travel | packing light(weight)

for the longest time, i've been doing all my travelling with a backpack. i find them easier to physically travel with, they're more comfortable and easier to manage than actual luggage or weekend bags, and generally, they hold just as much stuff (if you're an excellent packer like me). unfortunately, my favourite cath kidston pack was lost to the gods of train travel late last year after nuremberg, never to be seen again. i replaced it shortly after with a pretty damn adorable strawberry equivalent that i found in the sales, but it's not been the same.

it made its way to glasgow with me, but it's not nearly as big as my beloved cath kidston, and the quality of it is not as good. the zip is really stiff and hard to get in and out of quickly, and it doesn't have special compartments inside for secret hiding and easy access. so, while it's ok for a night away here and there, i'm not sure it's going to make it on holiday with me this weekend.

rebekah, natalie and i are headed to palma tomorrow, and - as well as it being my first international holiday of this year, it's also my first sun holiday since i was a teenager and on holiday with my mum in hawaii. right? anyway, we're off to grab some spanish sun, but... we're not sure what the actual temperatures will hold. the number 16 here means one thing, that i'm not sure it means anywhere else. while we go all "guns out, sun's out" as soon as we hit the low teens, i wonder if it will be the same in the med.

so, without knowing, i want to be prepared, and i can't do that with a backpack. enter this it lightweight trolley case* from george at asda. it boasts that it is the world's lightest trolley case, and is the exact maximum size that cabin baggage is allowed to be these days, which makes it the ideal travel mate when you might need to pack a lot of different weight clothes. while the website advises it has four spinner wheels for easy travel, it doesn't, which is a bit annoying - it only has two regular wheels. also, the pull-out handle bit is as wide as the case, meaning it sort of... hits you in the back of the legs when you pull it, but, does mean you can sort of, trundle it from any angle, which is nice.

i will attest to it being totally lightweight, which means that i can pack as many pairs of pretty swimwear pieces as i'd like, without having to worry about hitting my weight allowance. this is the first couple of pairs of swimwear* that i have owned since i was a teenager, and... trying them on was very daunting. i mean, i don't like being submerged in water, so it's likely i won't actually use them, but seeing as we're headed to a spanish island, i wanted to at least look the part! the separates are a great idea (as i am different sizes from top to bottom, like most of us are!), but i couldn't go past the retro spot one-piece! it has a little frilly skirt bit around the top of the leg which i just can't deal with - it's too adorable!

something else i am looking forward to wearing is my straw bowler hat and sunnies, which haven't seen the... well, light of day, for far too long. the maxi skirts and plain tees are packed, and i'm hoping the denim jacket will be the only extra layer i'll need. if not, there will no doubt be salvation in fluffy jumpers, because at the end of the day, it's still me. spain or not!

are you team back pack or team trolley case?