Travelling light - how much can you cram in?
7 kg carry on - I think I've got it covered
Packing 7 kg (approx. 15 lb) for three weeks away is not a lot when you you really think about it. A bag of oranges is 3 kg! However, I think it’s extremely manageable (and even if it’s not, I’m going to make this work), especially if you’re prepared to wear items for a few days longer than you normally would before washing. Handwashing clothes is easy in hotel sinks or using hotel laundry services. Asian laundries are the best with fast turnarounds and cheap costs per kg of clothing. Going to warmer climates also makes it that little bit easier as you don’t have to worry about taking too many warmer pieces with you.
I’ve travelled light before but there has been differences. One time, it was only a weekend away with 7 kg. Another few times the allowance was 10 kg (approx. 22 lb), which gives you 50% more weight and that’s been easy going for 10-12 days in tropical climes. But three whole weeks, that’s 21 days with just a carry-on allowance of 7 kg??? Cor blimey, I think I’m going mad!
So let’s get down to business. What do you take and what do you leave behind? What do you buy when you get there? Is it one pair of shoes, two pairs or who cares? Are you travelling for business or pleasure? These questions will all determine what you need to take and what you don’t, but if I was going for business I would check luggage without a doubt.
So with pleasure on my mind it means I can leave laptops and other non-essential electronics behind. No fancy attire required either because you don’t need to look smart, mingle or dine at fine establishments. I am also not the clubbing type or night owl anymore, so no special outfits or kit loads of make-up and accessories to weigh me down.
My go-to make-up items I always take with me are mascara, eyeliner and a matte foundation - specifically Clinique Superpowder Double Face Powder (I’m usually lucky enough to get this at a bargain duty free every time I leave Melbourne Airport). If I need or want anything else, I can buy it when I arrive, but in warmer climates or beach destinations I like less make-up if any at all, so it’s not usually necessary to buy anything else. I can also leave behind toiletries like soap, shampoo and conditioner that can also be bought once I reach my destination.
What I do take with me apart from the above make-up is deodorant, facewash, toner, toothbrush & toothpaste, and face lotion. I take all of these in smaller sizes by decanting into approved containers for air travel, except my deodorant which is a refillable from ZeroCo. Again, if I do run out of anything, it’s easy to pickup a travel-size replacement.
My number one rule for packing light or for tropical climates - NO DENIM! That shit just gonna stick. Plus it takes years to dry if you’re the handwashing type and it’s way too heavy and bulky for carry-on only travel. The lighter your clothing and shoes, the better. That way you can fit more in if you want. If you want a denim look then buy something lightweight. I have a pair of denim-look shorts that are actually quite flexible and elastic, and lightweight. Also select your lightest weight bag. I was going to buy a new one for this trip but as I already had several different backpacks, I weighed them all and chose the lightest one, even if it is ugly.
I also don’t travel with much jewellery, if any. That just attracts the wrong type of people and makes you a rich target in less well-off countries or areas. Plus I do like to buy jewellery on my travels and the odd piece of clothing or two. So taking less to start with leaves room to accumulate purchases along the way.
I highly recommend getting an accurate set of digital travel scales if you are aiming to go light, particularly 7 kg as every little bit of weight counts. And depending on your airline it might be 7 kg in total, or 7 kg for the main bag plus a handbag or laptop bag. So read the fine print, it might save you a bucket load of money if you know the limits before you check-in.
So my flights state “up to 7 kg carry-on”. I am taking this as a total weight. No extra handbags or laptops above that weight. First of all I’m taking two bags, a backpack with clothes and an over-the-shoulder bag for essential easy to reach items, e.g. wallet, phone, passport. I also have an ultra lightweight, fold-up tote bag tucked away in a pocket of my backpack, just in case I purchase too much travelling and can then buy either additional carry-on or checked luggage on the flight home. Alternatively, I can opt to post clothing home if it turns out cheaper than the extra luggage option.
So what am I taking in my allotted 7 kg? As I am travelling to a warmer location from the freezing Melbourne winter, I will be wearing warmer (heavier) clothes on the plane. This includes sneakers/hiking shoes, socks, long pants (perhaps bike shorts underneath too), t-shirt, tank-top, underwear and a warm hoodie. In the backpack (weighing 5.56 kg) I have:
1 pair of shorts (with pockets - I am emphasising pockets because they’re handy when you don’t have room for an extra daypack)
1 knee-length Ripskirt Hawaii (with pockets) - these are super lightweight and take up very little room, great for beach/warm locations
1 short skirt (pockets)
1 short Billabong dress
1 long, maxi dress (with pockets)
1 long sleeve button-up beach shirt
1 lightweight flares
3 sleeveless t-shirts
1 tank top
1 pair of shortie pyjamas
1 pair swim leggings (can sub as regular leggings under shorts, skirts if it gets cold at night)
1 bikini
1 one-piece swimsuit
3 pairs of ultra light knickers
3 lightweight bras (no wires)
1 pair of socks
1 pair of Skechers walking sandals
1 pair lightweight Skechers ballet flats
1 lightweight beach towel
2 x bags to separate dirty clothes from clean clothes
foldable tote bag
toiletries and deodorant as described above.
In the shoulder bag (weighing a total of 1.33 kg) I have:
make-up
passport
travel-size hair spray
Impulse can deodorant spray (handy for long plane flights from Australia)
foldable, empty water bottle (that I could also carry to make bag lighter)
Instax mini 12 camera plus film (not essential, but very necessary for this trip - I took a t-shirt and skirt out to make weight for it)
pocket charger (for phone & ear buds)
sunglasses & case
travel pack of tissues.
A small purse, my phone and Bluetooth ear buds I can have on my person in my hoodie pocket. So for a grand total of 6.89 kg I have just a small amount of weight to spare although plenty of available room in both backpack and shoulder bag. I may ditch the ballet flats (weighing all of 200 g) for another pair of shorts or I could just leave both at home and buy something at my destination.
So there you have it. With lightweight items and plenty of internal to-ing and fro-ing on what to take and what not to take, this is EVERYTHING I have decided to take with me. If I get weighed, I’m under 7 kg and won’t have to pay any extra fees. It may be a bit trickier leaving as I will be going from hot to cold locations, but as I’m mostly flying in the evening it won’t be too much of a struggle to walk on the plane with the warmer clothing on and then taking off what I don’t require. Generally, though, I do not fly in shorts or skirts anyway as the air conditioning can be quite cold on planes, much like in movie theatres.
So if you think 7 kg is not doable, think again my friends. I can guarantee that I will not be carting around or bringing home unworn or unused items.
What I’m reading right now: I just finished Outlander for the first time - late to the party I know. I have not watched the series, I just never got around to it. But my god was that an epic story! I did literally laugh out loud and cry in places and I have eight, yes EIGHT, more books to go! Thank god for the local library - I have already reserved Book 2 - Dragonfly in Amber.
What I’m watching (or watched): Kaley Cuoco is damn funny! I love these two series.
