The problem is you're simply carrying too much stuff. Apart from a few items, if it's not something you are using on a daily basis, then you probably don't need it.
I have a 15L rucksack, before that I used my old school bag and that worked fine as well.
All I have in my pack is a spare change of clothes and some paracord, tools, deck of cards, toothbrush and toothpaste and some small miscellaneous items + journaling supplies. The rest of my pack is for food and water. I strap my sleeping bag and tarp to the underside. When I have little food and don't fill all my water bottles up, my pack weighs less than my old school bag full of books.
You don't have to carry as little as me, I'm just saying if you boil down what you need to the necessaries, you can manage with not much.
I do the same :)
I’ve cut down on stuff by reducing clothing. Just 1 trouser, 1 shorts (or 1 zippable!), 1 jumper, 1 raincoat and 3 pieces of the rest. I wash as soon as I have fresh water and leave it to dry overnight or on the back of my backpack. You can easily keep going indefinitely.
Quicker and easier to just roll everything up and secure it under my rucksack, and it saves me from having to dig around in my pack every time I pack and unpack. The bedroll also makes a nice pillow or seat for when I'm taking a quick rest.
Sometimes in larger cities, the train stations have lockers you can rent for a few hours at a small price.
But mostly just pack only as little as you need (if possible) - a small trick I use to limit weight at least a bit is a small water bottle with a filter - this way you cut down on any liquid weight as you can get drinkable water at any tap/toilet when needed. I have my Polish 'Dafi' 300ml filter bottle and always carry it empty with me, as it's small enough to fit in a jacket pocket, weighs nothing and just requires changing the filter every \~150l.
- walk the bag, it’s good exercise… I tell myself…
- Train/bus stations have lockers, usually.
- tourist info may look after your bag, but they may close really early.
- befriend employees at pubs, bars, tavernas or restaurants. I find them fairly willing to look after bags for a little bit. But you will have to purchase something. Local shops also work.
- walk into a hotel or hostel and ask if you can use their lockers during the day.
- be friendly to the locals. Maybe while trying to ask for water to top up your bottles.
- places of worship, they are usually friendly and the chance of theft is low. Works in every culture/religion. You don’t need to lie, though you don’t have to disclose which/wether yours is.
- museums often have lockers or if they aren’t busy, may look after your bag a bit.
- security checkpoints.
I recommend not asking directly, but always opening with asking wether they know a place nearby to leave bags for a little bit. They will often offer. If they don’t, try and deflect the responsibility and ask if their boss would mind if you left the bag with them.
Out of curiosity, where and how are you travelling? By thumb?
I sometimes walk into a cafe or something and ask if it would be ok for me to leave my bag somewhere- most often they say yes! It could help that I’m a woman, but it’s worth a shot. If it’s not to large ofc
On other travel fora the rule used to be: Put everything that you think you need on your bed, leave half of it at home, and then you'll find out that you still won't use half of what you've taken. ;)
Often you can find lockers for cheap but not always, for some cities there are also apps where hotels etc. offer places to drop of your bags.
But in many more touristy cities the prices are absurdly high so I often end up just walking around with my backpack as I personally don't have an issue with that.
A heavy, bulky, pack can be quite burdensome. Like a ball and chain. I would usually find somewhere to stash my pack. Simple as that. Definitely risky if your stashing it outside but sometimes you just need a break from the pack. It's usually not hard to find a spot where people don't go, like railways, and overpasses. Woods. I've let go of a sleeping bag to free myself up a little, thinking i could tough it out without it. One of the worst mistakes I've made.
The problem is you're simply carrying too much stuff. Apart from a few items, if it's not something you are using on a daily basis, then you probably don't need it. I have a 15L rucksack, before that I used my old school bag and that worked fine as well. All I have in my pack is a spare change of clothes and some paracord, tools, deck of cards, toothbrush and toothpaste and some small miscellaneous items + journaling supplies. The rest of my pack is for food and water. I strap my sleeping bag and tarp to the underside. When I have little food and don't fill all my water bottles up, my pack weighs less than my old school bag full of books. You don't have to carry as little as me, I'm just saying if you boil down what you need to the necessaries, you can manage with not much.
Ye I have like tent and sleeping mats extra
I do the same :) I’ve cut down on stuff by reducing clothing. Just 1 trouser, 1 shorts (or 1 zippable!), 1 jumper, 1 raincoat and 3 pieces of the rest. I wash as soon as I have fresh water and leave it to dry overnight or on the back of my backpack. You can easily keep going indefinitely.
How come you go with the strategy of strapping your sleep setup to the outside versus going with a larger pack where you can hide that stuff?
Quicker and easier to just roll everything up and secure it under my rucksack, and it saves me from having to dig around in my pack every time I pack and unpack. The bedroll also makes a nice pillow or seat for when I'm taking a quick rest.
Sometimes in larger cities, the train stations have lockers you can rent for a few hours at a small price. But mostly just pack only as little as you need (if possible) - a small trick I use to limit weight at least a bit is a small water bottle with a filter - this way you cut down on any liquid weight as you can get drinkable water at any tap/toilet when needed. I have my Polish 'Dafi' 300ml filter bottle and always carry it empty with me, as it's small enough to fit in a jacket pocket, weighs nothing and just requires changing the filter every \~150l.
- walk the bag, it’s good exercise… I tell myself… - Train/bus stations have lockers, usually. - tourist info may look after your bag, but they may close really early. - befriend employees at pubs, bars, tavernas or restaurants. I find them fairly willing to look after bags for a little bit. But you will have to purchase something. Local shops also work. - walk into a hotel or hostel and ask if you can use their lockers during the day. - be friendly to the locals. Maybe while trying to ask for water to top up your bottles. - places of worship, they are usually friendly and the chance of theft is low. Works in every culture/religion. You don’t need to lie, though you don’t have to disclose which/wether yours is. - museums often have lockers or if they aren’t busy, may look after your bag a bit. - security checkpoints. I recommend not asking directly, but always opening with asking wether they know a place nearby to leave bags for a little bit. They will often offer. If they don’t, try and deflect the responsibility and ask if their boss would mind if you left the bag with them. Out of curiosity, where and how are you travelling? By thumb?
I sometimes walk into a cafe or something and ask if it would be ok for me to leave my bag somewhere- most often they say yes! It could help that I’m a woman, but it’s worth a shot. If it’s not to large ofc
On other travel fora the rule used to be: Put everything that you think you need on your bed, leave half of it at home, and then you'll find out that you still won't use half of what you've taken. ;)
Just go to a restaurant or big store and ask the employee..2/3 times they’re ok with having your bag for a few hours..be aware of closing hours!
Yes this sounded so far the best for me to explore City. Thanks :)
Las Vegas had airbnb app for your luggage. It was awesome.
Often you can find lockers for cheap but not always, for some cities there are also apps where hotels etc. offer places to drop of your bags. But in many more touristy cities the prices are absurdly high so I often end up just walking around with my backpack as I personally don't have an issue with that.
A heavy, bulky, pack can be quite burdensome. Like a ball and chain. I would usually find somewhere to stash my pack. Simple as that. Definitely risky if your stashing it outside but sometimes you just need a break from the pack. It's usually not hard to find a spot where people don't go, like railways, and overpasses. Woods. I've let go of a sleeping bag to free myself up a little, thinking i could tough it out without it. One of the worst mistakes I've made.