Getting Close Now

After the savage cuts we made to our main luggage to get them down to the meagre allowances the hand luggage was going to be fun. We are allowed 6.5kg to carry on to the plane in hand luggage and not a Gram extra. Looking at the list of small but expensive bits that I’m putting in my bag I’m thinking I might just get away with it. First up is the main camera bag which normally weighs just under 5kg with a camera, memory cards, spare batteries, remote and assorted bits and pieces. After sorting out the various bits and pieces the all up weight is now a staggering 3.3kg! I’m on a roll so the other cameras and electronics related bits of kit get packed into the bag along with my Kindle and then all the bits and pieces from the packing list that I laid out earlier are carefully placed in the bag leaving enough space surprisingly to fit the main camera bag in. Without the main camera bag in the weight comes in at a very respectable 3.8kg, which is a very pleasant surprise. Some of the heavier bits like the GPS and the G16 will if needed go in My coat pockets to get the weight down at check-in!

The Boss has been in touch with TQ and queried the weight restrictions on the flight to Longyearbyen and to ask about the costs of excess baggage allowances.  Their response was there is no excess baggage allowed so if you are over then something has to stay behind, no arguments. With that in mind we have been having a look at what we can do without to get the combined weights down inside the allowances we have been set. I have worked out that once we leave Oslo I will not need two pairs of boots, so my main Scarpa hiking boots are staying behind to be replaced by a new pair of Scarpa shoes which are much lighter. Also having just come back from Kielder we also realised that the amount of long and short sleeved T-shirts that were on the list can be slashed by 2/3rds and similarly the amount of trousers in the bag will be halved. We realised that once we are in Longyearbyen and go outside we will be wearing one set of kit and it will be the same thing every time we have to go outside. That being the case while we are inside the hotel we don’t need a different outfit for every night.

I’m sure we will at some point in the next 15 days have another go at packing the main luggage bags to find out just how much below the limit we can get them.