The Law of Travel

Published on Jun 17, 2014 (updated Feb 5, 2024), filed under adventure. (Share this post, e.g., on Mastodon.)

The story of my 18 months of travel around the world, including this and other articles, is available as a big but humble e-book: Journey of J.

The longer you travel, the lighter you should pack.

Much simpler and more useful than any other laws I wish I had coined, I consider this the most important rule of traveling. And yet I’m sure it’s not new, as many savvy travelers before me will have found light luggage to be more convenient, and easily possible.

Then, you get an idea why ten and a half months and twenty-five countries into my travels, I can still resist the urge to settle again. I simply don’t have that much stuff clamping me on a spot.

Update (October 11, 2017)

Some time this year I wrote a little tool to help with packing: What to Pack for a Trip. To be extended.

About Me

I’m Jens (long: Jens Oliver Meiert), and I’m an engineering lead, guerrilla philosopher, and indie publisher. I’ve worked as a technical lead and engineering manager at various companies (e.g., Google); I’m an active web and tool developer (code optimization, digital defense), a contributor to web standards (like HTML, CSS, WCAG), and a book author (O’Reilly, Frontend Dogma).

I love trying things—in web development and engineering management, but also in politics and philosophy, where I hold to one idea in particular: that we can only be well if we take good care of everyone. Here on meiert.com I talk about some of my perspectives and experiences. (Interpret charitably but be critical—and share feedback and advice that makes my work better.)