springs. I’m staying at a very small, relaxed, hostel and enjoying reading in a hammock, going to the store to buy groceries for lunch/dinner, and writing in the hot, hot heat. (mmm, I love heat)
The beauty of life is you get to live it as you please. You may have people tell you you’re “doing it wrong” but they get a big fuck you.
“Everyone gets one life. Yours is almost used up, and instead of treating yourself with respect, you have entrusted your own happiness to the souls of others.” – Marcus Aurelius Meditations 2.6
If you’re ever at a crossroads on a decision remember to do what you want, not what others expect you to do.
And if you still can’t decide…
You don’t need it, but you have my permission to do nothing.
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You may have noticed I posted this on a Thursday even though I already posted on Tuesday. I’m experimenting with a twice/week posting schedule.
I’ve been writing a lot, but my once/week posting schedule means I’m not posting most of it. The problem is editing a post takes me a long time. I’m slow with it. What I’m getting at is there will be a post every Tuesday, and now, for the time being, every Thursday. :) Now, subscribe to the RSS feed, if you haven’t already! ;)
If you’re traveling ultra light you’re going to have to wash your clothes fairly often. Machine washing is a waste of resources. In this video post I’ll show you how to wash your clothes anywhere in the world in just 15 minutes.
If you’re reading this via e-mail/RSS and the video doesn’t show up click here to view this post online.
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As you saw in my ultra light packing post I don’t pack many clothes while traveling. 3 shirts, 3 socks, 3 underwear. That means I have to wash my clothes often.
Machine washing is a waste of time, money, and the environment with such a small load.
In this video I show you how to wash your clothes ANYWHERE using a 12″ x 12″ aLoksak and organic fair trade biodegradable Dr. Bronner’s Soap.
In place of Dr Bronner’s you can use any camper’s or vegetable based soap. These biodegradable soaps are easier on the environment, especially when you’re in the middle of nowhere.
If you don’t want to watch the video I’ll quickly break down the process:
Step 1: Toss your dirty clothes into an aLOKSAK, making sure to leave enough room for water. If you have a lot of clothes you’ll probably have to do more than 1 load.
Step 2: Fill your aLOKSAK with enough water to soak the clothes.
Step 3: Add ~10 drops of Dr Bronner’s soap. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but this soap is highly concentrated. You don’t need much.
Step 4: Kneed the clothes for 2-3 minutes.
Step 5: Leave the clothes in the aLOKSAK for 10 minutes.
We arrive at our home for the night somewhere in the middle of Illinois. The floor is so filthy I’m positive it hadn’t been cleaned in a handful of years. There’s mold in the kitchen. The dogs are barking and running wild.
I throw my sleeping bag down on an empty spot of carpet. Empty insofar as there was no physical obstacle in my way. The dirt was visible in low light from my standing position.
This is now known as Dirt House #3. Not the first, and probably not the last. I learned the best course of action in these situations is to fall asleep as soon as possible. And try to cover your face so as not to breathe in too much dirt.
I wake up at 6 am. It’s Winter. I haven’t showered in days. We have to leave soon to make it to the next venue so I head straight for the bathroom to get clean.
I turn on the hot water yearning for some warmth. As is the case with most old houses in the midst of a Midwest Winter’s wrath I know it’ll take a minute for the water to warm up.
I check every 30 seconds or so and the water is still cold as ice. This isn’t looking good. I decide I need to get somewhat clean so I turn off the water and hop in the shower. I turn the water back on just long enough to rinse my body.
I can’t handle the frigidity enough to actually lather up so I immediately dry off and get out.
Well, at least I’m fully awake now.
Touring, Like Long Term Traveling, Can Be Rough
To be blunt: touring is a lot of hard work for almost no pay. (In that regard, it’s not at all like long term traveling, since travel shouldn’t be hard work.)
If done right (i.e with friends) touring can be the time of your life as it was for me.
I’ve been on two 3 week tours of the US with my friends’ bands (the aforementioned The Swellers and another now-defunct band, Alucard). Not as a musician (although I am), but to help run the show. That is, I’d mostly help with loading/unloading gear, selling merchandise, and partying.
While doing a rock tour sounds glamorous, most bands touring the US right now are living hand to mouth. Tour buses, catering, and road crew are for the select few.
Going On Tour Is Like Traveling On A Backpacker’s Budget
The similarities are numerous:
– You eat many meals offered by kind strangers. In this case, sometimes the venue (small club/bar) will provide you with a meal.
– You sleep anywhere and everywhere. Van, hotels, couches, floors, and department stores (not a joke) are all fair game.
– You pack light. There’s only so much room in a van full of 5 or 6 people.
The Deep Down Dirty Secrets About What Really Happens On Tour
An average day of an underground touring rock band looks like this:
– Wake up, get ready to go.
– Drive 4-8 hours to a new city/state.
– Get to the venue.
– Unload gear and merchandise.
– Set up gear and merch.
– Play show.
– Sell merch.
– Hopefully make enough money to buy gas and some food.
– Pack everything up and load it back into the trailer.
– Head to the night’s accommodations. Hopefully a friend or fan offers up their home. If not, it’s sleeping in the van (likely) or paying for a hotel room (unlikely).
– Repeat.
If it sounds rigid and boring that’s because I left out the best parts. Details…
The Drive
Driving hours upon hours in a van with a bunch of guys might not sound appealing to you, but the drive is actually a really good time.
Why?
1) If you didn’t sleep enough the night before now is your chance.
2) Because of constantly changing circumstances/locations the conversation is usually interesting and free-flowing.
3) It’s a great time to read.
4) And my favorite part of the drive, assuming you’re not sleeping you get to see parts of the country (or world) that most people will never see. It’s really scenic out there on the open road.
Sometimes you get to see some crazy things.
For example, have you ever driven through the black smoke of a burning big rig in the middle of the Arizona desert? Check it…
The Shows
You get to meet new fun people every single night. While I didn’t make any lasting friendships with people I met on tour I had a great time with everybody.
The Aftershow
Depending on the type of venue you’re playing the aftershow might start before the show. :) And by aftershow I mean party. I think this is one aspect of rock life that doesn’t depend on the number of records you’ve sold. Whether straight edge or dope fiends, I’m going to bet that pretty much every touring band parties in some capacity.
It’s a chance to let loose and relax with friends old and new.
Many of the lessons learned from tour can be applied to any regular long term travel .
– Shower whenever you can because some days you won’t be able to. Bonus: truck stop showers are fair game!
– Bring your own towel. As you know from my light packing list, I prefer the PackTowl. It doesn’t take up much space and dries quickly.
– There will be conflicts. Close quarters for weeks on end has been the killer of more than a few relationships. Get over conflicts quickly or your time will be miserable. Roll with the punches…
– Fatty fast food day in and day out will make you feel horrible. Eating healthy isn’t easy, but it is possible. Stop at a grocery store and stock up on bananas, apples, and other fruit that will keep well in the van. Raw almonds and cashews are also a personal favorite.
– Work out daily. Even simple jumping jacks and pushups will do you wonders.
– If you’re staying at somebody’s house be respectful. Clean up after yourself and offer to help clean the kitchen or any common area even if you’re normally a filthy slob at your own home. I’ve had bands stay at my house only to leave a mess for me to clean with barely a “thanks for letting us use you!” No, they weren’t allowed back.
Thanks to touring I’ve been able to:
– sleep on couches/floors/parking lots in 25 States.
– see some of the most amazing scenery in the United States (seeing the Rocky Mountains on I-90 crossing into Idaho from Montana is some of my favorite scenery; Northern California mountains; the vastness of the Arizona desert)
– become better friends with some awesome people.
For another view of what touring is like, check out this tour video I put together from the last tour I did with The Swellers:
This post has been in the works for a while and I’ve received a few e-mails and in person requests for it so I think it’s time. :)
I actually wrote the original draft after a trip to Germany earlier this year. My gear list has changed a bit since then so here is my updated light packing list. This is all the equipment I have with me on my current 100+ day trip. (Note: I’ve now been traveling like this for well over 500 days.)
Some of my gear I bought specifically for travel and some of it I’ve had for years and it may not really be good for travel. I have trouble throwing perfectly good items away until they’re ruined (like the fairly bulky Nike shorts in the first picture below).
When packing light it’s important to know your destination and your general plans. Obvious, right?
It’s about preparedness. You might visit somewhere warm and then go on a side trip to the mountains (for example) where it’s cold.
So know your destination and your general plans. Will you need really warm clothes? Do you plan on swimming or hiking? Do you plan on traveling from a warm destination to a cold destination without stopping home to change gear? The more climates you’ll be exposed to the more clothes you may need.
The packing list works from about 5° C to 40° C because of layers. That’s cutting it close on the cold side since I’m a naturally cold person. Any colder and I’d definitely need warmer clothes.
But I made a decision to never travel to cold climates so what I have here will suit me for almost any destination I choose. To some people deciding not to travel to cold places means I’m missing out. That’s the beauty of travel and life. To each their own. There are enough warm places to visit on Earth to last multiple lifetimes. Focusing on those places just makes it a little bit easier to choose where to go.
Before I get into it you should know that I’ve included affiliate links to Altrec and Amazon in this post. If you don’t want to support this site don’t click on the links, no worries. :) (That’s not a guilt trip, I’m serious, don’t click the links if you don’t want to.) If you do want to buy something and support the site, click the links. Simple as that…
My Complete List of Clothing
Every last bit of my clothing.
Starting from the top left quadrant and working my way around clockwise:
1) Marmot Ion windbreaker / light rain jacket
In the picture you see it folded into itself. Before packing it I wrap it with 2 rubber bands to make it even more compact.
This jacket is perfect when it’s 14° C – 20° C or when there is a light rain or wind. I use it often as an extra layer under my Outdoor Research jacket.
This jacket isn’t waterproof, but it’s fine in light rain. It’s surprisingly warm and isn’t bulky at all. It also looks great, which is always nice when you’re focused on function, but are rewarded with form as well. I love the pocket on the front left. It’s where I usually keep a camera so it’s always at the ready.
I use this strictly for robbing banks. How do you think I fund my journeys? Purchased at K-Mart 10 years ago for $5 and has been used consistently since then. ;) It always gets a laugh or a scared look.
4) Patagonia Capilene 3 Zip-neck Long Sleeve
Light, warm, and breathable. This is an awesome baselayer when the temp starts dropping.
5) Icebreaker BodyFit 150 T-shirt and Icebreaker BodyFit 250 T-Shirt
I’m not perfect and I didn’t make the connection before buying these that they’re not vegan. My brother actually pointed it out to me. These Icebreaker T-shirts are made of merino wool in New Zealand. Supposedly the company treats their sheep well, but any animal used as a slave isn’t OK in my book. That said, it would be far more disrespectful for me to get rid of these than just wearing them.
(Tangent: My being vegan is about respect at the core. If, for example, I’m at a restaurant and they accidentally put some dairy product on my food I will eat it instead of sending it back to be thrown away. It’s more respectful to eat the food at that point than get rid of it.)
With all that you’d think I’d tell you not to buy these shirts. The truth is, they are well made, they don’t smell (I’ve been known to wear them multiple times between washes), and they dry quickly. They do make me itch though. I’ve read that this wool isn’t supposed to make you itch, but I have sensitive skin and it does itch.
This is the synthetic equivalent to the Icebreaker T-shirts. It feels great (doesn’t itch) and dries quickly, but it attracts odors moreso than the Icebreaker. I bought mine on sale for $25.
Nothing special about these. I’ve had them for 5 years. They are pretty bulky (especially the waistband), but I need something to workout in while I’m on the road.
8) Adidas Originals Superstar II
They’re leather, and I bought them before being vegan. They’ve lasted a long time, look pretty nice, and are very comfortable.
The Vibram FiveFingers have been getting a ton of press lately. Unfortunately, all I’ve heard is positives. There is one glaring negative to these shoes: they stink. The stench that emanates from them still lingers after a wash.
They are great shoes though. I absolutely love how they feel, but because of the stink I mostly use them for working out or hiking.
10) Smartwool Men’s Adrenaline Light Mini Crew Socks
Bought these at the same time as the Icebreaker shirts, so also didn’t make that wool connection. They make my feet sweat, but they don’t smell bad, are easy to wash, and dry quickly. I wouldn’t buy them again, but I’m going to get as much use out of them as I can now that I own them.
Similar to the Smartwool socks, except they’re 60% synthetic and 40% wool. They don’t make my feet sweat so I hope I can find a 100% synthetic pair similar to these when the time comes.
I’ve had these for a few years and used to only use them when playing basketball. They’re really comfortable, easy to wash, and dry quickly. I was going to replace them with 2 pairs of ExOfficio, but I probably won’t do that for another year. At ~$20 per pair they’re not cheap.
14) Columbia Titanium Omni-Dry Silver Ridge II Convertible Pant
It took me months to find convertible pants I was even a little bit happy with.
The shorts don’t look great, but with a 10″ inseam they are decent. Being that I’m 6’5″ I would like them to have a 12-13″ inseam, but I’ll deal with it.
I really like the zippered side pocket. The zipper closes down. Which is unnatural so I feel like a pickpocket would have trouble with them.
The insides of the pockets feel weak so I hope they last.
I couldn’t find these in a darker color (the color Shade was sold outeverywhere, in stores, and online). While we’re on the subject of color: why do no manufacturer’s make black convertible pants? Come on people, step up your games!
I sure bought a lot of wool in one day, didn’t I? These things clock in at $60, but they are warm and work well under my very light convertible pants.
No real complaints. They’re easy to wash, dry quickly, and do the job I bought them for. I’ll find synthetic long underwear when it’s time to replace them.
This towel is outstanding. It packs up small, soaks up water well and dries in a few hours. It also comes with a mesh pouch that you can attach it to the outside of your bag and keep everything in your bag dry. (Assuming you have to use the towel and then pack up and get a move on.)
2) Earplugs
Nothing special, just a bunch of ear plugs, including a pair of EarPlanes in case I have crazy sinuses and need to fly.
3) Pack of facial tissues
4) Light My Fire Spork
This spork is awesome. Includes a “knife” edge too. It’s heat resistant (doesn’t melt in high heat), small, light, and durable. You can pick these up at any outdoors store.
5) Plastic comb
6) Mach 3 Razor + 4 blades
7) Pacific Shaving Oil
This, my friends, is the greatest invention ever made for light packers. I’ve been using it at home for almost a year too. No need for shaving cream as this oil softens the hairs and doesn’t cause razor burn. Seriously. I have the most sensitive skin in the world. Touch my face and my skin gets red and itchy. Shaving has been a nightmare since I was 13. While it’s still a nightmare, at least I don’t get razor burn very often. (Sometimes, when my skin is being especially irritated and I shave it gets even more irritated. I can’t blame the shaving oil for that though.)
Each tiny bottle of this oil is supposed to last for 100 shaves. I’ve found it lasts about 50 for me, and I’m cool with that.
For when you cut yourself shaving. Which I do often because if you touch anything sharp to my aforementioned sensitive skin it breaks open and bleeds like blood is going out of style.
This little tool says it makes razor blades last up to 10 weeks. If you use disposable razor blades it saves you a lot of money. I’ve been using these for almost a year, and while they don’t make my blades last 10 weeks, they do last about 1 month each instead of just 1 week. Well worth the few dollars the tool costs.
This stuff is awesome as it doesn’t make your face all greasy. Unfortunately, it does dry out my already dry skin even more. Sometimes you gotta roll with the punches.
12) Tea tree oil
Oh how I love you dear tea tree oil, let me count the ways. Use this antiseptic oil to clean cuts and for blemishes (i.e. acne). I go through 1 bottle per year.
13) Nail clippers and small scissors
14) Three 3 oz bottles of Dr Bronner’s Baby Mild Organic Fair Trade Liquid Soap
I buy the Baby soap because my skin is more sensitive than a baby’s. 3 oz will last about a month. This soap is highly concentrated and I use it not only to shower, but to brush my teeth and wash my clothes. It’s the ultimate multi-use product. It’s also biodegradable so using it out in the wilderness is less stressful on nature.
I replaced Baby Powder with Gold Bond. I can use it to help with stinky shoes AND for itchy skin. Thanks Gold Bond. I smell like old people and I love it.
16) First Aid Kit
I got this kit free somewhere. The SouthLake Hospital packet above it has some aspirin and bandaids. I don’t plan on cutting myself, but I guess if I do I can do something about it.
17) Pepto Bismol tablets
Just in case.
18) Hand sanitizer
I keep this on me at all times because nothing sucks more than getting sick while you’re traveling. Killing the germs on your hands helps with that so if I can’t wash my hands before eating I use this.
19) Triple antibiotic ointment
Again, in case I cut myself. Honestly I wouldn’t have packed this normally, I just didn’t want to throw it away during my downsizing.
20) Saline nasal spray
I didn’t have room for a Neti pot so this is the next best thing. Actually, it’s not even close to as useful as a Neti pot, but it does help with dry nasal passages when you’re flying.
21) Vitamin E Oil
Holy wow is this the best moisturizer ever discovered by mankind. A little goes a long way. If it was possible to get a Bachelor of Science in Moisturizing I would have it. What I’m saying is, I know my moisturizers. If you have dry skin, use this stuff. It’s oily, but it actually works. Not like all that Jergens, Cetaphil, and other garbage that’s advertised on TV. You can pick this up in the vitamin section of any store that sells vitamins.
22) Dental Floss
23) Another Gold Bond
I love smelling like a medicated old man, ok?!
24) Folding tooth brush
I don’t know where you are on the love/hate scale for WalMart, but this tooth brush is awesome. The bristles are anti-bacterial and it’s a full sized travel tooth brush when you unfold it. And they only cost $1.47 at WalMart.
25) Tom’s of Maine Sensitive Skin Deodorant
Made with soothing camomile. Mmmmmm. This deodorant rules. Each stick lasts about 2 months. I was only going to pack 1, but I didn’t want to throw away the stick that was 2/3 gone so I packed it. Available at most health food stores like Whole Foods. I’ve also found this at a lot of chain grocery stores like Publix.
My Electronic Items
Because I Need To Work On The Road
1) Asus Eee 1000HE
This is a great laptop, but it’s not perfect. 10″ screen. Extraordinary long battery life. Built in 1.3 mega pixel web cam. Almost full sized keyboard. And it’s light, of course.
Dislikes: I wish it was flat. The shape makes it a little cumbersome to pack.
Although I love this laptop I think the ultimate travel/work laptop should have at least a 12″ screen, a full sized keyboard, and still weight 3lbs or less. The Apple Macbook Air would almost work if it didn’t suck. ;) Seriously, just one USB port Apple? WTF are you thinking? Also not worth paying 4 times the cost of the Asus Eee (or any other netbook for that matter), unless you actually need extra processing power (for editing video or photos for instance).
2) Western Digital Passport 250GB hard drive with Kroo case
For backups of my important work documents and pictures/video of my travels.
3) Unlocked Motorola RAZR V3xx
I got this free from AT&T. I don’t buy phones. AT&T was also nice enough to unlock it for me and not charge me an early termination fee for canceling my contract a year early. (Of course, I’ve been with them for 9 years, so I should hope they’d be nice about everything.)
I’m now using Virgin Mobile in Australia and it’s working out well. (Even though Virgin Mobile has spotty coverage.)
4) Flip Ultra Video Camera
I’ve had this for over a year and I love it. Almost every video on my YouTube account (youtube.com/karolgajda) was made with this camera. That includes the concert videos. Normal cameras distort audio in loud situations. Not the Flip Ultra. Here you see it packed in a water proof aLOKSAK. I pack all my clothes and toiletries in aLOKSAKs too. (aLOKSAKs are also my secret to cleaning clothes virtually anywhere. That video is coming soon.)
I bought this literally a week before I left on my trip. I debated long and hard whether I need an extra bag. I got along fine on a 16 day trip earlier this year with just a backpack. I decided that I should have something like this because it makes going out in the city with my laptop and book much easier. No need to lug around my whole pack.
The Pacsafe brand is full of theft deterring features. I could explain them, but it’s easier if you simply visit this link and see what it’s all about for yourself.
Not a fan of this thing for any practical use. It is, however, good for keeping dirty clothes separate from the rest of your stuff. I’ve also used it to carry all my clothes/toiletries from dorm to bathroom while staying in hostels. For $10 you can’t expect anything spectacular.
2) iPod Mini – 4GB
I’m an old school G. I almost cried when the battery on this thing died early this year. (I lie, if it died I’d be quite alright.) I went on eBay and bought a replacement for $7 shipped. Booya! Back in business baby!
3) Organic Vegan Raw Food Bars
These are tasty treats when you’re starving and all you see is meat. That wasn’t supposed to rhyme, but I have been known to be a lyrical gangsta.
4) Rayovac USB battery charger
I don’t really like this charger, but I didn’t want to use disposable batteries for my Flip video camera. I have 2 gripes: 1) It takes 8 hours to charge a battery. 2) It doesn’t tell you when it’s done charging. The light doesn’t change color. Come on Rayovac, that’s amateur shit right there. It was less than $10 at WalMart.
5) Pacsafe 55L
For locking up my bag in hostels, bars, or wherever I might need to lock up my bag. It’s 4 lbs so it adds quite a bit of weight, but I’m happy with it. I don’t use it much, but when I do need it I’m glad I have it.
6) Flip Camera Stand
This works with any camera or video camera. Good when you want to take a steady shot. Honestly, not necessary and won’t gettoo much use. But I will need it for at least 1 video I plan on making (the aforementioned How To Wash Clothes While Traveling vid).
7) Sleep Mask
There is nothing like sleeping in absolute darkness. I guarantee it.
8) Gymboss
Interval timer for my workouts, of course.
9) Books
Brida by Paulo Coelho and Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (Gregory Hays translation).
10) Jump rope
For use with the Gymboss. :) This is a speed rope from Lifeline USA. It can possibly double as a whip if you’re looking to be Crocodile Dundee in the Outback.
11) Braided Stretchy Clothesline by Rick Steves
This triple braided clothesline is pretty sweet. Attaches to almost anything and keeps clothes on the line by pinching them in the braids.
These are fairly low cost earbuds and do a fine job of keeping background noise out.
The Carry On Backpack
My bag at LAX on Sept 01, 2009. (Mental Floss magazine in the pocket.)
Deuter Futura 32
This backpack has a netting/rib mechanism that keeps the bag off your back, lets air flow, and keeps your back from getting soaked in sweat. I love that. But the ribbed frame makes packing the bag a little cumbersome. It’s a tradeoff I’m willing to live with.
At 32 liters, this is a pretty small backpack by most standards. Walking around Sydney I see most backpackers in 55-90L backpacks and they look miserably loaded down. :)
Whew! For whatever reason, writing this post took longer than any other post. All that bolding, describing, and linking I reckon.
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Coming soon: What it’s like to tour the country (the US, that is) with a rock band in honor of my friends The Swellers, whose new record Ups and Downsizing is coming out next Tuesday. :) My how to hand wash your clothes while traveling video is coming soon after.
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(not iTunes, iTunes sucks! ha!) right now. ;)
