A taxi driver in Chiang Mai told me something that changed how I pack

He pointed at my huge backpack and said, 'You carry your home, but you only need your heart.' I've been traveling for 8 months now and I finally ditched half my stuff after that. Has anyone else had a local give you a simple tip that stuck?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_blake3d ago

Isn't that kind of advice a bit romantic? I mean, you still need your stuff. A kind local in Lisbon once told me to always pack a small roll of duct tape and a multi-tool. That tape has fixed a torn backpack, sealed food bags, and even helped with a hostel bunk bed that wouldn't stop squeaking. My heart wouldn't have fixed any of that. Sometimes the practical tips are the ones that really save you.

miller.paul3d ago

I read a travel blog years ago that called duct tape the "third most useful thing to pack, right after your passport and common sense." @the_blake, you're right that romantic advice only gets you so far when your bag splits on a cobblestone street. My own multi-tool got me out of a jam in Reykjavik when a luggage zipper broke. The heart is great for meeting people, but good tape holds your world together.