http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastercat/sets/72157620430081892/
Photos of my packed TriStar at 17lbs.
Not pictured: iPhone and charger; itinerary papers

Esther-- very impressive packing. As a petite woman like yourself, I constantly struggle with keeping the weight down so am on the lookout for ways other women manage. Thanks for sharing your very detailed packing list. 17 pounds is getting the heavier side for me to carry for long periods but probably manageable for short stints.

Have a great trip! Let us know how the Tri-Star works out.

Lisa: Thanks for the compliment, but I still feel there's room for improvement in my packing technique. One day, I will achieve the 13lb carry-on bag (complete with notebook).

Brad: While I don't claim any packing wisdom (that may change when I can pack a 13lb bag :-) ), you can post whatever you like. Also, I'll include my packing list in this thread, if you think it'll be useful.
Since I'm bringing a fleece vest and a wind/light rain jacket, I think I'm prepared for the cold, rainy weather. I say cold, because Dallas has been experiencing highs in the 100s and lows in the upper 70s. Needless to say, this is also a vacation from the ridiculous, scorching weather.

Note: I haven't traveled with the REI Rendezvous pants before. A test wash has shown that it dries as fast as my Tilley pants. However, real world tests will give the real lowdown.

On the plane:
plane ticket
passport
short sleeved shirt
light jacket
fleece vest
underwear
bra
socks
tilley pants
shoes
hat
lip balm spf 20
cash-€40 (in hidden pocket)

Purse:
Shout wipes
kleenex
baby wipes
business cards

Money belt:
copies of passport, CC, DL, eyeglass prescription
money (euros and pounds)
numbers for CC companies
credit cards

Luggage:
Trip calendar page (hotel list and all necessary details from itinerary)
ibuprofen
rail/bus tickets
hotel/hostel infomation
Lara bars
vitamins-multi
famotidine
power strip
3-2 prong adapter
outlet adapters
digital camera
rechargeable batteries and charger
SD card reader
camera case
Rachel's book and toy, cards for graduation and wedding
sleepwear (quick dry shirt and shorts)
Packtowl original
Packtowl personal
vegan passport
pocket doctor
long sleeved shirt
travel pants
underwear (2)
bra
socks (2)
Ida's Ultra soles (shower shoes)
Kiva bag
eyeglass repair kit
eye mask
nylon wash cloth
ear plugs
gmail maps
inflatable pillow
List of embassies
duct tape

Toiletries:
soap/shampoo
conditioner
deodorant
solid perfume
menstrual cup
pads
tooth powder
travel toothbrush
floss
facial cleaner
comb
shower cap
massage bar/moisturizer
pantiliners
sink stopper
travel clothesline
bandages
sunscreen

Liquid bag:
hand sanitizer
anti-itch spray
febreeze anti-microbial

Wow, all that stuff and under 17lb? Excellent job. Still 13lb should be easily attainable for you. You might not like it but besides feminine hygiene products and prescription meds, I find the entire hygiene and comfort range can stay at home.

Here is what I would throw out:

shower shoes (the fungus will either get you or it won't, you are still standing in the same muck. But I can see where in some place it is good to be a little further away from the muck.)
power strip (if you only bring a camera and charger, why is that needed?)
sleep wear (sleep in underwear)
wash cloth
list of embassies (right down in notebook, otherwise you are in big European metro cities where any taxi can take you there and any hotel has that info)
any towels
vegan passport (no offense, cause I don't even know what that is but you'd better not show that to anyone in France or you might be expelled from the country ;) )
gmail maps (get maps at the tourist office for free, then pass on or throw away or bring home as souvenir with your routes in it)
Soap
shampoo
conditioner
facial cleaner
massage bar moisturizer
hand sanitizer (medically it might make sense but this is rather psychological I find, not too many people in EU are using that. Which one might say is why you should use it.)
anti-itch spray (can be bought there if needed)
suncreen (is most likely liquid. can also be bought there at around the same price but with higher protection. I hear the rating system is different.)

See, many items here can be suppressed or replaced. The creature comfort thing is what gets most women. No offense. As I once said in a post about female packing at FT: you will not die without hand sanitizer, your skin won't fall off in flakes and your hair won't fall out if you don't use the products you are used to for two weeks. You won't be any less beautiful, either.

My GF who is a resplendent young woman and always immaculately dressed and prepared even while traveling, brings less creature comfort stuff than that. She does carry a little bit of make-up though which is not on your list. But she uses hotel shampoo and soap. No hand sani or shoes either. Hair is put up with clips for showering.

Till: Thanks for your suggestions. I'll probably leave home the facial cleaner and put the embassy list on my iPhone. However, there are other things I can't leave behind.

Soap, shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer-Two reasons I take these with me instead of using the hotel supplied version.
1. The supplied version isn't vegan.
2. It makes me break out into an itchy rash.
Last time I used the supplied shampoo and soap, my scalp itched and my skin broke out into a red, itchy rash. Ever since I started bringing my own, the incidence of itchiness has reduced dramatically.

Wash cloth-It's a long, thin piece of nylon cloth with loofah action that also allows me to scrub my back. When I haven't brought it with me, I find that my back gets itchy. Since Europeans already think Americans are screwed up, I don't want to reinforce this by writhing around as I try to scratch my back.

Anti-itch spray-While I have managed to reduce the incidence of itchiness by bringing my own soap, shampoo and moisturizer, I still break out into an itchy rash. Since I know it's going to happen, I bring an anti-itch solution with me.

Power strip-I'm bringing an unlocked phone and charger, my iPhone and charger, and my rechargeable batteries and charger. Hence, the need for a mini power strip.

Towels-Part of my stay will be in hostels. They don't provide towels. Also, one of the towels will be used for wringing out excess water in my clothing.

Sleepwear and shower shoes-Part of my trip will be at hostels while the other part is at an apartment with a mixed gender group of friends. Since I'm not an exhibitionist, I'll stick with the sleepwear.
Because I'm at two hostels (Amsterdam and Paris), I consider shower shoes a necessity. If I was just staying at hotels or a friend's house, I wouldn't bring them at all.

Hand sanitizer-I'm anal retentive.

Hi Esther,

I agree with you about "product". I too have skin allergies and I would rather take the additional weight of something I know will work intead of spending my time in the emergency room (this has happened to me). These are the things that worked for me in my quest to get *one bag only* down below 8kg for Air Berlin. My opinion only, for your consideration:

Little bits and pieces add up to several pounds, so I'm going to focus on the "trivial" in the hopes of greater weight savings. I think if you follow some of them you can actually drop another 2 pounds or so.

In general:
* Packaging is **heavy**. Repackage from the original container where possible. Many things do not need their own bag.
* I see a lot of nylon bags and packing cubes. These are heavy compared to freezer weight zip-loc baggies. Consider rebagging for weight savings.
* There are different sizes of baggies from mini-mini (available in the bead section of craft stores) to gallon size. Again, use the smallest size possible for even greater weight savings. If you can stuff a lot of items into one bag, you save even more.
*A lighter alternative for a packing cube/pouch core would be a zippered mesh lingerie wash bag. You can find them in the laundry section.
* Chargers for electronics are heavy. Consider using a USB device charger instead. Then bring USB cords for your cell phone, ipod, camera. A great multi country USB charger is at:
http://www.amazon.com/Lenmar-ACUSB4-Adapter-Powered-Devices/dp/B001BWLA8W/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1246038552&sr=1-8

Outside:
* A metal water bottle is heavy. Consider replacing it with a platypus collapsible water bottle. Add on a water bottle holder with a mini clip, and wrap the bottom of the water bottle in duct tape. It is ugly but highly effective, and your duct tape is always available.

Outer pockets:
* Dump the bag for the spork, eyemask & earplugs. Use baggies.
* Consider packaged hand sanitizer wipes. That will get rid of the liquid, as well as the weight of the bottle.

Front pocket, left hand side
* Dump the prong adaptor, power strip, and chargers in favor of a USB charger and USB cords.
* You do not need whole bottles of vitamins and drugs. Find travel size versions. Also, many multivitamins come in cellophane wrapping. Consider blister packs for drugs. These take away the weight of the bottle, but are still labeled as to contents. If your pill gets smashed in the blister pack, so what? Just lick the contents out. Only take as much as you need, not the whole thing.
* What are the rechargeable batteries and charger for? If it is for your camera, charge one set of spares before leaving home. From that point on, charge them through your camera USB device. (And AA size batteries are universally available) If your camera won't charge through the USB, consider a USB based battery charger.

Front pocket, right hand side.
* Shower shoes: Crocs now makes some rather nice looking light weight sandals
* Take pictures of your Passport, DL, etc. and load them up to your ipod. In addition, upload them to an online e-vault. Make sure it is password protected.

Center pocket:
* Dump the hangers and get blow up inflatable ones. They will speed up the drying time immensely. I got mine at Sterns, and they have a swivel on them. Here are some that are similar:
http://www.amazon.com/Inflatable-Laundry-Hangers-Clothes-Whitney/dp/B0002VQKWO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1246039681&sr=8-1
* Why do you need a whole package of wet ones? Those are big and heavy.
* Why a safety razor/letter opener? Consider using the cutter that is on dental floss.

Back pocket, Other
* You do not need 2 pack towels. Trust me on this. Pack towels dry quickly, and even work when "wet". Consider washing them several times to make them more effective (they get softer and more absorbent the more you wash them)
* Take pictures of the appropriate pages (Welsh, Celtic, German, etc.) of your Vegan Passport. Upload them to your ipod. Dump the book. Or consider taking only the pages you need. Paper is heavy.
* For the future: NOLS offers wonderful wilderness first aid courses that teach you how to improvise solutions in the wilderness. They have a weekend wilderness first aid course, and a week long wilderness first responder course. After that you can dump the pocket doctor book – the information is in your head!

Clothes.
* Make sure your sleep shorts and shirt can be worn during the day too for weight savings. I personally like to take a loose jersey dress that can act as sleep wear, beach cover up, and dress.
* Love the shoes!
* Your jacket looks very heavy. Consider replacing it with a light weight nylon shell. With the fleece vest and extra clothes, you’ll be fine.
* I don’t see a hat and gloves. If you're traveling in the summer, fine. But if you are in the mountains or in winter, you’ll need some light weight ones.

Over all, great job!

Wow, Cindy! That is one heck of a tricked out list. Chapeau! Hats off to you.

I didn't even pick up on the Pocket Doctor book. Definitely leave that at home. If you require real medical attention it will be available in all those countries quickly, efficiently and cheaper than in the US.

Good idea to put only the required Vegan passport pages in the Iphone. You only need English, Dutch and French. Seeing that the Dutch will read English just fine and that the French might laugh a Vegan with a passport out of their restaurant and that you speak English, you can also drop the entire thing completely. Seriously.

Seriously also on the French attitude toward vegans. They look down on vegetarians, vegans are close to incarnate evil and the object of much ridicule. It would be very wise to check out Vegan eating sources in Paris on the net and note the addresses in the Iphone. Depriving yourself of the fabulous food and wine you can find in Paris, for whatever ethical reasons one might have, is one of the greater mistakes one can make in life; with all due respect.

Nonetheless, here is a link to get you started:
http://goparis.about.com/od/foodanddining/tp/Paris_vegetaria.htm

Just don't go to normal restaurants and ask to be accommodated. You probably won't like the answer and that might spoil your day.

The letter opener is really not needed. You can open any letter with your fingers or a pen. You also take the spork already. WIll you receive any mail on the trip at all?

I highly recommend putting a SwissTEch Utili-key on your keychain. It is a wonderful tool and has never been confiscated by TSA.

http://www.amazon.com/Swiss-Tech-Utili-Key-Multi-Tool/dp/B0001EFSTI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1246062377&sr=8-1

I like Cindy's tip about the wipes instead of the hand sanitizer bottle. Those wipes, as well as the baby wipes can be easily bought "sur place". No need to take them with you.

The inflatable hangers might even be heavier but the drying time thing is correct. In a pinch door knobs, chair backs and shower curtain rods or towels rods work very well, too. On a hot day, a shirt will dry on your body in 30 minutes. Not advised for underwear but works for shirts.

The platypus bottle is another excellent tip and wrapping it with the duct tape is genius.

One more thing. The clothes are decidedly backpacker style with a rather sporty outdoors look. If this is your look anyway, then great. But you are doing all city visiting and you are not exactly going to blend in with those clothes and in those cities. I don't know if you like to go to the theatre, concert or opera. The cities you are visiting would be great destinations for such a visit. While there are people who go in jeans and sweater, I have never seen anyone in outdoor clothing not even tourists.

I firmly believe one should remain true to oneself and one's beliefs. I also think it is almost impossible not to be recognized as a traveler. In that sense the entire "blending in" operation might be regarded as useless.

On the other hand it is not unwise to try and blend in to a point where you don't offend or startle any cultural sensitivities of the country you are visiting. There is a risk that the clothes as well as the vegan passport might do that. Europeans pride themselves on being well dressed (though this is not always true) but in general they are much more prone to follow conventions and etiquette than the more pragmatic American mentality.

Asking in a normal European restaurant for a vegan accommodation and even explaining what that is, will be just as offending to them as telling a vegan he is out of his mind for his beliefs. When buying produce in a normal super market (or worse at the farmer's market) and questioning the origin and production method of the produce the same would be true.

I am giving you this advice because I've heard from vegans who where very offended by the "intolerant" attitude they experienced in Europe. I'd like for you not to have that experience.

How many Shout Wipes are you taking?
I have those, I've also just bought a mini Tide-To-Go pen. When I placed the pen beside the small pile of Shout wipes I would take on a trip.....the pen won out, takes up a lot less space.
Also having used both products, I find the pen much more efficient in removing stains than the wipes......I seem to be a stain magnet so have had plenty of practice with different methods and products. :-)

Cindy: Thanks for all these great ideas to reduce the weight of my luggage. Since I'm leaving today (27 June), I won't be able to implement all of them. However, this gives me some great ideas to implement for future excursions.
Using your idea of plastic bags, I'm going to replace my Waterfield gear bag (which is solidly built, but heavy). Also, I decided to leave out the ultralite and keep the original packtowl.

Some points of clarification:

Camera-As far as I know, my camera doesn't have the ability to charge its NiMH AAs. Is this a new technology? If so, I would love to ditch the AA battery charger. I will double check the manual.
Quad band cell phone-I will double check the manual if my Motorola V400 can charge through USB. But because it's such an old phone, I'm going to preliminarily say that it doesn't.

Water bottle-Even before the BPA issue, I've had some qualms about drinking out of plastic bottles. While some of that stems from the plastic taste the bottles leave behind, I'm also concerned about other chemicals leaching into the water. On this, I'm mixed about using plastic instead of metal.

Vitamins-I reuse a vitamin bottle for travel. Inside is only 17 multivitamin and calcium tablets. Total of 34. I would reuse a smaller bottle, but I don't think security would believe that a tan colored tablet is Vitamin B-12 . . . though I could be wrong.

Shower shoes-The ones from Magellan's weigh 4 ozs. I would've thought the Crocs would weigh more. If I'm mistaken, I'd love to be wrong.

Sleep wear-the shirt is actually lightweight long underwear. I don't think Europe is going to get that cold, but I can use it as a base layer if necessary.

Rain jacket-I don't own a lightweight rain jacket. This is primarily because I use an umbrella at home. Also, Dallas doesn't get that much precipitation.

Safety razor/letter opener-This will be primarily used to cut duct tape. While it's tempting to try to sneak a knife past TSA, I don't have that kind of luck. I'll try to see if I can cut duct tape with the cutter on the floss box. However, that might be more trouble than it's worth.

Hand sanitizer/baby wipes-Ultimately, I decided to leave the hand sanitizer bottle. The wipes seem more versatile, in that I can use them for cleaning and makeshift toilet paper. Also, it's a travel package, instead of a full size version.

Inflatable hangers-Since there's no place to buy them in person (that I know of), I'll make sure to order two for the next trip.

Paper backups-For my next trip, I'll try using electronic versions of my passport, etc.

Hat-I forgot to take a picture of my hemp Tilley hat, which I'll be wearing on the plane.

First aid-Thanks for the suggestion on the class. Considering my tendency to trip, fall and injure myself, this'll be very useful for me.

Paula: I'm taking 12 Shout Wipes (though I may reduce this amount). I wanted to try something that didn't require space in the liquids bag. Because my clothes are less stain friendly (as opposed to white cotton shirts), the shout wipes should suffice.
I also tend to attract the stains. Hence, the reason for the black shirts and darker colored pants. :-)

Till: Since I've got a full duplex printer, I was able to put the vegan passport french page on one side and the dutch on the other.

The letter opener is going to be used for its ability to cut duct tape. Since I'm not willing to risk taking along a knife (even that cool looking utili key because I've got the worst luck), this is my best option.

Clothes-You should know that I hate clothes shopping. It's torturous and a waste of time, imo. Also, I like my travel clothing to be comfortable, quick drying, stain resistant and practical. The fashionable options, that I'm aware of, seem to lack some of these features and also tend to be very expensive ($150+).
Most of my vacation will be at museums like Tate Modern, Louvre, MC Escher, Anne Frank, etc. While I do like theater, concerts and opera, I don't have those included in my plans for this trip.
Even if I managed to achieve the apex of european style, I still wouldn't ever blend in Europe. I'm the wrong ethnicity and only speak english (in a flat tone of voice). I suppose it could be worse, I could speak with a southern drawl. <shudder> Either way, I figure since I can't join them, I might as well be comfortable while traveling.

A friend of mine warned me about the dearth of vegan options in both France and Netherlands. Also, I'm a bit anal and research vegan eating options wherever I travel. Even when I visit vegan-friendly Portland, OR, I'm on the lookout for new vegan options. Because of that, I found a source of vegan poutine, waffle sandwiches and tex-mex.
Also, I don't go to normal restaurants without knowing beforehand if they have vegan options. While some other vegans may try otherwise, I think it's very foolhardy.
FYI, the vegan passport is for when I go to ethnic restaurants (e.g., middle eastern, ethiopian). Since they may not have an english language menu and I still haven't learned all the words for the various dead carcasses, showing the respective page will help me avoid any perilous food items.

Ester, the bonus of using Crocs is that they're quite comfortable, and do not absorb water AT ALL. So with a stylish pair, you can use them in the shower, then walk out the door with them 10 minutes later...so you've got an extra daily footwear option rather than carrying something for shower/beach only. My wife wore hers for a 15-hour day walking around Walt Disney World, and said they were more comfortable than her sneakers.

Esther,

I am jealous for the museum part of your trip in particular. When in Amsterdam, don't miss the Van Gogh museum. I say that in particular for its fantastic architecture. It is one of the smartest museum designs I have ever seen. Rietveld did it.

I understand better now for the clothes and the vegan thing. I am afraid even ethnic restaurants might have a similar anti-vegan reaction. But I wish you the best of luck.

Are the black shoes your only shoes? They are very open. When it rains (you are going to Scotland) you might get wet feet. Of course, you can always buy a cheap pair of sneakers in Europe.

When are you leaving? Good luck for everything.

>>>>I'm taking 12 Shout Wipes (though I may reduce this amount). I wanted to try something that didn't require space in the liquids bag<<<<

Hi Esther, I keep my stain pen either in a jacket pocket with an actual pen or pencil or tucked in to a side pocket in my carry-on. It looks like a pen, I don't add it to the liquid bag.

Probably too late now if you're leaving today but have a great time anyway and safe journey.

Till: Yes, I'm going to the Van Gogh museum. As soon as I saw it in the museum's listings, I immediately put it in my itinerary. But thanks for the extra details. I'm even more excited to see the museum.
You have a good point about the open nature of my shoes. Well, since they're vegan, I don't have to worry about them being ruined.
FYI, my flight was supposed to leave at 1920. However, the plane is late. I guess it's not a surprise. My luck has always been awful.
Hopefully, your wished for luck will show up soon.

Paula: I'll have to try to see if I can sneak a tide pen with me on my next trip. Thanks for the tip. Also, thanks for the safe wishes

I've never understood the desire or stated need for a collapsible water bottle. I like to take a bottle and a number of Crystal Light single serve packages with me and the only time the bottle is empty is when I go through security. Then I fill it at a nearby water fountain and then it is at least partially full until the return flight. Unless the collapsible bottle is ONLY for use at the destination, then I don't see the need. Now metal or plastic, that is a different question.

I normally grab a bottle of something (soda, water, etc) once I'm thru security, then refill it with water for the rest of the trip, finally disposing of it as I approach security for the return trip. No fuss, no mess, and not overly expensive.

I guess the reasoning, which I find valid, behind a collapsible bottle is that:

- You only put stress on the environment once, with the purchase of this bottle that gets reused.

- It might be a bit more puncture and impact resistant than those flimsy water bottles.

- Since you reuse it many times and refill it with the beverage of your choice it saves money.

- When it is not in use or only half full it will take less space.

I don't own such a bottle but have thought of it.

TIll,

The only reason that you have stated for a collabsible bottle is the last one. The first two apply to any reusable bottle, whether it is plastic or aluminum. As the bottle is never inside my bag, I'll stick with my non-collassible bottle.

I've used a collapsible water bottle for years. You use it for the same reasons you would use soft sided luggage - it is squishable and can fit into oddly shaped places. You can also make it smaller when it isn't filled up (just like soft sided bags). This makes it unobtrusive.

Soft water bottles conform to a multitude of holders. A soft water bottle doesn't stick up and snag things the way hard bottles do. There have been times where a hard item inside my bag has caused the bag to snag when I've been trying to store it -- like in those strangely configured areas under the airline seat or in the airplane bins. Soft bottles seem to have a slimmer profile. This is good for crowed areas especially, when anything that sticks out causes you to be bumped by passers by.

I also like the fact that the water bottle is getting smaller as the day wears on. As I tire out, the thing gets easier to carry.

The Platypus water bottle is very rugged (I've used it for caving trips for years). It is also ergonomically shaped - slimmer in the middle so it is easier to grab. Normally I stuff it into my day bag, but with the addition of a water bottle clip I can put it anywhere.