Packing light advice

Double check the blanket and pillows business. That's not been my experience.

I thought for hostels you're expected to bring your own bedding. :O

Rick says packing for 2 weeks and packing for the summer are no different.

I think in a hostel you bring a sleepsack but blankets are provided. (I've never stayed in a hostel.)

Here are some general ideas from my webpage on packing light. It's pretty general stuff.

In addition to my 10-11# pack (it's currently 8# 6 0z bag, but I have several items I haven't put in), I carry a "purse" with my 2-2.5# netbook. All of my travel information is in it. I have never carried a guidebook.

Lee; Well thing is I don't have a laptop. And even if I did have a laptop I would not bring it with me because I would be afraid it would be lost/broken/stolen.

Don't they accept blankets over sleepsacks? because the blanket I have is like the same size as a sleepsack is.

I think the sleep sack business has disappeared as well. I've quit carrying one. You really need to give up on the toting your own bedding idea if you really want to travel light. I've never had anything stolen in a hostel, but I've never stayed in one in a major city since I was a kid.

Ed; In rick's books he says if you're only hosteling to carry your own bedding. : s

Each hostel has their own rules. Some do not allow outside bedding due to the infiltration of bedbugs. They don't want you bringing them with you. Either a sleepsack is provided or available at a nominal charge.

If you can bring your own, I suggest a lightweight one that packs up tight. Forget the blanket, if you really need that much warmth on you when you sleep, invest in a microfiber sleep outfit. Easy to clean.

If you want to bring your own pillow, there are quite a few travel sized ones or even inflatable ones that work well. I'd opt for the inflatable ones.

Go to a good sized camping store for these. If you're in NYC, someplace like Paragon Sports might carry these items.

As far as guidebooks go, for as many as you have, you're better off tearing them up. If you don't want to tear them up, you could spend a few bucks and photocopy the pages you need. But that could be a lot of photocopying. Look at it this way, if you do want to return to any of the places you're going to on this trip, you'll want an updated guidebook anyway.

And as Lee said, whether it's 1 week, 3 weeks or 3 months, you pack the same.

For more advice, go to Onebag.com. He has lots of tips for "one bag" travel.

Steve writes: "Bed linen is generally not included in the price at Norwegian hostels. You can either bring your own or rent some at the hostel." This is an unattributed quote from hostels.com (http://www.hostels.com/norway).

This outfit only works with eighteen hostels in the whole country according to their site.

Checking thirteen other Norwegian hostels on other sites indicated that bedding was provided for each. I found none that did not include bedding.

I am not hosteling in Norway. I'm staying with a friend.

The countries I am hosteling in are:

Britain
France
Spain
Belgium
Holland
Italy
Germany
Poland

Ashley, I've exhausted my knowledge, but in the past five years I've stayed in hostels in Britain, France, and Spain. None required that I provide bedding. In earlier years I needed a sleep sack.

There's got to be a better site than here for hostel use. We can probably continue to help with light packing ideas.

Ashley,

The first thing you can do to "pack light" is drop the pillow and blanket, you won't need them. I've stayed in a number of Hostels in different countries in Europe, and have NEVER needed a pillow or blanket.

Especially with HI Hostels, a Sleep Sack is typically included with the cost of the room. There's usually a blanket on the bed, which should be clean but I've encountered the odd one with some "odour" from the previous tenant.

The best strategy (IMHO) would be to pack along a light weight Sleep Sack. That way you'll have one if needed, either because it's not provided or because the one provided isn't "suitable". The Silk models available in the Travel Store here ideal, as they don't take much room or weight.

Happy travels!

So you are at friends for first month, great, you can do laundry there and start fresh,, you can also dump a few things with them.

Rip up the books,, really, I ripped my RS book up into sections I needed,, and brought another older guide I just left when I was done with it. Don't pack the weight of books around.

I have never seen anyone who is not actually camping pack a blanket and pillow. I would pack a sleep sheet and the few times a blanket is not provied, rent it, its worth not carrying a blanket.

You can always photocopy the pages of the books you need, that way you dont have to bring the books and can throw away the copies as you use them.

I agree about using a sleep sack and not bothering with the blanket. I never needed one at hostels. I do take along a small travel towel, but others will say that's not necessary. I also have a small blow up pillow. It comes in most handy on planes and trains.

Pam

Ashley, I would suggest also checking at Lonely Planet's forum - http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/index.jspa and/or http://boards.bootsnall.com/. Both of these forums tend to be frequented by backpackers who frequent hostels. There are quite a few threads on packing light and what to pack.

Pamela,

Actually, a Travel Towel is needed at many Hostels. Towels are not normally provided, and not all Hostels have these available for rent. The microfiber travel towels are a good solution as they're small and light. The model I use is similar to those shown in the Travel Store on this website.

Ashley,
It pained me to rip up my RS books but I was so glad that I did, not only did it make my pack lighter but it made it so easy to carry them around with me while in those cities as it was more like a little pamphlet then a whole book.

I just stayed at a few hostels in May/June and did not need any sort of blanket or pillow, but did need a towel.

I struggled a little with packing light but was so happy I did. I went with a smaller pack then my husband and was so happy when he was complaining about weight and I felt fine. I packed my bag only about 1/3 full so I could fill the rest with the items I bought on the trip. I still had about 1/4 to 1/3 of the bag left empty when I came home so I could have gone with a smaller bag.

Just buy clothes that coordinate with eachother, I mean everything. Basically everything I brought could be worn with anything else. I brought a lot of long sleeve, button up shirts that doubled as jackets so that saved me on outerware as well. 2 pairs of comfy shoes and do laundry once in awhile, or in the sink.

Sounds like a great trip, and cut up the books you will be glad you did.

Ashley, in case you are not aware, the sleep sack that people are speaking of is not a sleeping bag like for camping. It's basically a folded-over sheet. The cotton version can be heavy and bulky but cheaper, the silk version is lighter and smaller but more expensive.

Cut up the books. Guidebooks are not like regular books that you might read over and over. A guidebook needs to be replaced for each trip with a new updated one. Not only will you save weight, but then you can toss the pages as you move on, freeing up even a bit more weight.

Take the lightest-weight clothing possible. Take all items that will mix and match pretty well so that you can wear whatever is clean. Yes you will get bored but you will be grateful. I avoid anything that's 100% cotton.

Forget cosmetics. No one will care if you're wearing foundation, mascara, whatever. I know a lot of people do it but I couldn't fathom traveling with a hair dryer, flatiron, etc, even though I use them regularly at home. Instead of carrying a tube of sunscreen I use neutrogena's little stick sunscreen (looks like mini deodorant), works great.

Get a little set of lightweight but leakproof travel bottles and bring only what you need in terms of shampoo, soap, conditioner, toothpaste, etc. A lot of people say you can just leave it home completely and buy once you arrive, but I have preferences for all of those things and would rather bring my own, but only as much as I need. If you're not picky then yes buy it there. I haven't tried it, but I have heard that dry shampoo spray works quite well. I plan to try it on my next trip to be able to take less regular shampoo. I'm a big fan of repacking things into as small a package as I can. It helps a lot. I also get a haircut right before I go away because I need much less shampoo (I have inordinately thick hair and need a lot of shampoo when my hair is long).

i believe this is Rick's advice, but it works: when you pack each item, ask yourself, am I sure I will wear/use this multiple times? If not, don't take it.

Take a pillowcase, xtra zip lock bags(4 travel food etc)plastic spoon, (knife, fork only if checking luggage), wash cloth and copy those sections in RS guidebk rather than cut book up.

Ashley,

If you intend to stay at the independent hostels, they provide the sheets. Since you listed Germany and if you're going to Munich--I did this last year--and stayed at Wombat's, right near the train station, Wombat's gives you a sealed plastic sack that includes your pillow case and your ironed bedsheets. It's included in the price. The DJH hostels will also give the sheets (I stayed in Dresden and Duesseldorf in last summer's trip). You don't bring your own bedding, Bettwaesche) any more. I've also stayed at Wombat's in Vienna...same policy. Whether you're staying at an independent hostel or an HI one, the blankets are supplied, so is the pillow.

A good number of the hostels have laundry facilities, Wombat's does as do the HI hostels, depending on how big they are. That may help in packing light. I pack a lot less for a 3 week trip than I would for one over two months...that's when I bring a lot more stuff.

i have stayed at lots of hostels in the past couple of years and never brought bedding. a few hostels charged for linen, but the cost was very low. i would never bring a sleep sheet with me and for sure never a sleeping bag! most hostels come with duvet blankets now! i also never needed a towel as they were usually included. again, some places you could rent them for a very small fee.

Cut, Baby, Cut!

I hated doing it the first time, too. That was 12 years ago, and I still have (and use) those books. Just stick the sheets back in; you really want to use new guidebooks for any subsequent trips because things change all of the time (opening hours, locations), but last fall I carried those 12-year-old sheets because Bruges just hasn't changed that much... Also, I stopped looking at saving 4 lbs a long time ago; I scrutinize every ounce - seriously. 2 extra ounces x 2 = 1/4 of a pound. 'It's only 8 oz' = 1/2 of a pound. Try putting a 16 oz bottle of water in your daybag/purse, walk around the room a little, then take it out - Wow! So Heavy! Now, multiply that x 4...Oh, yeah, Cut, Baby Cut!

Your packing list should be roughly the same, whether it's 1 week, 3 weeks or 3 months (assuming similar regions/weather/seasons). Have you seen Rick Steves' packing lists/video clips, or some others, to give you an idea of how to manage 3 months with only a carry-on?

EXACTLY what are the dimensions of your bag? (Are you sure you won't have to check it already?)

And ditto to every other piece of advice.

I agree with the others, cut up or photocopy the guide books and take only what you need, discarding the pages as you leave an area. Books are a huge extra weight and an old guide is of no use for future trips.

Instead of a spoon, knife and fork, get a Spork.

You can find them all over and the plastic ones, which are virtually indestructible, are allowed in carry-on luggage.