Newfoundland and Labrador have been on my bucket list since university. Did you know that they have five UNESCO cultural and natural wonder sites? With the borders opening up I decided to make this trip a reality. The trip also gave me a chance to try out my newest under seat bag, the ULA Dragonfly. Would under seat travel work for these conditions? The answer was a resounding YES!

The challenges

I saw several major challenges for this trip:

• A wide temperature range – the temperatures would range from -3 C to 20 C (26 F to 68 F)
• Most of this trip would be outside in the elements. I had planned to see icebergs, climb some mountains, and track down some puffins. The weather would be sketchy at best. I would need the right gear.
• I needed to travel with a single personal item. I was flying economy on Air Canada. They charge for checked luggage. That almost guaranteed that the overhead bins of the plane would be full. I bought the cheap seats, so I would be the last to board. The odds were very high that the only room for my bag would be under the seat.
• I really wanted to see if I could stay within a 7 kg (15.4 lb) weight limit. Just because!

The Capsule Wardrobe

I found that I needed to recreate my capsule wardrobe several times during the planning process. I was bringing too many clothing items and exceeding my self imposed 7 kg weight limit. I finally whittled it down to four shirts, two pairs of pants, and a sweater.

The mere fact that I had four shirts for a wide variety of activities meant that I had to be careful in my choice of clothing. I decided that two shirts would be technical and two shirts would be “normal”. Both of my technical shirts are UPF 50, making them great for hikes. The bamboo shirt is moisture wicking, so could cross over to frigid environments too. My one “normal” chambray shirt could be layered with other shirts, giving me more styling options.

I chose lightweight synthetic pants that were loose enough for base layers underneath. They would also dry quickly in a cold wet environment. For the same reason, I decided on a fleece warmth layer instead of a puffer jacket. Unlike down and synthetic fill, fleece does not lose its insulating properties when wet. I would wear the fleece on the plane, which meant I didn’t have to accommodate the extra bulk.

Newfoundland has a lot of bogs. I decided that I would take waterproof hiking shoes. I also brought along water shoes and neoprene socks for kayaking and rafting.

I get cold easily so I brought along two pairs of base layers. The silk base layer could be worn in town, while the synthetic one would work for outside activities. I would also use them for sleeping.

In the end, my capsule wardrobe consisted of:

• Thrifted (eBay) merino/nylon blend sweater
• Coolibar bamboo UPF 50 shirt
• Thrifted (Poshmark) Hang Ten rash guard (UPF 50)
• Chambray shirt
• Cotton tee
• 32 degrees synthetic pants (x2)
• Costco weatherproof merino blend socks (x3)
• Wind stopper gloves
• Two light scarves
• Navy winter hat
• White River water shoes
• Merrell waterproof Altalight hikers
• Silk balaclava
• Sunday Afternoons Adventure Hat
• Columbia trench
• Sierra rain pants
• 20+ year old Patagonia R1 fleece
• Silk base layer top
• REI synthetic t-zip top
• Silk base layer leggings
• Synthetic base layer leggings
• Bra (x2)
• Underpants (x4)

The execution

I can honestly say that everything worked out quite well. I was especially glad that I had a longer rain trench coat. If you look at a lot of traditional clothing from cold regions, you’ll see that everything comes down past the buttocks. That’s to keep you warm! The longer rain coat performed the same task.

The sun hat and sun shirts worked well for hiking and completely protected me. I was able to go in for my yearly melanoma check with no tan lines

The Dragonfly worked great as both luggage and a day pack.

The base layers, winter gear, and water gear worked great for kayaking and rafting.

What I wish I brought

I could have used an extra (4th) pair of socks. The colder weather made it hard to wash and dry wool items. I also wish I brought a bug net for my head! The black flies were vicious. The Picaradin worked great on my skin but the little beasts went up in my hair to bite me! They took out some bloody chunks. Grrr.

Pleasant Surprises

My raincoat worked pretty well as a robe when wandering around the rental. My water shoes were very comfortable as slippers when paired with wool socks. I really didn’t miss bringing the traditional version of these items.

Souvenirs

I brought back several souvenirs. I bought the standard refrigerator magnets, chocolate, and Christmas ornaments. I also picked up some art and handcrafts. One thing that worked well this time were tiny (34 ml) samples of jam. I had extra room in my liquids bag because I relied on solid toiletries!

The trip home

My second flight home was cancelled due to lack of personnel. Air Canada managed to put me on another flight that left an hour after my original one. Unfortunately I got the worst of the worst seats – I was seated in the middle seat in the non-reclining row in front of the emergency exit. I was between the man with flatulence and the man that ate too much garlic. The other side of the aisle had the toilet! And no, there was no room in the overhead bin for my bag. Thank goodness I could fit the Dragonfly under the seat.

The Nitty Gritty Contents of my Pack

Now comes the part that many people enjoy – what I packed and how I packed it. I hope some of this information helps people with their packing challenges.

I made multiple attempts to find a packing cube that worked with the Dragonfly. Nothing seemed to work right. In the end, I simply bundle wrapped my clothing and strapped it in place using the internal straps of the Dragonfly. My bundle core consisted of my base layers, my socks, my underwear, and my sun hat.

My travel comfort kit lives in the top of my pack. It consisted of:

• Inflatable neck rest
• Collapsible brush
• Folding slippers
• Nitecore NB10000 Power bank
• Dual port wall charger (USB-C/USB-A)
• Lightning synch cord
• Mini car charger (USB-C/USB-A)
• Jabra ear buds
• Wired marshmallow ear buds
• Tissue pack
• Eye mask
• Wixgear magnetic vent phone mount
• Honey House Naturals solid hand lotion
• First aid kit
• Pen
• Ear plugs
• Lip balm
• Sea to Summit day pack

The phone mount, lightning cord, and car charger stay in my comfort kit so they are easily accessible when I get to my rental car. I can put my destination into my phone and drive away without unpacking my bag.

My gear bag held miscellaneous things needed for the trip:

• Rain pants
• Wind gloves
• Spare scarf
• Winter hat
• Sea to Summit packable duffle
• Plantar fasciitis brace
• Neoprene socks
• Waterproof phone case
• Individual packets of Picaradin
• Balaclava
• Knee brace (x2)

My electronics bag was a simple zip top baggie. It contained:

• Synhope water flosser
• Nitecore NU25 headlamp
• NiteIze Hitch phone tether
• Micro USB cord
• USB-C cord
• Fitbit charging cord
• iXPand drive

I have tried to minimize my liquids as much as possible. My current set of liquids consists of:

• 15 ml Hydrocortisone cream
• 15 ml ointment
• 30 ml sunscreen moisturizer
• 30 ml night moisturizer
• 15 ml anti-redness cream
• 15 ml CC cream
• Mascara
• 1.7 oz toothpaste

My toiletry bag acts as my “junk drawer”, pulling together all the little bits I need for my trip. The main compartment contains:

• Éthique solid shampoo bar
• Éthique solid conditioner bar
• Éthique facial cleansing bar
• 1/4 Dr. Bronner’s Tea Tree soap
• Two sisal bags for soap/shampoo bars
• Dental floss
• Magnifying mirror
• Rechargeable electric toothbrush
• Tweezers
• Venus Snap razor with Gillette Mach 3 head
• Spare Mach 3 razor head in pill bag
• Korean exfoliating towel
• Solid sun screen
• Janie spot remover
• Crystal deodorant stick

For this trip, the smaller pockets in my toiletry kit hold:

• A necklace
• My earrings
• A pill baggie of Zyrtec
• Wax for my braces
• Snack bag with an eyeglass repair kit and a sewing kit
• Hair band
• Shower cap
• Flex-o-line clothes line

The back pocket of my toiletry kit holds:

• Zip lock with laundry sheets
• Sink stopper
• Two inflatable hangers
• Door lock

How I packed my pack

In conclusion…

The Dragonfly fulfilled all of my expectations. It has an extremely comfortable harness that worked well off trail. It fit under the airline seat easily so I didn’t have to worry about the overhead bins. I had plenty of room for all of my gear.

Edit 4 July 2023 – added in photo of my magic keychain.