I thought I learned my lesson years ago but good lord did I over pack for this trip. I think because I was going on a “working vacation” I tricked myself into bringing too many what-ifs and nice-to-haves.
So here's what I brought with a secondary column for should-have-brought.
Some context for how/why I packed what I did.
- was planning a two month trip, very flexible, no real plans
- packed in anticipation of staying in AirBnBs for extended periods
- was also “working” for most of the trip
- it was really really hot when I left, late summer weather
tl;dr – bag was way too heavy and checked baggage is no good
- main bag was 15 kg / 33 lbs
- day bag was ~7 kg / 15 lbs
Trip itinerary ended up being:
- fly Calgary to Winnipeg, spend night in Winnipeg at sisters
- fly from Winnipeg to London
- two nights in London, England
- fly from London to Helsinki
- two nights in Helsinki, Finland
- ferry from Helsinki to Tallin
- three nights in Tallin, Estonia
- ferry back to Finland, train to Tampere
- 14 nights in Tampere, Finland
- train to Helsinki, fly to Croatia
- 5 nights on cruise from Dubrovnik to Split
- two nights in Split
- fly from Split to London, London to Toronto, Toronto to Calgary
So without further ado, here's my packing list:
| Item | Took | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| travel backpack | 1 | 0 | Deuter Traveller 70+10. A really nice bag but it's too big and heavy for me. And I put too much stuff in it. The detachable daybag turned out to be very useful for grocery shopping and daytrips (basically anytime not carrying laptop). On this particular trip a rolling suitcase would have almost always worked. |
| small backpack | 1 | 1 | Vanquest Trident. Great bag if a bit heavy and small. Required for laptop. |
| underwear | 8 | ~5 | mostly nylon, all “small”, 1 or 2 fewer would have been fine |
| ankle socks | 4 | 4 | super tiny, I just grabbed a handful, new favourite thing |
| real socks | 3 | 4 | 3 blue pair, could have used a brown pair once |
| swimsuit | 1 | 1 | pretty much required |
| shorts | 2 | 1 | grey and brown, didn’t need the brown pair |
| pants | 1 | 1 | took brown nylon convertibles, they totally tent in the crotch, don’t take this pair again. |
| jeans | 1 | 1 | these are the “stretch” jeans |
| t-shirts | 6 | 4 | if laundry available 4 is plenty |
| long sleeve cotton | 1 | 1 | if colder this would have been nice, don’t think I wore it though |
| long sleeve nylon | 1 | ~0 | never worn but nice if colder or sunnier |
| long sleeve button up | 1 | 1 | carried in daybag, nice as “light jacket”, doesn’t take up much room |
| long sleeve linen | 1 | ~0 | never worn, “nice” shirt |
| short sleeve button | 1 | 1 | “nice” black shirt, wore a few times |
| pyjamas (top & btm) | 1 | ~0 | enjoyed having them in Tampere, easy to omit |
| hoodie | 1 | 1 | love this light weight hoodie |
| warm jacket | 1 | ~1 | never worn but could have been vital later in trip |
| light shoes | 1 | 1 | wore every day |
| runners | 1 | 0 | wore a few times, didn’t have to, wore when hiking to bus station |
| sandals | 1 | ~0 | didn’t even wear in Croatia |
| laptop | 1 | ~0 | loved having it, if not working trip not required (obviously) |
| phone | 1 | 1 | having internet for google maps is amazing |
| kindle | 1 | 1 | vital |
| tablet | 1 | ~0 | would take laptop before this, surprisingly heavy, “required” on WestJet planes |
| 15’ hdmi cable | 1 | ~1 | loved having this in Tampere apartment to watch Netflix from laptop. hdmi stick next time? Never used to make tv a second monitor. |
| usb cables | 1 | 1 | having extension cables was handy |
| bluetooth speaker | 1 | ~0 | nice to have, not too heavy |
| bluetooth mouse | 1 | ~0 | nice to have on longer work trip, can play games easier with it |
| long iphone cable | 1 | 0 | I just charged my phone in the morning with laptop |
| short iphone cable | 1 | 1 | a medium length would be nicer |
| electrical adapter | 1 | 2 | I bought one and extension cord for Tampere, more because of apartment layout |
| 1-to-3 elec. adapter | 1 | 1 | very useful in Tampere |
| watch | 1 | 1 | required on travel days, less so on activity days |
| laptop extension cord | 1 | 1 | used in several locations, plug placement is problematic |
| umbrella | 1 | ~1 | used once, may have used a bunch |
| shoulder strap | 1 | 0 | stupid considering bag is a very heavy backpack |
| bandana | 1 | ~0 | never used |
| beach sarong | 1 | ~0 | used as extra window covering on Croatia cruise |
| baseball cap | 1 | ~1 | used a bunch in Croatia after swimming, nice in sun actually |
| eye cover | 1 | 1 | used a few times in Tampere and planes, light enough to be required |
| noise cancelling headphones | 1 | 1 | almost required for plane, used a few other times |
| bluetooth headphones | 1 | 1 | never used but small enough to be a no brainer |
| first aid kit | 1 | ~1 | only used 2 pills, I need to reconsider this |
| shaver | 1 | 1 | annoying to pack, extra annoying to need charging cord |
| beard trimmer | 1 | 1 | annoying to pack, extra annoying to need charging cord |
| grey shaving kit | 1 | 1 | between this and first aid kit I bring way to much personal grooming / safety products |
| packing cubes | contents |
|---|---|
| big | pants and bathing suit |
| big | long sleeved shirts |
| medium | t-shirts rolled up (5 can fit) |
| medium | underwear and socks |
| medium | pajamas |
| small | electrical gear |
| shaving kit | |
| emergency kit |