Ultralight packing - appreciate any ideas to drop it further down

You got me completely beat at 11 lbs. I'm happy if I can keep my load under 11 kg. I usually carry a laptop and other electronics. Good luck.

Mercy Jean you are way below my light packing scheme, bravo! The only thing I can suggest that won't make it lighter but might make it more manageable for your knees and back is to consider moving to a wheeled bag. I am usually a backpack person but took a two wheeled bag on my last trip and it was a lot easier on trains and I didn't feel like I was going to swing around and whack someone with my pack....instead I kept watch over my nephew who was doing that very thing :)

PS I just remembered an Adventures with Sarah post about ultralight packing. She's a former RS guide, maybe there's a nugget in there that will inspire you https://adventureswithsarah.net/ultralight-packing/

CL, thanks for that link. Sarah also uses a G4Free 40 liter, but when I went to their website, I saw a G4Free 25 liter! Should I ever decide to replace my Appenzell (23 L,) I'll probably get the G4Free. I'm tempted to get one anyway; the price is a steal! I'll wait until we have Jean's trip report, though.

Thank you, CL, for the link! I haven’t seen it for several years, but this exact blog from Sarah eight years ago was the reason I bought the G4Free bag. I have the same one as she shows except mine is black. When we lived in the Seattle area, I attended some of Sarah’s in-person packing demos at the RS travel conference weekends. I used this bag several times for camping or for weekend trips.

The backpack vs. 2-wheel bag dilemma is real. Waiting at train stations, the backpack is constant weight. Or, I take my old 2-wheel bag (took it recently to Cancun), and there’s no weight while waiting. But there’s extra weight while carrying the suitcase up & down stairs at the many train stations. Also, I personally dislike making the wheeled bag noise that occurs rolling it into these small cities, so I tend to pick up my bag on an uneven or cobblestone surface.

CL, I think you are hearing this indecision! ; )

Jane, the 40L one exactly like Sarah used in the link is the size I purchased several years ago.

Jean- you are an inspiration for packing so light as well as your passion for travel!
I hope you get good results with PT and are pain free by your departure!
Are you wearing some kind of waterproof jacket on the plane?
I also wonder about taking some supplies just in case- like an Ace bandage type wrap, maybe arnica cream, or whatever pain relief products work for you?
Do you wear the sandals in your lodgings, too? I take an old pair of flip flops to give my feet a break after a long day plus for the bathroom, etc.
I realize I am adding rather than subtracting. I can't imagine how you could take less clothing! It really is a tough call about the wheeled bag vs the backpack with less weight.
Would it be useful it to try both now and see how your knee fares, as far as where the weight from either carrying the wheeled bag up stairs or the backpack puts any pressure?
My last trip I so wanted to use my backpack. Everything fit, but I had to be honest that it felt too heavy and I had a lot of walking planned.
Regardless, have a wonderful trip!

Bon voyage!, I like your forum name! ; )

I will wear my Columbia rain jacket on the plane. I usually feel cold on the flights, and it helps me sleep. I just go barefoot in the hotel room. (Don’t tell me about the floors - ha!)

The only pain relief I take is an occasional aspirin. Good reminder to pack some.

I am actually considering taking 1-2 less tops or one less scarf, if I need to. The advantage of changing locations often is that I sink wash & can wear the same outfit every 2nd or 3rd day, and no one would know - as if they cared, anyway. And I will be in Bari on Day 7-8, and there are some very fun clothing shops I wouldn’t mind browsing to add a shirt or dress or even some accessories from that city! ; )

I used to bring my iPad mini but stopped carrying it as I almost never used it during the trip and it's heavy.
I can't imagine not having a second pair of shoes; besides the smell what if one steps on something .... :)
During my trip to Lake Como in 2023; I had my train ticket in my phone but forgot to print a copy. By the time I noticed my very old iPhone 8 battery was down to 5%, that was when I also realized I forgot to bring my cable for the battery bank. Luckily I was able to borrow one from a barista in a cafe ... lifesaver! Yah always bring paper copies of one's tickets/bookings/documents.

Jean, I learn so much from your packing lists! I hope your knee feels better by your trip. Other than your suggestion to drop one-two tops, the only other things I can think of are to see if you can pair weight from the shirts and pants you are packing or to drop the iPad mini in favor of your phone.

You also don't want to take out so much that you are uncomfortable in different weather. I hate for my feet to be cold or wet, so I would take out a shirt and the iPad and add a very light second pair of shoes to the base packing list. But your temperature regulation is probably better than mine. :) Have a great trip!

Adding rather than subtracting, but I’d also bring a sun hat and a stick of sunscreen. Worth it, even in the spring.

No backup pair of shoes. I wear my Keen rose sandals 95% of the time, anyway.

I think that's a good idea, Jean. And unless you have very difficult-to-fit feet (which if you wear Keens, you probably don't), you can always buy something over there if you need it.

Ask your PT if strength tape would help your knee and if so, have them show you how to apply it. It did wonders for me. Much better & less bulky than Ace bandage.

Jean--I feel for you as I battled knee issues/surgeries for ages and finally had them both replaced last year. The Voltaren cream works wonders! I would buy it upon arrival though since you can get smaller tubes easier there than here, IME. One French pharmacist gave me lidocaine patches as well, and those are very light and you can cut them to the size you need. I think they were lidocaine, but not 100% sure, I just know they were a miracle for me.

Maybe instead of the toiletry kit, just use a ziplock bag. No weight at all with that. Also for your toiletries themselves, see how small of bottles you can get by with for shampoo etc. I use a contact lens case for moisturizer, for instance. For toothpaste, I bring the samples from the dentist so that I am not bringing home half a tube of it.

I see Mardee is a shopping enabler even while I’m on my trip! LOL! “Ooh, these are really cute Italian shoes! I didn’t hear her say they had to be practical.” ; )

Charlene & Mikliz97, I appreciate the specific recommendations that worked for you for my knee!

My iPad mini weighs slightly more than a half of a pound, and I consider it an essential. My souvenir on trips are my photos. I review the photos I took each day on my iPad because it’s much easier to see detail differences to delete those I don’t want to keep. Plus, I use the mini to journal & write up my trip report as I am traveling. If my iPhone was ever stolen, I could still use my iPad for some of the uses of my phone. (Some of my little cities wouldn’t have stores to replace the phone.). And the last reason is because it was a Christmas gift from my husband in 2023 because he knew how much I like to travel to Europe.

I see Mardee is a shopping enabler even while I’m on my trip! LOL!

Well, duh!!! :-)

CL, I think you are hearing this indecision! ; )

I share your indecision situation, Jean! Every trip I stress over what option to pick. For my upcoming trip with my 20 year old niece, we'll be checking one rolling bag to share between us - she needs more space for her endless selection of clothing and a large cache of snacks (picky eater). I'll take the opportunity to put my emergency/backup gear in the checked bag and take a smaller carry on backpack (eBags motherlode junior). I agree lifting a bag up the stairs is a challenge, but with your very light packing it won't be a 30 pound heft :)

What if you just brought the Cotopaxi? Literal "one bag travel." It might not end up much lighter than your usual 13.5lbs, but with its hip belt (and load lifters, if you have one of the newer ones), it carries weight better than the cheap backpack will. You don't say what your purse is like, but that could be your personal item. I find Sherpani bags to be quite heavy. I recently bought this to use as my "at-seat" bag when I didn't have a seat in front of me to put my person item under. I got it on sale.
https://www.rei.com/product/241404/peak-design-packable-tote
During the trip, I used it as a shopping bag, lunchbox, etc. The zipper and the no-slip shoulder strap make it worth the extra weight over my lighter packable shopping bag.
I don't mean to be a Mardee and encourage you to buy more stuff. Maybe you already have something smaller/lighter (like a packable shopping bag) that could be used in this way (like a packing cube but for "plane stuff").

G3rryCee, thanks for your help! I removed the Sherpani. This meant that I had to go with a larger purse than my tiny Eddie Bauer one.

Thank you, everyone, for all of your suggestions! Here’s the new numbers:

Backpack options: Cotopaxi @ 10.6 lbs. OR G4Free @ 8.6 pounds

Personal item: ORI Kennington navy crossbody purse @ 2.0 lbs.

Purse has my sketching supplies inside which are 3/4 lb.
Cotopaxi or G4Free have my iPad mini & some misc. (used to carry in my personal item, Sherpani).

I had my doctor appointment this morning to obtain my PT referral. I asked her about whether it would be better to take my Cotopaxi or my 2-wheel bag. I may not have presented the question without bias - LOL! She said the Cotopaxi was fine; there isn’t a risk of injuring it more, and she agreed about not liking to carry the suitcase with one arm up/down lots of train station stairs.

I pride myself on being a light hiker and backpacker. Not ultralight, but light, as I have become a slave to certain comforts.

However, your packing skills are top notch if you are hitting those posted weights. HUGE congrats!!!!

Hi Jean, thanks for this post, I was just about to ask (almost) the same question about packing ultra light but with a focus on a bit more comfort versus weight. So you did it instead, and with much more detail! AMAZING small adjustments that will give you less weight to carry, well done. I was actually looking for your last Puglia TR to review what you took along, so this thread is well timed!

I'm sorry to hear your knee is 'acting up', I'm frequently need to be careful with my knees - With fibromyalgia, here are some things I do / use for knee and foot pain - ICE is number one, so I'm buying an ice pack when I get off the flight to FRA next weekend. Bringing a ziplock bag to store it at hotels, they kindly freeze it for me. (Sorry, that doesn't trim weight!) I wonder if the poster above meant Kinesio tape? It's amazing for plantar fasciitis, but haven't used it on knees. The PT should be able to show you how to apply it if you're interested. (There are specific ways to cut the tape, rounded edges, stretch it, 75%, etc.) I pre-cut 2 strips to change my 2x8" long heel tape once during a week-long trip. One taping should last 4-5 days if done correctly. Yep, I too use Lidocaine patches, 5%, prescription only in the US and not cheap, but a deal changer and super light weight. Getting ready to travel I inevitably get lower back pain, slap max 3 of these on before international flight really helps. Looks like Ibuprofen cream is available in Italy - https://farmaciacheca.com/en/analgesicos/5779-ibuprofeno-farmasierra-50-mg-g-gel-1-tubo-de-50-g.html?srsltid=AfmBOorAaH7w4imJwpu5QNxZWKJJLYiQKkzl5-7hGryjnLKWx_xaGqkZ

Wondering how often do you sketch? Might you enjoy buying a little sketch pad along the way and just carry the bits like pencils and whatever else you need? I find the sketchpad is the heaviest item.

Hope you have a fantastic trip!! And enjoy that extra bit of shopping in Bari...

A little update. I purposely brought my old 2-wheel suitcase to my daughter’s this weekend. This was excellent because I definitely don’t want to bring it to Italy. I forgot how much I like just having a backpack type instead of a wheeled bag. Even the little things like maneuvering it in a bathroom stall can be annoying.

And what do you do with a backpack in the bathroom stall when you are a solo traveler?

I was going to suggest a wheeled backpack so you could have it both ways. Only that will add weight, not reduce it.

I am constantly in awe of the packing lists I see here.

Yes, the tape I used is Kinesiology tape, but the brand name is Strength Tape. It’s exactly what Sandancisco referred to … has a paper backing, you can cut pieces as long as you need, weighs practically nothing, and each strip can last 3-4 days. I had a torn MCL among other problems & it was like a miracle for my injury but your PT will know if it’ll work for you.

I could not believe when I opened up this thread and it is Jean, who seems to be about the lightest packer on the Forum, asking for advice on how to go lighter !!!!

It does sound like you have gotten some great advice from fellow knee sufferers on what helps them.

Hi Sandancisco, thanks for the info about the knee pain prevention options.

My sketchbook is pretty small. It’s a bound 5x5” one - small enough to fit into the ORI purse I’m bringing. I use pencils & 6 watercolor pencils with two brushes - all in a Ziploc bag. My goal last year was to make one sketch in each town, but that’s not always practical. Last year I finished ones in Caserta, Alberobello, Locorotondo & Polignano a Mare.

Hi Khansen, the roller bag has firmer edges & is less flexible to squeeze between the bathroom door and the toilet. My backpack bag doesn’t have the same issue. It can hang on a hook inside most stalls.

Hi Kim, yes it’s me looking to pack even lighter. ; )

Hoping I have several years to still travel, so this is a chance to improve now & for the future trips. I change locations so often that bringing more than two outfits guarantees no repeats in one city. This trip is all 1-2 nights/city.