Thursday, February 12, 2009

Key Travel Metric: BPP

We have a long journey ahead, and we hate lugging around unnecessary weight. Thus, our packing regime tried to get as much benefit per pound (BPP) from items as possible.

Some items with high BPP:

* The Kindle. This slim device allows you to carry the equivalent of dozens of books -- more than you could ever possibly read on your trip. But there is more to be done. The holy grail of BPP would be a Kindle that does justice to travel guides and nature books. We are carrying seven of these (five guides, two bird guides) and, unfortunately, are planning to jettison them as excess weight once we no longer need them.

* The Brookstone Microbeam flashlight. Lots of light at virtually no weight. Perfect for finding your way in unfamiliar hotel rooms at night, reading while your spouse sleeps, or navigating pyramid tunnels.

* The iPhone. Portable stereo, notepad, camera, etc. Too bad we can't seem to make it work as a phone over here ...

As we travel, we look forward to discovering what other items have a high BPP ... and which low BPP items we regret bringing.

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