<h1>The Freedom of a Small Backpack</h1>
Recently, I’ve been flooded with queries about how I manage my travel, so I thought it would be fitting to share my travel philosophy and tips.
I am a firm believer in travelling without a suitcase. I restrict myself to a backpack that's carry-on sized, or even smaller. After some trial and error, I've come to find that a <a href="https://fr.heimplanet.com/products/taschen-transit_line-travel-pack-34-castlerock">35L backpack</a> hits the sweet spot. It allows me to travel for an unlimited period within a particular season, regardless of whether I'm on a train or a plane.
<img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1509762774605-f07235a08f1f?q=80&#x26;w=2670&#x26;auto=format&#x26;fit=crop&#x26;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&#x26;ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8fA%3D%3D" alt="Photo by Josiah Weiss on Unsplash">
You may be wondering, why such a small backpack? Isn't it restrictive? To answer that: yes, it is, but in a beneficial way. It prompts you to focus on necessities, leaving behind the non-essentials that tend to weigh you down. When you confine your belongings to fit inside a 35L backpack, you're forced to really consider what you need. This minimalist approach brings a new degree of simplicity and clarity to your travels.
Moreover, a small backpack isn't just about physical minimalism. It also brings with it a sense of flexibility and freedom that a suitcase simply can't provide. Imagine landing in a new city and being able to start your exploration right away, rather than having to rush to a taxi because of bulky luggage. A small backpack means you can explore at your own pace, use public transportation, or even walk to your accommodation. Stairs, cobblestone streets, sandy beaches, bustling markets – nothing holds you back when you travel light. Plus, you don't have to worry about airport check-ins or lost luggage, saving you precious time, especially on shorter trips.
But, won't this mean a lot of laundry? Not necessarily. I've found that doing laundry once a week or every other week is quite manageable. It can even be part of the adventure! You can interact with locals at laundromats, get recommendations, and feel more like a local rather than a tourist. If it becomes a hassle, your hotel can usually handle it for you, which still works out cheaper than paying for checked-in luggage.
In conclusion, travelling with a small backpack has not only made my trips more convenient, but also more enjoyable. It has taught me to value experiences over possessions, be adaptable, and find joy in simplicity. So, the next time you plan a trip, consider packing light. It might just revolutionize your travel experience.
<h3>How do you fit a week's worth of clothes in a 35L backpack?</h3>
To achieve this, there are two key principles.
Firstly, don't pack anything that's not absolutely necessary or that you could easily find at your destination. For instance, towels are usually provided at hotels, and toothpaste is easily accessible. Ask yourself: Is this item essential and difficult to find at my destination? If the answer isn't a resounding "yes", leave it behind. My only exception is a hardcover book – I relish the feeling of reading a physical book while travelling.
Secondly, opt for clothes that don't retain odours and can be worn for several days. Stay clear of synthetic t-shirts or pants. For instance, a merino-tencel blend t-shirt can be worn for at least two days, works in both summer and winter, and is environmentally friendly. The same goes for socks.
And a final tip: wear your bulkiest and heaviest items while travelling, rather than packing them in your bag.
<h3>Isn't it heavy to carry around ?</h3>
Not at all. By keeping the size manageable, I can comfortably carry it around all day. Once at my accommodation, I unload most of it and venture out with a smaller bag or tote. And when it comes to stairs, aren't suitcases just as burdensome?
<h3>And if you have a fancy dinner ? Or I want to go to X ?</h3>
Packing versatile clothes that are accepted universally isn't difficult. I've never needed a suit while travelling for leisure. For business trips, I simply wear the suit on the plane.
<h3>I am going to a place where the weather is uncertain. I am expecting cold and hot days.</h3>
The key is to pack layers. Pack as if it's late summer, then modify accordingly:
<ul>
<li>Swap shorts for pants.</li>
<li>Add a sweatshirt, a lightweight scarf, and possibly some light gloves.</li>
<li>On the day of departure, wear a suitable jacket and a sweatshirt, even if it's warm at your departure point.</li>
</ul>

Why I Travel With Only 35L

The Freedom of a Small Backpack

<h1>The nonsense of train prices</h1>
As I dive deeper into the GIEC reports, the awareness of my carbon footprint grows each day. It's become a focal point for me, prompting a search for ways to lessen my impact.
When I <a href="https://nosgestesclimat.fr/en">calculated my carbon footprint</a>, excluding societal services (over which I have limited control), I was pleasantly surprised to find it at around 3 tons — a significant dip below the national average. However, this excluded my vacations.
I'm a travel enthusiast. It brings me immense joy, and it's been a defining part of my life — I even met my wife as an exchange student abroad. While I don't want to cut back on it, I wanted to gauge its impact on my emissions. The result was clear: my trips doubled my carbon footprint. Digging deeper, the majority of these emissions stemmed from air travel. Just a few flights over the last three years accounted for roughly 50% of my total emissions.
<img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1515165562839-978bbcf18277?q=80&#x26;w=2670&#x26;auto=format&#x26;fit=crop&#x26;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&#x26;ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8fA%3D%3D" alt="Photo by Tomas Anton Escobar on Unsplash">
The solution for an EU citizen seems straightforward: "Cut down on flights and embrace the extensive high-speed train network of the EU". Well, it's not that simple. A round-trip from Paris to Glasgow, for example, would set you back around 400 euros via high-speed trains (as per <a href="https://www.raileurope.com/">Raileurope</a>). Compare that to an average fare of 150 euros when booked three to four months in advance (as per <a href="https://www.kayak.fr/">Kayak</a>), and the issue becomes apparent. The problem exacerbates when booking for the next week — train prices tend to rise while flight prices drop (450€ VS 120€). This trend repeats with other routes like Paris/Berlin or Paris/Madrid.
The common response I get when highlighting this discrepancy is, "That's because airplane fuel is not taxed. If it were, that would solve the issue.". Indeed, the <a href="https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32003L0096">Energy Taxation Directive of 2023</a> prohibits countries from taxing airplane fuel without a bilateral accord — a condition challenging to meet, even with the best intentions. But let's envision what it would look like.
On a medium-length journey like Paris to Glasgow, a modern airplane like the A320Neo consumes around 2650 liters of fuel per hour of flight. Considering an 85% occupancy, that translates to approximately 75 liters per passenger for the round trip. Applying the average EU taxation rate for car fuel of 0.53€, this would add around 40 euros to your ticket.
However, this is far from sufficient to make train travel a viable option.
This analysis also neglects the time such trips take. A one-way plane journey, accounting for airport procedures and transportation to city centers, takes less than 6 hours. The fastest train route takes at least 8 hours with a transfer. Considering these downsides, even with a taxed airplane ticket, it remains a preferable choice for customers.
I strongly believe that plane tickets are too cheap. They should be taxed at least as much as car fuel. Since COVID, airplanes are predominantly used for leisure, and it makes no sense to tax them less than an essential tool for many families. Simultaneously, train tickets are too expensive. With one of the world's best rail networks, subsidies should be in place to make trains a viable alternative for distances of 1000km or less. At least <a href="https://www.interrail.eu/en">Interrail</a> offer a way to minimize train costs, but they remain a stopgap solution, not enough to fully bridge the affordability issue.

Why the plane remains the only option even in EU

The nonsense of train prices

<h1>Making a difference in order to save your mental health</h1>
EDIT: It appears following some complications ranging from exauhstion to lack of volunteer that the NGO as ceased their
operations for now. My points about helping other still remains valid though, and I encourage you to go out their and
help others to help yourself.
Having family, friends, and bounds in both Ukraine and Russia, I closely followed the military buildup at the western
Ukrainian border throughout the end of 2021. Deep down, I knew that such a buildup could not just be for show, but I
still refused to believe it.
I was wrong.
<img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1611264199717-4f4eee6ad33b?ixlib=rb-4.0.3&#x26;ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&#x26;auto=format&#x26;fit=crop&#x26;w=1740&#x26;q=80" alt="Photo by Damir Samatkulov on Unsplash">
On the morning of Monday the 28th, I nearly collapsed crying in front of my computer while trying to get some work done.
After struggling to sleep and coping with the weight of all this stress, I just could not continue.
My mentor told me to take some time off, that everything would be handled, and that I should disconnect for a while.
While his behavior and handling of the situation were exemplary, it did not solve my mental struggle. I was still
feeling conflicted, powerless and terrorized for Ukraine.
While looking for something to do to help during my time off, I came upon
the <a href="https://ukraineglobaltaskforce.com/">Ukraine Global Taskforce</a> (that I will mostly refer to as UGT in the rest of
this article). At the time, it was just a group of strangers coming together to help Ukrainian with their main skills:
building tech products. It was not even an NGO, and was just a group of 150 people on a Discord server. After a quick
message to the founder on LinkedIn, I was ready to help them by offering my only useful skill for this situation: my
developer experience.
<img src="https://miro.medium.com/max/720/0*eJlDREqOXSBNaA5X.webp" alt="Ukraine Global Taskforce main statement and mission">
<a href="https://ukraineglobaltaskforce.com/">Ukraine Global Taskforce</a> is now an official NGO, uniting more than a thousand
volunteers from around the world. Instead of directly contributing to the relief effort, it leverages its member skills
to build digital products in order to help established NGOs to achieve their mission faster and more efficiently. We
developed logistic tools to help distribute food and material to Ukrainian in need, tools to spread information about
sheltering options, or provide targeted help to groups in need in and outside Ukraine.
At the end of my time off, I still wanted to continue contributing to the various projects UGT has started off. I was
ready to take some unpaid leave from my work to dedicate time to these projects, but my company stepped forward. I
currently work for a French Health company named <a href="https://alan.com/">Alan</a>. Everyone there felt affected by the horrors
unfurling in Ukraine. We quickly gave free access to our mental health app, <a href="https://mind.alan.com/">Alan Mind</a>, to
Ukrainians, both in and outside Ukraine. While this was a great first step, my company also agreed to donate 6 days of
my work to UGT without any pay cut.
I cannot understate the impact this had: It allowed me to work full time on the project. And I became one of the most
active engineers at the time, without having to worry about providing for my family. Because of this, we greatly sped up
multiple projects and provided tools for NGOs and Ukrainians faster. While a small sacrifice for the company, this
allowed UGT to ramp up its digital development a lot and shaved several days off the release of potentially life-saving
tools.
Allowing employees to help NGOs by donating work time is a clear and efficient way for companies to get involved with
the relief effort. I greatly encourage every company that can afford to do so to follow this path. Not only do you
help people in need, but also help your employees feel valuable, listened to, and cherished.
Now, did my time spent at UGT help Ukrainians in need? It’s hard to say. For all I know, my impact might be minimal, as
this is hard to judge and quantify in the current situation. On the other hand, the positive impact it had on myself was
really clear: It gave me a sense of purpose and was an important drive in my recovery.
If you feel downed by the current situation, political or health-wise, try volunteering. It might sound selfish to
put it this way, but while helping others, you will also help yourself. I think it’s clearly a win-win that a lot more
people should give a try to. Any skills are welcome, even just reposting messages asking for help is already a big
contribution.
I want to finish this piece with a sincere “Thank you” to the numerous members of UGT. Seeing your drive and dedication
was a real blast and really helped me get back on my feet.
If you also want to contribute to this project, please get involved
through <a href="https://ukraineglobaltaskforce.com/">their website</a> and help save lives ❤️

Blog

The Freedom of a Small Backpack

The nonsense of train prices

Making a difference in order to save your mental health