A Lesson in Travelling Light: How I Explored Norway Carrying Less Than You Take to Work Each Day

If you were to ask somebody who’s known me since childhood, they could accurately tell you that up until this year I could have hardly been described as a traveller.

I had barely travelled at all.

I visited France and Germany on extended school trips, and I spend a couple of weeks visiting family in Ireland a few years later, but asides from that I hadn’t much to say on the subject on travel.

I hadn’t even flown until March of this year.

This year, this all changed. I caught, amongst other things, the travel bug. I journeyed across France, the Czech Republic and Sweden in March, and I recently returned from a short trip across Norway.

My main focus on the Norwegian adventure, aside from a deep desire to return to Scandinavia, was to travel light.

I’d recently been following the adventures of travel writer Rolf Potts author of the incredible Vagabonding. If you have any interest in world travel, varying means of travel, or indeed a greater life output, take mine and thousands of others words for it and buy the book.

Rolf took part in the No Baggage Challenge, travelled 34,440 miles in forty-two days, crossing 12 countries, five continents and 3 oceans – all while carrying no luggage.

Everything he took with him fit into his multi-pocket jacket and cargo-trousers.

The main intention of the trip was, in Rolf’s own words, to show that travel should be about what you experience along the way – not the home comforts you bring along with you.

After Rolf’s return to New York, I got in touch with him and spoke briefly about my own travel plans, primarily the issue of my plans to travel light.

Enthusiastic about my decision, Rolf immediately suggested I head out to Asia, so with those words echoing in my head, I jumped online and booked a flight to… Norway. Well, one step at a time ;)

In stark contrast to my earlier travel experiences (I took a large, heavy suitcase up the town hall in the Old Town Square, Prague) and inspired by Rolf’s adventures I decided to pack as lightly as I possibly could.

1. Kindle E-Reader: Had I been going on a faster-paced journey I wouldn’t have needed this, but for a relaxing trip across Norway it was the perfect partner.
2. Wallet: Emptied within an inch of its life.
3. Watch: More of a wrist-accessory if I’m honest.
4. Spray-Deodorant: I removed this item shortly after this photo was taken, remembering I’d never get it through airport security. I picked up a roll-on in Oslo to replace it.
5. Small Tube of Toothpaste, Toothbrush, Plasters: Not a huge issue, but in the future I’ll travel with a folding toothbrush to save even more space. Plasters are so light you’d be foolish not to carry them.
6. Small Secondary Wallet: Wasn’t used at all, it’ll be left behind next time.
7. Sunglasses: Only used once. Could have easily done without them.
8. Pen: Small, light, why not.
9. Earplugs: Some were provided by the train company, but they’re always a useful item to have on hand nonetheless.
10. Documentation, Passport: Course.
11. Small Guide to Oslo: Keep it pocket-sized and relevant. I ripped out the Norway pages from my DK Eyewitness guide to Europe – don’t be afraid to do the same.
12. Phone: Kept off as often as possible to reduce the need for adapters and chargers (see below).
13. Small MP3 Player: Again, I didn’t take a charger. For longer trips chargers and plug-adapters would have to be thrown into the mix.

Items not included in the photograph are the camera itself (which took up a third of the bag space), my spare t-shirt, and my scarf, hat, and gloves when it wasn’t cold enough to wear them. All other items of clothing I wore at all times.

After five days of travelling light, which included a couple of overnight train journeys to Bergen, a few nights in an Oslo hostel, a hike up a mountain overlooking west-coast fjords, and many many hours spent walking around both cities with all my possessions on me at all times, I can say that I will never be able to check-in a bag, or carry anything more that I have pictured above when travelling again.

For the first couple of days the change was very noticeable.

I’m not a worrier by any means, but a couple of times on the overnight train to Bergen I woke up, then sat there worrying about the location of by suitcase. Or in Oslo Central Station I’d finish eating a snack then look around me frantically for my absent friend.

Soon, however, everything fell into place. The layers pealed away and I was left with a blank canvas. Travelling light had become the norm. I’d put (sometimes squeeze) everything into my bag, sling it around my shoulder and be out the door.

I swear I’ve had more in that bag to go to work some days.

That, of course, is the way it should be. Anything that is brilliant, in either it’s design or execution should be seamless. It should blend into the background so it itself isn’t the experience – but what you get out of it being there, or not there, is.

People I met travelling across Norway were, on a whole, sticking with conventional wisdom.

I trekked up Mount Ulriken in Bergen with a couple of Chinese girls I bumped into at the bottom of the mountain. They’d just put their suitcases into lockers so to make the trip up the mountain. I was carrying everything with me.

When staying in a hostel in Oslo, I woke up one morning to find one of my roommates trying desperately to fit everything they’d bought with them into all of their enormous (one of them was wider than the bed) suitcases, laptop bags and add-on carrier bags…

I showered, ditched the shower gel, threw everything in my bag and walked out the door.

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