Packing light? My India kit list

Packing light is the best way to go, whether travelling on business or leisure.  At the very least it makes it easier to transport from the car to the hotel or tent; and if you’re really good, it can let you go for a 2 week holiday using only hand luggage.  

I’ve been working on optimizing my travel packing for some time partially to make my travel more enjoyable, and also to free up space for my SLR and lenses. In the interests of optimizing my travel kit list further, I’ve documented the stuff I took to India recently - and have noted items that I took, but could easily have left at home (so that I can be a bit more focused next time, and perhaps you might give me some suggestions in the comments below). 

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North Face Sentinel Boa running shoes

Updated on 07 Mar 2010 by Andy Bryant

Updated on 20 Apr 2010 by Andy Bryant

Updated on 09 Aug 2010 by Andy Bryant

Updated on 17 Apr 2011 by Andy Bryant

Whilst scanning my facebook newsfeed the other day I came across a mention of a new pair of running shoes via Boa Technologies - the North Face Men's Sentinel Boa.  These are designed for road and trail use, and are listed on the North Face site at $130.

The thing which caught my eye was that the lacing system used twice the number of loops as the regular Boa system on running or hiking boots, along with a new design for the lace-hooks.  This suggests that it might provide a better, closer fit to the top of the foot - although without being able to get my hands on a pair, it's difficult to be sure.

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Boa hiking boots - Chiruca

I've long been a fan of Boa Technology hiking boots, since I first read about Dean Karnazes (the ultra marathon man) in Wired. I started with the original varient of the North Face Plasma GTX XCR Boa which worked fantastically for a couple of years. As these boots began to wear down last year I went on a search for a new set of hiking boots. I found that North Face had introduced a v2 of the GTX XCR Boa, and a new vendor to me Vasque had created a pair of more substantial boots - the Zephyr Tech (which they've since discontinued). I decided to try to get hold of both - one for summer light hiking, and the other for more serious trekking or winter use. Neither turned out to be great, but earlier this year I discovered another option from a small spanish manufacturer (fal), founded in 1965, with a brand called Chiruca.

They look make a series of boots designed specifically for hunters (although not exclusive to hunting) using the Boa system. Looking at the design of their Boxer Boa, I noticed that they had included a loop at the top of the boot that was set a little further down the boot than most other boots, which appeared to allowed the lace to close the top of the boot over the ankle, rather than simply tightening over the bottom of the leg. Click through to the blog post to read the full story.

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Hiking boots with Boa lacing system

Updated on 15 May 2009 by Andy Bryant

Updated on 14 Jun 2009 by Andy Bryant

Updated on 22 Jun 2009 by Andy Bryant

Vasque Zephyr Tech

North Face GTX XCR Boa II

I’ve been struggling with hiking boots for years due to not being able to tie laces. For a long time I’ve used a spring loaded cord-tie (as used on sleeping bag draw-strings) to pull laces tight, however this really isn’t the easiest solution, as it is hard to maintain a good tension. Normal shoes are not a problem - as there are many slip on designs that work well, and I just love Chelsea boots during the winter. (We won’t discuss the velcro solutions I was forced to ensure as a kid…)

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