August 6, 2018
Today marks two months of our Trekking Europe travel. We have visited seven countries to date (and am on our way to our eighth nation today). Thus far, we have also trekked 295 miles in Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, and Austria. Our goal was to have clothing and gear that would keep our weight to a minimum, yet satisfy all of our hiking and traveling needs. So how has our stuff stood up after 60 days on the road?
What has Worked Well
Backpacks
As we mentioned in our packing story, our most critical item was our backpacks. The nature of our journey is comprised of almost exactly half our time trekking and the other half sightseeing. Therefore, we needed backpacks that were fully functional for hiking, but could also work well for trains, buses, and walking around town. Two months in, we couldn’t be more pleased with our Osprey Farpoint and Fairview packs.
The 40-liter packs each weigh just over three pounds, and with all of our items, we are at a total of about 15 to 17 pounds. Even with a couple more pounds added for food and water while we hike, the lighter weight has greatly helped us on our trekking days.
We have also been able to carry our packs on planes, saving on baggage fees, and they can go in many train overhead shelves above our seats. Because of all the walking we have done between train / bus stations and hotels in many of the cities we have stayed, we find that we even prefer the packs to the rolling carry-on bags we have at home.
Dry Bags
A necessary accessory to our backpacks has been the dry bags that we purchased before leaving home. We could have bought pack covers, but have not had good experiences with them in the past. The dry bags function as both packing cubes and water proof containers. Darren bought Sea to Summit bags and I purchased Osprey ones. Both brands are lightweight and come in several sizes.
We have had some rain on each of our three completed treks; two of those resulted in us getting pretty soaked. Each time our bags kept all of our items perfectly dry. Having the bags to keep things organized also makes finding things easier on such a long trip.
Rain Jackets
With the rain we have experienced thus far, we are very happy with our new rain jackets. They are very lightweight, weighing just 5 ounces, and are totally waterproof. The jackets are also pretty comfortable to wear in warmer weather. Another plus is that they fold into their own pocket, taking little room in our luggage.
Hiking Shoes
For this trip we switched to a different brand of trail shoes than those we used on our prior PCT and NPS journeys. We liked the Solomon Speedcross shoes that we had used for those trips, but found that they were a little narrow in the toe area. The result was some stress on our pinky toes. This time we went with Hoka Speedgoat / Speedgoat 2 trail shoes, which are wider in the toes.
In addition to the greater width, the shoes have some of the best gripping soles I have ever walked on while hiking. Being Hokas, the cushioning has also resulted in less wear on our knees. We are using two pair on this trip, having each bought a pair of older model Speedgoats and newer Speedgoat 2s. The Speedgoat 2s were sent to Munich, so we could swap out shoes. Having a new pair for our Austrian and Swiss hikes is helpful with all the elevation gain and loss that we experience while walking on those trails.
Trekking Poles
Another necessary item are our trekking poles. While we didn’t use them much on our Camino Portugues trek, they have been invaluable in navigating the path on the GR53 and Lechweg hikes. Both our pairs collapse, meaning that we can carry them in a much smaller profile in our bags when traveling by train and bus.
There are two drawbacks to the poles: they have to be checked on flights, and they don’t totally fit inside our 40 liter packs, even when collapsed. Darren observed another hiker packing her poles partially in her bag, so we have tried that approach with ours. That way, we don’t hit anyone with our protruding poles.
Water Bottles
Staying hydrated is imperative while hiking. We wanted lightweight water bottles that could collapse when not needed. We are very happy with the bottles that we purchased. They each hold just slightly under a liter (900 ml) and fold down to nothing when empty. Another plus is that the top is fastened to the bottle, so it can’t be misplaced or fall off (we lost bottle tops several times during PCT, for example).
We each have two bottles, which is the bare minimum for some of our hiking days. During those times, we refill using a village fountain or by filtering water from a stream.
Wool Underwear and Socks
Because we are doing so much hiking on this journey, we wanted to have items that would hold up over multiple days of wear and be easily washable in a hotel sink. The wool socks that we are both using have really fit the bill. They wick well and have contributed to us having fewer blisters during our trekking thus far. They wash well at night but sometimes it’s hard for them to get totally dry by morning.
The wool underwear I purchased has allowed me to bring much fewer pairs than on previous journeys. I have had no odor issues with wearing them for multiple days. They have also dried relatively quickly when washed.
Sink Stopper
While most hotel sinks have a stopper, there have been a few where my sink stopper has come in handy. The one I purchased for this trip is lightweight and works well.
Reusable Grocery Bag
When trekking we generally have picnic lunches to save money (and time eating at cafes). This entails going to the grocery store either the night before or while on the day’s route. Having a reusable grocery bag that holds our food purchases and picnic items (including a Swiss Army knife) has been very useful. When we are not trekking, the bag folds up and can be thrown in the bottom of our packs. We have also used it as a carry on bag for electronics when we have had to put our backpacks in the luggage hold of buses.
Eye Mask
Darren is making special mention for having an eye mask on this trip. We both brought one to use on our overnight flight to Europe. Not only was it helpful to have it on the flight, but Darren has found it necessary to use it in some hotel rooms, as the curtains don’t totally block the light. With sunset late at night and sunrise early in the morning in Europe (especially in June and early July), he has slept much better using an eye mask.
What has Not Worked Well
Lock
The only item that has broken so far is a lock that we bought prior to our trip. I was attracted to it by the fact that we could lock two sets of zippers at once with it. However, about ten days ago, the combination stopped spinning on the lock, making it useless to me. Maybe I was just hard on it, because Darren’s still works fine.
Extra Pants
It’s always tricky to bring the right amount of clothes when traveling on such a long trip. For example, Darren and I each brought three pairs of pants, one for trekking and two for around town. I have worn all three pairs multiple times, so am happy with my clothing choices. At this point, Darren thinks he could have gotten by with just two pairs of pants, saving him about a half pound in his pack. For me, having another pair of pants is worth the weight.
Rain Pants?
The only item that we have not used to date is rain pants. They are the same brand as the rain jacket, weighing about 5 ounces and folding into their own pocket. Even though we have not used them yet, we brought them mainly for our three week Swiss Alpine Pass trek, where they could be a necessity at one of the 16 mountain passes we will be trekking over.
Update: As I was making the final edits to this story, we used the rain pants to hike over a pass in rainy weather on day #3 of the Swiss Alpine Pass trek. They worked great, keeping us dry, and we are glad we brought them!
Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the REI Affiliate Program. We either own or have owned all of the products linked from this page, and we have not received any compensation from the manufacturer. If you end up purchasing products by using these links, the cost will stay the same for you, and we get a percentage as a commission. This adds no cost to our readers and helps us keep our site up and running. If we don’t believe in a product, we won’t share it. Your trust is most important to us.