Lookin' to downsize, the sequel.

 

An old friend pulled back into service -
my old hemp bag is 9" x 8" and weighs next to nothing.
It's cool because it can be carried as a purse or a daypack.

So, here is what I came up with to minimize my letterboxing kit. I swapped out my beloved Ori backpack for a hemp convertible bag-backpack that I picked up in Athens. I carried it as my everyday bag for absolutely years after returning from Greece in 2015. It is not waterproof, but it is washable and wears like iron. I have thought about spraying it with a waterproofing product like Camp Dry. 

For the logbook, I am using the small Moleskine art-sketch book. The large Altoid-type tin holds enough ink for the trail, a compact pen, and our siggy; I lined it with felt to reduce rattle. I included only one glove, because that is all I ever use, along with a mini mister bottle and piece of felt for wiping inky stamps. The letterbox first-aid kit contains extra zips, felt pieces, and small logbooks for administering maintenance when needed. Finally, I added my planting notepad and (another compact) pen.

Altogether, this bag loaded weighs 1.86 lbs. Not bad! My old kit weighed over 3 lbs.; the old ink box and logbook alone weighed the same as this entire downsized kit! Now, lightening the load by only a pound or so doesn't seem like much, but it sure feels less bulky and heavy! It also looks more natural in a city or park trail than a more hiking-type backpack. I can hardly wait to give it a go on the trail.

And, just a thought: for letterboxing adventures that require more than a stroll, I would definitely go back to my Ori bag because I could carry a water bottle, a small snack, and my cell phone together with my boxing stuff. The Ori is ergonomically designed and isn't difficult to wear for long periods of time, even when fully loaded.

I think the only thing I am going to add to this minimal letterboxing kit is an old fork from a thrift store for surface digging. That comes in particularly handy with boxes that have lived forgotten in the wild for a number of years. And remember, Obimaster carries all the other heavy stuff - clippers, plastic trowel, flashlight, small first aid kit, bug spray, etc. We have divided the labor - I do the stamping in and maintenance, and he carries the stuff I don't want to carry! Frankly, I would do fine without all the extras, but he feels better having all that stuff handy when I am in the brush fussing about brambles or other such things while looking for a box. 

Y'know ... I am not sure what is more fun - being out on the trail looking for boxes, or putting together the perfect letterboxing kit. What do you think?