Fitting my life in a carry on bag

Don't forget, please excuse any typos.

I am currently in Cali, Colombia stuck inside with a pretty rough cold. It SUCKS! I just want to be out exploring and dancing but I don't want to pass my germs on. So I thought I'd use the time to share a little about my packing goals.

My host just brought me a fresh juice :')

Organiser at heart

I have always leaned on the organised and minimalist side. Not super hardcore but I am a big fan of getting rid of excess and trying not to acquire unneccessary stuff. Growing up I spent a lot of time at my best friend's farm. My second mother, Cathy says she remembers me fully cleaning and organising the horse tack room. I also remember having all my many toys really organised in my full wall sized bookshelf. A couple of years ago I even had a side business helping people declutter and organise their homes. And now I basically do this for work but in the digital realm. So it's no real suprise I wanted to pack light and well organised!

There's a name for this. It's called "One Bagging".

The idea is to have more freedom and not have to pay luggage fees. True One Baggers would have much less stuff than me, but I am happy where I landed.

Research

Let's start with the backpack. I went deep in my research, with a spreadsheet and all :D.

I wasn't joking when I said spreadsheet!

I was comparing weight, measurements and features. Initially I thought I wanted a rolling backpack (basically a backpack with the option of wheeling it). In the end I felt the added weight wasn't worth it.

I opted to invest in a good quality backpack from Cotopaxi. Cotopaxi use fabric left over from other companies’ larger production runs. This makes them a more sustainable option and every bag is unique. Another big drawcard is the suitcase style design. Their bags fit SO.MUCH.STUFF! I bought the 35L (during a sale) and once it arrived I wondered if I should have gone down to the 28L! I have been away a week and I think the 35L is right for me.

Check out the bag on the Cotopaxi website!

Lists, lists, lists

I started my packing list a few days after I booked my flights to Colombia (ie 3 months before I left!). Everytime I thought of something else I add it to the list! You can view my final list here, including the few items I didn't end up tacking: Laura's packing list

I did try to borrow and buy second-hand as much as I could, because buying all new things is not only expensive, but really goes against minimalist values. And the world is already full of way too much stuff that ends up in landfill. I found it hard though. The perfectionist in me wanted every item to be perfect. Overall, I feel I bought too much stuff brand new. It's something I really want to improve on. I guess the good thing is I won't be buying much 'stuff' for the next 6 months which balances it out a tiny bit?!

Let's see it!

It weighed in at 9kg...

Everything layed out - looks like a lot!

Bag packed, my DIY travel pillow (puffer jacket in a little soft bag), my cross bag and my outfit for the plane

The short-term verdict (one week in!)

Mostly I am really happy with what I packed. Even in the heat (ie sweaty conditions), I had enough clothes for a week before having to do washing. I will mention that my collar bones were hurting from carrying the bag around airports on my way over. I definitely wouldn't want more stuff from a weight perspective (it currently weighs 9kg).

I do feel like I need a nicer top for wearing out. Most of mine are really casual and Colombian's look so nice when they go out.

I also need shoes (that aren't runners) for going out. I thought this would be the case but I didn't have anything lightweight/small ones at home. I went to the markets and got these little slip on shoes so we'll see how that goes!

New shoes!

Good news... this took me a couple of days to write and I am now feeling SO much better! Off to a group dance class tonight! Sooooo happy!