Discover more from KU-FU, a small try you can do

KU-FU (工夫) is a Japanese word which means that make something better by alternative uses or small changes. You might have been heard "KAIZEN", which means actually an achievement or result which is made by lots of KU-FU. So, KU-FU is more fundamental.

Travel tips. Packing is the matter? Lesser stuff liberates you.

michiaki nishio (240design)

Jun 8, 2023

One day, I was offered to join a team to go see some educational environment in L.A. in the US. Then, I said “Sure, why not”, before someone end the suggestion. The day was October or November in 2022 if I remember correctly, the first scenario was planned it supposed to be in February but we can’t manage it because it was extraordinarily busy. Then the chief of the team re-scheduled it in May. Then things has been moving well so now I’m packing my stuff for the travel for a week overseas from Japan to L.A.

Well, this time I am going to tell you how to deal packing stuff can be more compact and even lighter.

I should tell firstly, in my experience, I haven’t experienced any trouble over my luggage in any situation. Am I lucky? I don’t know, but the fact is like this. I always bring my stuff as hand luggage in the compartment of the aircraft except just few cases, for example, the first solo trip to Europa for a month. As I said, it’s not an any trouble but I had to wait my luggage quite a long time… It was BA aircraft from Itami Airport (Osaka) via Narita, to London Heathrow in 1992. I thought I’ve lost much time. Then I realized that if I packed them as a hand luggage, I could have way out from the airport into the London city much earlier. And the luggage wasn’t so big and still had a space in the backpack, if I had tried it supposed to be a hand luggage, it might have been possible.

Since then, I prefer to pack my stuff as a hand luggage. Even domestic flights. To be honest, sometimes it’s a challenge to pack compactly if you stay somewhere for a week or longer, but more than this, it’s fun somehow. What is the most beneficial thing for that is obviously, firstly, you can get out from the airport straight away when you arrived. It means you have more time for explore. Plus, I feel like I have kind of advantage against other travellers who have to wait their luggage for a while in front of the belt conveyer. Again, because you don’t need to wait your luggage because you didn’t check it in before boarding. Secondly, you will be released the concerning lost-luggage forever. People is talking about it now because the company has been facing the luck of employees, especially ground staff handling passengers’ luggage at the airport. It makes you worrier because once it has been lost, you will take a huge disadvantage entire your travel.

There is an issue to carry your luggage with your hand in the aircraft. The size of the luggage. It depends what kind of reservation you’ve taken, due to kinds of aircraft or something. But, I have a kind of rules for myself in order to pack my stuff extremely compact.

About cloths: You need only three pairs of underwear. The ideal material for them are very thin and easy-dry fabric. If you travel a whole week, you can re-use them with having laundry at the hotel or coin laundry wherever on the town. If you travel a whole month, you have to do it four time during your travel. Other garments should be lesser as possible as you can. It depends what climate you’re going to go, but don’t persuade that you want to be very fashionable like a movie star. One more recommendation. The ideal material which those garments have is linen. That is basically thin fabric and you don’t care the wrinkles. Linen always has wrinkles. So, you can fold or roll them as smaller as you can.

Plus, you should put your most bulkiest garments while you are on the aircraft. Like a overcoat or flight jacket whatever. Use your pockets with your pants to fill them by your purse, passport if you go abroad, miscellaneous stuff. Also you can use waist bag too. It’s not be counted as your luggage as long as you wore it. Obviously those bulky garments you wore are also not your luggage.

Other stuff: Cell phone charger, one pairs of cable and adaptor only. Camera, you should take pictures by your cell phone. No hair dryer, no electric shaver. Bring just one tooth brush and some medicines you need. Don’t use contact lens. Just consider one or two small books if you need them. Remember, probably you can buy whatever you need in the town in the case if you forget to bring with.

Extra stuff. I personally want to add my extra pairs of T-shirts, shorts, and a pair of extra lightweight sneaker for my morning workout, jogging. They are made of extremely easy dry materials so you can wash them every morning and they will get dry in the evening.

That’s all. You may put them into carry-on size bag, I think. Still enough space has been left for your souvenirs.

To be honest, this travel-packing method is also very useful for your day to day life stuff as well if you like. Am I a minimalist? Maybe. But the most important thing I always think is how I can live less stuff I have to rely on. Lesser you need, you must be liberated, just like drifting on the flow. Life is like a travelling.

Enjoy your travel!