3 Weeks, 4 countries, and 3 Seasons in Europe with an A30 and LCB

[trailrunner]

Warning (long detailed post!)!

I am headed to Europe (UK, France, Switzerland, and Iceland) with my husband and 7 year old son for 3 weeks today! I am very excited and have packed up my bags. Although everything fits, I am a bit embarrassed that it is by no means my lightest packing job (any last minute suggestions to trim a bit to make room for the inevitable shopping that will happen?) I am taking my Original Halcyon A30 and the new to me LCB (thanks to KmK for the trade!). I do have a few things I will use up and/or can leave along the way and have one of those Cargo Mini Nets on the outside of my bag, so my coat etc could come out if necessary on the way home. I also have a large shop bag in a #1 TSS and a more compact bag for groceries and shopping. Thanks to everyone on these forums as many of my ideas came from you! At some point when I have more time, I’ll go back and add my inspiration posts as links.

To put it all in context here are our major activities: We are mostly staying in apartments (some with laundry facilities) and our stays range from 1 night in a spot to 6 nights in Lauterbrunnen. We'll be traveling by train between the different places. We’ll be doing a lot of walking in towns and cities and the major museums in London and Paris, nice restaurants but probably not super fancy ones as we have our 7 year old son with us. There will be lots of day hiking (some all day adventures) in Switzerland in the mountains and in Iceland (we are renting a car there as well). I also want to do some running (likely in the mornings before the rest of the family gets moving) as I am training for a half marathon at the end of July and have to keep up my fitness levels. Picnicking is something that we are also planning to a do a lot of, so we’ve packed the appropriate things for that as well.

One of the things that I am struggling with is the balance of different clothing types. Looking out as far as the forecasts go, it looks to be 50s to low 70s in England and France. Right now Switzerland (in the valley) is anywhere from the 40s to 70s (colder in the mountains) and Iceland is in the 40s rising into the low 50s as the weather warms up near the solstice. I struggled a lot to find the right balance of sweaters, t-shirts, tanks, and blouses (I tend to be a layerer) and I am still not sure I have the right mix. I have a lot of extra stuff I have to schlep along for my allergies and I’ve packed a tennis ball as a compact way of doing some massage for recurring injuries that are likely to cause me issues. Missing from my carry on (but on my list) is my Second Aid Kit with first aid and hiking essentials which my husband is carrying. Any thoughts? Things I can eliminate (particularly clothes)? Anything I am missing (hopefully not!)? I'll ultimately try to report back on what worked and what didn't work.


A30 (Note Original Halcyon—I don’t think all this would fit if it didn’t squish a bit!):

Outerwear:
Ibex Pez long sweater (wearing)
REI rain jacket in EC Compression cube



Clothing (all but what I am wearing above and two skorts packed into 3 med sized EC)

Tribal grey skinny pants
Eddie Bauer Travelex capris (navy)
Arc’teryx light beige skort
Athleta navy skort (for running and casual)
Printed blue wrap around shorts/skirt
Olive Ex Officio convertible skirt (can be worn short or long for cathedrals if I need to be covered!)

Black tank dress (flared) (wearing)
Short gray tank dress (straight and can be worn as a top too)

Black long sleeved T-shirt
Navy merino t-shirt
Gray merino t-shirt

Salmon tank
Printed button up navy/white tank that can be worn as a vest
White reversible tank (V-neck and U-neck)
Purple metallic performance tank

Printed navy long sleeved blouse
Blue synthetic button up for layering
Light purple silk long sleeve

Navy Rohan merino cardigan
Light blue tissue weight merino open cardigan
Gray cashmere crewneck sweater (wearing)



PCSB:
2 skorts from above
Mini OP:
Jewelry (2 necklaces, 1 earring)
Sewing kit
Safety pins
Hair bands
Bracelet
Extra zip lock bags
Dizolve unscented laundry sheets
Unscented drier sheets
Collar stay things
Drain plug
Clothesline
Inflatable hanger
Headlamp
Linen towel
Matador Droplet Wet Bag
Spray bottle (for clothes in the shower to get wrinkles out)
Lint/pill remover sponge thing



In 2 small EC packing cubes:
Black pashmina (wearing)
Navy dragonfly scarf
Red felted scarf
Bikini (top is supportive enough to use a sports bra)
4 pairs of underwear (wearing 1)
2 bralettes (black and beige, wearing 1)
Buff
Small hat
Glove liners
Pajama bottoms (also for funky shorts for running!)


Shoes and socks (partially in Aether End Pocket packing cube) (in end pockets):
Vivobarefoot Gobi Hi-Tops (wearing)
Cute sandals (added at the last minute and take up almost no space)
Vivobarefoot Primus sneakers
Soft Star Sport Ballerines (silver)
1 pair Injinji merino toe socks
2 pair of merino socks (wearing one over tights for cozy airplane flight)
2 pair merino tights (navy and charcoal) using merino tights instead of long underwear in case it gets cold in Iceland or the mountains) (wearing 1)
Black tights
Pantyhose
Peds



Loose stuff (in end pockets):
Tennis ball (for massaging bad hip)
Plastic wine glass (for picnicking)
Empty bottle to mix saline
Small wooden hair brush
Insect repellent wipes
Flashlight
Kleen Kanteen water bottle with two lids
Large plastic bag for washing laundry
Locking caribiner



In backpack strap pocket:
DLBP (Nordic Halcyon!)
Small cutting board
Hydration bladder


Dry toiletries-in 3DOC:
Make up
Powered sunscreen
Wipes
Nail clippers
File
Tweezers
Q-tips with make up remover in them
Bobby pins
Crystal deoderant
Toothbrush
Floss
Saline packets
Nasal irrigation device
Razor
Krazy glue


Picnic kit for 3 in 3DOC (need to pick up a real knife once we get to Europe!):
TSA friendly corkscrew/bottle opener!
Kids Konserve plastic sandwich wraps
Little plates x 3
Light my Fire Spork/Knife combination x 3
Matador picnic blanket


In LCB

iPad Mini with keyboard case
Stylus
Wallet stuff in Double organizer pouch
Small cross body purse
RFID pouch with passport

In Small OP:
Olio clip lenses for phone

iPhone 6

In 311 bag:
2 small tubes of toothpaste
2 bottles of Alkalol Nasal rinse
Conditioner
Shampoo
Body Wash
2 kinds of allergy nasal spray
Hair styling spray
Allergy eye drops
Wetting eye drops
Contact case with sunscreen and Aquaphor

Moleskine notebooks for notes and journaling
2 pens
Snack
Pill container

Mini OP with
Eye mask and earplugs

In TSS #1:
Large shop bag

Foldable bag
Wet wipe
Tissues

In 3DOC:
GPS Watch and charger
Fitbit charger cable
iPod nano, earbuds, and charger
UK and Europe plug adapters
Anker external battery charger
USB drive
2”Bluetooth speaker (for listening to movies or music together)
Cable that will charge speaker, battery pack, and
Duct tape




2nd aid kit (not on me and not in the pictures!)
Tailwind
Lighter
Firestarter
Benadryl
Bug spray wipes
Antiseptic wipes
"Stand up and pee"
Chia seeds
Plastic gloves
Handwarmer
Nuun
Flashlight
Ginger tea
Band aids and blister band aids

[Tiviander]

A couple of suggestions for the picnic kit (and general travel).

Haley’s Corker | World’s Only 5 in 1 Wine Accessory

Plastic wine closer with filter- for when your beverage isn't finished when you are. Also keeps out bugs when eating in the park.

plastic bag clips and/or rubber bands

quart and /or gallon size plastic bags
for food, small item management (I collect so many pieces of paper- maps, ticket stubs, postcards, handouts from sites, etc.)

Buying a Swiss Army knife in Switzerland is a fun souvenir but a better picnic knife is Kuhn-Rikon. Plastic handle, coated blade, blade cover- costs $5-10 , pack in checked luggage to bring home or leave behind for other travelers.

Cutlery | Kuhn Rikon Chef & Cooking Knives | Kuhn Rikon

(Just noticed they are a Swiss company when I looked at the link )

[trailrunner]

Great ideas Tiviander, particularly for the picnic knife, bag clips, rubber bands and the wine closer--not sure I have time to get the one you linked, but I just popped a simple one in the bag at least (something to look for in Europe)! I did have some small ziplocks packed, but will add a gallon one as well.

[Pokilani]

Wow! What an extensive post. Am I counting correctly in that you're bringing 8 bottoms (pants, skorts, skirts, capris)? Plus, three dresses? Your bottom half seems really covered when you factor in your tights. Think you could part with at least one skort?
You also have three cardigans, plus several LS tops, and a synthetic layer. Maybe ditch one cardigans or one LS top?
Have a fantastic trip!!!


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[trailrunner]

3 Weeks, 4 countries, and 3 Seasons in Europe with an A30 and LCB

Wow! What an extensive post. Am I counting correctly in that you're bringing 8 bottoms (pants, skorts, skirts, capris)? Plus, three dresses? Your bottom half seems really covered when you factor in your tights. Think you could part with at least one skort?
You also have three cardigans, plus several LS tops, and a synthetic layer. Maybe ditch one cardigans or one LS top?
Have a fantastic trip!!!


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Probably a bit confusing because the stuff I am wearing is double posted effectively: 6 bottoms + 2 dresses. I guess I do sort of have 3 cardigans if you count the Pez, but I was counting that as outerwear. I could still probably eliminate though! Thanks for the advice.

Edited: I changed the list above to make it less confusing by listing everything and then indicating what I am wearing.

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[Perseffect]

Sounds like you are well prepared for your trip and right to be wondering if you have the right stuff.

I always overpack because I focus on items rather than needs. Eg. I'm definitely taking this Bluetooth speaker as it will be great to listen to music at the hotel. Rather than, will I need to listen to music at the hotel? probably not as I can use my headphones or phone speaker or live without music for the short time I'm away.

If I think about need rather than item I tend to pack less.

Now I'm sure you've though through this but some ideas I had was:
- Do you need a hydration bladder as well as the bottle? Could you manage with just the bottle this trip?
- Do you need the inflatable hanger as most places should have them.
- Do you need the iPod nano or could you use your iPad for music (if you need it for running, could you manage without running music on this trip?)
- The spray bottle for wrinkles, will you need completely crease free clothes?
- Headlamp or perhaps a small torch instead for emergencies?
- Now I know what you mean about picnics (we had one today, very relaxing) but there are quite a few items you have related to it including the chopping board. Could you go a bit wild and do picnics only using items on your travels such as plates made from the paper bags you buy you food in, or wine from paper cups sourced locally?

You know yourself and your needs best and I'm sure you will have a wonderful trip. All the best.



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[doesntmakememadonna]

Annoyingly, I have NO ADVICE about how to cut down your list, since I am notoriously stricken with the over packing disease and always fear that the moment I want to go "minimal" I will forget something invaluable, like, say, one of my children or something like that!

But I am posting instead to thank you for your lists, your photos, your whole post. It is inspiring and helpful to see the real thing. Thanks, @trailrunner, and I hope you and your fam have an awesome advebture! Please report back! I can't wait to take a trip like that someday....

Also, @Perseffect, your comment about focusing on items rather than needs as the source for over packing is SPOT-ON. You explained something I have never been able to put my finger on! I will keep this in mind for my family's Alaska trip this summer. Thanks.

[Artdime]

@Perseffect, I also like your comment regarding focusing on needs, not items. That is a very good way to put it.

@trailrunner I really do not have anything specific to add regarding your packing list. However, as you go through it and try to eliminate items, rest assured that if there is an item you really absolutely need and that you did not bring, you will most likely be able to purchase it in Europe as well. Just having in the back of your head that you are not headed for the "middle of nowhere" might make it a little bit easier to take a chance and leave items at home that you will likely not need. At least that helped me in the past.

Have a great trip!

[haraya]

Great advice everyone has posted here!! I especially love Perseffect's guideline of "needs not items".

Off the top of my head - I would ask if you can get by with one of each kind of thing. For instance, you have pants AND capris; four skort/shorts/skirt bottoms; two pairs of merino tights AND a pair of black tights. 2 dresses. 4 tees. 4 tanks. Can some of these things sub for others? For instance, where you need that item for multiple days, or multiple situations:

- could you bring one pair merino tights, and one pair black tights? And leave the capris at home? If it gets super-cold, maybe wear your tights under the pants.

- Can you bring one skort and one pair of shorts? Or just one skort that also works as athletic wear? Especially since you say you will be in apartments with laundry some of the time.

- Could you bring just one tee, and one tank? (Or 2 tees, 2 tanks, assuming that one of each is for your workouts.) Those items would be super-easy to buy if you find you absolutely miss them, re: Artdime's suggestion.

- For dressier occasions (e.g. eating out), maybe have one pair of pants to mix and match with the tee/tank, and one dress outfit, and bring a couple of scarves to change up the look. Or buy accessories while you are on vacation.

Just my thoughts, your mileage may vary! You have a relatively small load right now anyway (and I am not the most minimalist of travelers myself when I have my kids with me ;p). Sounds like a great trip - have a great time and take pics of your TB gear while you're out and about!

[trailrunner]

Thanks everyone for lots of great advice. Perhaps I asked a bit late as we are currently on the train from London to Bath! Bags are definitely hefty but manageable.

I am a recovering overpacker (perhaps still am based on this list!)--with a child in tow it is comforting to have essentials for emergencies without having to search them out (we've already had the first jet lagged meltdown in Paddington Station this morning). The speaker and iPad are mainly for him --we're away from his cello for three weeks so listening to music and practicing with a pencil and on his arm to the music is way to keep from getting too rusty. As much as I'd like to experience as much as possible, I also suspect he'll need a few down nights to regroup after all our daytime activities.

As for the clothes I really have no excuse except trying to make sure I'd have things that would deal with all weather conditions and still get to wear my favorites. I'll report out on what I did and didn't wear for sure. My goal is to wear everything at least twice. And I'll definitely post pictures! Thanks again for the advice and good wishes!

The adventure begins.



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[Perseffect]

Welcome to the UK. Have a wonderful time.


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[mcpdx]

I have no constructive feedback - I just want to say THANK YOU for your amazing post and your seriously badass packing!

I am impressed and inspired - hope you have a fantastic trip!

[Pokilani]

I love Bath! Please keep us updated with pictures!


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