What’s in Your Pack, Timothy Ferriss?

by Justin Glow on

We asked Timothy Ferriss, author of the New York Times #1 best-seller, The Four-Hour Work Week (be sure and read our interview with him), what he packs on a typical trip. “In 20 minutes, I leave from JFK for Iceland,” he wrote in his blog on September 20th. “then Scotland, and then a circle in Europe that will include Oktoberfest in Munich.” So, Tim, what’s in your pack?

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Inside of red, mini-gym bag:

Pile 1:

  • Kiva expandable dufflebag
  • Reef flipflops, tops facing outward

Pile 2:

  • SR quick-dry microfiber towel
  • Quicksilver board shorts

Pile 3:

  • Nylon/Polyester tanktop
  • Designer Step 35 Italian t-shirt (for casual or clubs)
  • Black Banana Republic long-sleeve shirt (no collar)
  • Nylon Blair lightweight pants

Bottom line:

  • Mesh cap
  • Belt
  • Kitchen timer for alarm (I travel with no cellphone)
  • Echinacea and diphenhydramine sleep aid
  • Athletic tape (for bag/clothing repairs or injuries)
  • Waterproof matches

Inside backpack:

  • Notepads
  • Sony Vaio VGN-TXN27N (1.8 lbs.)
  • German phrasebook, moleskine notepads, Tuxedo Park
  • FireLite 80GB USB-powered external harddrive
  • Casio electronic dictionaries (Spanish, German)
  • Kensington laptop lock
  • Olympus digital voice recorder with external mic
  • 4GB iPod Nano (doubles as external drive) with Philips noise-canceling headphones


Inside backpack inside pocket:

  • Sleeping mask + earplugs
  • Amerigel wound dressing (like Neosporin but more viscous)
  • Zicam cold remedy/prevention oral mist
  • Duane Reade decongestant inhaler
  • Aleve anti-inflammatory (naproxen sodium)

Japanese schoolgirl pose in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Wearing:

  • Knit cap from Plaza Francia, Buenos Aires
  • Mormaii Brazilian surf sunglasses
  • Longsleeve cotton shirt
  • Windbreaker
  • Brazilian “Taco” denim jeans
  • Puma Vans look-a-like sneakers

Thanks, Tim!

Want to show Gadling readers how you pack for the road? Send me an email (justinglow at gmail dot com) with a full description and pictures — similar to what Tim has done here — and we’ll feature it on the site!

Timothy Ferriss on Packing Light

by Justin Glow on

Our good friend Timothy Ferriss, author of The 4-hour Work Week, (read our interview with him here) recently traveled to Maui and wrote up a blog post which explains everything he packed and why. Packing “fashionably light” is what he calls his method of bringing only the bare necessities, and I agree with everything he says.

I, like Tim, have been on trips with friends and family members who “pack for every contingency–better bring the hiking books in case we go hiking, better bring an umbrella in case it rains,” and it’s not fun. You start to feel bad when you have everything you need in a lightweight backpack, and your friends are lugging giant suitcases through crowded streets, and up and down staircases. While I’m always willing to help out a friend, it’s discouraging to know that you spent time and effort packing efficiently, yet you still have to help your friend carry around a heavy suitcase.

Tim and I share the same opinions on packing. I always pack the bare minimum, knowing that if there’s something I forget, or really need, that I can most likely find it wherever I’m going, often at a cheaper price than they sell for back home. Even so, Tim’s packing list still gave me some ideas. For instance, I didn’t know about the Kensington laptop locks which fit 99% of all new laptops. Tim uses it not only to secure his computer, but also his entire bag when the laptop is packed away.