I have accumulated a lot of experience over the years of traveling and I am ready to share it with you.
I decided to fulfill my long-standing desire to travel at the age of twenty. I was planning a four-month trip across three different continents — and before I left, I was asked an obvious question.
- Mountaineering?"My friends and family, excited about my big adventure, were curious.
"Not really," I replied, embarrassed. “I 'm studying... I continue.”
I didn't come to this luggage choice after a long, grueling brainstorming session, and I didn't do everything in Vienna weighing the pros and cons. It just made sense.The idea of stuffing all my clothes into a free-form backpack was completely unattractive to me. The thought of putting all my belongings on my back seemed even worse. I had to fly in a day, so the thought of checking my suitcase seemed like an unthinkable waste of time. There was only one thing left for me: to pack everything I needed for four months in my hand luggage.
I did it like this!
Regardless of whether you are traveling with a backpack or carrying things, you should understand that you will be doing laundry along the way. Once you study the climate of your destinations, it's pretty easy to figure out what you need. I knew it would be cold autumn weather in Amsterdam, very hot and humid in Southeast Asia, summer in Australia, and fresh spring in New Zealand.
That meant one pair of jeans (high-waisted, easy-wash from Madewell that goes with everything); four pairs of workout leggings; one pair of denim shorts; one denim skirt; several light tops; a pair of long-sleeved tees; several cotton dresses; one sweater; one windbreaker; two swimsuits; and two week-old underpants and socks. I'll tell you right now that my underpants math was off. If you wash your clothes at least once a week, half of the fourteen pairs of underwear will remain untouched.
I did my best to pack items of clothing that would be easy to mix and match, which is pretty easy to do when your wardrobe, like mine, consists exclusively of black, gray, white and denim. My other premise was to include as many outfits as possible that didn't require a bra, which somehow becomes even more uncomfortable when you're on the road for a few months (plus, I wanted to take advantage of the freedom of life outside the office). As for shoes, I've narrowed it down to a pair of white Tretorn leather walking shoes, my sneakers, one pair of black leather sandals, and waterproof flip-flops.
My little green Fjallraven Kanken backpack served as a pharmacy—in which my mother stored every conceivable over-the-counter medication that she feared would not be available in Chiang Mai. As for liquids, I took a few samples of shampoo and body wash products with me, but decided to rely mainly on what hotels, Airbnbs and hostels would provide. I could buy everything I need along the way-it turns out every country has air conditioning.
In the entertainment and technology department, I had a phone, a Kindle, a magazine, headphones and an adapter for every country I was going to visit.
How did I do it?
In order not to worry about the international rules for measuring suitcases, I decided that I needed a solid carry-on. My faithful Kipling, who helped me travel from JFK to ATL throughout college, was often cramped even on domestic flights. I didn't want to deal with the paralyzing anxiety of having to shove my bag into a small sizer drawer to see if it would fit—for failure meant the shame and inconvenience of checking the gate.
Attracted by its reasonable price and flashy "smart" features, I bought hand luggage from afar. I figured it wouldn't hurt to have charging capabilities— but I was really into it for the TSA-approved lock, functional compartments, and laundry bag.
On the advice of my mom (Hi Mom!), I folded each piece of clothing individually, which seals your wardrobe more effectively than folding and tends to prevent wrinkles. Then I folded the cotton cylinders to minimize the unused space. I put an incredible amount of clothes in my 21.7” x 13.7” x 9" bag, but I had to give up any purchases along the way due to lack of space.
How It All Turned Out
To be honest, I thoroughly enjoyed traveling for four months with only hand luggage. The luxury of a suitcase on four wheels that rolls next to you when you walk, unencumbered by weight, changes the game when you are constantly on the move. Carefully rolling up clothes, I found any object very easily-and for some reason rolling is not as tedious as folding when it comes to clean underwear.
It rarely happened that I didn't have clean clothes suitable for the weather, and in those few cases, it didn't kill me to put on a pair of leggings for the second time. I'm not even tired of my clothing options, and I promise I'm not lying.
You might be interested to know about those draconian carry-on weight restrictions that we've all heard about. Few carriers or nicer international airlines will weigh your hand luggage, but many cheaper ones around the world do.
However, as I have learned, they will only do this if you check in by talking to a person at the airport — a person who will often make you pay more than the plane ticket itself to check your bag. If you check in online and download your boarding pass to your phone, no one will weigh your (usually heavily “overweight”) carry-on luggage.
During the month I spent in New Zealand on the hop on hop off bus (a cry to get lost for those looking for this type of experience), I was one of the few travelers who didn't travel with a backpack. While the harsh backpackers definitely looked cooler and less maintenance-demanding than me, many of them were jealous of my wheels and didn't make me feel lame at all.
While the four-month travel experience was as incredible as it sounds, I'm perhaps most grateful for the perspective I got on the packaging and stuff. After four months (on three continents) of living out of hand luggage, I realize how little I need to have a full-fledged travel experience-and now, packing for a normal trip in an unusual climate is a breeze. I don't think I'll ever check the bag again.
"Traveling leaves you speechless, and then turns you into a better storyteller."
© IBN BATTUTA
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