I just returned from a trip to Iceland last month, I'm heading back there and continuing on to Ireland, a total of 17 days.
Wow air is the cheapest way to get to Iceland these days, but it's a budget airline like Spirit, VivaAerobus and Ryanair. These airlines make you pay to select a seat, bring a carry on bag, and don't even include a drink or a bag of peanuts.
So the last trip to Iceland I had to bring my travel tripod, couldn't get everything to fit in one small bag that's under 17"x13"x10" which is their Personal Item size that is free. I brought a Think Tank backpack and a Think Tank messenger bag and paid the carry on fee. I brought too much with me, so this time I was determined to not pay any luggage fees.
My usual bags that I travel with were too small, the GoPro Seeker backpack and the Mindshift Gear Sidepath. So I was on the search for a backpack with the exact dimensions that Wow Air allowed for free. I finally found the Samsonite VizAir 2 Laptop Backpack which is 17"x13"x8", as close as I could get and only $55 on eBay.
Now the challenge was to fit everything I needed in this small backpack. The weather will be colder this time in Iceland, 40's to 50 F with rain, Ireland shouldn't be colder than that, so mainly I was concerned with Iceland. I bought the Patagonia Torrentshell rain jacket, it's very waterproof and rolls up very small. I'm also bringing my Uniqlo down jacket which folds up even smaller than the Patagonia. I've been in 30F weather with just a t-shirt and the Uniqlo down jacket and have been fine, I do live in the mountains so I'm fine with cold weather.
I also bought a Patagonia Capilene Lightweight long sleeve crew as my under layer and some Columbia thermal pants just in case it's really cold. So these 4 items add a descent amount to my pack, things I wouldn't take to a warm country.
The rest of the clothing includes: 2 pairs of pants, 4 boxers, 4 Columbia shirts, 1 sleeping shirt, 1 sleeping shorts, 4 pairs of socks. Everything quick dry so I can wash in the sink and hang dry.
I'm bringing my Canon M5, 11-22mm lens, Rode VideoMicro, custom made hand grip, as my main camera. My action cam will be the GoPro Hero 5 Session and Feiyu Tech WG2 waterproof gimbal. I just bought those for this trip to test them out, see if they hold up to the water and action. The DJI Spark, remote and 2 extra batteries is also coming, so small and perfect for minimalist travel.
I'm leaving the Macbook Pro at home, won't be editing but I can move files from my memory cards to my external hard drive with the RAVPower FileHub Plus which lets you use an iPhone app to transfer files. Also will be bringing a bunch of chargers, cables, GoPro mounts, first aid kit, power adapter, travel power strip, tabletop tripod and gloves and a hat.
So all of this fits in the Samsonite Vizair, measures 17"x13"x10" fully loaded and 19 pounds. I should be fine and not have to pay any carry on fees, hopefully I won't have to argue with them, or take anything out. I can always take out a jacket and put a bunch of stuff in the pockets to make the bag smaller if it comes to that.
Wow air is dirt cheap, I only paid $425 for Los Angeles to Iceland, Iceland to Dublin, and the return flights too. Such a deal, so it's hard to complain much about Wow Air, you just have to know what to expect.
Bring a water bottle to fill up at the airport, especially in Iceland, you get glacier water free at the drinking fountain there! Also bring some snacks, a sandwich, or whatever you can fit in your bag since you don't want to pay for airplane food. I haven't planned out my snacks yet, but there's not much room, I'll either get some small bars or stick some things in my pockets.
Here's links to some of my favorite items I'm bringing with me with
Amazon affiliate codes so I'll get a small commission if you buy anything, thanks!
Samsonite VizAir 2 Laptop Backpack
http://amzn.to/2x2qg2U
