The seven kilo challenge - penultimate chapter

The final chapter will of course be written after I've fronted up at the airport terminal, but for now, we have the penultimate chapter.

What's changed? Well a little trip to Perth saw me buying a few more outdoor clothes, including updating my capris to a lighter and more snug fitting pair. Since I've lost a considerable amount of weight in the last few years it becomes quite uncomfortable continuously hitching up a swimming waistline in tropical heat when carrying a backpack. My new capris are stretchy, which means although they may be a little tight in a couple of spots they are still extremely comfy. I'm glad to say that I'm so much more comfortable in my body these days that a couple of bulges no longer see me purchasing the next size up.

And whilst I was buying new clothes, a couple of new shirts in purples and reds have ended up in the mix. Nice to get away from boring beige and khaki.

You may remember in the last post I mentioned I had a space problem. Once I had packed all my gear in the backpack, it became patently obvious that it wasn't all going to fit. Just because I've a solution to the carryon limit, it doesn't mean I'll be walking around Java with a padded vest on. The clothes and the vest will be in the backpack, along with a full water bladder, plus food when I'm camping.

It just doesn't all fit into a 33L backpack. Not once the water bladder is filled and some extra food thrown in.

What to do?

Well at some point I plan to walk the Bibbulmun Track, from Perth to Albany, and I was already aware that the 33L was too small for the job. The 55L backpack that I took around SE Asia in 2008/2009 is a good size, but too big for carryon and the harness sucks. It's too big for my short torso meaning I am continuously hoisting it up to get comfortable. The small/medium harness on the Ospreys, however, is perfectly sized for me.

So I bought a 44L Osprey Talon. I'm starting to think I have more money than sense, and definitely far too many backpacks and travel bags littering the nether regions of my cupboards and underbed spaces. Is there an Imelda Marcos equivalent for backpacks??

The 44L is larger, has an aluminium internal frame, and is heavier than the 33L. By 400g. Ouch! So it's now touch and go whether I can fit under the 7kg limit. But at least everything fits in easily with room to spare.

Here's a pic with the backpack loaded with everything except my empty vest - yep all electronics, clothes and camping gear. The camera is never in the backpack so I haven't included it. As you can see there's lots of room.

So.... I'm basically packed. The vest has been packed with clothes, the backpack packed with it's 6kg of gear and I'm just over by 100g.

I'm under the impression Air Asia don't even weigh the carry on baggage, and even if they do, I'm not expecting a few hundred grams to be a problem.

So there you have it.

Stay tuned for the results...