5 Weeks, One 19" Suitcase

 5 Weeks, One 19" Suitcase: My Real-Life Italy Packing & Laundry Setup

The typical travel guides tell you to purchase an entirely new wardrobe of delicate linen outfits for your trip to Italy. Yes, sounds nice in theory, but it is completely impractical if you are actually moving. Think ahead of hauling bags onto regional trains, dragging luggage over uneven Roman or Sicilian cobblestones, or hiking the volcanic gravel of Mt Etna. For this you will need items that survive the real world.

I spent 38 days exploring Rome and Sicily. I did not wear hiking pants for 5 weeks straight, nor did I pack an endless clothing catalog. Instead, I brought a smart mix-and-match capsule wardrobe that I could rotate and maintain on the move.

The secret? Squeezing fifty-one total pounds of gear into just two carry-on items: a 19-inch SwissGear suitcase, which weighed 26 lbs. when packed. FYI - No room for a spending spree!

My Baggallini Essential Laptop Backpack
came in at 25 lbs., and my Baggallini Securtex Anti-Theft Daytripper Sling had to be packed inside the suitcase to meet the strict two-carry-on limits.

Here is the unvarnished reality of how I pulled this off. I specifically  

booked Airbnbs stating they had a washing machine and a drying rack. Their bodywash and shampoo might be missing from their provided list, but a washing machine was necessary! I brought Bermuda Laundry Sheets for those that might not provide detergent.

I successfully did my laundery after figuring out how an Italian washing machine actually worked!

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