These days, companies seem to be continually releasing new products and upgrades, and many people buy them. For instance, I know several people who bought an iPhone 8 even though they already had a perfectly good iPhone 7 that they’d had for under a year.
This just seems wasteful to me. Not only is it an unnecessary waste of money, it is a great way to fill landfills quickly. So even though a lot of the equipment I’ll take with me on my upcoming travels isn’t the most up-to-date and may be a bit bulkier/heavier than I would like, I see no point in replacing it while it still works.
Backpack
The backpack I’m using isn’t a backpacking-type backpack; it’s the kind of bag students take to school. As I’m taking a suitcase and not just a backpack, it doesn’t have to be the best backpack ever (the suitcase is a safety thing – taking more stuff makes me feel less anxious about being away from home).
Besides, I already own this backpack and it is certainly adequate for carry-on. When it wears out, I’ll buy one more suited to backpacking. Hopefully by that time I’ll feel better about taking less stuff.
Camera
My camera is a simple cannon point-and-shoot that my Mum bought for me four years ago using flybys points. I like it because it’s easy to use and is small enough to carry around without attracting attention. However, it doesn’t take fantastic pictures and changing the settings is generally cumbersome.
Eventually, it’ll die, and I’ll get something better. Hopefully, it’ll be just as small and inauspicious. In the meantime, what I’ve got is perfectly adequate and I won’t throw it away just because it’s not the latest and greatest out there.
Tripod
When I look at ways to take photos with me in them while travelling on my own, tripods are always listed as essential equipment. However, I don’t want to shell out money for a tripod, and I really don’t want to carry a tripod around with me and set it up whenever I take a photo (aside from the fact that many museums, churches, and other sights won’t let you use a tripod inside).
The solution to this is a gorilla pod. They’re small, flexible, and versatile. While I wasn’t willing to shell out money for one untested, my brother has one that he never uses that I’m borrowing. If it goes really well, I might look at buying one for myself.
Laptop
My current laptop is an Aspire E 15 Start. It’s pretty bulky, not light, and generally isn’t ideal for long-distance travel, but that’s not what I bought it for. I bought it nearly five years ago for university: it had all the features and hardware that I needed while not costing too much – weight wasn’t a consideration. It still does what I need it to do and I’m not going to replace it while it still works. When it dies, I’ll replace it with something more suitable for travel.
Toilet Bag
I inherited my current toilet bag. It is fairly large and I wish it had more than two compartments (which are too big to be of any practical use in sorting things). Eventually, I’ll buy a new, smaller toilet bag, but my current one has several years of use left in it.
Clothes
In a foreign country, you want to blend in, wear clothes like the locals wear. Apparently, this increases security and contributes towards a more authentic experience (makes sense). The fact that this time I’m going to Europe helps; most of the clothes I already own are suitable. I can travel with the clothes I have and not have to buy something new just for the trip.
Other items
I’m also borrowing several things from my mother. This includes packing-cubes, a micro-fibre towel, and an umbrella. These aren’t highly technical items and don’t cost a lot, but I see no point in buying new or going without when Mum has some that she won’t be using.
Do you have any stuff that you still use even though there’s a newer version available?
