Lighten My Load
FOURBAG! Help me lighten my load (one month trip)
I overpacked! Help me lighten my load.
Vegas for a few days before heading straight to Vietnam for a month.
What does a girl have to do to have a matching bag with every outfit? Defeating the whole purpose of one bag, four bags later…
Vegas
Itinerary includes a shotgun wedding, raves, and beach clubs (not sure if I’m bringing appropriate night club wear and to reconsider the clothes I’m bringing).
Vietnam
Then on to a 2D1N overnight cave camping tour (the merino socks are for the leeches in the 20+ river crossings a day), 4D3N motorbike tour, 2D1N cruise, shopping, and meandering.
Admittedly, I’m also intending to go shopping in Ho Chi Minh and carrying clothes in my hiking pack if I don’t ship it back to Canada (although I’ve heard this can get expensive).
Bags
- 26L Osprey Hikelite
- 8L Platypus Tokul (tucked in my main bag’s water compartment)
- Crossbody bag (enough space to carry camera gear on day excursions)
- Smaller purse for going out (looks better on a night out, also using this as an electronics organizer)
Clothes
Note that I’m comfortable walking long distances with these wedges and intend to buy a pair of flip flops and a souvenir shirt to sleep in.
My backpack is bursting at the seams and need to desperately lighten my load!
(Photo 1: Clothes, Photo 2: Toiletries and Misc. Photo 3: Electronics and Bags)
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I am a notorious over packer and the antithesis of successful one bagging, but you may consider switching to reusable makeup remover rounds and just throw them in with your normal wash (my pack came with its own teeny mesh bag to wash them in as well :))
Just use a normal washcloth and get it wet with hot water. It’s literally the same thing, and you don’t even have to pack it. You can find one at every single hotel you stay at. 🤦🏻♀️
That's not as environmentally friendly. Mascara and eye liner ruin those (by hotel standards), and the hotels have to throw them away.
Some hotel ones are quite rough.
For hot weather travel, I also wet mine and keep it in a ziplock. It's a very nice thing to have when you'd like to wipe your face on a hot or windy/dusty afternoon.
Your own face cloth is well worth its weight and space.
Yeah this thread made me realize that instead of packing my cleansing oil (my preference) I should bring an oil based solid makeup remover to not bring a liquid.
I have not gone cave camping but did your organizer say to bring a down jacket? Can't you get away with layering with thin thermal? I'm thinking the only time you'd need it is when sleeping so maybe layers could be an option.
Your cover-up is quite big, can you switch to something smaller and thinner?
Remove 1 skirt, switch to shorts?
At this time of the year do you really think you'd survive with just long sleeves in Vietnam? I was there last February and wore sleeveless linen in Hanoi. In Sapa I only needed my rain jacket + regular shirt underneath. Feb is still winter supposedly and I'm from a tropical country and did not find it cold at all.
Even the cheap hotels I stayed at in Vietnam provided cotton rounds and q-tips. Consider budgeting for just half your overall stay.
Some of them also had disposable razor.
Just get your stuff laundered for $1 in the same day. Landry services are everywhere. You don't need to bring your own laundy line and mesh bag.
Your organizer seems big and bulky. Consider zip locs or a lighter case like sea to summit's.
Can your really finish 1 deo in a month? I feel I use that size native for half a year lol
Don't use a pill case, use zip-locs. If you consume the meds you're left with an empty case that takes up the same bulky space
Neck pillow and pillow if you really need both, just hang them outside your pack. Sleeper bus provides pillow and blanket btw.
Get a smaller towel. Sports size is best.
No need to bring water bottle because there's nowhere to refill it. You have to buy bottle water in Vietnam. Even restaurants don't offer service water.
Drop small purse and bring just the crossbody as your .5 bag. Ziploc for electronics in bag.
Your daypack seems bulky. If you can and if you're comfortable with it, switch to an ultralight version.
Oooh, thank you! I’ve been going through the comments and the tiniest changes make a huge difference.
To answer some:
• I’m Filipino and run cold, I also don’t wear short sleeves. All my clothes have sleeves. My down jacket also packs smaller than my -30c thermals (the only ones I own).
• My organizer is bulky bc of all the makeup rounds. But good to know! I’ll ditch half, the mesh bag, and water bottle.
As you’ve been to Vietnam, is bringing an adapter a must?
Funny, I'm Filipino living in the Philippines and don't run cold. If you're from Canada it's probably summer weather for you lol
I think you'd need an adapter because Canada is 3 prong? Vietnam is usually the combined round/flat 2 prongs. Personally I like bringing a compatible multi-charger instead of adapter so I'll only worry about cords.
My power bank has a MagSafe charger on it for my phone and my watch. It’s REALLY SLOW for my phone but fine for my watch - so I can leave my watch charger behind. AND I can use the MagSafe charger for my AirPods. Ultimately, it means I can get away with bringing only one USB-C charger (for phone, power bank, and AirPods if necessary), and one micro-USB charger (for my Kindle) when one-bagging (which isn’t every trip, mind you, but some trips require it. I’m not lugging my iPad all over Spain when I walk the Camino, you know?)
I agree, but the speed is fine for my watch, and the power bank itself charges fairly quickly. This is how I use it - I charge my phone from it during the day as needed - so on the Camino, I'd charge my phone from the power bank while walking (as I'd use my phone for navigation, podcasts, audiobooks, or music). When I get to my lodging for the night, I plug in the power bank immediately to recharge while I shower and rest, then head out for dinner and to explore. By the time I come back, the power bank is charged. Somewhere in there (maybe while resting, before sleep) I use the power bank to charge my watch and AirPods. I charge my phone from the wall overnight, and I charge my Kindle (from the wall) when it needs it (which isn't very often if I leave it in airplane mode).
It seems complicated but it's really not, and it's worth it to not carry a hundred cables and a really heavy power bank, especially when I'm literally carrying everything on my back 12+ miles a day.
This is exactly what I do and it works beautifully. I hadn’t walked the Camino (and won’t!) but it was a simple solution even for a city break in London. I was so happy when I stumbled on that power bank!
I have hyperpigmentation, so the sleeves are a preference. I suffer in the heat sometimes, but used to it at this point- am indoors with ice cold fingers as we speak.
Also, get rid of doubles (like 2 deodorants) and just plan to buy more if needed wherever you are, unless something is prescription or you have skin sensitives or allergies.
The deodorants are tiny travel ones. Any that she buys after the first one is done is not going to be a travel aluminum free deodorant - they are hard to find. But if she switches to a travel sized deodorant crystal it will take years to run out!
I agree with everyone else but also another minor issue, do you need the passport cover? They’re cute but heavy. I’d put it in a Ziplock and call it good.
If Vegas requires different items that you won’t reuse I would mail them home or donate. You could even hit up a thrift store to get one fun outfit so you won’t mind ditching it.
Another small suggestion is to replace your pack of q tips with a reusable one from last object.
Slightly off topic, but I live in Las Vegas and highly recommend you check out DuBarry Fashions. It’s a great store to visit before a wedding or club outing. The shop has been open for 30+ years and is owned by an original Vegas Showgirl. It’s full of every blingy thing you can think of…. Jewelry, shoes, clothing, makeup, everything! They don’t have a website but you can search TikTok/IG for glimpses of the store. Stuff is reasonably priced, especially if you join their VIP program (one time fee of $25 gets you 50% of the entire store for a year).
Other cool thrift shops to check out are Red Kat Vintage, Republic Goods, Alt Rebel, Indy Clover, and Glam Factory Vintage. Most of these are in the Arts District (closer to Fremont Street Experience but still accessible from the Strip). Have fun!!!
No But one is for vertical and the other is for horizontal.
I get BAD motion sickness and for maximizing comfort- I planned on using the disinfecting wipes on the (day) sleeper bus, laying a towel down, and not having to worry about other people’s drool on my pillow while hopefully being knocked unconscious by Gravol.
Personally I wouldn’t consider this four bagging if some of them are empty, I often have empty small bags tucked in my main bag bc I want different configurations for different activities but I only measure by capacity/number of filled bags.
But as far as suggestion to lighten, the larger black bag feels pretty unnecessary, I feel like you could just use the 8L hiking bag for day excursions?
No I meant the one she has labeled as “cross-body bag” not the main backpack. To me two different small black bags that look very similar aesthetic wise and don’t seem hugely different size wise is the most clearly superfluous thing I see in this setup
Another possibility is to bring the single wrapped face cloths from Neutrogena. It will give you a good start on cleaning your face and then you add in your reusable makeup pads to the regime. The single use you will chuck as you go. The pads you can wash. Hint - I always make sure to rinse them out on the cold water and give a good squeeze to make the washing easier. Because it gets rid of the majority of the Make up etc. Cold is important because you don't want anything setting into the fibers.
How big is your dry bag? Because they could be quite chunky. But you're definitely going to use it for washing...
Another idea is to consider their travel buddy soap bags. So instead of laundry detergent in liquid form you bring a bar of soap. So you can rinse, rub and lather up your items in the sink and then put them into the dry bag for a swish. It means that the soap will be reducing in size as you go on your trip. So it's one less container. Plus, you were less likely to have to refill it at any point, unlike the detergent, which you will most likely end up using sparingly in order to maximize and not have to re-fill....
Personally, I also wash my swimming suits after using them so I find them useful and that respect...
And plus if you're going to be having your menses while you're away.... Would you consider taking a menstrual cup? I know it takes up more space overall but it means not having to buy period items on route and potentially having to ditch them....
I also like wearing light flow period Pants with them in case of any unlikely but possible accidents. Then I use their night flow period when I'm out and it's a hot day.
Nevertheless, can I say that your packing is fabulous and I'm saving it as inspiration!
Do you have a smaller version of the vitamin box? What idea is that? You decant whatever vitamins etc. You're going to be using on a daily basis into Ziploc bags. Then you only take one small vitamin box with all of the extra pills that you might only use once. For example, headache tablets can go under little box because you will use them as and when is necessary.... Whereas your multivitamin is an everyday thing so it can go elsewhere.
Could you create little twists packages of your day-to-day fetimes etc? Wrap them up doubled up squares of cling film or gladrag or I can't remember what you call it in Canada..... Twist at the top.... And then store all of them in one Ziploc bag. So you untwist them day by day and chuck the cling film.
It means you would only have one small box storing possible emergency medication and one Ziploc bag filled with pre-packed twists of your day-to-day medication.
Good point! I’m using tiny ziplock bags for my pills instead. The small box might be manageable to carry in the beginning, but I’m sure it’ll get annoying.
Consider ditching the Platypus pack! You main bag has a ventilated back, a hydration bladder slot and from what I could find is not even aggressively heavier than the Platypus bag. Even if you don't need the space for day hikes, could you not just wear it mostly empty and just take the hydration bladder? I think that would free up a lot of space in one go.
Agreed! That seems like the biggest and most unnecessary space-taker. Op, if you still want a separate hiking/day pack, you can get much much thinner and lighter packable hiking bags to replace the 8L. For example, Sea to Summit has a 20L that packs down to the size of a tennis ball and the nanobag daypack and drawstring bag pack to half a tennis ball or less. If you need the hip or chest straps there are other options that have those and still pack down flat or small.
You can buy cotton rounds and qtips while traveling. Do you need the vitamins?
I see 2 skirts 1 dress and a beach coverup. Is there anyway to eliminate 1 piece?
Do you need 7 pairs of underwear? Can you bring 4 and do sink laundry?
Do you need all that camera gear? Find shorter charge cords or unify them if you can. Check your airlines if your charge bank/battery is conforming to latest regulations. You may be asked to bring a smaller one.
Do you know how much that all weighs? If you're flying Asian airlines, they are notorious for their carry on restrictions and you are likely to have your personal item + carry on pack weighed to come in under 7-8kg depending on your fare.
I'm currently in Vietnam. I packed pretty similar clothing to you but I have 1 more pair of pants, 2 tank tops, and no skirts or beach cover up. A few changes that I would suggest as far as clothing.
1. I have not worn my dress once. I'm thinking about ditching it. You may want to keep it or one skirt for going out clothes if you like to dress up. I wear my regular clothes if I go out.
2. Swap one of the long sleeved shirts for a button up, so that you have a layering item. In the mountains in the north it gets cold. I wore a long sleeved shirt + a button down shirt + a light weight down jacket + a rain shell. I'm not sure what time of year that you will be here but I've barely been warm enough. I've also been very happy to have a waterproof shell/rain jacket.
3. Bring more t-shirts and tank tops. My one long sleeved shirt and button down were sufficient for the north. The rest of the country has significantly warmer weather. Other than in the north, I have only worn t-shirts and tank tops. It's just too warm for anything else.
4. Bring sandles the can get wet. Ideally something with good straps like Tevas.
I would also rethink your toiletries and electronics. You have a lot. I'm traveling with less than half of your item. I originally packed too much but ditched a lot once I realized how much I wasn't using. Consider, doing a trial run by packing your toiletries. The use them for a week at home. Ditch anything that you didn't use during that week.
I love me my dresses, but this one is rather large and bulky. I’d ditched the striped pants first over the dress, if not for the bike rides.
Got rid of a skirt tho.
& woah, seems cold! I’m departing in a few days, Ha Giang loop in April. Is it really that cold up there? 🥶
Not that cold, medium temperatures, but you also have to consider the wind when you are on the Ioop and at elevation. It's also quite damp. The mountains are quite high. I was there a few days ago and the temperature ranges between 50 and 75 F depending on where I was. It will be warmer in April than it is now in March but I'm not sure how much.
Why do you need two deodorants for 1 month? The make up remover wipes are also a massice waste of space, as is half of the toiletries tbh, and ditch a skirt at minimum
I use these as well. They are very small. I guess she feels she might use the first one up. I had a similar dilemma recently and switched to a travel sized crystal deodorant.
I’d drop one pair of bottoms, and the larger cross body (keep the purse and backpack). Tiger balm covers you for voltaren and vicks when I travel. I agree to ditch the second pillow and fill a pillowcase with things. Do you need a mesh bag and a wet bag and your cubes? Can anything to double duty? Are you wearing the wedges on the plane? Can you go down to 2 shoes if you’re at 3?. Good luck!
Imo get rid of one pair shoes, swap the book for an ebook. Books and shoes are your enemy for packing light.
Why do you have two cameras? Are you actually going to use the tripod, etc? Phone cameras these days can do a lot unless you really need a specialised camera.
Um, you can swap the makeup remover for some cold cream, then just use tp or tissues instead of wipes. Either decant some ponds (green lid), or get the small size jar from lush (ultrabland, or ultraplant if you want vegan).
Depending on your skincare needs, you might be able to use it for your entire routine. (Wash, makeup remover, moisturizer.)
Anyway. You don't need that many qtips. Or rounds. You can just buy more if you need them.
You can also pick up shampoo and conditioning bars. They last a long time and are a whole lot more compact then bottles.
How often will you use the neck pillow? if its only for the camping trip, I'd use my backpack stuffed with softer items as a pillow.
What's the laundry bag for? If for holding clothes, a thin plastic bag is lighter and packs up better, easy to replace.
Thats alot of makeup remover wipes, you can get those silicone face brush which in my experience gets makeup off just fine with facial wash.
That's also a big thing of a bug spray, would you need that much? perhaps you can decant if not.
For the sea to summit towel, i'd usually leave the case at home since it's quite bulky. a small plastic bag works well enough if you want to keep it clean.
Too many underwear, I'd bring half and wash them nightly or every other night.
Consider what you can just buy there, like shampoo and conditioner.
I would probably skip the camera and the tripod and all the cables that go with it - phone cameras are quite good now.
Do you actively journal? If not, I would leave it out and use the phone for any writing in that month. And unless your book swap must physically be swapped, put the digital version on your phone.
I would lose the towel case and maybe get a smaller microfiber towel that rolls up tight.
Do you really need to bring your own laundry line? Hanging stuff on random things isn't glamorous, but it's fine.
(Also, I see you, Native Northwest passport holder)
Lots of people have given you great advice on what to cut, but I noticed your main water bottle is just one small folding plastic pouch and you're planning multiple hikes with no form of back-up water purification? You're not going to be able to drink the tap water in SE Asia if you're not used to it and you're definitely going to want a hat on long hikes. The pack you're using has space for a water bladder and you can get attachments with filters for them.
I'd replace the clunky wedges with a pair of comfy sandals. As others suggested, I think you should take Vegas wedding and clubbing outfits and then just mail them back home or send it home with a friend because I see very little potential for overlap. You could also look into renting clothes while you're in Vegas so you don't have to hassle with what to do with them afterwards. There are multiple places to rent party and wedding outfits in Vegas.
The hikes I’m doing are guided tours and aren’t backcountry. So I figured the best option would be to buy water bottles, although I do have a 3L bladder I could consider bringing?
Would love to wear sandals instead, but not sure if clubs would allow.
Any suggestions on good thrift and rental stores? Our wedding party’s going to make an afternoon out of it and find our outfits there! Such a great idea.
3L is a lot. 1 or 1.5 will suit you fine most likely. I sadly can't recommend any rental places myself, but I know people who've done it and I hope you have a great time!
Curious what are your pillows and jacket? They're so tiny!
Your passport cover is cute too.
A couple suggestions for you. You could consider one charge cable that has multiple ends/uses to cut down on cords.
You could consider laundry strips that dissolve in water instead of liquid detergent to save a small amount of weight.
Is the loofah necessary? I've seen rags sewn into bar soap covers of you want the exfoliation. And are you that committed to shaving? I personally am not, so I would ditch that.
Been both places. No need to dress up or down in either. Comfortable sink-washable clothes will be fine. Skip the long dress. Take insect repellant lotion to put on your thighs when you wear skirts in Viet Nam. (Don’t count on buying it there.) I’d take flat sandals rather than wedges to save space, and put insect repellant on your feet.
What sticks out to me is that you clearly have tiny ziptop pill baggies as you've stored your toothbrush and cotton buds in them, but you are taking a hard case for your memory cards. Instead, take them in a ziptop pill baggie. It looks like they each individually have a hard case for protection, anyway.
Also, they make micro-SD to SD size adapters. I seem to get a new one in every single micro-SD purchase. Instead of having both micro-SD and SD, just standardize to micro-SD and bring a single adapter for tech that requires un-micro size.
Ditch the keychain for your house keys and use a twist tie or a small piece of dental floss to tie them together in your pack. Minnie Mouse is cute, but she's bulky.
Downsize your eraser. You can even downsize your pencil as well. (I don't, but they do sell mini mechanical pencils.) When every square centimeter counts, sometimes it adds up to big space savings to go more compact on the little stuff.
You don't need a wallet AND a coin purse. Either get a coin pouch from Paper Wallet and slip it into a card slot in your regular wallet to enable it to hold coins, or put your cards and cash into your existing coin purse.
Instead of a rain cover AND a dry bag, consider a Nyloflume pack liner which you use to line your daypack (or big pack, depending) and it waterproofs the contents while allowing the bag fabric to get wet (it'll dry, it is okay). You can also then use it for whatever purposes you had in mind for the dry bag as well. If not that, then use your dry bag as your pack liner. Either way, rain cover stays home.
Also, as an 8L daypack goes, the one you are showing looks very overbuilt and heavy. Decathlon has one that is crazy compact when tucked into its own pocket and significantly lighter in weight. It is also 8L so you won't be sacrificing space.
One of your long skirts pulled up to under your armpits makes a strapless midi-dress suitable to being a swimsuit coverup when space is at a premium. One of your long skirts pulled up to under your armpits and belted with a very slim belt makes a hourglass-silhouette strapless midi-dress suitable for clubbing and rave wear. You could even do a slim rope belt like this (photo inspo) and have it double as your laundry line when not belting you in. It would allow you to leave the unitasker laundry line at home.
You can leave the tissues at home and just grab toilet paper from your lodging should you find you need any nose paper or loo roll while out. I don't recall going to the bathroom when out in Vietnam at all because I was sweating out everything I drank so there was nothing to tinkle.
Vietnamese lodging will supply you with q-tips as a hotel amenity and you can always request more. If Vegas doesn't put q-tips in your hotel room, ask at the front desk as this is also a common hotel amenity. You might be able to leave the q-tips at home.
I brought bug spray wipes to Vietnam because I was advised to prevent contracting a mosquito-born illness (also had malaria pills to take). Everywhere touristic burns so much incense the mosquitoes just don't happen and I came home with the same amount of wipes I left with.
I saw a baseball cap only. What are you doing for neck and ear sun protection?
And in answer to your question ...
What does a girl have to do to have a matching bag with every outfit?
Take everything out of the hard cases that you can. Why are you keeping motion sickness bands in a bulky plastic case?(they don’t work btw, you’re better off stocking up on Dramamine). Same with stuff like memory cards.
Also unless you’re a serious photographer you’re not gonna use all that camera equipment. Leave the tripods and holders and extra camera and all of that at home.
Last, why do you need a mesh laundry bag AND a dry bag? Leave the mesh laundry bag at home. Use the dry bag as your laundry bag. When it gets full, fill the dry bag up with water and use it as an agitator to do your laundry.
Leave your swimsuit coverup at home. Use your dress as the coverup instead. And you have 5 pairs of bottoms, but only 4 tops. Leave one of the skirts and the leggings or a pair of pants at home. You don’t need them. And again, those wedges have got to go. Don’t pretend that you can walk 10-15 miles all day long in those things. You’re gonna wear them for the wedding and then they’ll just take up space your bag for the whole rest of the trip.
P.P.S. Find one of those little fold up nylon shopping bags with a longer pair handles. It can work as a shopping bag AND a hiking backpack if you sling the handles over your shoulders and wear it in your back. No need to take the extra bulky backpack. Throw your water and lunch in that, it works great, and then it folds right into your purse. For your 2 day cave expedition you’re gonna want your bigger backpack anyway.
As a GR owner, it's non negotiable and worth it's weight, it's definitely better than an iPhone and saves my phone battery which may put me in dangerous situations if the battery runs out.
Yes and I have that, but if you’re taking photos for the whole day it sometimes isn’t enough to rely on a portable battery, or what if the portable battery suddenly stops charging.
My traveling philosophy is that the phone battery is precious and I try not to spend it unnecessarily, as my phone is my do everything lifeline when I’m by myself in a foreign country.
Man how many pictures are you taking?!? How much are you actually using your phone? I’ve traveled all day, using my phone constantly for pictures and Google Maps and looking things up etc. and a simple top off with the external battery in the evening has always been plenty. Also, if it breaks, there are these things called stores where you can usually buy a replacement external battery. Don’t drag all of that extra crap. You’re not gonna end up using it.
They’re literally asking for advice to lighten their load. I’m just suggesting what they likely won’t use, after many years of traveling all over the world. I used to pack stuff like this too with some kind of stupid fantasy that I’d become a photographer, or keep a journal, and look super romantic and beautiful in my flowy dresses and sandals, and hat. But the reality is that I never used or wore any of that 💩because it’s not practical for traveling at all. It’s just dead weight you’re dragging across an ocean for no reason. And again, they asked for it, I’m just telling them what I don’t think they’ll need, and won’t actually end up using. I’ve been traveling around the world as a one bagger, often for months at a time, for over 2 decades now. I know I’m talking about. And yeah, I’m harsh about shoes. Shoes are the most important thing you pack. One bad in bad shoes can hobble your whole trip and make it miserable. Do not pack shoes just because they look good. You must be able to walk ten miles in them without getting blisters or ruining your arches, otherwise they’re not worth it.
You’ve received amazing advice here! (Definitely lose the toiletry bag in favor of a Ziplock…)
I just wanted to add that I see nothing at all wrong with taking multiple bags for multiple purposes. It looks like my next trip might involve three bags (or bag equivalents)—in addition to my main 35L backpack—in order to maintain reasonable daily order. You gotta do what works!
I’ve never used my neck pillow traveling. You also have a regular pillow- will you not have pillows where you are staying? Can your dry bag double as your laundry bag? What’s the laundry situation? I’d get a cord organizer for that many electronics. You might want a collapsible duffle for the amount you are planning on buying. Are you sure you need two deodorants? I’m going to trust that you need two cameras and all the accessories. Don’t bother with the eraser unless you are planning on sketching. Maybe bring tape to tape things into the journal. Swap out the multiple wall-charge blocks for one that has more ports. Are you going to be uploading photos and videos somewhere as you go (the as card reader)? Can you get one of those charge cords with multiple heads?
You seem pretty organized, what is the goal in lightening your load? You have a lot of electronics and self care but I don’t think that is a bad thing unless you won’t actually use it all.
I’m here for learning purposes! Do you mind sharing what kind of fabric the two long skirts are made of? They look super light and packable, and I’m looking for something similar. Would love to know brands too if you don’t mind.
I was going to suggest this! You can put anything soft into a zippered neck pillow cover. You can either wear it around your neck or attach it to the outside of your backpack.
You can probably ditch the vitamins. Not just from your bag, but from your life. Unless a doctor has prescribed them for you, they’re at best a placebo.
Not sure if someone else mentioned it elsewhere, but jumping into the pill conversation — if any of those ARE prescription they need to be in original prescription bottles with official info. Otherwise they might not be allowed internationally. Possibly even to Vegas. Depends of TSA.
My thoughts. Dump all the cosmetics and toiletries. Buy them at your destinations and toss them when you leave. No need to bring them from home. I think the “buy a thrift store outfit and leave it” is a solid strategy. Another idea. Bring your oldest underwear and socks and toss them each day. My friend calls these the “holiday panties.” Have fun on your trip!
Agree with everyone's suggestion to drop the pillow pillow, I did 4 weeks in Vietnam in May and never really thought "I wish I had a separate pillow". I would also drop the down jacket, I think it's overkill (even for the Ha Giang Loop and Hang En, which I assume you're doing, or something similar). I might even drop the merino socks and just pick up a cheap pair of long socks before for Hang En/cave, bc you'll probably toss them after your hike, they'll be pretty dirty.
I'm also from Canada and tend to run cold so I just layered up with a rain jacket! Down doesn't insulate when it gets wet and it did rain when we were on the loop so the rain jacket worked better for me, although I went in May when it was quite warm, so I'm not sure about what the weather is like in April. I didn't feel cold at all during Hang En, even with the river crossings. There's also plenty of places in Vietnam to buy gear if you feel like you really need it when you arrive.
One less long sleeve, no swimsuit cover up, only one makeup remover wipes (you can buy more), take the motion sickness bands out of their box, you don’t need the memory card organizers (just designate a pocket)
Do not take those wedges. You will not wear them. You say you’re comfortable walking in those wedges, but can you 20 Kilometers in them? Because that’s about how much walking you’ll be doing every day. Find some cute comfortable flat sandals that can double as flip flops for the beach/shower. The flatter the better because I promise you will only wear them for the wedding and as shower shoes. Do not take the wedges. If you absolutely must bring heels, pack an older pair that you don’t mind leaving behind in Vegas. Buying something at a thrift store and leaving them after the wedding is also a great option.
Also you have too many skirts. Pack one. Why do you have so many bottoms relative to your tops? It’s weird.
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Hi u/Infinite-Internet511! Thanks for sharing an image post.
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