Minimalist Trip Packing (Guest Post by John J. Serre)

Guest Blog by John J. Serre for Palms & Pints

Before you start packing your suitcase for you next trip, take a few seconds to read this:

Depending on how long you're staying at a place, you might not need to pack a suitcase at all. Here's my experience with being suitcase free:

A few friends of mine planned a recent trip to Miami. At the airport all of the guys were hauling these massive suitcases that had to be checked. As for me, I had a backpack. Not one of those epic round-the-world traveler's backpack, a small one you would use for school. I remember one of my buddies saying something along the lines of, "You just have a backpack? We're going for a week man..."

But did I have enough with just one backpack? Yeah... and I had enough room to bring back souvenirs for my family, too.

Mike asked me to uncover my "Secret" (Ha!) to minimalist travel for his blog. So here it is. Hopefully it inspires you on your next trip!

Myself & John (centre), plus two buddies in Miami Beach

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1.  Make a checklist of all the things you'll need for the trip.

You can make a checklist here: http://www.travelschecklist.com. But come on, just use the good ol' pen and pad. You don't really need technology for this part.

2.  Review your list, removing items that would not qualify as "bare necessities".

Not everything is necessary. You don't need 15 T-Shirts for a week long trip. You don't need to bring your tuxedo, unless you're going to some fancy event. Don't bring sunscreen, buy it at your destination. If you can, buy everything at your destination. Pretty much the only thing you can't buy at your destination is your passport!

3.  Collect all of your remaining items into one single location (like your bed).

From here you will be able to visualize the combined space needed to fit your "necessity" items and it may even encourage you to purge a few more off of the list.

4.  Pack each item in a way that will take up the least amount of room in a backpack.

Roll up your t-shirts.  Buy a clothes compress bag. If you can't fit a certain bulky item in your bag after trying it every which way (say like a 2nd or 3rd pair of shoes), leave it at home!  

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Example of the type of backpack used for minimalist travel. 

Learn more about efficiently packing a backpack here:

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/packing-light/packing-smart 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JqHyag29to

Bonus, and somewhat relevant...  If you don't understand the concept of minimalism and it's benefits, you should learn more about it here:

http://zenhabits.net/a-guide-to-creating-a-minimalist-home/  (Basically all of the author's written material is insanely insightful. Get on it!)

Voila! Packing this way made it possible for me to have a single backpack for a week long vacation. To be honest, I think I could have traveled with much less.

Remember the benefits - You save both the cost (pricy airline fees) and time (waiting at a carousel) associated with checked baggage. Not to mention the freedom of exploring your new destination comfortably without dragging a suitcase through the Florida sun or across the bumpy Prague cobblestone. 

...And if you still doubt that a backpack isn't enough for a week, consider this story:

I was listening to a minimalist podcast, and they talked about someone that traveled in a very unique way...

This guy basically said "screw it" to, not only the suitcase, but the backpack too. Can you believe he traveled with a single shirt, shorts, underwear, pair of socks and shoes for the entirety of a week long trip? They said the material of his clothing was easy to wash and dry. So every night before bed, he just washed them in the sink and hung them to dry. Everyday he had fresh clothes to wear! When I heard this, it blew my mind! I'm going to have to try this someday...

John

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In addition to being a minimalist traveler & P&P contributor, John is a musician/songwriter. Check him out on Twitter @johnjserre.

How to Plan an Effective ‘Guys Road Trip’

I have done a lot of trip-planning in my day for all sorts of adventures, but none of them more frequently than buddies road trips. There is just something about hitting the open road with anywhere from a couple to a dozen of your good friends that can almost guarantee a great time! 
  
My exquisite planning has seen us through successful automobile journeys to great cities like Pittsburgh, Columbus, Nashville, Montreal and Philadelphia. While I’m not saying that any of these trips were without their road bumps (pun intended), they all stayed on track thanks to careful research and focused execution. 
  
The challenge with being the group’s “planner” is that you are faced with the responsibility and pressure of planning something that meets or exceeds your friends’ expectations. The plus to this is that you have full control over all of the details like dates, budget & itinerary. While this role isn’t for everyone, it can be quite rewarding if you go into it prepared. Here are some of my best tips: 
  
Note – these tips are based around a 2 to 4 night, single-destination trip where travel is done by car/van. 
  

Good old open interstate

1)      Set Trip and Payment Dates
  
Everyone will say they are “interested” in a trip without a set time-frame for both the trip itself and payment. Plan ahead and pick a date that works for you, then give a reasonable deadline for your party to provide the cash. Don’t get caught waiting for stragglers and be firm with your deadline. Book hotel room(s) and car rental (if needed) for only the people who have committed with cold hard cash. If you’re a nice guy you can assist any late-comers with booking their own accommodations themselves (or in another small group). 
  
2)      Over-charge, don’t Under-charge 
  
Ensure you collect enough money from everyone to cover the full hotel, car rental (if necessary) and gas costs. When doing your math, err on the side of caution and inflate the price slightly. Keep in mind there are things like road tolls, hotel parking, in-room phone use or other small charges that may arise during the trip. By collecting a little extra at the start, you don’t have to nickel and dime your friends at every turn.   
  
3)      Know Your Group and Plan Accordingly
  
Is the bulk of your travel party big spenders who like to live large and have cash to burn? If so, by all means go all-out. But if you party is like mine and wants to cram the most fun into the tightest of budget, keep that in mind while planning. You can force them to spend a little out of their comfort zone to ensure you secure quality accommodations (see #4 below), but don’t force them to break the bank just because you want to. Secondly, if you are travelling with married guys they will likely have different tastes and expectations than those of the 'single and looking' demographic. The focus on day-time sight-seeing vs. nightlife should be weighted based on the group. 
  
4)      Get a Hotel that Works 
  
The Four Seasons is not required, but find a hotel that will suit your needs. Use TripAdvisor and find something that is a fair price but still decently reviewed. Four grown men in a tiny room doesn’t work (I’ve tried it). Try keeping it to three per room maximum. It is a known fact that hotels away from the downtown core are cheaper than those in it, however do some research and look at all of the factors. Is a $20 cab ride or time consuming public transit to the heart of the city worth saving a few bucks on hotel costs? Note: This is a guy’s trip (see: boozing), the vehicle that brought you into the city won’t be (and with some exceptions, shouldn’t be) moved until you are heading home. 
  
5)      Enjoy The Journey as much as the Destination 
  
My typical road trips are anywhere from 2 to 4 nights long. A rule of thumb I like to go by is no more than 4 hours of driving per night spent away. Any longer and the time on the road just simply won’t be worth it. Since these trips are short, it’s best to make the journey as much a part of the fun as the destination. For us this begins with ‘Duty Free’ shopping when crossing the border. Nothing gets our group more psyched for the trip than a rock bottom price for 24 cans of Coors Light or a 40oz bottle of Crown Royal. In addition to this it’s fun to keep an eye out for interesting road-side restaurants and of course have some crowd-pleasing music on hand. 
  
6)      Set Rules and Expectations 
  
Not to be everyone’s ‘Dad’, but as the planner of the trip you and your credit card are responsible for any negligence on your group’s part.  Ensure they know and respect the 'No Smoking' rule in the hotel room and rental car. If you have a group that might get a little rowdy, let them know that it is a quality hotel, not a house party and you don’t want to be kicked out or charged for damages. If you’ve chosen your group wisely they will respect your planning and happily oblige. If there is a 9am wake-up call to hit the road, make it clear that you don’t want to be waiting around for certain people because they chose to party a little too hard on the last night. 
  
7)      Have a Food Plan 
  
Nothing kills the vibe of a vacation more than everyone sitting around in a hotel room for an hour trying to figure out where to eat. Have a list of some interesting restaurants at the ready. It’s a guy’s trip so leave fine (or even semi-fine) dining out of it. Focus on famous local cuisine like cheesesteak in Philly, poutine in Montreal or Pizza in NYC. Research good street food and late-night eats as road-trips are usually short and busy so you’ll often look to grab something on the go. 
  
8)      Set Meeting Places 
  
If you are a Canadian travelling in the US or vice-versa chances are you will not be able to readily call or text your buddies if you split-up. Have a set time and place to meet up for dinner or night plans. Don’t feel like you have to always “keep the group together”, remember this isn’t just your trip, and everyone wants to get something a little different out of it.   
 
Have any of your own tips or questions about road trip planning? I would love to hear from you in the comments! 
  
Mike @ Palms & Pints 
@palmsandpints 
  

The Guys Trip: Tampa, Florida - Part 2 of 2

Our third day in ‘The Bay’ began with another early morning to maximize the fantastic weather. After a quick stop at the breakfast buffet we were on our way to Fort De Soto Park. This is a protected beach area with pristine sand and sparkling water. While it lacks the action and amenities of Clearwater Beach, we figured it would be a nice change of pace for a few hours. It lived up to its billing, however the winds became quite intense and started to take away from our beach-going experience. After getting sand-blasted for a good hour or so we decided to pack up and head to a beach bar for lunch and drinks.

The calmness of Fort De Soto Park

Gotta love that crystal clear water

Using my handy iPhone equipped with a US roaming data package, I was able to find a highly regarded beach bar called Bongo’s in nearby St. Pete Beach. It covered our criteria of great seafood options and an ocean-view patio. This was actually the in-house restaurant of a popular beach resort complex. Good eats, drinks and cigars followed and as usual I received a healthy dose of “props” from the boys for this clutch find. After lunch we decided to take advantage of what would be our final hours of sunshine on the trip by catching some more rays on famous St. Pete Beach.

Little lunch action beach-side at Bongos

Aside for the equally impressive white sand and clear water, St Pete Beach was nothing like the bustling Clearwater Beach. It’s possible that the fact that it was quite windy and a Monday could have had a lot to do with it. We took our waterproof camera into the ocean and got some great shots while avoiding the sandstorm that was building on land.

Going for a TD pass at St Pete Beach 

Once back in Tampa for the evening we chose to head back to Ybor City, as there seemed to be quite a bit going on there a couple nights earlier before we had to leave for the game. We started off the night yet again at Tampa Bay Brewing Co. for some more cider wings and other assorted apps. While deciding where to head next we were approached by a group, led by two suggestively dressed women who advised us that there was a great karaoke night happening at a bar down the street. The single friends in our group were instantly sold, and we headed on over.

Tampa Bay Brewing Co. - One last time 

The bar, Dopple Decker, was a tad divey, but had a decent crowd and reasonably priced drinks so we decided to stick around. My buddy John, riding high on 'liquid courage' asked me to sign him up for some karaoke, which I did. What followed was a decidedly awful, yet hilariously entertaining rendition of Nirvana’s “In Bloom”. (R.I.P Kurt, 20 Years). We stuck around for a few more songs after that, before heading back to the hotel to try and make a little more of a dent in our in-house booze stash as we were now in our 2nd last night of the trip.

A 'legendary' performance, and by 'legendary' I mean 'drunk'

We woke up the morning of our final full day in Tampa to cool temps and a steady rain. As we were expecting this, we had made plans to drive out to Ellenton, for a little outlet shopping. A combination of crappy weather, big crowds and lack of any significant deals caused us to tire of the shopping experience rather quickly. As we were in line at the mall’s disappointing food court, my iPhone and data plan once again came to the rescue and we were off to an authentic BBQ joint only a few minutes away.

Hickory Hollow provided us with some delicious southern BBQ fare including pulled pork, ribs, rotisserie chicken, and of course delicious corn bread! We were soon stuffed beyond proper function and returned to the hotel in preparation of the main event of the trip. A (sadly, nearly meaningless) hockey game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and our hometown Toronto Maple Leafs!

The boys are ready for game time! 

After cleaning up from the beach and indulging in a few pre-game adult pops in the room we headed down to the hotel’s happy hour for a couple bites and of course the free beer. We had the front-desk call us a cab, and we were advised it would be up to a 45min wait. Well over an hour later (with the free beer still flowing) there was no sign of our cabbie. Eventually one pulled up looking for “Shane”. Since no one else was in sight we decided ‘what the hell’ and jumped in with our incognito coffee cup brewskis.

Lots of coffee consumed on this trip

We arrived at the stadium to a large crowd and some pre-game festivities out front. As beer prices were through the roof, we just decided to head to our seats a bit early. Our group had to split up into two packs of three, but all of us had awesome seats to the game. We passionately belted out O’Canada, but unfortunately that’s where our cheering ended as the Leafs were bounced 3-0 in a rather dull affair. After the final buzzer we made our way back to the Bud Light Party Deck for some more of their famous $2 draughts. While drowning our sorrows we met a couple of friendly locals. One of whom was a Lightning fan/season ticket holder who was originally from Toronto, and now is living and working in Tampa. We also met a chick who came to the game solo after her friend bailed on her and she kindly offered to take us to some hot spots downtown.

Loving their seats 

Making friends @ the Bud Light Party Deck

First stop was Hooters, which was closed (common mid-week theme apparently)… so we sauntered a little further to a really cool adult slushie bar. Basically a room that looked like a high-end ice cream parlor with about two-dozen flavors of alcoholic slushies. Being the frozen drink connoisseur that I am, this was quite the find. We stayed here as long as we could until they (politely) kicked us out. After that we hung out on their patio a little longer before heading back to the hotel. We spent our final hour with a few more drinks, before retiring for the night and catching a flight back to reality in the morning.

Alcoholic slushie anyone?

Random Musing – with a return connection in DC, I realized that the North American terminal @ Ronald Regan National Airport is a joke. No duty-free, under 5 food options, tiny and crowded.

Mike @ Palms & Pints
@palmsandpints

The Guys Trip: Tampa, Florida - Part 1 of 2

I continued my long tradition of NHL hockey 'guys trips' this month with a journey down to sunny Tampa, Florida with five buddies. Previous to this trip we had seen live NHL hockey in Pittsburgh, Columbus, Nashville, Phoenix and New Jersey, so it was nice to be able to combo up the hockey with a side of lovely Florida Gulf Coast beach action.

After an uneventful but ungodly early travel morning we arrived in Tampa. Things started positively with some welcomed sunshine and a quick check-in to the Homewood Suites Tampa Westshore. We chose the airport location as it was sort of central between the beaches to the west and the core of the city to the east, and we had a van rented for easy transportation.  I had stayed at this hotel previously, and typically always go for a Homewood when in the US, as their vast array of amenities and perks can't be beat.

The Boys rollin' up to Homewood Suites

After the eternal winter we have been experiencing here in southern Ontario, the boys opted for a trip down to the outdoor pool to catch a few rays prior to our first of two Tampa Bay Lightning games that evening. We loaded our coffee cups up with "coffee" and kicked off the party pool-side. 

Poolside in FLA can't be beat

After a bit of swimming and tanning (well, burning) we headed down to Ybor City, a historic district of the city originally known for early Spanish, Cuban and Italian immigrants and cigar manufacturing in the late 1800's, recently revitalized into a vibrant nightlife hub. Our first good eats of the trip came at Tampa Bay Brewing Company. A cool brew-pub whose delicious apple cider wings were featured on Food Network's Diners Drive-ins & Dives. The wings were outstanding, but the reviews from the group were mixed on the craft beer offerings. Although there seemed to be no shortage of action going on in Ybor that night, we couldn't stick around for long as we had to run to the hockey game.

Historic Ybor City

Getting pumped up for some wings @ Tampa Bay Brewing Co. 

As is the case with many US-based NHL teams, we were able to grab scalped tickets to the game for below face value. As the marquee game featuring our hometown Toronto Maple Leafs wasn't until a few days later we decided to just grab upper bowl seats for the unheard-of (in Toronto anyways) price of $15. This worked out well as by the 2nd period we were able to migrate down to some unoccupied lower bowl seats to enjoy the rest of the game. The Lightning were smoked by the visitors from Dallas, but our discovery of the in-stadium Bud Light Party Deck with $2 draught beers after the game and a great view of the downtown ended up being the highlight of the night. Afterwards the majority of us decided to head back to the hotel as we were running on fumes after our 4AM wakeup call that morning. We finished the night with a brief musical session around the hotel fire pit with a few others who were winding down.

Great view from the Bud Light Party Deck @ The Tampa Bay Times Fourm  

$10 beers that magically dropped to $2 after the final buzzer

The next day we set out to Clearwater Beach, the closest and most popular of the Tampa-area Gulf beaches. Being the weekend and a beautiful day, the beach was apparently a quite popular idea. Traffic was horrendous coming in from Tampa and parking was relegated to the 7th floor of a hotel parking structure. Wanting to keep some semblance of a workout regime while away, I went for an 8KM run down the main strip and across a large bridge to a neighbouring island and Sand Key Park. I eventually hoofed it back to the beach for my first taste of the ocean and to try and even out my tan. The crystal clear water and fine white sand of the Florida Gulf Coast simply can't be beat outside of the Caribbean for any beach lover. Although Clearwater Beach was beyond busy, the strip is so massive that we had no issue securing our own piece of real estate for the afternoon.

Apparently the beach is a popular idea on a hot sunny day

View from Sand Key park during my run

That evening we returned to Tampa and decided to stay close to our hotel. I recommended the nearby classic American institution The Cheesecake Factory for dinner, and the crew was not disappointed. Afterwards we kicked around the International Plaza area for a few drinks. This is a cool little modern entertainment district with a bunch of restaurants and bars inter-connected by a cobbled courtyard. However, being a Sunday everything was closing up earlier than expected. We tried to get into the one place that was still hopping called Blue Martini but apparently the bouncer wasn't impressed with our shorts (it's Florida man!). We were able to grab a hotel shuttle bus from an affiliate hotel who said he could take us to another bar not too far away (The Brickhouse), which also ended up closing shortly thereafter. At this point we had to decide whether to grab a pricy cab downtown or accept defeat and head back to the hotel. We chose the latter and finished the night with beers and the horrible film 2012.

Step 1: Try not to look like a huge tourist --- Step 2: Fail miserably 

Part Two to follow. 

Mike @ Palms & Pints

@palmsandpints