Or, how to pack for Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and New Zealand – Avagy, csomagolás az ausztráliai, pápua új-guineai, indonéziai és új-zélandi útra

There was no question about not traveling on this big trip with carry-on only. This is what we did for Easter Island, The Galapagos Islands, and Africa. Carry-on prevents us from overpacking, we don’t need to wait for our luggage after the flight, and don’t need to deal with missing luggage. And, we simply love packing light! I used plural because Steve fully agrees with me, but I’m the packer and the designer (of course, after consulting with him) about what stuff we take on our travels.

I can proudly say, I’ve mastered packing light.

However, this time it felt like traveling with a carry-on only on such a long trip might present some challenges. I had to pack everything (or almost everything) we would need for 11 weeks in four countries, for cool and warm weather, and for different activities. I had to plan and pack smart because when you pack carry-on only every inch matters. The added challenge was that initially there was quite a big weight restriction, a total of only 30 pounds (14 kilograms), half of it for one carry-on, the other half for one personal item. Later, we learned that on domestic Economy and charter flights, only one cabin bag is allowed, up to 15 pounds (7 kilograms). Additionally, a small purse or a coat in hand or a camera or some reading material can be taken into the cabin. But at least the 30 pounds should be fine as we fly there and back home in Business class.

How and what to pack?

I wanted a relaxing preparation for this trip, so I started asking this question early, a few months ago.

First, we had to decide about our luggage. We knew we should use light bags, but with so many airports (11 in total) and our ability (mainly mine) of not being able to carry heavy bags with ease anymore (aging, anyone else?), we decided against the light duffle bags we used in Africa.

What type of luggage to buy?

After some research about the size of carry-ons allowed on the different airlines on our travel, we upgraded to the small rolling AWAY suitcase. It’s not the lightest and cheapest on the market, but we like it very much. We purchased it on sale, and on top of that – thanks to one of my former students, who as the manager of the store applied his family/friends discount to our final bill – it really became a great deal. (Thank you, Jack!)

Then came the question of clothing.

First, I “shopped” in our closets (using many items we packed for Africa), bought some missing clothing, then came the ruthless editing. I knew we had to take only what we absolutely needed. And nothing more. No such thing as “what if?” when packing this way. We are not taking anything that would be worn only once.

Just like before, when we traveled to Africa and when my son and I moved to America, this time too I weighed everything on a kitchen scale! It might sound extreme, but I had fun, and now I can be sure that we will make the weight limit. And even though on some strict flights we might need to check-in our small suitcases, it feels good that we are not going to travel with many items. After all, I’m a minimalist.

I selected comfortable, practical, versatile, lightweight, breathable clothing, mostly from synthetic fabrics. I chose a uniform color scheme (mostly blue and gray) to be able to mix and match the pieces. In hotels, I’m planning on handwashing in sinks or bathtubs, or taking advantage of laundry services (not very likely), or using laundry facilities at our destinations (maybe in our friends’ houses?). So, I didn’t pack for the length of the trip, packed only for about 10 days. Hotels will provide basic toiletries; we are taking only the bare minimum of them. I didn’t pack anything we can’t buy at our destinations (sunscreen, for example). I didn’t pack valuables, no jewelry either, and I don’t do makeup.

We are planning to wear our bulkiest shoes and clothes on travel day. We are not taking more than three pairs of shoes (including the one we will be wearing on the plane)!

When packing, I love to use packing cubes. Some clothing I roll, some I fold, optimizing the space by combining these two methods. I make sure always to pack the essential items (camera, laptop, medications, documents, pair of underwear) into our personal item (a small backpack for each of us).

Of course – most importantly – I created a packing list, which allows me not to forget what to pack and likewise prevents me from overpacking. Check out my list in my next post!