🎒 Our Backpacks: Osprey Farpoint 40. They aren't too big but just big enough for everything we needed. It's amazing what you think you need versus what you actually need for three months time. We packed a small amount of our total belongings, but it has truly been more than enough. Our backpacks became part of our lives for the past 3 months, so we wanted to dedicate a post solely to them.
In two months time we went from 30 degrees (on the coldest day) in Sweden to 100 in Italy. We packed everything from winter gear to beach wear, and we used ALL of it.
What we packed:
Robyn:
1 sundress, 1 nicer dress, 1 skirt
2 pairs of shorts
1 shorts romper, 1 pants jumpsuit
3 pairs of pants
2 pajamas
3 tank tops for layering
5 casual, plain shirts (to match everything)
2 dressy shirts
1 long sleeve shirt1 packable coat
4 pairs of shoes (Keds, Toms, boots, flip flops)
1 cardigan
1 swim suit
1 book
1 sun hat, 1 sunglasses
8 pairs sock/underwear
Bandaids, Tums, tissues, sunscreen, toiletries
Earphones
1 fast drying towel
Laundry bag
Derik:
Corkscrew (priorities, people)
1 packable backpack
Earplugs (4 pairs)
Rechargeable battery pack for phone
2 phone chargers (& European plug)
Cliff bars, popcorn
Allergy meds, Advil, Stomach meds
1 hat
1 waterproof beach blanket (packable)
Passports
Toiletries
Blowup couch for park days (packable)
10 pairs socks/underwear
DSLR camera
2 percolators (bought in Italy)
Instant coffee
1 packable coat
1 fast drying towel
2 nice shirts
8 tshirts
2 shorts2 pants
1 swimming trunks
2 shoes (sneakers, boots)
Laundry bag
When I write "packable", I mean items that were made to pack down very small. We bought the coats on Amazon a few days before we left for Europe and they served us so well! Not only do they take up hardly any space, but they were warm and made great pillows or blanks on bus rides and flights. (Brand)
Things we accumulated along the way:
Scarf in Sweden (Derik)
Sunhat in Budapest (Robyn)
Thrift shop shorts (Robyn)
2 Percolators (Derik)
Dressy shirt (Robyn)
Italian leather purse (Robyn... it was only $20!)
That's about it. We made it a point before starting the trip to not buy souvenirs, but only buy things we could and would actually use. Souvenirs take up extra space, add weight to our bags, and we were traveling on a budget. Instead of thinking "Oh I love this place and need something to remind me of my time here!", we just simply enjoyed it. Nothing we bring back would bring us the same joy we felt while experiencing those places, so we just enjoyed being there.
Our backpacks made it really easy to carry everything. With 2 straps inside to condense the big things and 2 straps outside to condense everything else, it never felt like we were carrying too much or taking up too much space with our bags (except in that Paris elevator... see Paris post!). The bags can be worn like backpacks with straps across the hips and chest to transfer the weight for easier carrying. It can also be worn like a duffle bag. There is a zipper that contains the back straps and an additional strap which hooks to either end, so you can carry it across your chest or on one shoulder. These bags are small enough to be used as carry-ons for flights, which saved us money (some airlines charge for bags you check in, but carry-ones are usually free).
How we packed: we each had 4 containers within our bags. This helped to keep things organized but also allowed us to fit more into the bags. When you have a few containers versus a big pile of clothes, shoes, toiletries, etc., it's easier to make things concise and neat. Also, when unpacking, we could just take out the container we needed instead of going through a pile of stuff to find one thing. We also rolled our clothes to save room.
The backpack contains a big zipper for shoes/clothes/etc, a smaller zipper for flat things like a book or towel or medicines, and a pocket in the front for easy access (passport, money, etc). The middle zipper had 3 compartments: a Velcro slot, a zipper slot, and an open slot. We also bought locks for our bags, and tied the middle and big zippers together. This was nice when we stayed in hostels. Some hostels have lockers and some just have cabinets (that we could lock since we had our own locks).
Weight: Derik's weighed 22 lbs and mine weighed 20 lbs. This seemed to be an ideal weight because we both managed and it really was never a burden to carry them. Anything more than 25 lbs would probably become a nuisance fairly quickly.
We discovered (almost at the end of the trip) that our bags also have hidden whistles! On the chest strap, the buckele contains a whistle to use while hiking or for general safety. A neat little addition!
The backpacks cost $116 each. That seems pricey but the quality is truly worth it. We used these bags for 3 months straight to have almost no wear or tear. They are easy to carry, lightweight, spacious, durable, and comfortable. Everything we needed fit neatly in our bags. One of my inner straps broke toward the end of the trip, so Derik emailed the company. Within the day they responded and were sending out a new part!
There are luxuries that you don't have when backpacking, but we actually haven't been missing much. We left SO much at home, but it's made us realize what little we actually need to be content. It will be nice to have our own space and a place we can unpack in, but the travel bug will never leave us. It's been in us separately before we met and has just enhanced as we have been together. Exploring the world doesn't make us feel satisfied, it makes us hungry for more. We saw so much yet there is still so much to see. So while we probably won't be able to do a trip like this for a while (if ever), we're definitely not done. This part of the radventure is ending but our radventure is never fully through.
What would you pack in your backpack that we didn't mention?
Matty, if you are reading this thank you for the backpack recommendation!
In two months time we went from 30 degrees (on the coldest day) in Sweden to 100 in Italy. We packed everything from winter gear to beach wear, and we used ALL of it.
What we packed:
Robyn:
1 sundress, 1 nicer dress, 1 skirt
2 pairs of shorts
1 shorts romper, 1 pants jumpsuit
3 pairs of pants
2 pajamas
3 tank tops for layering
5 casual, plain shirts (to match everything)
2 dressy shirts
1 long sleeve shirt1 packable coat
4 pairs of shoes (Keds, Toms, boots, flip flops)
1 cardigan
1 swim suit
1 book
1 sun hat, 1 sunglasses
8 pairs sock/underwear
Bandaids, Tums, tissues, sunscreen, toiletries
Earphones
1 fast drying towel
Laundry bag
Derik:
Corkscrew (priorities, people)
1 packable backpack
Earplugs (4 pairs)
Rechargeable battery pack for phone
2 phone chargers (& European plug)
Cliff bars, popcorn
Allergy meds, Advil, Stomach meds
1 hat
1 waterproof beach blanket (packable)
Passports
Toiletries
Blowup couch for park days (packable)
10 pairs socks/underwear
DSLR camera
2 percolators (bought in Italy)
Instant coffee
1 packable coat
1 fast drying towel
2 nice shirts
8 tshirts
2 shorts2 pants
1 swimming trunks
2 shoes (sneakers, boots)
Laundry bag
When I write "packable", I mean items that were made to pack down very small. We bought the coats on Amazon a few days before we left for Europe and they served us so well! Not only do they take up hardly any space, but they were warm and made great pillows or blanks on bus rides and flights. (Brand)
Things we accumulated along the way:
Scarf in Sweden (Derik)
Sunhat in Budapest (Robyn)
Thrift shop shorts (Robyn)
2 Percolators (Derik)
Dressy shirt (Robyn)
Italian leather purse (Robyn... it was only $20!)
That's about it. We made it a point before starting the trip to not buy souvenirs, but only buy things we could and would actually use. Souvenirs take up extra space, add weight to our bags, and we were traveling on a budget. Instead of thinking "Oh I love this place and need something to remind me of my time here!", we just simply enjoyed it. Nothing we bring back would bring us the same joy we felt while experiencing those places, so we just enjoyed being there.
Our backpacks made it really easy to carry everything. With 2 straps inside to condense the big things and 2 straps outside to condense everything else, it never felt like we were carrying too much or taking up too much space with our bags (except in that Paris elevator... see Paris post!). The bags can be worn like backpacks with straps across the hips and chest to transfer the weight for easier carrying. It can also be worn like a duffle bag. There is a zipper that contains the back straps and an additional strap which hooks to either end, so you can carry it across your chest or on one shoulder. These bags are small enough to be used as carry-ons for flights, which saved us money (some airlines charge for bags you check in, but carry-ones are usually free).
How we packed: we each had 4 containers within our bags. This helped to keep things organized but also allowed us to fit more into the bags. When you have a few containers versus a big pile of clothes, shoes, toiletries, etc., it's easier to make things concise and neat. Also, when unpacking, we could just take out the container we needed instead of going through a pile of stuff to find one thing. We also rolled our clothes to save room.
The backpack contains a big zipper for shoes/clothes/etc, a smaller zipper for flat things like a book or towel or medicines, and a pocket in the front for easy access (passport, money, etc). The middle zipper had 3 compartments: a Velcro slot, a zipper slot, and an open slot. We also bought locks for our bags, and tied the middle and big zippers together. This was nice when we stayed in hostels. Some hostels have lockers and some just have cabinets (that we could lock since we had our own locks).
Weight: Derik's weighed 22 lbs and mine weighed 20 lbs. This seemed to be an ideal weight because we both managed and it really was never a burden to carry them. Anything more than 25 lbs would probably become a nuisance fairly quickly.
We discovered (almost at the end of the trip) that our bags also have hidden whistles! On the chest strap, the buckele contains a whistle to use while hiking or for general safety. A neat little addition!
The backpacks cost $116 each. That seems pricey but the quality is truly worth it. We used these bags for 3 months straight to have almost no wear or tear. They are easy to carry, lightweight, spacious, durable, and comfortable. Everything we needed fit neatly in our bags. One of my inner straps broke toward the end of the trip, so Derik emailed the company. Within the day they responded and were sending out a new part!
There are luxuries that you don't have when backpacking, but we actually haven't been missing much. We left SO much at home, but it's made us realize what little we actually need to be content. It will be nice to have our own space and a place we can unpack in, but the travel bug will never leave us. It's been in us separately before we met and has just enhanced as we have been together. Exploring the world doesn't make us feel satisfied, it makes us hungry for more. We saw so much yet there is still so much to see. So while we probably won't be able to do a trip like this for a while (if ever), we're definitely not done. This part of the radventure is ending but our radventure is never fully through.
What would you pack in your backpack that we didn't mention?
Matty, if you are reading this thank you for the backpack recommendation!
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