Hi ya'll!  An additional age-related challenge for me.  I now am the owner/user of a CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) machine.  It's used to alleviate sleep apnea.  Overall, it will be a good thing as I have been getting only about four hours of real sleep a night over the past couple decades and that takes a toll over the years.  I will have lots more energy to explore and walk due to the therapy.  The one I got weighs about 6.5 pounds (around 3 kg) and comes in a briefcase-sized case.  It appears to be dual voltage (110 VAC/ 220 VAC) so I will probably be able to use it with an adapter should I be lucky enough to travel to Europe again (still working on that travel aspect).  But there is no way I can fit it into my backpack so I have to now modify my one-bag methodology and I will no longer have both hands free while traveling.  That will increase the weight I will be carrying to just over 31 pounds (around 14 kg).  It's my understanding the CPAP won't count against my carry-on baggage limit, though, so that's a positive.  The real positive is that I will finally get restful sleep and will be able to get more out of any travel now that I will have more energy.  Anyone else out there with a CPAP that can give us all the benefit of your experience traveling with it?

Just a quick note here.  Something I never thought of when planning a trip, especially a trip involving a lot of walking which, as regular readers will note, is my idea of the best kind of trip.  I had planned on blisters and have a blister kit ready.  But, as I age, I've gained an unwelcome complaint:  plantar faciitis.  It's a condition that causes great foot pain especially in the heel area.  I looked it up and asked around querying mostly folks my age (58).  Lots of folks get it and it goes away after about six months to a year.  This can cause great problems when your trip involves lots of walking.  Fortunately, I found a quick solution that mitigates the condition a lot.  And that solution takes up little room in your pack as well as providing a recreational use.  The solution:  a tennis ball.  Roll the ball with your foot while pressing your foot down upon the ball at the end of the day or after prolonged sitting.  Works for fallen arches too (yep, I have that as well courtesy my military career with Uncle Sam).  Ibuprofen (known to hikers as "Vitamin I") combined with the tennis ball therapy works wonders!  Perhaps I should be so bold as to say it's a vacation saver.  Make room in your pack.  You could be glad you did!

Glad to report my job situation has changed so the only real constraint I now have is budget.  That's something I can work at with the expectation of eventual success.  Today, I weighed out my clothing for a one month European trip keeping in mind it had to fit in my medium-sized backpack.  Clothing for the pack consisted of two pairs of Exofficio Nomad pants, three pairs of Exofficio underpants, two wicking undershirts, two pairs of Darn Tough merino wool socks, a handkerchief, a Sierra Designs money belt, two "river" shirts, a silk sleep shirt, and a pair of trail-runner shoes.  Total weight comes in at 4 and a half pounds.  Clothing I would be wearing for the travel day including a Scottevest with detachable hood and arms so I can use it as a rain jacket as well (weighs two and a quarter pounds all by itself) would be similar to the pack contents (for a total of three changes of clothing and includes a second pair of shoes) weighs in at about five and a half pounds FSO (from skin out).  I have also ordered some EZ towels to reduce pack weight and increase pack room.  They are button-sized, super light-weight, compressed rayon washcloths that open out to about the size of a standard washcloth.  I also ordered a lightweight compressed beach towel that is about the size of a hockey puck until opened.  I will do a review on them when they arrive.  My wife and I plan to do some regional travel once the weather is friendlier here in WV.  It will be budget camping travel and most likely using our SUV as the tent.  We have plenty equipment for camping and can tailor the setup for conditions and duration.  More on that later.  Happy to be back in the situation that I will be able to travel again!