Shove, stuff, squeeeeeeze

I did a dry run on packing “The Bag” for the trip.
Not a lot of room in a bag this size.
Sacrifices must be made, compromises must be discovered.

Goodbye form, hello functionality.

  • No laptop. I wanted it to store images on and access the Internet when available. Shlepping those extra 6 pounds is not worth it. Instead I am borrowing a pocket sized 20 gig card reader to offload my images.
  • 1/3 the stash of socks and underwear. Laundry on the road or buying new. Those are the choices.
  • Khaki pants instead of jeans. They are lighter in the pack and I can carry more.

    • So I got it all packed. 20 lbs. Not bad.

    Probably one of the more “adventurous” aspects of our trip will be attempting to carry everything we need in a backpack style bag.

    No bigger than a carry on sized piece of luggage, it measures 9″ x 21″ x 14″ and is ultra light weight.

    So yea, basically we are backpacking across Europe for 3 weeks. Of course we are riding the rail and staying in 4 star hotels and B&B’s the whole way….but still. Looks like we will buy clothing over there and/or do some laundry.

    It’s going to be interesting but, as we learned on our trip to the UK, much more efficient. On our last vacation we had 3 bags each and it was a nightmare to move them from place to place. This method is much, MUCH more mobile and I think it will pay off in convenience.

    Practical considerations

    We are going to pack light for this trip. Our cameras and what will fit in a backpack.
    Pretty bold for a couple of old fogies like ourselves. I know we will need to restock on the essentials while we are there…that is why I am researching phrases in Dutch, French and Italian

    Ik wens om onder broek te kopen

    Je souhaite acheter sous le pantalon

    Desidero comprare sotto i pantaloni