Trial Pack ~By Danette

Just when I thought I had found all the random pockets and compartments in my backpack, nope, I found another one!! So many secret places!

Did a trial pack today. 29.8 pounds. I was shooting for 30 pounds so I am going to go ahead and give myself a little pack on the back. :) the down side to this is, 30lbs all the sudden feels very very heavy!!! On the up side, I should be ripped when I get back. 

My packing list for anyone that might need a little help for an up coming adventure similar to ours:

1 pair of jean

1 pair of shorts

1 pair of work out pants (not that I will be working out)

5 shirts

2 tank tops

Rain jacket

Coat

Long sleeve shirt

1 Scarf

Flats

Flip flops

7 pairs of socks

Unmentionables ;)

Swim suit

Hat

Sleeping bag

Pack safe

Day bag

Book

16 Zip lock bags (because I collect rocks from every country I've been to. Very SMALL rocks)

Protein bars (because I will kill when I'm hungry... Very bad for Amy. Also, they probably weigh 5 pounds!!!)

Nerds for the Danish boys!!! (very noisy when I walk)

First aid kit

Towel

Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, razor, Q tips, tissues, tooth paste, tooth brush, hair brush, hair oil, mini flat iron, feminine products, make up, hair ties, bobby pins hair spray

Mace (hopefully no one takes this from me)

Flash light

Locks

Camera

Camera charger

converter

Adapter

Passport

Eurorail pass

Eurorail timetable

Credit cards

Wallet

My bunny (that had travel to every country I have :)

IPod and charger

Nalgene bottle

30 pounds of stuff! Not sure if I should think this is a lot for 2 months or if this is called "roughing it". I have everything (but a blow drying) that I could possible need. Life really is simple. Seems like we have to complicate everything with all the stuff we think we need. When in reality, everything we need can really fit on our backs. 

Getting so excited and started to fell a little nervous. The good kind of nervous. :)

Saving! ~By Danette

Okay, so as some of you may recall from earlier posts, we had a goal of $6000 each for this trip. That was including airfare and a eurorail pass. Then in theory we would have $4000 left to spend the 2  months we're in europe. 

We had an entire year to save this. Amy and I have both had multiple jobs to make this possible. Plus the $6000 we were to save, we also had to buy supplies along the way. 

I have been adding all my receipts up tonight to see what I ended up spending on random supplies. And I decided it might come in handy for any other future Europe goers.  So I decided to post it for those that are interested. 

80l Kelty backpack $124.73

Columbia jacket/raincoat $146.28

Kelty Sleeping bag $122

Canon camera (because I ruined mine in the sand) $132.99

SD card  $16.67

Sketcher walking shoes $58.73

Reef flip flops $33.91

Pack towel $24.33

Enercell foreign converter $23.84

Adapter FREE thanks to Matt B!  (thank you for letting me borrow yours!)

Charger and camera batteries $15.94

First aid kit and random meds $15.

Sunglasses (which I actually had to buy twice, because I got so excited about them I wore them out commercial fishing... And ruined them. Boo) So, $20. For both of those.

Flashlight, locks, clips and carabiners $20. 

Pack safe FREE (thanks to my friend Brad B for letting me borrow his!) 

travel insurance $211.16

So $965 in random supplies.... Most of which I will have for ever. (unless I get robbed, which in that case, thank God for insurance because then I can buy it all again.)

Ticket to Europe with Icelandair $713.73

Ticket back to America with Icelandair $679.84

Eurorail ticket $1211.00

SO... $3569.50 before we even leave America!!! Ouch!!!! Ha ha this is a bit painful now that I have added it up.... so glad I didn't have to buy that all in one sitting.

And after I get my last pay check, on top of all those expenses, I will have successfully saved my $4000 Europe spending money! Im so proud of myself for all those coffees I did not buy! For those short little trips I didnt take and for learning to do everything on my ipod when my computer crashed on me. :) writing a blog post does actually take more time, but this is how I will be doing it in Europe. :)

So proud of Amy for saving the same amount!!!!!

Hardcore Planning ~By Danette

Chips, Salsa and a little bit of planning.

You think you can just be all spontaneous with your travel dates. But when it really comes down to it, if you have certain things you are doing in certain countries, you actually have to have some what of a solid plan. It will be flexible within a few days but we are going to have to book it if we want to see 16 countries in 2 months!

New dates. New Plans.

Attack of the sleeping bag ~By Danette

Sleeping bag. Stuff sack. Determination... 

This sleeping bag must go into this stuff sack.

Complete confidence.

f

This is not working....

=[

 Unfortunately the task could not be accomplish. And in the end I ended up spending $120 on a smaller Kelty sleeping bag. Hopefully it will be shipped and arrive before we are to leave. :)

Gadgets ~By Danette

I got some locks, clips and little link things for my back pack. Wasn't quite sure what I should get for all the zippers on my backpack. I could just see Amy and I walking through a crowded area while someone has their hands in my backpack taking my things. Didn't really want to have to be locking and unlocking it every time I wanted to get in. So I think the little link things will be perfect. This stuff only cost me like $7. :)

It's two weeks today!!! Wow! The days are just flying by!!!

So the sleeping bag Amanda let me borrow goes inside this TINY little stuff sack!!! I couldn't get it to all fit but Amanda assured me it would fit (and successfully accomplished the task). I slept in my bag the night I got it as a trial run. The next day Amanda asked me if I had success putting it back in the stuff sack. I laughed and said I needed to wait until I had a day off work because i was probably going to need that kind of time to commit! Well this sleeping bag has been sitting on my floor now for a couple of day haunting me! Last night I even had a dream about the whole situation... Only I was stuffing an entire queen size mattress into this mini little stuff sack.  ...I will probably try to tackle this tonight... I may even post picture. :)

~Danette

17 More Day! ~By Danette

17 more days!!!! Things are getting serious now!!!!

My camera arrived in the mail yesterday!!!! I love it!!! And I am now the proud co-owner of a Kelty sleeping bag. My best friend in the world was so amazing to let me borrow hers. Its perfect. However I realized it takes a special kind of skill to get it into a stuff sack... I will be practicing. =]

I think that is finally if for the large items. Now just to get little things like locks, clips and such.

I keep thinking we will spend 2 weeks in each Ireland and Greece, but as I was putting post-it notes on my map last night, I realized there won't be enough time to see 14 other countries. Getting so excited and giddy about this adventure!

~Danette

3 Weeks to Go! ~By Danette

Less than 3 weeks until we leave for Europe! I can't believe it's already around the corner! I feel like I'm not even close to being ready, but i guess there's not much else i need to get done. I made a final list yesterday of last minute things i have to get before our trip.  A sleeping bag is still on that unfortunately... I definitely have to order that today!

Also, I managed to ruin my camera while out clamming the other day. :( So I ended up spending $130 on a Canon camera. Definitely have to be able to take some good pictures while I'm there.

Saving is going a little slower than I was hoping.... Well, really that's not true. I've just been really bad about cutting out coffees and amazing Alaskan adventures here lately. The summer has just been way too beautiful to not have some fun! And they have all been totally worth it!

Also, just spend $211 on travel insurance through World Nomads. Hopefully I wont have to use it... But if I lose my new camera I just bought, it will come in handy... Of course the insurance has now cost me more than my camera. But if I lose my camera and my $130 jacket I bought... Then I will be glad I have it. =]

~Danette