I try to travel as lean and mean as possible, but over my last few trips I’ve found myself carrying more than needed. The desire to have as many of my necessary tools with me as much as possible is irritating and a security nightmare. My answer so far has been to wait for a 3G capable iPhone with more than 30GB of space, therefore getting rid of my need to carry a phone and iPod. When such a device exists, I’ll make the switch from my Treo.
The other big space waster are cords. Power cords, Ethernet cables, and various USB cables create a web of discourse in the front pocket of my bag, leaving little room for anything else. So, I eliminated every cord except for the power adapter, my camera hookup, and iPod cable. My phone syncs via Bluetooth and I have yet to use my iPod so much as to run down the battery when on a trip but for “safety” I still bring it with me.
I carry one pen and one pencil, a regular sized ruled Moleskine and a Moleskine Cahier, and a mini-bottle of Tylenol Rapid Release Gels.
That is a quick glance into my travel and work bag.