Sustainable Ways Travel

While studying abroad in Europe, most students will travel using budget airlines. These airlines include Ryanair, Easyjet, and many others. Most trips will cost around €50 round trip. Of course, nothing comes for free and there are catches. The biggest catch is baggage allowances. With the cheapest ticket passengers are allowed one carry-on bag that is 40cm x 25cm x 20cm (15.7in x 9.8in x 7.8in), which is about the size of a backpack.

*Cue terrified screams*

Don’t worry! It is entirely possible to pack 3-4 days’ worth of cloths and supplies into a backpack. Trust me, I visited 14 countries while studying abroad and I never carried more than a backpack onto the plane. While doing research for this article, I noticed the more expensive travel backpacks and packing cubes are being promoted on the internet. I have found more budget friendly options that still have fantastic reviews and have roughly the same features as the most expensive travel items.  These are my top three tips for packing for a weekend trip in a backpack:

1. The Backpack is Everything

            What is a packing strategy without a luggage recommendation? Picking a backpack that works for you is essential for a good packing strategy.  The best backpack will have some structure and support, while also being as close to the size restriction as possible. You will need the structure and support for the weight of the backpack which will get up to 15-20 pounds with those souvenirs. Amazon.com has many affordable options for carry on backpacks, my favorites are listed below:

This backpack comes in many colors and is great for many uses. It has a wet pocket for toiletries, a shoe pocket, and a laptop sleeve.  It is a little over the size allotment, but it should not be a problem when you travel with only the backpack.

Similar to the backpack above, it has all the same pockets and more. The Coofay backpack has an antitheft pocket that is perfect for storing your passport and other important documents.

The main features to look for are lots of pockets. Large pockets, small pockets, liquid pockets, fleece pockets. A laptop sleeve is nice if you plan on doing homework, but most likely you will not have time for homework between exploring and meeting new people.

2. Packing Cubes

            Packing cubes are the secret to creating more pockets in your backpack. They are essential to keeping your backpack clean and organized. They also help to compress items to fit more things into your backpack. Let’s say that you need to pack clothes and emergency food in the same backpack pocket. By packing your clothes in a packing cube, they will be kept separate from the food and clean! Packing cubes are also nice because you can take them out of your backpack and have all your clothes laid out in front of you. Never scrounge around the bottom of your bag for the last pair of clean socks again! I recommend purchasing packing cubes of various sizes, my favorites are linked below.

These options are relatively cheap, but they have great reviews and will work just as well as the more expensive options. Each option comes with 6-8 packing cubes that are varying sizes. There are also various color options and patterns.

3. Packing List Items

            This is the most crucial step that will help make your weekend trips successful. With such a small amount of space available to pack, each item that you want to pack needs to be chosen carefully and intentionally. Packing items you do not end up using wastes space and could prevent you from taking home a souvenir- which is a heart breaking experience I wouldn’t wish on anyone.

            I’m not going to write a specific list of items you should and should not bring. Everyone has a different definition of a necessity when it comes to weekend travel. For example, I always packed food in case I had a low blood sugar moment, while another friend always packed a scarf. I will provide a basic list and guidelines on how to make a packing list.

            Packing Suggestions:

1. Pajamas (you would be surprised by how often I forgot these)
2. 1 pair of pants
3. 1-2 sweaters or 2-3 t-shirts (depending on the weather)
4. 1-2 pairs of socks
5. Underwear
6. Toiletries

Now, these are the items I recommend packing in your backpack. Planning the outfit you wear on the plane will cover the items not in this list. The best thing to do is wear layers. Wear a few shirts and then a coat on top, you could even wear two coats! Wear leggings under jeans. Stuff pockets with socks, underwear, hats. Use any and all available space, especially on the return flight. Don’t let your precious souvenirs go to waste!

If all else fails, 4. The Pillowcase Trick

            The pillowcase trick is stuffing a pillowcase with extra clothes or items that could not fit in your backpack. The idea is airlines allow passengers to carry on a pillow to make their flight more comfortable. I have personally seen people use canvas tote bags, big purses, and pillowcases as their “pillow”.

            The problem with the pillowcase trick is that it is not foolproof. The main problem is that a packed pillowcase will not look like a pillow. It will have weird lumps where pillows do not normally have lumps. The flight attendants and boarding agents might catch on and make you pay for your extra baggage. The fines can range from €60-€80. Some factors that affect the likelihood of getting a fine are the city the airport is in and the fullness of the flight. The more full the flight, the more likely the boarding agents will impose the fine. Some airports are stricter than others, and some airlines are stricter than others. The bottom line is: packing a pillowcase or tote bag is a risk and I do not recommend it. Carefully choose items to pack; if you are unsure of an item, do not bring it.