One person equipped with the skills to pack under the most intense conditions is Michael Zervos, who recently returned from a trip around the world in which he visited 195 countries in 499 days
Last week, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary scored yet more headlines with his comments about oversized bags and a pledge to offer staff who catch them extra cash.
The airline’s boss said he made “absolutely no apology” for nabbing those who are “scamming the system”. Mr O’Leary informed reporters that the airline will likely boost incentives for gate staff who stop passengers attempting to bring oversized luggage onboard from 1.50 euros (£1.29) to 2.50 euros (£2.16) per bag, starting in November. A monthly cap of 80 euros (£68.98) is also due to be scrapped.
While the budget airline CEO may have little sympathy for overpackers, most of us know the struggle of fitting a holiday’s worth of clothes in a bag measuring 40 x 30 x 20cm or smaller.
One person equipped with the skills to pack under such conditions is Michael Zervos, who recently returned from a trip around the world in which he visited 195 countries in 499 days. Michael’s main goal was to find out what makes people happy. He set about doing that by asking people what the happiest day of their lives was.
Along the way, and even before he set off, he also picked up some pretty decent packing tips.
“I tried dozens of backpacks to try to fit everything into one backpack. I eventually found the Seg45 by Matador. It is a soft shell, duffel-style shape, which can be treated as a duffel or a backpack. It has built-in packing cube structures. The segments let you organise a variety of things,” Michael explained.
“I had 100 pieces I thought I’d need for any variety of weather, as I didn’t want to shop while I was travelling. I knew I’d have to layer, so I had small jackets in a tear-drop cube and shoes that could be used in any environment. I found ALO all-purpose shoes that are water-resistant and could be used for hiking. Vebrum five-finger shoes. I absolutely love those. They were the standout shoes of the trip.”
As much as there were plenty of items that Michael came to rely on and treasure, there was one travel gadget that proved useless.
“I had this emergency door stopped for places that weren’t so secure. If the lock wasn’t secure, it would set an alarm off. My mum gave it to me because she was so paranoid. I never used it once. It was confiscated in Berlin. Also, I had this filter water bottle, but I drank enough water (in the countries I went to) that I didn’t use it. The water inoculated me. It was a matter of refinement.”
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