After my experience of “lost” luggage on my trip to US last year (it took them 4 days to find it), I’ve decided to try a more minimalistic approach to my packing.

I’ve come across a lot of ultralight packing sites lately, where they travel with 20-32 litres bags, for months at a time. Now, there is no way I’ll ever be on their level of “small” luggage, but I should be able to travel for a week with hand luggage only, wouldn’t you think?

Here is the plan, one carry on and a purse of some sort! Now that can’t be too bad, I am after all only going to be gone for a week, so shouldn’t really need all that much stuff… right?

It all sounded fine, until I got mums shopping list, for Norwegian jam and mayonnaise, and then there is the chocolate I need to bring, a book or two for my mum…  What it boils down to, is that since the jam jar are bigger than the allowed 100 ml carry on bottles, the luggage have to go into the belly of the plane. As I’m travelling with a friend of mine (B), we’ve decided to send one of our carry ons as regular luggage and bring the other into the cabin. With only one carry on each, we still get to practice packing a “lighter” load.

So what am I bringing?

Well.. let’s see.

Beside all the goodies for my mum and my brother, this is pretty much my packing list for a week in England:

• 1 blue jeans (wearing on the plane)
• 1 white jeans (for dressing up)
• 1 blue top (for dressing up)
• 4 t-shirts (1 for the plane)
• 1 thin long sleeved shirt
• 1 tank tops
• 1 hooded top (wearing)
• 1 very thin sweater (for dressing up)
• 1 short
• 1 belt for shorts
• 1 belt for jeans (wearing)
• flip plops
• jogging shoes (wearing)
• thin rain jacket
• thin down packable jacked (wearing)
• 2 sleep shorts
• 1 lounge pant
• underwear/bra
• 3 pair of socks (wearing 1)
• thin neck scarf (to protect me from getting cold on the plane)
• toiletries – the regular stuff like toothbrush/paste, face and body oil, shampoo, contact lenses, medication ++
• 2 iPads + chargers (my mini, and mums Christmas present (yes, the one she hasn’t gotten yet))
• small camera
• phone + charger + ear buds
• book to read on the trip
• passport, money and e-ticket
• sunglasses
• regular glasses for the evenings
• travel adapter
• 1 box of Nescafe Cafe au Chocolate – gotta have my choca mocha fix, you know;-)

My gosh.. that is one awful long list of things.. doesn’t seem very minimalistic now, does it?

I’m sure I’ve packed more than I’ll need, but never mind. It’s not like I’ll be trekking this luggage all over the world now, is it? It’s only a quick trip to hang out with family. Still, it’s a good way to test how little I can get away with for a weeks trip.

So is all this stuff going to fit into my small carry on?

Well… take a look, and see for yourself 🙂

It all fit!

Thankfully, half of the stuff is not coming back home with me. Which means, when it comes down to it, I packed with space to spare 😉

So, off I go, tomorrow morning… See you in London!