flerdle's one-bag adventure

OBOW reader flerdle went one-bag for one month in Europe and here account read likes a textbook for the novice light traveler. Enjoy:

One month, five countries, one bag: Europe!

(flerdle’s one bag adventure)

I live in Australia, which is a long, long way from just about anywhere (except New Zealand), so when the opportunity to attend a conference in Lausanne, Switzerland arose for mid July, I decided to combine work and play, extend my stay to a whole month, and see how I went traveling as lightly as possible.

I was also recovering from recent major shoulder surgery, so traveling light was an absolute necessity.

Verdict: it certainly worked for me, and I would not hesitate to travel this way again.

I would like to echo John’s comment on a recent thread: “Pack the right gear, get the high-tech, lightweight, quick drying gear, and pack right”. I got an MEI Voyageur, a Rick Steves Civitas daypack, an Asus EeePC, three pairs of light pants from Ex-Officio, and went from there. A complete (women’s) packing list is at the end of this post, with a photo of it all. Yes, despite how it looks all spread out it all fitted in the bag, with room to spare. I didn’t feel as if I was missing anything.

MEI VOYAGEUR If anything, the Voyageur is possibly a little too big if you are trying to keep the weight down, which is vitally important on international flights because the limit is usually 7kg (15.5lb) and you will get asked to check it if it is too heavy. They will weigh your cabin (carry-on) baggage when you check in. The dimensions were never a problem but it is tempting to overpack for weight, and a smaller bag might have been sufficient. I chose the Voyageur because it has the best harness system and allowed me to carry the full bag over long distances using the substantial hip belt and one shoulder strap (because of my shoulder problem).

I had very little trouble getting it onto the plane, despite the initial “huh?” from the check-in person – it appears that traveling without check-in luggage is still rare on the Kangaroo Route (Australia to Europe). I had to put my iPod, phone,GPS unit and note/phrase/guidebooks into my pockets, wear my fuzzy vest and jacket and hold my computer and liquid baggy in my hand and that brought the bag down to the magical “just under 8kg” (17-18lb) that they let through.

Of course I put it all back in my bag as soon as I got through security, and carried the bag casually slung behind me (on additional shoulder strap) onto the plane. On the plane I transferred a few essentials to the daypack and used it for the approx 23 hours of flying time from Melbourne to Zurich.

Actually, and this is perhaps something to be aware of, the lack of a check-in bag possibly caused a few odd moments in the transfer from Cathay to Swiss in Hong Kong. They had a very close look at my boarding pass which got flagged/rejected at the transfer gate (there was no double seat allocation or other issue), and they asked about bags, both at the gate and later on the plane. It might have been something else in their system, but I doubt it; I was not the only passenger transferring at that point but I was the only one questioned, and I never have been before. The only difference I could see was the lack of checked luggage. The return flight was uneventful.

I spent almost a week in each of Switzerland, France, England and Sweden, with a couple of days in Amsterdam at the end. I stayed in 1-star to 3-star hotels and with friends. I flew from Paris CDG to East Midlands (BMI baby) and Heathrow T5 to Arlanda (British Airways) and Arlanda to Schiphol (SAS), with trains elsewhere. I always tended to check in reasonably early. I am not sure how staff’s attitude changes as the lines get longer and the pressure up, but I never had to check in a bag.

About half of the time I was able to wash clothes in the normal way since I was staying with friends, and the rest of the trip I hand washed every day or two. I had no trouble with things drying in at most a day (despite taking cotton smalls anyway) but be aware this might not be the case in winter. Synthetic or specialist underwear might be good, if you can find it in your size. It is most important to be comfortable, and work around that.

Most of the time I could have been quite casual but the conference required reasonably “good” clothes and this was not difficult even with only several changes of clothes chosen to coordinate properly. The pants from ExOfficio were very light but two of them could pass for more stylish wear, and I had one “good” blouse and some crisp t-shirts. I think I possibly still brought too much “stuff” – I could have left out one t-shirt at least and one entire set of clothes at most – but I chose to spend a little less time washing and more time working/relaxing! The French phrasebook and Amsterdam guide were heavy luxuries but extremely useful and I do not regret taking them. The GPS unit could have been combined with an expensive enough mobile phone, but again, I found it extremely useful. I took photos with my mobile and blogged them for folks at home using the EeePC which lived up to expectations in all respects.

SNACK-SIZED PC Halfway through the trip I sent my second set of shoes, makeup kit, thermal pants and some collected postcards and papers from the conference home by post, but apart from that I used everything I took the whole time. As it was sunnier than I had expected, I did buy a cheap floppy hat after the first week. I mainly used postcards as souvenirs rather than buying trinkets. I was tempted to buy a t-shirt but resisted. I bought a couple of books near the end of the trip as well.

So what could I have left out? Well, the computer is the obvious candidate if I hadn’t have had to work but at 1.25kg for computer and cables it was not that much of a trouble anyway. The sarong I used the least but would have used it more if more traditionally backpacking in which case I would have added a silk sleeping-bag liner. In winter the swimsuit would have been replaced by more thermal underwear. The red fuzzy vest was not used as much as the cardigan, which probably should have been a bit thicker - it was a touch chilly when it was raining. The real killer for weight is actually paper (and technology).

So: do it! It isn’t hard at all.

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CLICK FOR FULL-SIZE

Packing list (INCLUDES things worn onto the plane):

3 pr long pants (Ex-Officio 2 x Excursion black and 1 x Nomad khaki)
3 tshirts (2 would probably be sufficient depending on destination, or substitute other blouses)
1 good shirt (black, long sleeve)
1 short sleeve travel shirt (lightweight Columbia #TL6635, colored)
4 undies
4 bras
4 pr socks
swimsuit
sarong
singlet and light very casual elastic-waisted slacks/pajama pants (for sleeping or very casual wear)
fleecy vest
rain/wind jacket (Mountain Designs)
lightweight synthetic cardigan
thongs (i.e. flipflops)
hiking/walking/day shoes (rockports, women’s, walking)
dressier girly shoes (flat)
light thermal underwear (bottom only) OPTIONAL/dependant on season
iPod video 60GB and usb cable including wall adapter
EeePC and power supply
2 plug adapters (uk, europe)
Garmin Etrex Vista CX (GPSr) - for geo-caching and navigation in five countries
mapping software dvd (to be sent home at the earliest opportunity - only taken due to tax reasons)
2 extra AA batteries
mobile phone and charger
usb cable for phone (no bluetooth in eeepc)
2 usb memory sticks
French phrasebook (Collins Gem)
Frommer’s “day by day” guide to Amsterdam (very small but useful – was still working out itinerary)
small spirax notebook, 2 pens
set of 3 thin Moleskine journal/notes
old sudoku book (removing pages as I go!)
moneybelt
wallet
watch
papers (hotel, e-tickets, passport, copies)
In 3-1-1 bag: toothpaste, moisturiser, clothes washing liquid, lipstick, concealer, lip balm, white flower oil*, shower gel, hand sanitiser.lush solid shampoo (combined shampoo/conditioner available) in a tin,solid deodorant
toothbrush
dental floss
small powder compact and blush in small bag
medicines
feminine supplies
pack of bandaids, various sizes
2 small packs tissues
40”x20” very lightweight towel
small facecloth
(*white flower oil is useful for clearing the nose and sinuses on
plane descent. http://www.omnieast.com/health/pfy.htm )
Civitas daypack
collapsable bowl (“Sea to Summit X-bowl”)
forkspoon(“lightmyfire”)
1 litre “playtpus” collapsable water bottle (wanted 500ml but not available)
twisted elastic clothesline with hooks on the ends
3 plastic clothes pegs (good for closing food packets too)
2 inflatable hangers
extra plastic bags (ziplok and others)
universal sink plug
small roll of stickytape (couldn’t find duct tape but sticky tape is great for getting hair and fluff from clothes anyway)
string, rubber bands, twist ties, paper clips, needle, thread, buttons - enough to fit in an “eclipse mints” container
glasses + hard case
sunglasses + soft case
inflatable travel pillow
earplugs (enough for average usage for a month)
lindfold
tiny torch (clip-on LED, $3!)
keyring/bottle opener (shaped like a moose)
small lock with two keys
2 half cubes, 2 quarter cubes, 1 small sack (all eagle creek) – theyadd weight but they certainly make it easier to organise all the bits.
stuffed toy wallaby
MEI Voyageur in Coffee :-)

(Taken this trip but obviously situational!: rehabilitation elastic cord for shoulder exercises squeezy ball for shoulder/arm exercises extra painkillers for shoulder, taking up surprisingly more space than you’d think shoulder exercise instructions on paper.)

Notes:

All up this weighs about 10kg (including jacket but not counting the shirt, pants and shoes worn onto the plane). This is a SUMMER list for this particular trip, and the pants are summer weight (Ex-Officio, each about 250g). I added the thermals – they ended up fairly reduntant - because I had tried the pants out at home and was a bit uncomfortably cold especially when it was windy or under about 15 degrees (celsius). I had found that the weather in Europe can be wet and cold even in summer, depending on latitude and altitude and luck. Thermals can always be worn onto the plane anyway to save weight; I always get cold there! Of course skirts and/or shorts could be substituted for pants; I just don’t wear them. The Excursion Pants in particular can be suitably crisp and dressy, and they come in a reasonable range of sizes. I couldn’t find a decent scarf at home butI definitely would recommend taking one or buying it there. Otherwise dressing things up could be done with either that or some chunky jewelry or a pendant watch, depending on personal style.

Update on August 25, 2008 by Frank@OBOW

Takeaways from flerdle’s excellent adventure:

• You can always get by with a little less than you think.
  
• Sometimes a max-sized carryon is a little too large.
• One-bag travel is every bit as do-able for females as for the hairy brute.
• Printed material is often one of your heavier line items. (Here’s one way to save weight on guide books)
  

Thanks again for a helpful and thorough report!

Comments

[dji]

Great write-up! Thanks for posting.
By the way, did you look at any other bags before deciding on the MEI? After traveling with it, are there any others (perhaps smaller) from your short list you would reconsider if you could?
Cheers!

[Eric]

Great adventure, thanks for sharing!
One thing I would suggest is a Scottevest coat (Scottevest.com). They make coats and other clothing with lots of pockets. My fleece even has a pocket in the small of the back that is large enough to hold my Eee PC! Great for making the bag lighter, as you suggested. I can load all my electronics and a good bit more into the coat, then send it all through the X-ray while in the coat (you may have to remove the laptop). Then later you can put it back in the bag if you like. Or not!

[flerdle]

[dji] I did look at a range of bags, but the serious harness of the MEI sold it for me, hands down. For this trip - and generally, since I am not a large person - I could not be carrying stuff on one shoulder for any reasonable length of time, and without a GOOD hip-belt a lesser convertible is not good either.

If I was to get something smaller for further travel I would want to go for a strict 105cm (41inch) total (i.e. 19x13x9") so that it can be more easily taken domestically here, since Virgin Blue has more strict cabin baggage dimensions. This size of bag doesn't really exist in the serious bags market, as far as I can tell.

The Western Flyer is close, but just a touch too small at 18x12x7 - an inch in each direction makes a huge difference. I also prefer a one compartment bag that opens like the Voyageur (rather than along a side) so the Tom Bihn Brain Bag is bigger but out too, despite the backpack nature of it (and looks like it ends up a bit too thick). So, I would probably just go for a cheap hyper-light duffel and try not to walk too much with it. This makes me quite sad, actually.

If anyone knows of one, I would love to hear of it!

[Eric] Looks good!

[Alex]

Thanks so much flerdle for such an interesting post.
Being a female one-bagger myself, it was very interesting to read what you packed. Your list is nearly identical to what I usually pack, except for the laptop, GPS and books (which probably explains why my bag usually weighs under 6 kgs).
I still use a cheap no-name bag because I have encountered the same problem as you: convertibles offered by "serious" manufacturers are either maximum carry-on (i.e. get too heavy), or just too small...

[Vic]

Terrific post!

I am in a similar quandary regarding bag size. I'm investigating both the Western Flyer (a bit small) and the Redoxx Skytrain (might be just right, but no compression straps for less than full loads). Brad is working on a review of the Skytrain, he might be able to comment on how it may fit your size needs.

Again, terrific post!

[Frank@OBOW]

The WF is now available with backpack straps (not just one strap). It is larger than you might think. The Skytrain is nearly as big as the MEI bags and it bulges a bit more than an Aeronaut, so they're practically the same size. Tom Bihn is very responsive - you might lobby him for something between the Aeronaut and WF - maybe an Aeronaut Jr.

[flerdle]

I'd noticed that about the WF but again it is just a touch too small, as I and Vic said. 17.5 litres is not to be sneezed at (the amount by which the WF is small). The skytrain is a bit too big (too long) and the way things are, especially if it bulges, it risks rejection here (they're fierce). The need for a medium bag (19x13x9) was raised in the Product Suggestions forum earlier this year and I revived it yesterday, but so far not a peep from the TB people, now or then.

[Graham]

Thanks Flerdle for your report and the helpful level of detail.

Re the comment: "I had no trouble with things drying in at most a day (despite taking cotton smalls anyway) but be aware this might not be the case in winter" -

I travel with Ex-Officio underpants which dry quickly overnight at "room temperature", and I can confirm that this isn't the case in cold winter weather (unless you're staying in warm hotels).

Much of my travel is in winter to places like Tasmania and New Zealand (south), and in unheated accomodation the underwear is still damp the next morning.

In Tasmania recently I'd partly dry my undies under a public toilet hand dryer then hang them in my campervan where temperature was always under 10c (and down to freezing). After 24 hours they were still a little damp, and I got used to relying on body heat to finish drying them.

Despite this, the Ex-Officio underwear still dried far better than cotton and other fabrics, and I wouldn't use anything else. I just take an extra set in cold weather to allow for more drying time!

[Alex]

Strangely enough, the desired "medium-sized" bag's dimensions are quite close to the so-called
Lowest Common Carry-On Denominator discussed earlier this month on this blog.

Here is a size comparison from the sizeasy website.

Aeronaut Jr.? Hahaha, that would be great!

[flerdle]

Looks like something is in the pipeline... I hope they do it right!

Someone is listening?

[Frank@OBOW]

http://www.tombihn.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1383

[flerdle]

Yes, I'd read that. But it's all 3-5 days in comments. I still wouldn't want to try to make it work for much longer trips, especially with variable (or cold) weather. I'm looking forward to what they come up with.

[sue]

Yes, this was an excellent article. I too travel light - well, try to, but always get caught with the weight of the actual bag itself :-(
I too travel a lot to Europe from Oz

I have just now been looking at getting that MEI Voyageur and, as you did, the Rick Steves Civita DayPack - however, I cannot see where/how one can get these in Australia. Can you help here?

Many thanks

SUE

[flerdle]

I fully understand you there about the weight of the bag. Grrr. And I had a really good look around here before resorting to these US-sourced bags.

I'm afraid I had to order them from the USA. Noone sells them here and they're not interested in selling here either. The daypack wasn't so difficult, I just went to the rick steves website (please google, i don't have it at hand) but just watch the postage charges - they're steep, so check when you're about to be cranked up to the next level. Also, they won't take overseas credit cards through the website, so you have to do something stupid and expensive like phone or fax them. I think it's really daft, but there you go.

The daypack is roomy enough and very light but very floppy. Be warned.

The voyageur was a little trickier, since the folks that make it are often not very communicative and some people haven't heard from them in quite a while, apparently. I'm not sure what's going on. The handiwork is excellent but slow. Anyway, you can check with the website here and drop them a line. Again, postage is steep (in the order of $50-$60 US).

It looks like Tom Bihn is coming out with something light and smaller (105cm) and really well designed, but that might be a while. Again you're looking at overseas postage

If you are in Melbourne I could probably show you them - get in touch via here I suppose. Good luck!

[Jason]

Here are the only bags that I could find with the dimensions of 19x13x9.

The Adult Beatle Backpack by Spyder. Only problem I can see is possibly the interior organizer.

The other option, if you don't mind the wheels, is the High Sierra Wheeled Backpack #81028 with detachable daypack for $70 from Sierra trading.

[mar]

This was a helpful article. I'm a 5'3" (157.5 cm) woman with a short torso and wondered about your body type in comparison for using the Voyager. Here is a pack that is compatible. I'm comparing the two packs for a trip to Europe.

http://www.ospreypacks.com/detail.php?productID=48&colorCode=5501&tab=specifications

Thanks!