Two weeks in Europe with a Western Flyer

[sevendog]

I've recently returned from a two-week trip in the UK, France, and Germany with nothing but my trusty Western Flyer and a handbag. Here's what I packed or wore:

In a large packing cube in the main compartment:
I layered clothing as dictated by the weather conditions
jacket
scarf
2 tunic dresses
1 tank top
1 lightweight long-sleeve cardigan
1 pair short leggings
1 pair long leggings
1 sports bra
1 sleep shirt
1 pair socks
1 pair ballet flats
4 pairs underwear
2 large A4-sized envelopes with documents and for collecting receipts and travel ephemera

In a hanging toiletry kit in one half of the divided front compartment
prescriptions
toiletries

In a padded travel cube in the other half of the divided front compartment:
plug adapters
apple lightning cable
external battery for iPhone and iPad
battery charger and plug adapters for Bose noise-cancelling headphones
extra sim cards for iPhone
3-1-1 liquids bag
a compact umbrella

I could have easily travelled another week or two with this setup. I stayed at AirBnB flats along the way, and they all had laundry facilities or machines so doing laundry along the way was a cinch. In addition, all of the flats provided shower toiletries like shampoo and soap, and towels, so I didn't need to pack those either.

If I could change this packing list, I'd add another pair of shoes that are more weatherproof than ballet flats. It rained quite a lot during my trip, which left my feet waterlogged a few times.

But I wouldn't add any more clothes or toiletries. My packed bag weighed about 7 kilos, which was not too heavy for the times I had to walk around with the WF on my back all day. My cross-body handbag contained all my travel documents, my wallet, and my iPad mini.

I very much doubt I'll ever need to buy another travel bag, but if I do, the WF size is just right. It slid under the seat in front of me on the plane (a 777), and I could easily sling it into the overhead racks on the trains in France and Germany, or even hold it upright on my lap if there was nowhere else to put it.

[Pokilani]

I love these kinds if posts. On my last trip to London I learned how easy it was to wear things more than twice (or 3 or 4x) on a trip and bring other things that wash well in the sink. Would another pair of shoes fit?


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[djjr]

Great to hear and thanks for the packing list. We'll be travelling to the UK and Spain next year from Australia and I'm determined we will all be one-bagging it. So far it'll be the A30 for me, S25 for Mr 15, A30 or A45 for my husband (still deciding on the best size for him). It's just Mr 13 to sort out now - he's the reluctant and sceptical one-bagger who still needs convincing this is the way to go and that he can do without 50 changes of clothes!

[TavaPeak]

djjr - it was my 14-year-old son who nagged me to "backpack only" when we went to Rome/Paris in spring. ;-) My boys would be content to wad a pair of extra skivvies into one pocket and a stash toothbrush into the other, and head to the airport, but Mom makes them pack shirts & stuff. Maybe the lure of quick-dry tech shirts (so cool) would appeal to Mr 13.

An S25 would be an ideal one-bag for youth. Bottom pocket for a pair of sandals, plenty of room for clothes, good organization for electronics. A nifty bag light and strap whistle for fun.

[sevendog]

Polikani, an additional pair of shoes would have been fine, especially if I packed the flats and wore the other pair. I'm blessed in this area in that I wear a ladies' size 5.5 or 6. Any shoe that squashes down pretty flat works well, one down each narrow side of the WF.

Djjr, if you will be taking a lot of public transport, then one-bagging is definitely the way to go. My husband became convinced of this after watching people struggle with stowing their bags on the Eurostar and the trains going into and out of Paris' CDG airport. We also discovered that the Gare du Nord station is really big, and there aren't a lot of luggage trolleys available!

[Pokilani]

@sevendog, I'm a size 5-5.5 so I definitely understand how blessed you are. I have a pair of ballet flats that I waterproofed and they served me well in rainy London (even in a bit of a downpour) but rotated them with a pair of minimalist sneakers. Wise move.

Djjr, tell Mr 13 to practice re-wearing clothes for a week. I did this for my trip to London (even hand washing stuff when needed) and I was surprised I could do it. The key for me was packing things a really liked to wear so I didn't tire of it. I invested in a couple if nice merino wool pieces and then took things that could either be reworn multiple times (pants/skirts/cardigans) or were very easy to wash (camis/breezy shirts). One-bagging (A30) on the London tube was fantastic-no struggles at all and easy to run with too!


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[amazngin]

I love the Western Flyer! I took that and my Co-Pilot on an 18-day trip to Europe: Spain, Italy, France, and Switzerland where I packed for hot weather as well as for rain/cold for the Swiss Alps. My outfit combos were perfect for clubbing in Ibiza; relaxing at the beach with swimwear and coverup; managing the heat in Rome while still being covered enough to enter St. Peter’s Basilica; looking dressy/formal dining on a cruise ship; and having enough layers atop Swiss mountains 3000+ feet high.

Here’s my approximate packing list for the WF: (not including what I wore on the plane)

The WF weighed slightly under 18 pounds.

3 bras (including 1 sports bra)
8 panties
2 pairs of shorts (one for sleep; one for workout)
1 Uniqlo tank top for sleep
3 Icebreaker tech tanks
2 Icebreaker tech shirts
1 Icebreaker lightweight l/s
1 Icebreaker mid-layer
1 navy blue cardigan
3 convertible dresses
2 skirts (one Icebreaker; one Angelrox flirt)
1 Icebreaker dress
1 corselette
1 rain jacket
1 pair of running shoes
1 pair of flats
1 pair of workout socks
1 packtowl (personal bath size)
2-piece tankini


1 quart size bag filled with liquid toiletries and makeup
1 sandwich bag containing 3 one-ounce containers of dry toiletries, dry toiletry packets, and laundry detergent
1 quart size bag containing solid shampoo and solid conditioner samples
1 mini hair straightener
1 comb
1 dyneema Side Effect
1 pack of Thank You cards for hosts (set of 6)

[monkeylady]

Sounds like you packed perfectly! Your list is really helpful as I plan for Oaxaca in February.

[monkeylady]

Oops! Forgot my questions...does your list contain your travel outfit? And if no, what did you wear? Did you use your CoPilot as your EDC?

[amazngin]

Oops! Forgot my questions...does your list contain your travel outfit? And if no, what did you wear? Did you use your CoPilot as your EDC?

My list didn't contain my travel outfit.

On the plane, I wore Black Anatomie skinny pants, a short sleeve shirt, Icebreaker bliss wrap, and Keen sandals.

I used my Co-Pilot as my EDC and it was my plane bag, containing all the important items like travel adapter and chargers, electronic gadgets (camera, tablets), passport, money, printed itinerary, medication, lip balm, etc.

[sevendog]

@amazngin, what an awesome packing list! I think our lists show it's possible to travel for weeks with just a WF. Just one question, did you use packing cubes?

[amazngin]

@amazngin, what an awesome packing list! I think our lists show it's possible to travel for weeks with just a WF. Just one question, did you use packing cubes?

Yes, I used 3 packing cubes. The two largest ones -- Eagle Specter Pack-It Compression Cube (unexpanded) and Specter Pack-it Cube fit -- fit into one of the main compartments. Because everything was compressed, I found that it made the compartment bulge in an uncomfortable way when I wore the WF as a backpack, so I ended up cramming less clothing in the cubes and redistributing them (folded and rolled) in the compartment in order to take advantage of every little space. That actually ended up better and I was able to fit more into that compartment.

[Jeff A]

Just saw this thread. I'll be using the same combination when I go to Cozumel, Mexico in March. WF carry-on and Co-Pilot EDC under my seat. I'll mostly have shorts, t-shirts and sandals, haha!

[moriond]

Just as a comment, @Jeff A, all those ladies commenting above about wearing size 5.5 shoes can pack a pair of flats or sandals in one of the front side compartments of a Co-Pilot or, in the case of @sevendog, if the handbag was something like the Little Swift, in the bottom of that bag.

I haven't tried this yet, because I haven't traveled with these bags since receiving the Daylight Backpack, but it seems to me that this bag is also breathing new life into travel combinations with smaller travel bags. I sometimes find that I want to have a backpack available for use at my destination, and while the Packing Cube Backpack works for light loads, it's not as comfortable or versatile if I want to carry more -- for example, if I want to shop for groceries at my destination, or carry a few heavier items that don't easily pack or balance into the PCSB. So, if I travel with the WF or even a Tri-Star and want to add a Backpack for use at my destination, I can slip the DLBP into the zippered back pocket for backpack straps of these bags, as an alternative to packing items into it (inside a bag).

The tiered structure inside the DLBP lets me distribute my carrying load to make better use of the top of the backpack, and I can also use features like the waist strap, if I need to. Plus, @eWalker has come up with some great ways of carrying the DLBP in the Pilot and if you look at his post (#185) towards the end of the long Daylight Backpack Impressions/Photos thread, you'll see ways of folding up the DLBP for even more compact carrying.

HTH. moriond

[Pokilani]

Just as a comment, @Jeff A, all those ladies commenting above about wearing size 5.5 shoes can pack a pair of flats or sandals in one of the front side compartments of a Co-Pilot or, in the case of @sevendog, if the handbag was something like the Little Swift, in the bottom of that bag.

I haven't tried this yet, because I haven't traveled with these bags since receiving the Daylight Backpack, but it seems to me that this bag is also breathing new life into travel combinations with smaller travel bags. I sometimes find that I want to have a backpack available for use at my destination, and while the Packing Cube Backpack works for light loads, it's not as comfortable or versatile if I want to carry more -- for example, if I want to shop for groceries at my destination, or carry a few heavier items that don't easily pack or balance into the PCSB. So, if I travel with the WF or even a Tri-Star and want to add a Backpack for use at my destination, I can slip the DLBP into the zippered back pocket for backpack straps of these bags, as an alternative to packing items into it (inside a bag).

The tiered structure inside the DLBP lets me distribute my carrying load to make better use of the top of the backpack, and I can also use features like the waist strap, if I need to. Plus, @eWalker has come up with some great ways of carrying the DLBP in the Pilot and if you look at his post (#185) towards the end of the long Daylight Backpack Impressions/Photos thread, you'll see ways of folding up the DLBP for even more compact carrying.

HTH. moriond

Jeff A, sounds like @moriond is saying you need a DLBP. And French Blue is still available.