Welcome to The Cherry On Top, travellers.
Are you going anywhere special this summer? Have you had some dreadful packing experiences in your life? Funny stories to share? My hubs and I planned a weekend getaway and somehow managed to leave the main suitcase in the driveway! Ha! Not only that, we called our children the next day and asked if there was a suitcase in the driveway. They admitted there was. Thinking twice, I called back and asked if they brought it inside which they did not. LOL!!! Anyway...
I spent a month preparing lists, gathering items and shopping for my big, month long Scandinavian adventure. When I left the south of Germany, it was 25 degrees (77 degrees Fahrenheit). I'd been keeping an eye out for the weather conditions in Norway for months and it was not looking good. Cold and rainy, every single day.
So, how does one pack minimally for an entire month in both hot and cold weather? Layers! I'll get more into details after explaining my choice of luggage.
A nice shot from the train on our way to Geilo, Norway from Bergen, Norway. Cold clothes needed.
In a nutshell.
+ Consider the temperature.
+ Think about what kind of luggage is most suited for your journey.
+ A suitcase isn't always your best option.
+ Think practical, even when it hurts.
+ Ask yourself if you really need it.
+ Pack thin, light weight clothes if possible.
+ Tone down the shoes. You won't regret it.
+ Pack small, solid toiletries.
+ Dress in thin layers to save space.
+ Think efficiency! (coconut oil can be used for deo, sun block, moisturizer, toothpaste, gargle, bug repellent and fat for cooking)
+ Leave the jewelry at home or wear just one pair of smaller, backed earrings.
+ You will regret it if you overpack. Especially, if a lot of logistics are involved.
+ If worse comes to worse, just buy something if you need it.
+ Try to leave yourself a little bit of extra room for things you purchase and when
ya can't get your stuff back in as well.
+ No appliances! Hair driers if you really need might be provided in your room. They take up crazy space and you might even need room for converters.
+ Most importantly, don't forget passports, ID, some cash, your phone (I guess) and a piece of paper with numbers for contacts if you don't have them memorized. (Phones unfortunately, are a must in Sweden and Norway. Sad! It'd be fun trying to get around without one.)
There I was with all of my stuff. The flower bag contained some left over food. The kind of prices in Norway meant throwing nothing away. Doesn't my pack look so small?
When I graduated uni, I backpacked all around Western Europe for the entire summer. I was young. So I could handle a pretty full backpack. The same does not hold true, today. For me a backpack was a no brainer because I knew there would be a lot of walking with luggage. Getting on and off dozens of trains, trams and buses and exploring unfamiliar territory in search of BnB's I booked, a suitcase wasn't a viable option. My travel companion did use a suitcase and she survived. Boy, I'll tell ya, we put some serious wear and tear on our luggage for this trip.
Let me explain further why a suitcase isn't ideal for a trip like this. Stairs! I often had to assist my friend with her luggage up and down the many stairs in stations, at our BnB, etc. Some were very steep and one apartment was on the fourth floor! There were a whole heck of a lot of stairs throughout the trip. Though I had to go slow, it went much easier. Of course, with a backpack, you are also hands free. I love that!
From snow to sizzling in a week! Not easy to pack. A beach bar in Sweden.
If you plan on traveling with public transportation, large or much luggage might not even be an option. There is very little space for luggage much less, large luggage. The spots are taken really fast. Even my smallish backpack, often didn't fit in the overhead storage and it was always very difficult lifting it up over my head. My friend's suitcase as well. You have to be so darn careful not to injure yourself or anyone else sitting under the rack.
There are sometimes specific places for you to store your belongings on some trains, but those spaces are very limited. Look between seats for an extra space. I liked that one best, but didn't see it often. You can try under the seat, but it's not a lot of space. My big backpack never fit there. On long distance trains they have special compartments and even shelves for luggage.
A lot of people put their large items in places for wheelchairs, bikes and baby buggies which is fine until someone comes along and needs the space intended. Then ya gotta move it. This worked well for us. Especially on buses.
My not so big, rolling back pack stored all of my essentials for a month long journey. The outside pockets were ideal.
There's a shot of my larger, rolling backpack. It's really only just a little larger than a normal backpack. I don't even know when or where I bought it, but this California Pak is unbelievably rigid and durable. The materials are very high quality. I honestly thought I'd have to buy something new in the middle of the trip. Metal zippers, good plastic and the best sewing I've seen in a long time. I can highly recommend this brand if they even still make it. As a matter of fact, it looks like new even after this insane journey and I'll tell ya, I was not easy on it! I quickly did a search and you can still purchase this brand. I cannot guarantee the quality will be the same. Enshittification is for real.
If my back or hips couldn't handle the weight, I could roll it. I figured that if I rolled where it was easy to roll, I'd roll and if there were a lot of cobblestones, stairs or a long distance, I'd carry. I would do it this way again, for sure. I didn't struggle nearly as much as my travel partner.
So, think of what kind of luggage would be best for your trip. I originally had my huge backpack that I took the first time I toured Europe, but once I got all of my stuff in there, put it on and started walking around, I was like, hell no. I might be ok for a few minutes, but I knew the possibility of it being more like an hour or more was rather great. It's just a regular hiking backpack with no rolling option.
This is how it started! It didn't end like this.
If you only have to walk from the car to the airport and from the car to the hotel, it's not such a big deal.
Let's zoom into all of these items. I chose mostly thin or light weight clothes that I could layer if necessary. This was when I was taking the big pack. When I knew the rolling back was a better option, I had to thin this out, big time. I ended up thinning out 3 times and never regret it.
Shoes are the worst to pack! Be as realistic as possible. My travel friend brought a lot of shoes, but really only wore 2 pair for most of the trip. I also only wore two pair. Really only one the most. You can see most of my shoe collection. My original idea was to wear my hiking shoes most of the time, but I kept getting a blister when I tried them out around our neighborhood. So, they had to go which was good because they were really heavy and honestly, we didn't really hike in the mountains. I didn't need them at all except maybe for the rain. That was my issue. The only water proof shoes I had were hiking sandals and it was cold where it was raining. It was doable, but not all that comfortable and of course, it wasn't exactly the best fashion statement. Wearing heavy, outdoor pants with sandals?
I chose my most comfortable sneakers and my best, weather resistant hiking sandals as well as super flexible and light, barefoot shoes. As much as I love the barefoot shoes, turned out they were not water proof and I only wore them once the entire time. Shoes take up a lot of space and they are super important. Choose wisely and go for ones that are soft or that offer flexibility and or that are compact, like barefoot shoes.
My companion wore her hiking shoes almost the entire time and she was really pleased with them. Hiking shoes are great when you're on your feet a lot, which we were. They offer stability. They are anti-slip and they help support your weight, too. Use those for when you're carrying your pack or going on long excursions. As a side note, it killed us both just a little, wearing all of these "ugly" synthetic clothes and sport shoes.
We only used our swimsuit once, but it hardly takes up any space and dries fast. It was worth it. I also brought a thin, smaller travel towel. The kind that dry exceptionally fast. I thought I could could use it for the beach or even a blanket if I were cold. Also as backup incase towels were not given at our BnB's. I only used it once along with the swim suit and I really didn't need it. We had towels in the room at our resort. I'd bring it again because it didn't take up space and could be useful for many situations.
Let's talk underwear. I know synthetic clothes are really, really bad for us and I just had to bring a few pair of cotton undies. I chose ones that dry fast-ish and wore them interchangeably with the polyester ones. I brought along a little plastic ziplock of borax to wash in the sink. I had 5 pair of underwear and it worked out just perfectly. I didn't fold them for my pack. I stacked them out flat, on top of each other and they took up very little space. I dried mine out on a picnic table when I was desperate and another time, I washed one pair and used a hair dryer to dry them.
A very important lesson I learned was to make sure wherever I stayed, every 3 to 4 days, had a wash machine and if there was no dryer, make sure you are staying long enough for the clothes to dry or at least 2 nights. Wash the minute you get there. I only stayed at one place that had a machine! Duh! More later on that.
I had four pair of socks. Again, half cotton and half synthetic, but I'll admit, the synthetic not only dried much faster, they didn't smell as much (and boy oh boy were my socks and shoes ripe) and the polyester socks didn't get all crunchy either. They were good hiking socks purchased at AS Adventure.
Bras don't take up a lot of space, depending on the kind you wear. I went for thin sport bras that dried quickly. My friend had a satiny lacy kind and it dried fast, too. I had 3, but only needed 2.
She also had her clothes packed in those bags that go flatter and save space? There's an idea for you, too. You can also organize that way, but it does limit how you pack and are not as flexible as without.
Also in the underwear department would be t-shirts and tank tops. I brought really thin, synthetic/sport ones that I could wear alone or layer up on a chilly day and did use them for both. Same goes for long sleeved, sport t-shirts. I wore all three a lot. 2 of each will do ya. One thing, man they stink! Just one wear and they need washing. I'd totally use them all again, though.
Outerwear takes up the most space. It was summer when I traveled. So, I only took a really good quality (CMP) light weight rain jacket with hood. I needed it for half of the trip and when I didn't need it, I rolled it up and strapped it to the top of my big backpack because I didn't have the space inside. It made a great pillow, too.
In the above picture you can see more thicker outerwear. I ditched it all and I'm glad because I didn't "need" any of it. If it was really cold (45 degrees F/7 C) I just layered up with a long sleeve t-shirt, my one sport hoodie and the jacket. I was never uncomfortable. I wore the hoodie most of the time. I only have a few pictures of myself through the entire trip and I was almost always wearing that same shirt! It packed rather simply, but hoods take up a lot space. So as long as you have a hooded jacket, go for a regular sweat shirt.
A very flattering picture of me with the hiking capris, rain coat, sandals and emergency rain jacket. We had to walk nearly one mile in the pouring down rain, up and down a steep hill, with our heavy luggage to get to the bus station. Ugh!
Outerwear bottoms also take up a lot of room. I chose a thin pair of jeans and denim look capris, both very thin. I wore the capris to death! They were just gross. They looked nicer than all of my other pants and since they were thin, they were ok in the hotter temperatures and fine in the colder ones, too. I had thin, hiking capris, but I just couldn't handle the way they felt on my legs. I did wear them quite a bit, though. The other two bottoms I had were heavy, hiking rain pants and a sport skort. I didn't need the extra lining in the pants for this time of year and I could only wear the skort towards the end of my trip, but it didn't take up much space. The rain pants are definitely needed if you're going to Norway! It rained nearly everyday, all day. We wished we had a better jacket like the ones the locals wore which were pretty pancho style jackets. Good waterproof shoes are also well in order, but so heavy.
I brought 2 "nice" shirts, very thin and they took up little space. I only wore the long sleeved one once, but the short sleeved was great when it got hot.
Here I am on the ferry with the nice, thin shirt. Design covers any staining.
There are a lot of things pictured that I didn't take and I'm sure I took pics of the things I did take, but can't for the life of me find those. Darn! I didn't take leggings or warm hats, but I took a fleece band that goes over your ears and wore it a bit. I can't stand wind in my ears. I brought a sun visor and wore it many times. It was even useful on the train! My cap, I only wore once in the rain, but as you can see in my pic with the pack, I hung it on the outside. So it didn't take up any space. I hung the visor outside as well.
Pajamas are a luxury item. I brought one very thin, capri pair of bottoms and just wore a clean or clean-ish tank top with it. If you don't need pj's don't take them. It will save a lot of space. It would have been nice to have comfy, in room clothes, but space did not allow for this.
Besides my rolling back pack, I had this medium to smallish sized backpack and a hip sack.
My original thought was the hip sack would also double as a purse, once we were settled into our place and could go out and explore luggage free, but I preferred the small back pack. Though even on the smallest adjustment, it was still too big for me. This gosh darn, one size fits all crap has me in a tizzy!
When lugging the luggage, the hip sack was perfect for the phone, wallet, passport, etc. I did separate some of my money. Never keep all of your money in one place. I kept 1/2 my cash in my suitcase along with another form of ID. The hip sack was super easy to access and hands free.
The small pack held all of the extra stuffs, snacks, my book and other things that I might need at hand. Most everything you see above, went in my big bag. There are all kinds of outside pockets which was so handy for short overnights. Ya don't have to unpack everything to get at stuff. I love that!
You can see a lot of the necessities like a comb, toothbrush (I even brought an extra, that I didn't need.), paste, aspirin, immodium, deo, bandaids, my homemade lotion bar, ear plugs (a life saver many times) and mini apotheek in case I felt something coming on that includes quercetin and zinc as well as iso- betadine, fresh ginger and camomile tea. I did use a few of these and stayed mega healthy. Notice what's missing? Liquids! The only liquid thing I brought was the betadine. It's that important. I brought a tiny bottle of citronella oil and coconut oil (that stayed solid most of the trip) for a bug repellent and sun block. Keep liquids in a ziplock to be sure.
The lotion bar and bar of soap, I put in one of those pocket wash cloths. Most of the time in Europe, they don't give you a wash cloth and you totally need one! I only used one and it made the perfect place for my soap and lotion bar. Everything stayed clean and dry. Use solid stuff as much as possible to avoid a mess.
An eye mask was also essential. Most BnB's have cheap curtains and in the land of the midnight sun, you need a mask. I wore it almost every night because it was literally, never dark. Weird, eh? In Belgium, we have at least 4 hours of dark at night at high summer. A razor, scissors were handy, floss, pocket knives (also handy), tissues, nail file, extra hair elastics and make up (mascara and lippy).
I've got my notebook, extra pens and a book for reading. You sure can read a lot while you wait. It's kind of sad how much waiting/wasting we have to do when traveling. Waiting for buses, trains, your room to be ready, in line...It was neat to see people knitting and reading books in Norway, everywhere. I'm not the only one? More on the cultural stuff, later.
Yeah, right?! At least I tried! (Oslo, Norway)
I brought sunglasses and an extra pair of glasses which I also didn't need. I only needed the sun glasses for the last part of the trip. Silly me! Bringing sunglasses and shorts to Norway!? Duh!
I found through a lot of repacking, that stacking my clothes as thin as I could get each layer was the best. I could get a lot in my backpack and it was very easy finding things because if you laid down the pack, you could unzip it and pull it mostly back like a suitcase. If you use a regular, stand up pack, rolling your clothing tightly might be a better option. You'll have to do a lot of digging, though.
The next blog I'll do is what kind of food is best for travel. You know me. I'm a bit of a health nut and food enthusiast. Come on back for more travel fun with The Cherry and thanks for taking the time to stop by.
Happy trails!
