I’m heading down to Sydney for a long-ish weekend in April, and as such am only bringing carry on luggage*. Finding the right carry on bag is always tricky for me and the last time I travelled I used a large bowler-style bag. However, this time I’m thinking of sticking to a backpack like the Kånken backpack from Fjällräven. It’s roomy enough to fit a few changes of clothes and light toiletries without being cumbersome to carry. I’m heading down for an engagement party so will need at least one dressy outfit but for the rest of my stay I’ll largely be wearing casual tops/jeans/skirts. It’s a given that I’ll be wearing bulkier things like jackets and boots on the plane, leaving room in my carry on for lighter objects. I’m terrible at packing light and have enough trouble deciding how many cameras to bring (I’m thinking of leaving the DSLR at home but argh!) so this will definitely be an exercise in restraint. Apart from things like clothes, tickets, and personal effects, these are a few of my travelling essentials.
– A sturdy carry on bag with zip closures. The more compartments the better.
– Film camera. I always try and take one film camera with me, in addition to my iPhone 6 and/or a digital camera.
– The Horse Watch. I always wear a wristwatch when travelling. Obviously so I can keep track of the time but also because it can be pretty annoying having to constantly fish your phone out to check the time.
– Side bag. So I can keep the important stuff like my wallet, phone, tickets etc. on me at all times.
– Travel-sized toiletries. One of my favourite parts of travelling is buying all of the miniature things.
– Socks. Because bare feet on planes/trains/buses are gross.
– Headphones. There’s nothing worse than having time to kill and realising you don’t have any headphones to plug into your phone/tablet/laptop.
– Pouch. It’s always handy to have something to store loose items in. This one really speaks to me because it’s pretty much the only way I can get on a plane. I’m not super anxious about flying and I always enjoy the view but at the end of the day it’s just not my favourite thing to do.
– Not pictured: patience. Sometimes everything goes to plan. Sometimes it doesn’t. Stressing out doesn’t help so you might as well just sit back and try to enjoy the ride.
– Socks. Because bare feet on planes/trains/buses are gross.
– Headphones. There’s nothing worse than having time to kill and realising you don’t have any headphones to plug into your phone/tablet/laptop.
– Pouch. It’s always handy to have something to store loose items in. This one really speaks to me because it’s pretty much the only way I can get on a plane. I’m not super anxious about flying and I always enjoy the view but at the end of the day it’s just not my favourite thing to do.
– Not pictured: patience. Sometimes everything goes to plan. Sometimes it doesn’t. Stressing out doesn’t help so you might as well just sit back and try to enjoy the ride.
*That said, I made sure that my return flight includes checked baggage just in case I decide to buy all of the things.
I'm thinking about getting a Kånken backpack, my old had just ripped and it seems like the perfect replacement.
You have any size suggestions?
Depends what you'll be using it for I guess. For everyday use the classic will probably suffice. For weekenders/travel I'd go the big or maxi. Hope that helps!
ahh i adore the fjall backpack and the gorman socks !! hope you enjoy syd xxx
Thanks. Really looking forward to Sydney.
I'm unsure about the Kånken backpacks, I don't find them to be robust enough. I'd be careful with an SLR in one. Have a good one!
Buckets & Spades
Thanks for the tip! Might stick to a point and shoot then.