8 countries in 98 days requires a lot of flying around. I tried my best to pack and travel with carry-on sized bags only. The size of my bags fit within the dimensions however with specific airlines, the total weight can be an issue especially if you can only carry 7KG (15LBS). My camera and laptop alone were heavy enough to cover that 7KG.
I took 25 flights. Since we were worried about potentially getting denied and getting dinged with luggage fees at the gate, we purchased checked bags with our flight tickets. Where I could, I tried to carry-on both my bags but also where we purchased checked bags, we checked them. I had heard that some Airlines were notorious for being sticklers for checking peoples bags and what they bring on. This is the result.
The bags I used and the starting weight – Wandrd Prvke – 8.14KG and The North Face Basecamp Duffel Backpack – 6.5KG.
🙆🏻♀️ – Took both bags as carry-on or had the option
🙅🏻♀️ – Had to check bag or just checked bag because we purchased
🤷🏻♀️ – Potentially could’ve carried on both bags
Main flights – Los Angeles – WestJet ; Nadi – Fiji Airways ; Auckland – Fiji Airways 🙆🏻♀️
Christchurch – Air NZ 🙆🏻♀️
Queenstown – Air NZ 🙆🏻♀️
Perth – Virgin Australia 🙅🏻♀️ cannot check in online for international flights – depending on who you get. They allowed a guy to bring 8kg for Virgin Australia. We had already purchased check in baggage so we put it in. My NF was 6.5KG but my Prvke was defintely over the 7KG limit. On the flight, both bags definitely fit size wise.
Hobart – Virgin Australia 🙅🏻♀️ used the check-in we purchased. Virgin never checked weight of my personal bag which was more than 7KG. Judging by the other passengers, they carry-on with one bag each and no one gets checked for weight. There’s plenty of space in the overhead bins.
Sydney – Virgin Australia – 🙅🏻♀️ checked in bag
Singapore – Scoot 🙆🏻♀️ they did tag bags but never came to us. We did re-jigged our bags just in case as we purchased 1 check in. Our checked bag was Heaviest at about 12.6KG and I was around 11KG in case in 2 bags while Bev’s bag became only 5kg.
Cebu – Scoot – 🤷🏻♀️ no one weighed bags but it was a full flight so they offered to gate check hand carry bags for free at the gate. You check-in in-person at the kiosk, show your declaration form and then drop off checked baggage. You only then go through security when you get to your gate. There is a water station inside after security.
Ozamiz – Cebu Pacific – 🤷🏻♀️ we did checked luggage but no one checked carry-on weight. Cebu Pacific tends to check weight for carry-on however their checked bags are 20KG or 32KG so you can really stuff it in. With 3 of us, we packed one large luggage with all our stuff for 1 checked 20KG.
Coron – Philippines Airlines 🙆🏻♀️ we had 7KG carry on (no one checked) and combine all 3 into one 20KG check-in – you have the option to do collective check in weight
Cebu – Cebu Pacific 🙆🏻♀️ they checked everyone’s weight but I pulled out my camera & laptop and it was fine. We shared 1 large check-in
Bali – Philippines Airlines – 🙆🏻♀️ checked bag as we have a 10HR layover so bag will go through to Bali. 7.6KG checked bag
Taipei – Eva Air 🙆🏻♀️ didn’t weigh carry-on but had to goto the counter to get boarding pass even after checking in online. Came with 2 free checked bags.
Okinawa – Eva Air 🙆🏻♀️ didn’t weigh carry-on but had checked bag included
Tokyo – Jetstar – 🙆🏻♀️ didn’t weigh carry on since we had a checked bag but for passengers with 2 bags, they got their bags weighed as total weight must be 7KG
Busan – Air Seoul – 🙆🏻♀️ didn’t weigh carry-on since I had checked bag included but carry-on weight limit is 10KG
Jeju – Jeju Air – 🙆🏻♀️ didn’t weigh carry-on since I had checked bag included but carry-on weight limit is 15KG
Seoul – Jeju Air – 🙆🏻♀️ didn’t weigh carry-on since I had checked bag included in flight ticket but carry-on weight limit is 15KG
Vancouver – Air Canada – 🙆🏻♀️ didn’t weigh carry-on
Toronto – Westjet – 🙆🏻♀️ carried both on no problem
Check out my Amazon page for gear that I personally use and products similar to those I pack on my travels (many of which are listed below).
Travelling 8 countries in 98 days, we travelled through temperatures of 8°C-38°C (plus humidity in some places).
We also encountered days of rain where a compact packable umbrella and rain jacket came in handy but also days where it was windy and cold.
Heading out onto this trip, my 2 bags fall under the carry-on size for planes however with some airlines being strict with 7.5KG total for both bags, I unfortunately was over by 4-5KG.
What I packed – NF Duffle BackpackWhat I packed – Camera Backpack
Check out my Amazon page for gear that I personally use and products similar to those I pack on my travels (many of which are listed below).
For this Eurotrip, we had planned to visit many cities and countries but doing so by the most efficient and cost effective of options. To do so, we took many flights with Ryanair and well, if you have flown with Ryanair, you can barely carry anything on those flights without having to pay for it.
With the restrictions of Ryanair as our template, I had to leave behind my goto bags – Wandrd PRVKE 21 and the North Face Basecamp Duffel – S. I traded those in for this Swissgear Travel Tote and that was it. The size restriction is (40cm x 20cm x 25cm).
With that being said, I had to sacrifice a few things but as a Photographer, it’s hard to leave things behind in case you need it. I did put Photography gear as priority and in the end, I brought less clothes and did more laundry. If you actually look at all my photos of me during the trip, it just looks like one long day since I wear the same things in all the photos.
For this trip, we had to deal with many temperatures going from 0°C to a high of 31°C. This is not an ideal situation for the limited space but I somehow made it work.
What I packed
Wearing onto Plane
-Lululemon Tights – these tights are amazing because they are super lightweight but also feature pockets!
My philosophy when travelling is purchase only as much as you can carry back. This trip in particular was geared towards hiking and being outdoors in colder weather.
Marked in bold are things I didn’t end up using.
Wearing on Plane
-Lululemon tights
-Tank top w/ built in sports bra
-Hoodie
-Sneakers
-Socks
-Hat – Didn’t really use
PRVKE – Carry-On
-Nikon D750
-28mm lense
-150-500mm lense – Came in handy when shooting nature and animals from a distance – not recommended to carry for hiking
-3 Nikon Batteries + charger
-Mogics – Power Bar
-Powerbank – didn’t use
-Samsung T5 SSD External + cable
-Card Reader + cable
-Macbook Air + charger
-Astrolapin
-Memory Cards
-Eye drops – Rohto 40
-Gloves – I brought them but forgot them for the glacier hike -_-
-Glasses + case
-Foldable Waterbottle
-Nuun – Electrolyte tablets
-Aux cord / Charging usb port / phone holder – for rental car
Check out my Amazon page for gear that I personally use and products similar to those I pack on my travels (many of which are listed below).
As a photographer, my priorities for travelling always have been photography first. I used the PRVKE bag by WANDRD as my personal camera bag. My trusty Yellow North Face Basecamp Duffel was my main luggage.
My philosophy when travelling is purchase only as much as you can carry back.
For my safari adventure in Africa, I left my North Face Basecamp Duffel behind and replaced it with the Victorinox VX Touring Wheeled 2-in-1 carry-on as my main luggage. I am a firm believer in only bringing what you can carry and vice versa. Since my trip to Southeast Asia back in 2015, I have not checked in luggage and have packed carry-on only. I wanted to test the waters with this hybrid bag for this trip.
Check out my Amazon page for gear that I personally use and products similar to those I pack on my travels (many of which are listed below).
Initial Impressions
The Victorinox VX Touring Wheeled 2-in-1 carry-on is a structured carry-on luggage with a durable fabric and zippers that have a watertight seal. There are 4 compression straps and an expansive zipper. The front of the bag features a padded laptop compartment and the main portion of the bag unzips and rolls down like a backpacker’s backpack revealing the full space. There are 2 mesh storage pockets inside and a strap inside.
This has 2 wheels and a mono handle if you wanted to tow the luggage around however if one wants to carry it like a backpack, you can. Unzipping the back of the luggage, there are detachable backpack straps and the zipper flap must be rolled down and tucked into before you can use it. There is also a zipper below that houses a wheel cover so the wheels won’t make contact with your clothing as you carry it.
I would say I am an avid traveller and pack as minimal as possible. My first impressions while trying to pack the Victorinox bag, I compared to my usual carry-on bag – The North Face – Basecamp Duffel – Small.
The Victorinox bag has more structure than the duffel with the ability to roll the bag around instead of just carrying it. Both bags have handles around the bag so you can carry it in multiple ways. Both are water repellant with sturdy zippers and compression straps. The Victorinox features a large mesh pocket on the roll down side and an inside side mesh pocket. The North Face only has a mesh pocket on the flap. The North Face bag is much more malleable and able to pack more in ensuring all the space is utilized. The Victorinox has more structure and features a large roll down cover that opens to show the entire compartment to help pack.
Initially looking at the Victorinox I noticed it has less capacity due to the fact that the luggage has a stowaway handle, which retracts, into the bag leaving a large portion in the middle of the storage compartment obsolete for actual packing space. Trying to tetris style pack the Victorinox I found was more difficult depending on how you position say a compartment bag or a sleeping bag because you would need to layer them in around the monopole section and also so it doesn’t become lumpy once closed. What I did find very helpful is that the flap opens all the way revealing the packing space and when done packing, it folds back over and the zippers zip very smoothly. The plus from this bag is that there is an expansion zipper if you need to carry more. There are compression straps to minimize the size but once again, if things are not packed properly, the section that the compressions straps are not present look really bulky.
The Victorinox is built as part roll luggage, part backpack, the back of the luggage is a firm structure that is quite wide and even if the main compartment is not full, there is no way to squish it any further. A Victorinox TSA combination lock is also included. The 2 wheels of the bag are solid with curb caps to protect the bag when rolling. With the 2 large wheels built in the way it is, it allows the bag to be longer to carry more than a 4 wheeler luggage but also stay compliant with carry-on size. While carrying the Victorinox bag with another backpack, the size becomes prominent. The bag features adjustable sternum straps nonetheless with the large dimension of the bag without a waist strap; it becomes cumbersome to carry for long periods of time.
As a normal roll luggage, it is perfectly fine for general use. As a backpack, it has a lot to learn from a more dedicated duffel backpack.
detachable backpack straps
light weight and perfect size for the truck
Camping at Elephant Sands
Camping at Elephant Sands
Camping at Elephant Sands
Field Testing
Travelling to Africa, my friends and myself decided to check in our luggage because we had many layovers and didn’t want to deal with our bags every step of our trip. The Victorinox proved to be a good bag to be used for this type of travel. We did On The Go Tours, which is a budget overland tour meaning we would be packing our luggage into the truck at every campsite, but easily enough can take it to our tents if we wanted.
Having the 2 wheels and monopod handle proved to be smooth sailing through the airports and wherever we needed to go with it. The size of the bag is considered carry on so it was lightweight and very easy to zip through. The truck we used had a luggage compartment that was about chest level and with the 2 wheels, I was able to put the bag in and pull it out no problem. Top handle and side handle made this even easier.
Some people would keep their luggage in the truck luggage compartment and prep for the next day. I took my luggage into my tent every night because it easy to handle and small enough that I had adequate space in my tent to do so. The plus of this bag compared to my North Face duffel is the way the bag opens. The bag zips all the way to the bottom where the flap can fold over and reveal all the inner contents of the bag that the duffel would need to remove the inner contents to do so. Having compartment bags inside definitely helped with the daily organization.
Even after the duration of my trip, I had no problem zipping the bag back up without using the expansion zipper. The only downside I personally didn’t like from a aesthetic prospective is that when it is packed and compression straps used, the area where the compression straps are not, the bag looks really frumpy making it look larger than it actually is. The actual pattern of the bag and the orange compression hooks made the bag very easy to recognize when picking up my luggage from the carousel. Overall, the bag proved to be very useful and convenient for this trip. If you need to live out of a suitcase/luggage for a trip, this will do just fine. I think my travel style is slightly more agile and streamline that being able to carry everything on my body is key.
Check out my Amazon page for gear that I personally use and products similar to those I pack on my travels (many of which are listed below).
As a photographer, my priorities for travelling always have been photography first. This time around for a safari adventure in Africa, I left my North Face Basecamp Duffel behind and replaced it with the Victorinox VX Touring Wheeled 2-in-1 carry-on as my main luggage. I used the PRVKE bag by WANDRD as my personal camera bag. I am still not a big fan of wheeled luggage but this hybrid wheeled duffel bag was an interesting one to test out. Follow the link to see my review on the Victorinox VX Touring Wheeled 2-in-1 carry-on.
Going to South Africa and going on a safari – less is more. On the safari, you are travelling with a medium size group of people and a laptop is more of an inconvenience than anything else. Unfortunately, my 120mm Twin Lense film camera had to be left at home (especially with an addition of a sleeping bag). Africa can be hot but when the sun goes down, the temperature dips. Black & Blue clothing attract tsetse flies so avoid wearing those colours. Northern parts of Africa are quite conservative so be aware that tights/leggings & revealing tank tops won’t do in the city or small villages (shoulders and knees should be covered). While on safari, you can wear whatever you feel like but in terms of colour, stick to neutrals so you can blend into the environment. White will only get dirty so the colours you should try to stick to are greys, greens, browns. In terms of fabrics, dry-fit and light linens are ideal and layering is key (I hate layering). We were given opportunity during our trip to do our own laundry and hang it to dry.
*We were given slightly wrong information in terms of what we needed to pack. Our friend had previously done Northern Africa, which encompasses more Muslims thus more conservative. Southern Africa is not as conservative meaning shorts and tank tops are the more appropriate attire. Marked in BOLD are clothing or items that weren’t needed or I didn’t use and also important information.
PRVKE – My camera backpack & my Victorinox 2-for-1 carry-on lugagge
Check out my Amazon page for gear that I personally use and products similar to those I pack on my travels (many of which are listed below).
As a photographer, my priorities for travelling always have been photography first. This time around, unlike my Peru – Machu Picchu trek, my walzflex 120mm film camera made an appearance once again.
For 14 days of travel through Japan, I decided against a rolling hard case luggage. I have since replaced my Kata Camera bag with a new bag from PRVKE as my personal camera bag and my trusty Yellow North Face Basecamp Duffel as my main luggage, My philosophy when travelling is purchase only as much as you can carry back.
This is how I roll when travelling these days (North Face Basecamp Duffel + camera backpack)
The new camera backpack – PRVKE 21
Camera backpack in action
Japan Packing List
14 days
Wearing onto Plane
1 pair of tights (Underarmour are my choice of preference)
Check out my Amazon page for gear that I personally use and products similar to those I pack on my travels (many of which are listed below).
Peru & Panama – 10 days
Descending Dead Woman’s Pass
My North Face Basecamp Duffel & Deuter 28L Backpacking bag
My trip to Peru and Panama was a 10 day trip so this is what I ended up packing overall for my trip. Below this first list, is how I reorganized my bags for the actual Inca Trail hiking days (4 days 3 nights).
-1 hiking shoes (If you want to lessen your load, you can wear your hiking boots as your main pair of shoes with flip flops as your second option for footwear)
I reorganized my bags accordingly for the Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu as anything in my daypack I am required to carry the entire hike and also whatever I pack in my duffel bag that the porter carries is only accessible at the end of each hiking day but must also fit in the weight restrictions.
For Machu Picchu
What I wore & what was packed in the duffel bag the porter carried.
-4 pants – waterproof-ish track pants, loose fitting pair of pants, 2 tights (one coldgear for sleeping in)
*in all honesty, to pack lighter, you could get away with 1-2 pairs of tights to wear for the entire hike as you won’t be showering and just change your underwear). Bring a pair of pants to wear for sleeping.
-2 long sleeve (1 to sleep in). We lucked out with weather so rain was minimal.
-2 tank tops
-1 t-shirt
-5 underwear
-2 sports bras
-5 socks – 4 for climbing, 1 for sleeping
-flip flops
-hiking boots
-rain jacket
-packable blanket (added this layer in my sleeping bag on the cold night)
-packable towel ( if you plan on showering or want an extra layer in your sleeping bag, this is good to have)
-little microfibre towel – when it got hot and I stripped down to just a tank top – the towel sat between the shoulder straps on my shoulders to give some extra padding
-gloves – only used when descending after dead woman’s pass and also at night trying to take star photos
Check out my Amazon page for gear that I personally use and products similar to those I pack on my travels (many of which are listed below).
Backpacking is the way to go especially when travelling Southeast Asia. To make it a quick and easier way of getting in and out of airports, backpacking without checking in any bags is the most ideal. For my 25 day adventure this is what I packed.
Mind you, I am a photographer and my priorities for travelling always have the photography aspect ahead of everything else which meant sacrificing clothing and other material goods for all my computer and camera gear. All in all, I did a good job if I say so myself for packing and still have space to to return home with tons of goodies.
I have also included some comments beside items that I brought which in the end, were not needed or they were a MUST.
This is a good list to read through if you are also curious to see what gear I use to shoot during my travels.
Airport washroom shot with my bags
Myself & Amy in Saigon with our bags
Adam, Amy & Myself with our bags at the airport in Hanoi, Vietnam
THIS IS WHAT I PACKED:
Wearing on plane
1 pair of tights
1 t-shirt (you need at least one top that is “modest” to wear at temples to cover up.
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