by Bella Richter de Medeiros
With just under three weeks on the countdown to the departure date, I have to start thinking about what I'm going to take with me on this trip. Packing isn't easy, especially when you have to pack a year's worth of things. You learn how to prioritize, since over-packing is the worst thing ever. We definitely over-packed on our France/Italy trip this summer, and I'm not going to let that happen again.
Clothes
Choosing what clothes I'm taking with me is really tough, because I have a very limited amount of space in my backpack for a year's worth of clothing. It's also difficult because I really like clothes; I love wearing stuff that makes me feel good about myself, and I pride myself in my collection of rad t-shirts. So, it's definitely a challenge to pick and choose very few items to pack.
I consulted a few other travel blogs, searching for packing lists, and I found travelfashiongirl.com to be particularly helpful. She has excellent packing lists for almost every travel situation one can think of. I'm getting inspiration for my own lists from a combination of her RTW and "Maximista" packing lists.
Tentative List:
Tops (7):
Simple fitted tanks (3) (grey, white, black)
Simple t-shirts (3)
Black fitted sweater
Dresses (2)
Maxi dress
Short floral dress
Bottoms (6):
Pants (3)
Cargo pants
Jeans
Black leggings
Shorts (4)
Denim shorts x2
Athletic shorts
Drapey/pajama shorts + legging shorts
Skirt
Outerwear (6):
Rain jacket
Thick hoodie
Thin hoodie
Down jacket
Flannels (2)
Undergarments/Swim:
2 regular bras
2 sports bras
8 undies (3 quick-dry for overnight washing/drying)
7 pairs of socks + 1 pair of slipper socks
1 bikini
1 one-piece competition suit
Misc/Accessories:
1 kanga ("sarong" in English)
2 pairs of tights
1 bandana
Shoes
1 pair of flip flops
1 pair of hiking boots/athletic shoes
1 pair of Converse tennis-shoes
1 pair of black ballet flats
Toiletries
For toiletries, I'm thinking that I'm going to just bring a carry-on-sized plastic baggie of emergency toiletries and toiletries that I'm not sure are available, and then buy small toiletries in the places we travel to. We're never staying in any one place for less than a week, which is plenty of time to make sure that none of the newly-bought toiletries go to waste.
Tentative List:
Carry-on Plastic Bag:
Deodorant
Travel-size toothpaste
Face lotion
Face wash
Tea tree oil
Chapstick
Travel-size body wash
Hand sanitizer
Other small toiletry bag:
Monthly supplies
Toothbrush
10 hair ties
1 elastic headband
1 jaw clip
3 corkscrew hair pins
Travel-sized hair comb
Cosmetics
I don't wear a lot of makeup on a day-to-day basis, so cosmetics are not going to be a huge part of my list. I usually wear eyeliner and mascara every day, but when we're in Macchu Picchu (Peru) or Krueger Park (South Africa), for example, I won't have time for makeup.
Tentative list:
Eyeliner
Mascara
Lipstick
Concealer
Makeup-removing wipes
We have packed a few boxes of clothing to send to my family in Brazil, since we are going to be living there for three months. While we're in Brazil, we'll have time and room for a much larger wardrobe, so we won't be living as backpackers there. This is definitely a trial and error situation.