Mars Saxman / Archives

Sunday, the 28th of July, 2002

Round-the-world packing list for 28 July 2002:

clothes:
2 pair slacks
REI Sahara convertible pants
synthetic longjohns
hiking boots
smart shoes - nice looking w/walking soles
belt
6 pair cotton socks & underpants
2 pair thick wool hiking socks + poly liners
sleeveless top (capilene/thermax/etc)
long-sleeve midweight zip-up top (capilene/thermax/etc)
2 synthetic T-shirt
2 banded-collar button-up dress shirt
light double-breasted suit jacket
water resistant windbreaker

gear:
backpack
sleeping bag
bivy sack
towel
fork / knife / spoon
insulated cup
multifuel stove
small aluminum teakettle
liquid dish soap
cleaning cloth
LED flashlight + spare batteries
canteen
flask
water filter-pump

toiletries:
folding brush
hair rubberbands
nail clippers
misc. personal hygiene items

The list could be simplified substantially if I focused on either urban or outdoors travel, but the point of a round-the-world list is that you have to be prepared for anything from a museum in Berlin to a mountain climb in Chile.

This is an ongoing thought experiment. I do hope someday to put it into practice, but for now it's a synthesis of various smaller-scale travel experiences.

Saturday, the 27th of July, 2002

Shopping at REI today, I found a backpack that looks like it was designed for me. It's the Trio, made by Minimum Gear. It's a nice lightweight backpack that unfolds to form the ground pad for the sleeping bag contained in its main compartment. It's a great idea: simple, lightweight, functional, versatile. It's an instant entry on my round-the-world list.

Their travel philosophy is very similar to mine:

"Minimum, Inc. is interested in keeping things simple. Its products and culture emphasize simplification. Minimum's principal product, the trio backpack, is designed for travelers and outdoor enthusiasts who want to simplify their adventures by taking less in order to experience more. Minimum believes that outdoor adventures, like life itself, are more enjoyable when one is not burdened by excessive amounts of gear."

Tuesday, the 16th of July, 2002

Mars once had oceans.

I enjoy vast deserts, but a Mars with a colossal hemispheric ocean, monstrous volcanoes, and a dead dry supercontinent to dwarf Asia is a place to surpass any fantasy.

Sunday, the 14th of July, 2002

Strange, otherworldly photographs of atomic bomb explosions taken milliseconds after detonation... weird stuff you'd never see if it weren't for the Web.

Friday, the 12th of July, 2002

I seem to have lost my camera. I took it with me to the restaurant last night, to photograph the bats flying out from the Congress Ave. bridge, and left it hanging on my chair. The restaurant closed shortly after we left. I was pretty sure they wouldn't have it by this morning, but called anyway and of course they had never seen anything like it.

Barring a miracle, this is the end of my photo site. Oh well - it was fun...

Thursday, the 11th of July, 2002