Granite Glen Ultralight

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.

-Twain

I spent the summer of 2018 getting this website ready to go. Creating content, planning the site layout, etc. Then in the fall I moved. Then in the spring of 2019 I had to leave my job because the business I worked for was struggling. My new job paid well, but sometimes required me to work 60 hours a week and that burned me out in about ten months, so in the fall of 2019 I changed jobs again. Thankfully, my current job is not only great, but is in an “industry” directly related to this website. I don’t need to tell you what happened in the spring of 2020 or that, like many of you, all the free time it provided while I was stuck at home came to nothing…So, that’s how I find myself here- in the first month of 2022!- finally getting around to getting started.

Welcome.

The style of travel I advocate will not be for everyone- and that’s okay. People enjoy traveling in a variety of ways and no one way is better than another. The style of travel that this site promotes is, I think, a worthwhile one. My approach to travel can be reduced to one word and that word is “value.”

For many people the term “value” has a narrow, monetary connotation, and this site will explore the ways in which you can get the most for your money. When it comes to travel, however, my definition of value is a little more broad. What is really at the core of this site are the ways in which you can get the most value out of your travel by stripping away all of the things you think you need when you travel, allowing you the time and freedom to do more of what you want to when you travel. For example, if you can bring everything you need in one, carry-on sized bag, you will never have to check a bag, retrieve it from baggage return, lose it, tip somebody to carry it, or have your hands full when you need them for something else. Instead, all that time and energy can be spent getting on with your adventures!

By squeezing the most value out of your trip you will, I hope, find that you have more time and resources to spend on lengthening your trips or going on additional trips. You will also find that having done it once, you will know how to better plan and pack for future trips- you may find that you enjoy the challenge of preparing for each new trip. I can confidently say that at this point in my traveling life I can throw together a carry-on sized bag for anything from a long weekend domestically and a three week stay internationally within about 30 minutes and have it be about 90% “right” the first time.

Underlying all of this is that the better you plan before your trip the more you can enjoy it while it’s happening.There is a lot to be said for arriving, stepping off the plane, train, or bus and starting your vacation immediately! Ideally you’ll be able to drop your pack off at your lodging first, but if your bag is small enough and light enough it shouldn’t be a burden to carry it around for a few hours while you get started. In short, if you’ve planned and packed appropriately you should have a worry free vacation with as little wasted time as possible.

That’s my two cents on the topic. I invite you to start exploring the website and diving deeply into the concept of ultralight travel on a budget. If you have questions send them along to me atgranitegearultralight@gmail.com and I will be happy to answer them!

Happy travels!