The Joy of Packing
A well edited travel wardrobe can save you the hassle of lugging around crap you don’t need ; )
Let’s be real. Packing is not fun. There is just absolutely nothing alluring about packing other than knowing that you should be grateful for the fact that you are able to go somewhere in the first place. I honestly abhor packing. I get no thrill out of trying to determine what few items I should shove into a small bag and still try to sort of look good in the destination I am traveling to. Recently, I had the displeasure of having to pack for multiple climates using minimalist luggage and while it wasn’t easy, I learned a lot in terms of what is truly necessary and what are potentially huge mistakes. Now that we all must contend with the whims of mother nature due to the impacts of climate change, it is important to always double check that what you are bringing is truly necessary (ex. heatwave in Norway rendered useless all of the sweaters I packed). Lugging around bulky items is by far the absolute worst while traveling (ex. hiking boots, just don’t! Unless you are doing a multi-day hike or you are going to be hiking for a longer period of time than you are eating, sleeping or flying).
My one simple rule for packing is: Can you wear what you are bringing with more than one clothing combination? If yes, bring it! If not, don’t bother.
For shorter trips, 5 days or less in a warm climate, I tend to edit down to just one carry-on that fits the following (see photo):
One black t-shirt
One white t-shirt
One swingy tank top (neutral color like grey or green)
One crisp white button down top
One stripy casual dress
One jumpsuit to dress up or down
One skirt with a pop of color
One pair of jeans and one pair of shorts
One lightweight sweatshirt
One lightweight rain jacket
One workout top and bottom
One pair of flipflops
One pair of nicer sandals
One pair of sneakers
One bag that converts from a backpack to a top handle
One other small purse
Toiletries
Undies and a swimwear
This is the only time I ever wore this sweater the ENTIRE time I was in Norway. I learned a valuable lesson, but I had to carry this bulky nightmare all over the place. Not fun!
A note on shoes:
The biggest problem I have with packing is shoes. Shoes take up entirely too much room and the wrong shoes will not only leave your dogs barking, but will be too heavy and cause you to want to ditch them while on the road. Switch to lightweight shoes and you will be the happiest person in the entire world (check out Native shoes, they are extremely lightweight and many styles are made responsibly!). Also, it is important to think about the form and function of the shoes you intend to pack. For example, flip flops serve an entirely different function than sandals; sandals are more elegant and can function for sight-seeing during the day and a nice restaurant at night. In Panamá, tourists wander around in flip flops, but no self-respecting Panamanian would dare step out onto the streets in chancletas! A proper sandal is a must, not only for respecting local customs, but also for supporting your feet and your back. Keep it simple and find shoes that can serve several purposes at the same time. The best sandals I have ever owned in my entire life can be found here. They are very expensive, but I have worn them all over the world and at least three if not four times per week at home and I receive compliments on them everywhere. They are sturdy, well-made, support your arches and are very flattering. The tan color matches everything. EVERYTHING! (see photo of the shoes at the top of this post)
Here are the shoes I always pack (warm weather):
-A low-profile, light weight, sneaker-like shoe that doubles as a walking shoe (see here and here)
-A nice pair of sandals (see sandal description above) or a cute “active” sandal (see here)
-One pair of flip flops
-Optional- Heels or nicer shoes if needed for an event (see here)
Another lesson I’ve learned is that if you have to think twice about whether you should pack something, you simply don’t need to bring it with you. You only need to bring one patterned top or bottom; go with basics that are interchangeable and you will be able to dress for long periods of time with no problem. Don’t over do it with shoes! It will only drive you to crazy town when you are constantly unpacking and repacking and unpacking and repacking trying to solve a Tetris puzzle that you never signed up to play.
Packing for the long haul:
For long-term packing the same general rules apply. I add a few extra items to the list above including tank tops, scarves, sarongs, a few long-sleeve shirts, an extra sweater and a few pairs of lightweight travel pants. I also think one pair of jeans is a must. Some people think traveling with jeans is a no-no due to their weight, but if they make you feel good and go with a lot of your other items, definitely bring them. If laundry is available to you while traveling, you can greatly cut down on the number of items you bring. Still, I say avoid packing hiking boots, unless you intend to do a serious mulit-day hike. I do not recommend packing them as they are bulky, unflattering and take up way too much room. You will fail at the game of Tetris if you bring hiking boots.
What bag do I use?
I am a Tortuga Setout 45L girl all the way! For longer trips, I take my 26” carry-on wheely bag as well. Someone recently asked me why I don’t just throw everything into a large suitcase and call it a day. Well, first, cobble stone, and second, planes, trains and automobiles and third, when staying somewhere for long periods of time (a month or more), I like to have a decent sized backpack for shorter trips. If those weekend trips involve a bus, I wouldn’t want to throw a large suitcase or even my carry-on wheely on top of a bus. Splitting the luggage load into a 45L backpack and small roller bag seems to work well for me. Also, I tend to overpack if I have one big bag. Also, I always bring an extra stow-away bag in case I make purchases while away.
When in doubt, go for comfort and warmth over style as exemplified by this ridiculous photo. At least I was warm and I also was protecting my eyes from the Nordic sun.
Items I can’t travel without:
On ear headphones and Jaybird Run ear buds
Quick dry small hand towel (great for hanging by the sink so that you don’t have to use your big towel)
Scarves (dresses up or dresses down a basic outfit)
Convertible bag (from tote to backpack/backpack to tote)
FinalStraw (the straw to end all straws)
Hydroflask water bottle (water is quite literally the most expensive thing you can buy on the planet, also why put more plastic into the environment when you can just fill up for free?!)
Sea to Summit Wilderness Wipes (perfect for washing your face on the plane and they are compostable!)
Sleep mask with eye pockets so that your eyes can flutter during REM and a travel pillow
Sweatshirt or sweater for cold planes
Fabric spray (great for after the 10th hour on a flight when you feel a little funky and/or the person next to you is funky)
Compression socks. An absolute must have on any long flight!
In the end, pack what you feel the most comfortable wearing. You will feel your best and most confident when you feel good in what you wear. You will also be able to pack in more sight seeing and walking if you are comfortable.
Okay, those are my packing tips. Happy travels and please offset your carbon footprint when you fly : )
