How much does your suitcase weigh for two weeks of travel?
Posted on August 12, 2022
Patti and I leave for our trip to England next week. Over many years I’ve refined my list of what to wear on the plane and what to pack in my carry-on suitcase. This post shares my list. Lighter travel is better travel, and you may find my list helpful. I’ve packed 11½ pounds: that includes four pounds for my hiking boots, two sets of walking sticks and a small umbrella. Here’s my master list.
== Some generalities ==
No cotton or wool. Everything must be quick dry. Most everything is polyester or nylon. One of my polo shirts is cotton-poly, but it is quick dry.
Count layers for warmth. I could have six layers for warmth. Thin poly tee. LS poly tee. SS polo. ¼ zip. Fleece. Raincoat. Neck and head: neckband, thin fleece beany, baseball hat and sunhat.
Wash clothes every day. After hiking or being out for the day, I’ll shower and change into what I’ll wear for dinner. I’ll wash my very thin, stretch-poly undershirt, underwear, and the thin poly liner socks that I wore inside my hiking socks. I’ll wash them in the sink or in the shower with their body wash. I’ll dry those in a towel (roll and twist). They are usually dry before we go to bed. I’ll then wear the set I washed the previous night. I only have two pair of outer socks: hiking and black-poly crew; I’ll wash those infrequently.
== Things I like ==
Bluffworks pants. These are very comfortable and look great. These are my go-to pants all year round, and are not solely travel pants. (I order tailored-fit and smaller than my normal waist size; the waist band stretches.) I generally only spot wash them as needed. Especially with the one long-sleeve shirt I take, I never feel like we are poorly dressed for dinner. Bluffworks pants have lots of zippers, so my wallet is secure.
Two thin, poly-stretch undershirts. These are very comfortable under the polo shirt I wear when we are walking. Temperatures are typically in the 60s when we walk in England. I wash these daily, and I do not wash the two outer polo shirts that I take more than once.
Black poly quarter-zip shirt. I can wear this for dinner and look just fine. I wear my long sleeve collared shirt when we’re eating at a nicer restaurant.
Thin, black fleece. I bought one that I like for $12 in England about five years ago. It looks good enough to wear to dinner.
Sun hat. I wear one from Sunday Afternoons that I bought years ago. It may look funky, but it is the best for sun protection.
Collapsible walking sticks. Patti and I need these at our age. I need them for the boost when walking uphill, and we both need them for balance going downhill. The walking on this trip is very flat, but I’m sure we’ll start out using them and see how it goes.
Low cut hiking boots. I used to wear high top, but I like low cut now. Our hiking isn’t as challenging as years ago, and I only carry a day pack.
Osprey Talon 11 (11 liter) day pack. It fits like a regular pack in that I can tighten the waist band and put the weight on my hips and not my shoulders or back. I like the snap across my chest. I can carry my walking sticks. Patti thinks it is too small, but I get our lunches, water, and my rain jacket in it.
Gortex (or similar) rain jacket. Ours are from Outdoor Research. It has to breathe if you are hiking.
Conclusion. Patti and I are headed to England next week. Traveling as light as possible is more enjoyable for us. Over the years, I’ve refined what I need to take for two weeks international travel. This post provides my list. My suitcase has 11½ pounds in it. That includes 4 pounds for my hiking boots, two sets of collapsible walking sticks, and a small umbrella.