We live in a time of cramped airline seats, unyielding carry-on restrictions, and crowded overhead bins. If you’re flying to Lakeland to hike, it can be a bit of a jigsaw puzzle figuring out how to bring all the hiking gear you need with you without running afoul of luggage limits. This is especially true if you would like to avoid checking a bag.
Never fear. I have flown to the Lake District multiple times and have, through trial and error, devised a method to cut through this madness. (This includes one 10-day trip that, with only a carry-on bag, saw me through a long weekend of hiking in the Lakes, a black-tie event in London, and a work conference in Vienna. Yes, I am a suitcase sorceress.)
To fit all the hiking gear you need into a carry-on sized amount of space, you don’t need Hermione Granger’s beaded handbag. You just need a few tips:
Choose a lighter carry-on bag. These days, it’s often not the size that forces you to gate-check your bag; it’s the weight. For example, Norwegian’s cheapest fares come with a *combined* carry-on limit of 10 kilograms, or 22 lbs for both a carry-on and personal item. A sturdy carry-on suitcase weighs between 7 and 8 lbs when empty. There goes a third of your weight limit! (And yes, a discount airline will weigh your bag — sometimes twice, at both check-in and boarding. If they force you to check it, it can be something like a $100 fee.) As airlines have gotten stricter about carry-on weight limits, luggage companies have responded by offering some roller bags that are under 5 lbs. Some passengers have decided to go even further, and use backpacks that are roughly the size and shape of a standard carry-on, like the Osprey Farpoint 40, and weigh only about 3 lbs. A travel backpack can be a good choice if you’re really worried about being forced to check your bag, although it’s a pain to have to carry it everywhere.
Wear your hiking boots onto the airplane. They’re your biggest, heaviest item, and they should go on your feet, not in your bag. The same goes with your clothes — wear your heaviest, bulkiest clothes (jeans, sweater, jacket) on your person.
Only bring one other pair of shoes, and make it a lightweight pair. Your second pair of shoes should ideally be lightweight, versatile, comfortable, and be able to worn sockless (thus obviating the need to pack any extra socks). Currently, my pick is a pair of Allbirds loungers, which weigh almost nothing and feel like a pair of slippers — so nice to slip into after a long day in heavy boots.
Make wool your friend. Wool is an amazing fabric. It wicks moisture, keeping you cool when you’re sweating. It keeps you warm even when it gets wet. And, best of all, you can hike in the same shirt for days before it starts to smell. The key to packing light is to bring less stuff; bringing less stuff means you’re going to have to wear items multiple times. You can hike in wool sports bras, wool undershirts, and wool base layers for days and not notice even a hint of stench.
Plan to do some laundry. Lightweight items like underwear and sock liners dry quickly overnight. Bring fewer pairs and plan to wash some in the sink. (I find the liquid hand soap most hotels provide works just fine.)
Leave the physical guidebook at home. I love books, but they’re too heavy for most airlines’ carry-on restrictions. If you only need a little bit information, take photos of the pages you need. Make an album of these photos on your smartphone, and you’ll have all the information you want in zero space. Some guidebooks, like the updated Wainwright guides by Clive Hutchby, also offer a Kindle edition. While I think these can look a bit clunky on an actual Kindle, they look great on the Kindle app on my smartphone.
Start packing early. It takes longer to write a short letter than a long one. And what is true of words is also true of clothes: if you’re rushing, you’ll always use more than you need. About a week before my trip, I start putting clothes on our guest-room bed so I can reconsider what I’m bringing. (Do I really need two headlamps?)
Don’t fly a discount airline and don’t buy the super-cheap fare on a regular airline. If you are really worried about having to check your bag, consider paying a little more for your seat. If you buy the cheapest seat on the plane, you are the one who will get your bag taken from you if the airline needs to free up space. You’ll likely have to board in the final boarding group, too — since airlines are starting to count the number of roller bags they allow onto the plane, often even if there’s still room in the overhead bin, you can find yourself being forced to check your spinner simply because the plane has reached its “rollerboard quota.” However, if you have a fare that allows you to choose a seat or sit near the front of the plane, you’ll be less likely to end up in a situation where they force you to give up your bag.
Those are the basics!
