This week’s edition of What’s in your Backpack features a man I’ve strangely forgotten the name of. This calm, cool, and collected man might own the coolest and baggiest pair of pants known to man, and I may have spent a few days with him playing cards and hanging out all the time, but alas, his name has escaped me. I met this fellow while surfing in Balian Beach on the western coast of Bali, Indonesia. After I’d gotten to know him I thought, “This man shouldn’t need to carry a thing on him, for his wit and charisma are bold enough to need nothing else”. However, I figured just for the sake of it he carries a backpack and in that backpack the most important item to him is his portable speaker.

Almost any traveller can agree, even when trying to limit portable electronics it’s nearly impossible to go without some sort of Ipod or music player. Something to pass the long bus rides, a way to accent a beautiful landscape, or a way to simply relax and zone out a bit. The next step then is the portable speaker. These are fantastic items to travel with for as my nameless friend says, “it’s a great way to meet people and share a little bit about yourself, soon enough everyone wants a chance to play a song they’re really diggin’ and it’s a great way to bond over music like that”. It’s true, people love music, and there’s nothing quite like sharing that song or band you know the others have probably never heard of, but will love. The other benefit to the portable speaker is that it’s a great way to enjoy a bunch of activities; set it up before you hop on a slackline, play a couple tunes at the summit you’ve been gunning for, or even turn it on at the beach to set the mood!

It seems music has been a reoccurring theme for What’s in Your Backpack. It’s a great means of self-expression, a great way to relate to your surroundings, and a great way to meet other people. So consider packing a portable speaker on your next adventure and jive along with my nameless friend’s most important item!