No Bags Challenge
Around the world in 42 days … with no bags? Travel author Rolf Potts says he can pull off this record-setting feat, but he’s got a trick up his sleeve, Scottevest Travel Clothing (SeV). SeV has a reputation for clever clothing designs, with multiple purpose-driven pockets developed to save travelers time and money. The average traveler can avoid extra bag fees by supplementing – or replacing – their carry-on bag with a stylish jacket or vest from SeV’s extensive line. Potts is not your average traveler, but his companion: a videographer/producer will help him document his journey as he tests SeV’s packing capacity.
While traveling around the world is a classic theme, and “traveling light” is a popular concept, this is the first time these ideas have been combined to such an extreme. “We don’t believe that a true around the world trip without bags has ever been successfully completed, let alone professionally documented,” explains SCOTTEVEST CEO & Founder Scott Jordan. “Even with the 30+ pockets in Rolf’s SeV outfit, it’s an ambitious undertaking to say the least. I’m looking forward to watching the adventure unfold week by week.”
To bring the experience of baggage-free travel to the audience at home, Potts and his traveling companion will share the six-week journey through frequent updates in video, photos and words at NoBaggageChallenge.com. Viewers can follow along as the trek takes them from New York to Paris, from Cairo to South Africa, and from Bangkok to New Zealand before returning back to NYC via Los Angeles. Sponsoring the duo’s round-the-world airfare and travel arrangements is the BootsnAll Travel Network, the one-stop indie travel guide dedicated to connecting independent travelers through their network of websites, blogs, forums and online tools.
“When Rolf told us about the idea behind the No Baggage Challenge, we knew we wanted to be involved,” explains Sean Keener, CEO of BootsnAll. “BootsnAll connects independent travelers as they plan around the world trips, so we knew our community of travelers would be engaged and excited by this – it’s a trip that I want to go on!. Rolf is gonna rock and roll on this challenge.”
So how did Rolf Potts get lucky enough to go on this trip of a lifetime? Potts is an avid travel writer, penning Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel and worked on pieces on more than sixty countries for the likes of National Geographic Traveler, the New York Times Magazine, and the Travel Channel. He advocates a style of travel that incorporates many of the same concepts at the core of the No Baggage Challenge. SeV clothing, according to the veteran traveler, beats any other form of luggage, hands down. “On this trip,” Potts says, “I believe it’s better to pack an open-minded attitude than a suitcase full of dubiously useful gear.”
Potts embarks from New York on the first leg of the six-week No Baggage Challenge starting this Saturday, August 21st.