Hi Joanna,
I like your musings on the idea of challenge!
In terms of my current carry-on entourage, this isn’t exactly what I have – but it’s close:
http://www.wisebread.com/make-flying-easy-the-ultimate-carry-on-packing-list

I know what you mean about inconsistent pocketing in women’s clothing – I lose things in my pockets too! And I have had things fall out of pockets – I thought I had lost my camera on one trip – we drove all the way back to the place we had just left and searched everywhere, but it had fallen out of my pocket in the car and fallen down the side of my seat.

I guess these challenges are meant to push too far so that you can settle on a reasonable middle ground, something that might be a lot more extreme than you imagined you could do. I’m impressed that you’ve been able to minimize so much, when you already seemed pretty minimal.

I wish more people would open their minds and at least work towards a challenge rather than dismissing it out of hand. I see so many people respond to challenges with a flat out “I could never do that” and only some of them have a valid reason (like needing to carry medications, insulin, etc).

I would have still considered this challenge something of a success if I had loaded my jacket up and decided that traveling with a purse was more reasonable (although I get why you couldn’t do that) because I would have never thought I could travel with only a purse.

I’ll have to look around your blog/videos and see what you’re carrying these days. I have an unhealthy fascination with people’s baggage! 😀

Hi Joanna,
Better late than never! Glad you found this post, and that you feel the same way as I do.
Yes, a small purse would have been ideal, but the “rules” were that I couldn’t have any baggage.
Even since this trip, I tried out a pair of pants that also has special pockets, and again, I found the same thing – pockets and a woman’s figure don’t go well. At least for me they don’t.
I also like to know where everything is; everything has its place – it’s the only way I can travel full-time and not lose things! But not enough women’s clothing has pockets to consistently give me the ability to put everything in the same place. So when I do have pockets, I never know what to put in them, and I keep “losing” things in my pockets!
Meh. I’ll stick to the purse.

I will say however, that the No Baggage Challenge helped me to reduce my belongings by making me realize that I just don’t need that much stuff. Since then, I’ve reduced everything I own to carry-on sized luggage only.

And if only my camera were slim enough…but I haven’t found a slim one that has the versatility and quality I need – yet.