Some people tend to bring too much stuff on vacations. In an effort to help pare down the duffle, here are some tips on what not to bring.

Forget the cellular phone. In theory, you won't die if you are separated from your phone for a few days. The idea is to get away; can you truly get away if what you are running from has a way to get in touch with you? It may mean being unavailable in case of an emergency; unfortunately, there is nothing you could do about it, so let other people deal with it for a few days. Also, the phone can create too many interesting situations in the field; just think of all the problems a loud noise at the wrong time can cause. And do you really want to have an electrical device that close to you if you get wet?

The same goes with PDA and laptops. They are used to escape from reality and to help you at the office. If you're going on the vacation to get away from reality in the first place, then it's not only redundant, but that means you're wasting money on the trip; why were you going somewhere, again? And a device that helps you at the office will probably not help you when you cruising through the forest at sixty kilometers an hour or shooting clay pigeons.

Make sure that you leave behind non-essential bathroom items. No, ladies, you aren't being singled out; most women don't bring gel, shaving materials, and extraneous make-up to a medieval buffet; however, some guys think that hair gel can save them from head injuries. However, the reality is that most hair-styling products are useless in the woods, and those provide a nice flame near fire are not nice for the environment, so leave them home.

When it comes to clothes, try to limit yourself to a few outfits. Look at this way: Don't bring more than you are willing to carry. That's an excellent limit, even if you are traveling in a vehicle; you won't have to store as much, and you can theoretically find things faster. When you have an angry group of people waiting on you to get going, do you really want to hold things up because you are looking for that really nice tie? Especially if some of them can fire you? I think not...

Food is a debatable item, especially for those with blood sugar issues. Before going, buy three things: A pouch that go on a belt, the belt it goes on, and something to go in the pouch. Limit any food you bring to anything that can fit in the pouch, and leave the rest at home. Trail mix is your friend; it fills the pouch and your void rather nicely, and is healthy besides.

There are other things you should leave at home, such as your children and pets, and any significant others. However, these are the basics; you'll need to work the others out for yourself. Forget these, and your trip will be more enjoyable!