But Why, Though?

Packing this light offered several benefits for the trip. Having one backpack means you only have one thing you might lose. It is easy to keep track of. Our trip included five flights (a few were connecting legs of our overseas flight) and on only one occasion did we have to check our backpacks. Not having to check our bags means less chance for the airline to lose them.  Our two bags fit nicely in every train storage situation we encountered. Also, having only one thing to carry and carrying it on your back, means cracks in sidewalks, stairs and running for gates is less of a problem than it would be if we were trying to drag along roller carry-on bags. Not having to pay fees to check bags means we could reallocate our funds for our experiences. That bit of money likely covered one of our more expensive meals and may have even gone a long way toward off setting our Disney Paris admission fees.

Mindset is the First Step

It is always important to me to look appropriate, but I am inherently not a vain person. I wear the same pieces of jewelry almost every single day. I rarely wear a full face of make up. Essentially, I am telling you it is easier to pack everything you need if you can decide that you just really do not care [that much about] how you look. I did not bring hair styling appliances beyond one brush. My hair was almost perpetually frizzy. (It rained often in Paris). And my pictures are still satisfactory. I was not the best dressed person in most of the rooms I entered, but I was comfortable, and I was too busy looking at art, architecture, and the Swiss countryside to notice how I looked.

Part of not caring how I looked meant I took two pairs of shoes. I had a pair of Adidas trail runners that I wore hiking and on particularly rainy days. I took a pair of leather Bobs for all other occasions. I would have preferred to have a few more shoes, and maybe a dressy pair for nice evenings out. However, I made the mental shift before leaving that I had to accept that I was a tourist. I thought, but ‘people will know I am an American if I wear sneakers!’ Turns out people knew I was American by the way I spoke and the fact that I had come to visit a tourist attraction. My shoes weren’t the give-aways I thought they would be. I was a tourist, and I had to be okay with that, and then decided it was okay if I looked a little bit like one.

Another part of not caring how I looked meant deciding on a color scheme so that each and every one of the items I packed was interchangeable with the others. This actually was not very hard for me at all. I packed an array of grey, black and navy items, which also happened to be the palette of which my wardrobe primarily consisted. Even my scarf was white, black and grey. I packed a black pair of tights and a black cardigan. I also had a grey long sleeve technical shirt that could serve as a base layer or a top layer in place of my sweater.

Carefully selecting garments is also helpful. I chose items that were light when I could, including thin cotton skirts, and casual tops, as well as technical items that resisted wrinkles. I packed two dresses as they seemed to serve two purposes for less space in the bag (a top and bottom).  I also chose items that were easily washed and had properties such as wicking or odor resistance so I could wear them more than once before washing. You can check out my review of one of the most important elements of this selection here (Hint: it covers my butt). This was the first time I took a trip and packed fewer pairs of underwear and fewer socks than there were planned days of the trip.

Traveling with one backpack meant we had to be judicial about souvenirs. I knew that we had limited room, so we made careful and thoughtful choices about what to bring back to the US with us. when it was all said and done we brought two chocolate bars, three magnets, a t-shirt and a tin of chocolate, several bus and subways passes and many brochures.

Finally, figuring out how to manage your straps is a necessity. When checking a backpack, the straps and

fasteners are liabilities — they could rip off, damage your bag, or cause any number of other problems. My husband became a pro at hiding these away and even in converting the straps to condense the luggage. One of our bags was specifically designed for this sort of travel: the Osprey Farpoint 55 (Check the link for our review). But the other was an REI climbing bag, and required more inventiveness to wrangle each of the straps.

A Little Bit of Luck

The weather was definitely on our side. The temperatures were in the upper 50s to low 70s most of the trip. This meant we weren’t sweating through our clothes most days, and with only a couple of layers we were comfortable. We did not require bulkier items such as thick sweaters or insulated pants.

Also, our preferred experiences did not often require specific attire. We packed one bathing suit each, but did not require climbing gear, cycling specific gear, five-star dinning, or formal apparel.

What’s in the BAG?!?

Here is a list of what I packed. I’m sure I have left something out, as I am writing this after I unpacked, but I believe this is fairly representative.
[row]
[column lg=”6″ md=”12″ sm=”12″ xs=”12″ ]
• Packing cubes – These helped us to stay organized. I had one for special items, pajamas and bathing suits, one for underwear and socks, and one for all other clothes.
• Zip Lock bag with our toiletries:
• Hand sanitizer
• Face wash
• Shampoo
• Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap (for laundry and body)
• Burts bees chapstick
• Sunscreen
• Bobs black leather shoes
• Adidas trail running shoes
• Three pairs of socks
• Three pair underwear 2x ExOfficio (Link to our review)
• ExOfficio Pants
• One pair of soft shell warmer pants for hiking in the mountains
• One pair of lighter nylon material for travel days and warmer cities
• Four t-shirts/ casual tops
• Two classic black t-shirts
• One nicer grey cotton top
• One blue v-neck t-shirt
• Bathing suit
• Sports bra
• Pair running shorts
• Long sleeve tech shirt
• Semi-tech t-shirt
• Two dresses
• Three skirts (Navy striped, Light gray, Black)

[/column]
[column lg=”6″ md=”12″ sm=”12″ xs=”12″ ]
• Footless tights
• Button up cardigan sweater
• Packable coat
• Rain coat
• Shorts for cycling – no chamois
• Hair ties
• Hairbrush
• Razor
• Book
• Book light
• Tiny moleskin notebook – I used this to write down the most needed phrases in each language, and also did a bit of planning for work
• Pen
• French-english dictionary
• Snacks – I have a tendency to get hangry, so a stash of larabars was necessary. In fact, they were particularly handy in Disneyland Paris.
• Ginger chews – these are very helpful for nausea
• Sunglasses
• Purse (x 2) – I carried a very thin shoulder bag with three zippers. I could wear this comfortably under my sweater or coat, it’s very small but accommodated my wallet, phone, and sunglasses. If stretched, I could add a snack.
I also carried a larger Overland Equipment Donner Bag. This is one of my favorite bags, and stores all the essentials. It housed my books, notebooks, and pillow on travel days.
• First aid
• Neck pillow
• Pack cover (rain protection)
[/column]
[/row]

What I Could Have Left Home

Turns out I the French dictionary was less helpful than the google translate app on my phone. I also did not read the book I carried with me, largely because I used my local library’s multimedia app to download audiobooks – listening to my books on a gently rocking train is much less likely to inspire motion sickness. I could have also left one of the dresses and my non-chamois cycling shorts. I had brought them as a layer of modesty should we rent bikes in one of the cities. We did not end up renting bikes as a means of transportation (traffic patterns were somewhat scary in a few of the cities we visited), and I ended up not wearing these shorts. Also, despite visiting the beach in Anzio, Italy I could have left my bathing suit at home. The water was too cold for me to venture in past my knees.

We could have gone even more minimalist if we really wanted to but found we used just about every item. What are your thoughts? Anything you would add or remove from the list?

The post 15 Days of European Travel in One Backpack appeared first on Outdoor Wanderlust.

Getting There

Getting to Stoos is a 45 minute train ride from Lucerne, Switzerland to Schwyz, Switzerland. Once in Schwyz you’ll need to hop on the #1 Bus to Stoosbahn and take the funicular to Stoos. The current funicular is about a hundred years old and will be replaced in 2018 with a modern funicular. The new one will be the steepest funicular in the world once opened.

If the weather is good, you’ll have a few options for hiking. Stoos has a few chairlifts available to reach the summits or you can hike the trail to the top. Our trip consisted of riding the chairlift up to Mt. Klingenstock where we met up with the panorama trail leading to Mt. Fronalpstock. At 6,338 ft., Mt. Klingenstock is the tallest peak along the trail.

Our Experience Hiking in Switzerland

We feared that our trip would be met with a rain storm but after a few light rain drops, we were relieved to find clearing skies. As we hiked along the ridge, we passed in and out of the low clouds. For a while a constant billow of fog rose from the valley on our left and met the clear skies on our right, creating a beautiful divide of light and dark on our path forward.

Eventually the skies began to clear in all directions and the sun painted the ridge line. Much of the trail is well-managed with log steps or chain barriers on the more precarious sections. If you have a fear of heights you will have your nerves tested at times with numerous skinny paths along sheer rock faces. We found a few picnic tables or benches at the peaks where you could enjoy a snack or lunch if you were prepared.

We’ve hiked many mountains in the U.S. but this was the first in Europe. We’ve hiked solid rock exposures and tree-lined alpine regions but this was different with its lush green grasses all the way to the peaks. With every breeze the grass moved like water up the slopes. Constant jingling cowbells from livestock below provided a soundtrack reminiscent of wind chimes for our hike. The view from the ridge included several other peaks (some still covered in snow), tiny homes and ponds, and a crystal blue Lake Lucerne as the trail grew closer to Mt. Fronalpstock. It was a beautifully unique experience that is well worth the trip if you’re in the region.

As we came to the end of our hike and arrived at Mt. Fronalpstock, we met a large crowd of visitors eating lunch at the peak’s restaurant. Many tourists opt to take the chairlift up to the restaurant and lookout point but not hike the ridge trail. From the patio of the restaurant, you can look over Lake Lucerne while sitting in fur covered chairs. We rode the chairlifts back down but you can take a trail if you’re not pressed for time.

We thoroughly enjoyed hiking in Switzerland during the brief time we were there. It’s definitely going on the list for a return trip and an extended adventure in the mountains.

The post Ridge Hiking in the Switzerland appeared first on Outdoor Wanderlust.

Step 1: Commit to a Travel Time

Pick a date or a time period when you want to go. Keep in mind that summer is peak season for tourism in Europe so if you want shorter lines and fewer crowds go during the shoulder or off-season. Committing to a time period is important so you can start looking for the travel deals and planning out the details like destinations, cell phone usage, etc. It should also go without saying but be sure you allow enough time to get a passport if you don’t have one yet.

Step 2: Pick a Home City in Europe

Decide on a primary destination or two that you definitely want to visit. This will give you a target for your main travel purchase, airfare. I plan on visiting a few countries over 14 days, so I had a few options. It’s not critical to map out every destination at this point, (especially if you have several months before your trip). Just choosing the bookends, where you will enter and leave the continent on your trip will be the first step. Trying to be really precise from the beginning and planning out every destination can make it difficult to find travel discounts. Your options become narrowed and thus increasing the costs.

Step 3: Finding Travel Deals

With flights exceeding $2k round trip from the U.S. it’s important to looks for deals. This is an area where you can save a ton of cash. My suggestion is to check out Scott’s Cheap Flights. You’ll get daily air fare deals sent to your inbox regularly. Some awesome options will come your way in no time. Be patient but ready. Hence the commitment step earlier. Some times deals are extremely short-lived because they are accidental on the airlines part. I secured round trip for two to Paris from Cincinnati for $900. It involved finding the flights using Google Flights and then toggling calendar days until the best price came up.

There are other options like skyscanner.com or kayak.com, but so far my experience is these traditional travel booking sites just don’t find the best possible deals.

Stay tuned for Part 2 where we dive into the actual planning. Picking activities, finding local transit, languages, exchange rates…

The post Series: Traveling to Europe for Newbies – Part 1 appeared first on Outdoor Wanderlust.