I decided to give myself a bit of a ‘travelling light’ challenge by using the 10l arpenaz for my recent trip across the Eastern states of Australia. The total packed weight of the bag came to 3.3kg (6.6lbs). I travelled for roughly 10 days by car from Sydney to Melbourne and then from Melbourne to Mt Gambier and back to Sydney. During the trip I experienced 30+ degree Celsius (86f) days and lows of around 9 degrees C (48f). It didn’t rain but it was quite windy and the weather unpredictable. I found that wearing my merino wool t-shirt as an undershirt and the Outlier Merino Co/Pivot over the top provided a pretty good coverage of a wide range or temperatures.
When it was hot and the sun shining I simply rolled up the sleeves and undid a button and it was fine. When it cold colder I rolled the sleeves down and buttoned up all the buttons. If it got windy or really cold I popped on my Uniqlo Ultralight down jacket. I think if I were going anywhere colder or wetter I’d have taken my long sleeve merino wool shirt and perhaps an ultra light rain/wind jacket to layer with the rest of the clothes.
With regards to laundry I washed my underwear in the shower each night so that I would always have a clean pair for the next day. I washed socks in the dry sack and my shirt had at least 1 wash and dried within hours. I wore the merino shirt and the outlier shorts as sleeping clothes but I could have also used them to go swimming or for hotter days.
Everything I packed and wore
Overall I’m pleased with how this bag performed but It was a bit hard to squeeze things in and organise them due to the limited space and stretchability of the bag. Although the trip was only 10 days I am positive that I could have travelled further and longer given the chance.
Bag: Quechua Arpanaz 10L
| Toiletries | Price | Electronics/Miscellaneous | Price | Clothes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tweezers | $15 | Surface Pro 3 | $894 | Nike free 4.0 | $59 |
| Nail Clippers | $11 | Charging brick | $12.99 | Outlier merino co/pivot | $175 |
| Deodorant | $10.50 | 2x usb to micro cables | $7.40 | Outlier slim dungarees | $198 |
| Sunscreen | $8.47 | Earphones | $38 | Outlier new way shorts | $125 |
| Tooth Powder | $7.58 | Phone charging dock | $12.66 | merino wool t-shirt | $99 |
| Tooth Brush | Multi Adapter plug | $12.85 | 2x merino wool socks | $16.95 | |
| Retainer | Bellroy Elements passport wallet | $139 | 2x Uniqlo airism boxer briefs | $9.90 | |
| Soap/Shampoo | $7.63 | Saddleback ID card wallet | $39 | merino wool buff | $22 |
| Pocket Towel | $24.95 | Uniqlo ultra light down | $99 |
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