What I stopped carrying
March 2026
Every winter I empty the bags onto the floor and ask each item what it did for me last year.
Most of them have no good answer.
- The second pair of shoes. Worn twice in a season. Sandals do the job.
- The big lock. Replaced by a light one and the habit of parking where I can see the bike.
- Paper maps for the whole route. Now one sheet for the area I am in, posted home when done.
- The stove. Painful to admit. Village shops and cold breakfasts won.
What stays, every year: a good rain jacket, a spare tube, a notebook, and enough patience for
the ferry to leave without me.