Our luggage and hiking boots are officially locked in, which makes this whole European adventure feel very real—despite still being 151 days away.
Mike will be going full backpacker with a 40L Osprey pack, plus a smaller daypack dedicated almost entirely to gadgets (priorities). Paula, meanwhile, is taking a different approach with a sleek 40L two-wheel carry-on-compact, efficient, and just large enough to test her packing discipline. Both setups are carry-on compliant and specifically chosen to survive train station sprints and Europe’s beautiful but ankle-challenging cobblestone streets. And yes, both bags are proudly marked with Canadian flags, just in case there’s any doubt about our nationality.
We have also purchased our hiking boots well in advance, giving us the entire summer to break them in properly. The goal: arrive in Europe ready to explore, not limping around in search of bandages.
Now, 40 liters sounds generous—until you realize it has to cover 80 days of travel across multiple seasons. That means strategic packing: mix-and-match outfits, no “just in case” items, and bonus points for anything that can do double duty. Shoes will be a carefully debated category, since we plan to walk… a lot.
Paula’s current challenge is downsizing her toiletry bag. Let’s just say it has not gone quietly. Progress is being made, but there may need to be a final round of negotiations closer to departure. And because space is limited, we’ve agreed on one simple rule: if it doesn’t fit in the bag, it doesn’t come home. So… postcards, yes. Decorative ceramics, probably not.
