Two weeks with nothing but a backpack. And not even with one of those fancy hardcore backpacking ones. Oh no. I'm taking my trusty Jansport that got me through three years of law school case books. I need this thing to fit in either an overhead compartment or underneath the seat in front of me since we're not checking any luggage. *fingers crossed*
How, you may ask, am I preparing to pack for such a trip?
I am test packing. (Yes, I know, I made it up).
Jason and I made a trip to Target the other day and spent a serious amount of time in the "travel size" section. I am so not a fan of liquid restrictions in carry-ons! Will I be able to fit three weeks worth of shampoo in a three oz container? I sincerely doubt it.
We bought Eurail passes and plan do most of our travel on trains. And I did not want to be lugging a suitcase behind me in a crowded train station. Overpacked American, coming through. But I needed to make sure it was feasible that we could get by with just backpacks and not check any luggage. So, I did a "test pack".
I made a pile of all the stuff I thought I absolutely had to have. And then proceeded to pack. I used a number of ziploc bags, mostly just to make it easy for me to find things once they're packed. I can reach into my bag and quickly find my bag o' socks instead of scrounging around the bottom of the backpack for them where they will inevitably fall. But I also use them because if it starts pouring down rain and my bag gets soaked, I'll still have some dry stuff inside. Nothing's worse when traveling than getting stuck in wet clothes for the rest of the day!
I loaded it all into my backpack. Very carefully, because those carry-on dimensions are tough. And I succeeded! Everything I will need fit perfectly, with even a little extra space in case I find something I can't live without. And it wasn't even very heavy! But then I realized that I forgot a few things.
And that is why practice makes perfect. Stay tuned for pictures of my perfectly packed backpack.
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