Ninja Packing Tips: Packing List For Europe Using a 30L Backpack

Post author by Jackie
Estimated reading time 10 mins
Post Date September 25, 2022
Last Modified Updated: December 5, 2022

Editor’s Note (2016): This post is from 2013. For a recent, ULTIMATE carry on packing post, check out: Packing for Long Term Travel in a Carry On

Why Pack Light?

When I traveled to Nicaragua in April of 2013, I was so proud that I could bring just a 30L backpack and my over-the-shoulder purse for the 8-day trip.

It seemed easy enough; I have my go-to clothing for hot weather, and I know what I like to wear when I travel. Not to mention that summer clothes aren’t very big, so I could easily stuff everything I needed into that backpack. No checked bag fees, no waiting around at baggage claim, no dragging a suitcase down cobblestone streets (if you haven’t done this before, it’s quite comical- for everyone but you).

When I began to pack for my recent trip to Europe, I was confronted with a challenge. Our two-week itinerary included two separate flights on Ryanair. Ryanair is Europe’s cheap, Dublin-based airline, and they are cheap for a reason. They can get you in baggage fees, among many other things.

There is an art to flying Ryanair. At the time of publishing this post, Ryanair only allowed ONE carry-on bag, not one bag plus a purse or personal item, just ONE single carry-on, and it could only be 10 kg.

Editor’s Note: Ryanair Baggage Restrictions Have Eased Up

If you checked a bag, it could be 15 kg, and it would cost you 20 euros as long as you pay when you check in online (otherwise, it’d cost you 40-60 euros at the gate – ouch).

The point of flying Ryanair is to save money and not fall victim to the hidden costs. If you plan by packing smartly rather than paying the checked bag fees, they are avoidable, which, by the way, between my partner and I, we would have had to pay twice each. So we accepted the challenge of attempting to fit everything we would bring to Europe in small enough backpacks that they would fit Ryanair’s strict baggage requirements.

packing list for europe
My two choices of backpacks: 30L or 50L


30L backpack
My choice for this trip: REI Traverse 30


Pictured above on the left are my two traveling backpacks. Instead of using my Gregory Jade 50, the red one, which would be my normal go-to for a two-week or longer trip, I would try to fit everything into my REI Traverse 30, the blue one. That means that I would be using the two bags on the right, the same ones I brought to Nicaragua.

Eight days in hot, beachy Nicaragua is completely 100% different from seventeen days in Europe in the fall. But I do love a challenge!

Related:

How to Pack Light For Europe in the Fall

packing for carry on

Packing Non-Clothing Items

  • Small packable purse (so I don’t have to lug the big one around everywhere and pain my shoulders for days on end).
  • My “makeup” bag – consists of mascara, hair clips, tiny scissors, tweezers, safety pins, a mirror, dry shampoo, and other small items.
  • Money belt where I stash my yellow International Vaccine Card, extra credit cards, and emergency cash (not to be worn, just stashed safely in my backpack).
  • Wet wipes (great for being on the road).
  • My favorite walking shoes – Seriously, I swear by these Skechers. Notice the plastic bag- to wrap the shoes in and keep them from getting their “shoeness” all over everything else (check out the shoes I carry now!).
  • Flip flops (for the showers) – will stuff easily. Havaianas are my fave.
  • Hand/Arm warmers for the cold days ahead.
  • A spiral notebook keeps track of reservation info, hotel costs, who paid what, etc.
  • My travel wallet.
  • A USB key, in case I have to download my photos to free up my card, save reservations for printing, save someone else’s photos, or any number of things having to do with computers and saving or transferring data.
  • Camera, case, and charger.
  • Glasses – two pairs.
  • Toiletries in a TSA-approved case for airport security (extra tiny, I spent about $4 to save space).

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carry on travel toiletries

*Ninja Packing Tips*

You can carry nail clippers on flights, and these can double as scissors on a small scale.

Also, be sure to bring safety pins, and attach them in a place where you can always locate them quickly. Safety pins are the number one tool for backpackers: fix clothes, glasses, bags, lock your zippers shut, etc.

One more thing- you know those tiny sampler vials of perfume? They’re great for traveling light!

 
Related:

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clothes to pack for a trip

Packing Clothes

  • Pea coat (October in Europe is cold).
  • Three light sweaters and one zip-up fleece hoodie.
  • Beanie.
  • Shorts and a T-shirt to sleep in.
  • One pair of warm tights, one pair of skinny jeans.
  • Three tank tops.
  • Three T-shirts.
  • Three long-sleeved shirts.
  • The green REI packing cube is full of socks and underwear.

*Ninja Packing Tip*

Use a pouch or a stuff sack for your socks and underwear so A) they don’t get lost all over your bag, B) they always take up the same amount of space, and C) you can find them easily. Update: See the packing cubes I use now.

Notes:

  • Even if you can’t tell in the photo, all these clothes are neutral colors. This way, I can mix and match most anything, making the most out of my outfit options.
  • I did not bring a scarf, which is very unlike me. However, I knew I would buy at least one in Europe, so I opted to plan and save the space.
  • The boots I brought (brown- another neutral color) are not pictured. I wore them on my flights so they wouldn’t take up extra space in my backpack.
  • Don’t bring anything that you don’t normally wear at home. Make sure your choices are items you are comfortable in and will want to wear day in and day out.

Editor’s Note (2016): This post is from 2013. For a recent, ULTIMATE carry on packing post, check out: Packing for Long Term Travel in a Carry On

How to Make It All Fit

The key to making it all fit is simple: don’t pack too much. Only bring what you need, not what you think you might need.

Don’t Pack What You Will Wear While Flying

This should go without saying, but some people forget to pull out something to wear on the plane before they pack it all up. I’m sure you noticed that I decided to bring a pea coat, and perhaps you thought of the fact that pea coats are not ideal for packing.

You are right; they take up a lot of space. However, that wasn’t a problem because I wasn’t about to pack it.

I mentioned we were heading to Europe in October during the fall. It’s not necessarily warm, and I planned to wear my coat if it was cold enough or carry it in my arm if it wasn’t.

I also didn’t picture my boots because I wasn’t about to pack them either. I planned to wear my boots in transit because they are bigger, heavier shoes that couldn’t possibly fit with everything else in my pack.

Related:

packing a carry on

The “Carry-On” or the purse/personal item

Pictured above are all the items packed in my one personal item. If I were checking a bag, I would still pack all this in my carry-on.

In my personal item (or carry-on), I pack all the things I might need for transportation like confirmations and reservation information and anything I could use to entertain myself while on the plane.

I also put my fleece hoodie in my purse to save the space in my backpack and use it on cold flights.

Related:

waste of space

Packing Your Backpack

Make sure nothing takes up space in your backpack that you won’t need. For example, I even took out the waterproof cover for my backpack. I had an umbrella and knew I would not have used the waterproof cover on this trip. That’s the size of a shirt! Veto.

Make good use of all the pockets that your pack offers. Mine has a pocket just about the perfect size for my toiletries case on the outside, which is convenient for easy access in a security line at the airport.

Other pockets are long, perfect for my umbrella and flip flops, and everything else I will stuff, neatly folded, in the main pocket. Some people use plastic bags to suck out extra air, and some roll their clothes. I’ve never gotten into either of these habits but to each their own.

Editor’s Note 2017: Now I use Packing Cubes!

Remember that your pack won’t stay neatly arranged – it will get messy. If your clothes all fit only by sucking out the extra air, you’ll have to do that every time you pack up. Otherwise, you’ll have a problem.

Related: 

packed full

Success! Now I’m sure some of you are wondering how I will fit in a scarf or other “souvenirs” (I pretty much only buy clothes or accessories) that I’m almost sure to buy on my trip.

That is a very good point, and I knew that would happen, especially since we specifically planned to buy lederhosen and a dirndl in Munich for Oktoberfest.

With this in mind, we agreed that we would pay to check ONE bag, ONE time, and only on the way BACK (the 2nd of our two Ryanair flights).

This way, we could fit any new items purchased into our luggage and get away with only paying 20 euros between the three of us. My brother was with us, and it was his bag we checked because it was expandable and could fit everything.

Travel Planning Tip: Order a prepaid SIM card before you travel!

light packers

Packing Ultra-Light Outcomes

Perhaps you thought this already long post would be over by now, but for those of you reading to the end, I didn’t think it would be complete without adding a section about how all of this actually worked out for me.

Did you have your doubts about how little I packed? Well, to be transparent, I packed too much.

There was one thing I didn’t use at all (my black t-shirt), and one thing I only used a couple of times (my jeans).

My jeans were a big failure because they took up a lot of space. I should have brought a couple more pairs of warm tights, which pack much smaller than jeans because that’s what I ended up wearing every day.

On that note, there is not a single thing I needed that I didn’t have with me. Yes, I could have used an extra pair or two of tights, but I made do with what I had.

My packing list may have been minimal, but it was complete.

Editor’s Note (2016): This post is from 2013. For a recent, ULTIMATE carry on packing post, check out: Packing for Long Term Travel in a Carry On

Could you do it? Could you take a 17-day trip with just a 30L backpack?

Here’s a good start to your packing list. Is there anything you would change or add?

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