There’s a post over at 43 Folders about how we’re all carrying way too much stuff around with us at any one time, along with links to handy hints on what you should and shouldn’t carry.

There are plenty of good ideas there; the contributers have obviously been thinking about how to get the most out of what they’re carrying and I really like the idea of travelling light by looking ahead to what I’m planning on doing and packing the required tools. Unfortunately, I’m too lazy and disorganised to do this which means I invariably end up carting a load of stuff around wherever I go; magazines (usually the latest issues of Private Eye, Retro Gamer and Terrorizer), a 256MB USB memory key, GBA SP and a 512Mb EFA flash cartridge, Sony Vaio Pocket MP3 player, Dell Axim x30i, and miscellaneous crap — sunglasses, chocolate, painkillers, Lemsips, etc.

Is it really necessary for me to carry all that around at all times? Probably not, but it means I’ve always got something to read if I decide to nip into a café without having to go out of my way to get a paper or something beforehand; if I’m ever bored at work I can hide in a toilet cubicle and play a few turns of Fire Emblem; and if I’m ever approached by an attractive lady in a hotel bar and asked if I have any Lemsips then — well, we all know what that means, eh lads?

Besides, I know for certain that I’ll never be short of entertainment if I find myself on an unexpected transatlantic flight.