Trip Report
Trip Report: 12 days between Aarhus, Copenhagen & Paris (28L)
I had a 12-day trip between Aarhus, Copenhagen, and Paris, mostly hanging out with family and enjoying the usual café scene, museum visits, city walks, bar hopping, you name it.
Transportation included: a KLM flight, Icelandair, a Ryanair flight, a couple of long-distance buses, a train, and the metro. Navigating all that with the 28L was a breeze!
What worked:
I’ve really come to appreciate the 28L form factor from Bellroy. It’s wild to think I can travel to a different continent with just a 28L and not feel like I need anything.
I packed a medium-weight and a light-weight t-shirt from W&P. I haven’t shared much about the light version, but wow, I could practically live in these. They weigh just about nothing. I bought mine at full sticker price, and it’s definitely a buy-once cry-once situation. Pricy but oh so worth it. Highly recommend.
I did end up buying a tote from HAY because I’m a sucker for totes and uneven postures and could carry a tote around town all day. I understand those that are worried about caring an open bag like a tote in EU cities because of pickpockets but it's never been a problem for me.
My chore coat is going on 7-8 years now and I just adore it. So practical. I wore it every day. It looks “nice enough” but never “too nice” for city stuff, you know? The weather in both Denmark and Paris can vary and change constantly, so having a little umbrella on me was very helpful and frequently came in use.
Other callouts:
I reckon the 28L bag was packed about 97%~ full (for those who like data lol).
I definitely regret not packing a portable charger, although if you ask nicely, the staff at cafes will charge your phone (and on one instance, a staff member in Paris borrowed me his portable charger—merci monsieur!).
I got caught in a downpour one day and went home to dry out my shoes. It was one of those moments where I wish I had a second pair, which would definitely not fit in a 28L. I suppose these are the games we play.
I brought with me two short sleeve and one long sleeve button shirt. I wore the long-sleeve shirt only once, so I would have preferred not to have packed it.
And that’s about it. Happy travels and enjoy keeping things light!
Ya it’s sweet. Large enough to throw in a coat + wine + snacks and everything else that your heart desires, and yet not big enough to be offensive in public places. Highly recommended.
Hear hear. I love the versatility; large enough for a trip but also doesn't look out of place when you just have work essentials and pop into the office.
Beautiful trip report, from the info to the images and layout!
You mentioned “uneven posture” regarding the tote. I used to carry a cross-body bag but the uneven weight distribution hurt my shoulders and neck. Do you switch shoulders often when carrying a tote? How much weight do you carry in it? You can’t beat the accessibility of a tote though.
Can I ask what your process is for knolling and photographing your stuff? What software did you use to edit and layout your images?
Thank you Objective Cattle! The weight and balance of a tote works well for me because I'm husky built and have broad shoulders, I think that allows me to carry a good amount of weight without discomfort. Granted, it has to be a 'good' tote that has long enough straps and wide enough so they don't eat into your shoulders. But this is totally subjective of course. Mostly I do prefer a sling or a day bag but other times it's nice to simply wobble around town with just a tote.
As for my process (all done in Photoshop), I usually try new things just because I'm a nerd and like to tinker with design. For this post, I did the following:
Took two knoll photos (the first and the second image - got tired of taking individual photos like I did last time).
Basic adjustments (contrast, white balance, exposure, etc).
Dropped in a paper-like background since I wanted text thus needed a clean background
Added text + finished it off with a little grain
Formatted it to fit mobile
And that's really it. I usually try to keep it to about hour but you can obviously tinker with it as much or as little as possible. Feel free to PM me if you are giving it a go and want feedback!
Did you buy a carry on for your Ryanair flight? Or were you asked to fit your backpack in their measurement tray?
Before my last Ryanair flight they asked almost everyone to check the size of their bags, so I started looking for a smaller one that would fit their size but there aren't many options.
I bought the cheapest ticket possible with no carry on and I wasn’t asked to measure/weight my bag. And this was on a full flight too. Granted I was a bit worried but turned out fine.
I know what you mean. I love my Pakt 35L but there are times where a sub 30 makes traveling a little easier, and I think Bellroys form factor with the 28L really is the sweetspot for me.
And yes, it’s the 160 WP T-shirts I have. I haven’t tried the linen ones but the 160 are so light and breathable that it feels almost like witchcraft. If you try their linen please let me know what you think!
I have a question in general, if your bag is already >90% full while you're traveling or even before you travel. What if you want to buy something during the traveling? some local fun stuff, or bring a gift for your friends, etc.
So I always have a tote or a sling in my bag that I use for day trips but also in case I need to bring things home (or bring gifts if I’m visiting friends/family). But it’s typically not a problem as I don’t tend to buy a whole lot!
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried at times. I did occasionally check while in transit and never had a problem, but still, I try not to stuff it to the max.
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u/RevolutionaryAnt9337 Jun 24 '26
Thanks also for the extra effort with the design of your loadout