Lookin' to downsize.

So, everyone wants to talk about what they carry on the trail  - what they deem important inside their letterboxing pack. I recently posted about creating an 'emergency letterboxing kit' to keep in my car (or in my bag) for those impromptu boxing opportunities. Just having that little kit has made me yearn for a smaller letterboxing pack. 

This is a perfect size for a small backpack,
and it is made wonderfully - unfortunately, it is not cheap.
Definitely a downside. But, it won't wear out!

I love my little Ori backpack, truly - it is the perfect size, it is made beautifully, waterproof with a trail-proof bottom, and it comes in a lot of really nice colors. I think you would be hard-pressed to wear this thing out. But, it is not cheap, which is definitely a downside. And it is not heavy, but what I carry in it is. 

The weight of the 8" x 5" Moleskin logbook, all those inks,
and the plastic box all adds up!

In addition to my log and ink box, I carry other things in there, too: gloves, letterbox first-aid (extra zips, felt, and small logbooks), a small first aid kit, and an extra pen & notebook for planting notes. And of course, my cell phone. Frankly, it feels like too much - I want to downsize!

This might be more like it ...

This Moleskin logbook is only 5.5" x 3.5",
and that oversized Altoid tin (4" x 3") doesn't weigh anything close to that plastic box.
And just two ink pads is a lot lighter than a whole rainbow.

I was thinking about getting a smaller pack, as well, but I may just swap out the book and ink box to see if that makes enough difference. I think I will miss all the colors, but in reality, the boxes we have been finding lately (really since we have been back in) don't require a rainbow of colors. I have known people who have carried Tombow markers, and it is really cool to have all those colors, but I would be afraid of mucking up my spendy pens with a black-ink-encrusted stamp. I also used to carry a small, damp rag to clean stamps, but that seems to be unnecessary at this point, as well. Nowadays, I just end up using a dark ink, for the most part.

on the trail in Troutdale, Oregon

Now, I will say I am fortunate - Obimaster carries all the other items that are nice to have on the trail: a small trowel, waterproof gloves (mine are not, unfortunately), clippers (for those nasty blackberry brambles), small flashlight, and probably other things I am unaware of ... it is his pack, after all. I am in charge of the ink and stamping business, and he is the tool-guy. So it works. But, if you need to carry those things because you don't have an extra boxer with you who is a tool-guy (or gal), I am sure there are small lightweight clippers to be had, and you could use an old fork in place of a trowel (in fact, that was a great suggestion from a fellow boxer last time we were talking about boxing packs). We don't have a big bug problem around the PNW, generally, so I don't carry bug spray in my pack - it is in the car, though, in case we are boxing in August on the peninsula. Yikes!

What do you think? Is smaller better? Just for fun, I weighed the large log and ink box and the smaller kit to see if there was a difference. Turns out the larger log and inks are 1 pound, 8.4 oz, while the smaller options are 1 pound lighter. Doesn't sound like a lot, really. But, maybe the smaller log and inks would be more discreet, especially if I were to get a smaller backpack or bag. (I am now remembering that Thunderbird wears a fishing vest - hm, not a bad idea!) 

Perhaps discretion is motivating my desire to downsize a bit - it seems like there are way more muggles on the trails than I remember from years ago. The parks are packed, parking is a premium, there are always dog-walkers, and kids are everywhere. (Don't get me wrong - that's a good thing!) All those other park visitors are making it more challenging to not attract attention while working out a clue. My goal is to find the box, stamp in quick, and get it back in place before being spotted - which is almost impossible. Even in the middle of winter! Maybe that is why more boxes are planted in cemeteries - not a lot of muggles hanging around there :)

Douglass Pioneer Cemetery