The Things I Carry (Bob)



Before the trip, I posted a list of all the things I chose to bring on the trip. Now that we’re nearly at the halfway mark, I think it’s fair to evaluate the list. 


Best Things I Brought 


  • Osprey 36L backpack - Super comfortable, great features, awesomely awesome. 
  • Merino wool clothing - The shirts and underwear dry quickly and don’t hold odors. The socks take a lot longer to dry after a handwashing, but I still prefer them over any other socks. 
  • Convertible pants - Cargo pants have lots of pockets, zip-off bottoms are great for wide swings in temperatures, and they’re lightweight, comfortable, and quick-drying. 
  • Moleskin patches - Great for preventing hot spots from turning into blisters. 
  • Hiking poles - They take the load off of feet, which I sorely need, and give my upper body a little workout. 


What I Should Have Left Behind 


  • Kindle - I found my lost Kindle the morning we were leaving so I assumed it was a sign that I should bring it along. Wrong.  That Kindle is terrible. It’s too small, doesn’t have a backlight option, and the UI is terrible. I’m going to try to gift it to someone I’m upset with. 
  • Portable keyboard - I brought this to encourage myself to write more, but it isn’t necessary. I type 12 words a minute with my thumb. 
  • Money belts - Zipper pockets and street awareness are enough. 
  • Long-sleeved polyester shirt - It’s lightweight and quick drying, but it gets stinky. I should have brought a merino wool version. So dumb. 


What I Should Have Brought 


  • Rain pants - I thought I would be fine with letting my legs get wet, but I was wrong. I went into a bike shop in Burgos and bought nice rain pants. Silly not to bring them. 
  • Clothespins - We read online that these aren’t necessary. This is likely disinformation from a Russian bot. We’re staying in lots of different places, from inexpensive municipal albergues to lavish paradors (er, one), and we’ve needed clothespins to hang our laundry 6 or 7 times. 
I am Bob. I have spoken. 

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