How to pack for Eleven days with only a backpack

While I'm still editing my entire vacation post, I figured I would share how I packed for my trip through Europe.

To start, I flew with Norwegian Air and Ryanair. Between the two airlines I knew I needed a carry-on that was compliant for both airlines, could fit enough for two weeks, and not be a pain to carry around. Ryanair allows a free carry-on of 55cm x 40cm x 20cm (21.6in x 15.7in x 7.8in) in size and 10kg (22lbs) in weight. Norwegian Airlines allows a free carry-on of 55x40x23 cm (21.5in x 15.7in x 9in) in size and 10 kg (22lbs) in weight.

I had checked out other travel blogs and decided I wanted a backpack (because lets face it, wheeled luggage on cobblestone streets is not enjoyable). So I studied how to pack for a two week trip with just a backpack. A lot of people thought I was crazy, but honestly, I could have packed less.

I purchased two backpacks, ended up keeping both, so I had one and Corey had one. I carried the larger of the two, because even light packing, I over-pack. I had the Cabin Max Metz Extra Backpack. Corey had the Hynes Eagle Travel Backpack 40L.

While the Cabin Metz was slightly longer than the requirements for Ryanair, it fit in their measuring bin with no issue.

So what did I pack? Just in my bag was: A pair of jeans, two dresses, two skirts, three pairs of shorts, three tank tops, three t-shirts, a cardigan, a long sleeved t-shirt, two pairs of liner socks, 10 pairs of underwear, three bras, three bathing suits, a cover up, two microfiber towels, a travel clothesline (I got this one), a pair of cheap flip flops, a pair of sandals, a pair of walking sneakers, a raincoat, a scarf, Tide travel packets, Shout stain wipes, my Kindle, chargers for electronics, a world adapter, two phones, and a quart size bag filled with all my skincare and makeup. How did I get all of this to fit in a backpack? Packing cubes. I bought Amazon's own packing cubes in medium (Click)

I watched a ton of videos, read a bunch of other travel blogs, and learned how to roll my clothes to fit several pieces in a packing cube. I practiced using my bulkiest clothes so I knew summer clothes would be no problem. The trick is to zip the cube as you place items in. I only needed two medium sized packing cubes per backpack.

On our way to the airport, we picked up a hand scale, just to make sure our bags were not over the weight limit. Corey's bag was about 15lbs and mine was about 20lbs. Both well under the weight limits for our flights. Once we were in Europe, there was definitely some clothes swapping to even out the weight (though I ended up carrying the lighter bag the bulk of the trip).

Unless I am going on a ski trip, I plan on only packing with a backpack from now on. It was so much easier to go from place to place. And whenever we were tired, found a bench and relaxed.