Packing

Iceland Air flies direct to Reykjavik from Boston.  That's our plan.  We know this family in Jamaica Plain that is running a Park and Fly for us that week.  ;-)   Like many airlines Iceland Air keeps specific luggage rules.  For the average passenger it is 1 checked bag of no more than 50 pounds, 1 bag for the overhead of no more than 30 pounds and 1 small item underneath the seat.

Bags are lighter these days, but there is still weight in the structure of the case.  My first challenge:  Organize the camera gear.  I do own a roller bag specifically made for camera gear but it does not meet Iceland air specifications.  It's about and inch and a half too deep for the overheads, although the width and height is fine.  I bought a small bag from Marshall's that appears to be sturdy without owning too much weight to accomplish that.  Then I purchased a gear organizer made for turning regular suitcases into camera bags.  It's orange.

Not every piece of gear I own will make the trip, but there is a DSLR with a wide angle and a telephoto in there.  Extra batteries.  A gimble to stabilize video.  It's in a case beneath the bag on the right.  A GoPro.  A small tripod.  Power adapters for Iceland.  Extra media cards.  A media card reader.  Chargers and an outlet strip.  I weighed it all.  I am 1.5 pounds under their max!

Then I set out to pack my clothes.  For the past 6 or 7 trips I tugged along a large suitcase.  The dimension is acceptable to the airline but typically the weight of the empty suitcase is about 13 pounds.  I found a nice, medium sized suitcase, again from Marshall's that weighs just under 10 pounds empty.

We made some travel rules.  Given that Iceland's climate is wet and that we will often be wearing rain gear (including rain pants) who cares if we repeat the clothes that are worn underneath.  There are still a few items to add to the suitcase.  My rain jacket.  My jeans are in the laundry.  However, I weighed it and there are 10 pounds to spare.

The under the seat bag is basically flat.  I carry the travel documents, my laptop and my tablet in it.