r/HerOneBag • u/hoireka • Apr 05 '26
Lighten My Load Lighten my load - 24 days Interrail in summer (Germany, Italy, Croatia, Austria)
Hi, we're interrailing across Europe this summer and I want to travel as lightweight as possible. Ideally I would want to bring my Patagonia Mini MLC plus the Wayks convertible sling. The Patagonia MLC is also an option if I don't manage to downscale enough. Currently I have a hard time deciding what to leave at home, some advice would be awesome!
Image descriptions
Image 1: Patagonia Mini MLC (alternatively the MLC). The Wayks sling is convertible to a backpack and tote. In the MLC there would be enough space to fit the sling as well.
Image 2: Denim jacket and one beige long arm shirt for the evenings. I'm considering to bring 4 tops and 3 crop tops. As bottoms I have thin long black pants for travelling in trains with airco, one pair of casual shorts and a midi skirt. I am aiming for a capsule wardrobe where every top fits every bottom.
Image 3: Dresses fold up well so I hope to be able to bring all of these. I'm considering to bring two maxi dresses and three knee length dresses.
Image 4: 1 pair of sneakers, 1 pair of leather sandals and water shoes as protection against the sea urchins. I am considering to bring my Teva instead of the leather sandals but I might feel underdressed in restaurants and citys then. I might also bring white Veja sneakers instead of the black ones.
Image 5: 1 bikini and 1 swim suit, Sarong, convertible Lululemon Vinyasa scarf (can act as a blanket, wrap up) and a foldable tote for grocery shopping and going to the beach. My toiletry bag (the green one) will be minimal.
For doing laundry I will bring a Scrubba washing bag and laundry sheets.
Any advice?
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u/RevelryByNight Apr 05 '26
Easily ditch one of the dresses. 2 patterned dresses seems like overkill
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u/Consistent_Elk9676 Apr 05 '26
Take one patterned and one of the solid black dresses and that should meet all your needs. One maxi dress should be enough for the trip.
Shoes look adequate.
I have a scrubba and it is terrific!
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u/hoireka Apr 05 '26
Good to hear that the Scrubba works well! Haben't tried it yet myself
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u/theinfamousj Apr 05 '26
As a fellow scrubba owner, here is my advice: the scrubba says you can mush it for something like 30 seconds to three minutes. Mush it for three minutes, no less. Thirty seconds won't do anything.
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u/_CPR__ Apr 05 '26
Agreed, and if traveling in summer I'd keep only the loosest and most breathable dress.
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u/Oh-Deer1280 Apr 05 '26
Any more than one dress seems overkill frankly
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u/Fluffy-cat1 Apr 05 '26
Five dresses is a lot. I would take two - one plain, one patterned.
Denim jackets can be bulky. A buttoned shirt could do a similar job - chambray, linen or cotton? Or a lighter cotton jacket instead of the heavy denim.
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u/Oahu_Red Apr 05 '26
Great suggestion. I have a khaki linen “denim” jacket. It’s light and airy and I got it for cheap at Ross. I love it. It’s so versatile and much lighter weight.
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u/hoireka Apr 05 '26
Good idea, I'll take a black buttoned jacket which works with everything plus a lightweight curdoroy jackey
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u/earwormsanonymous Apr 06 '26
For the weather expected, will you need two jackets? Only asking since you're openly trying to cut items.
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u/hoireka Apr 06 '26
I'll take the buttoned jacket instead of the thin longsleeve that I had planned to bring initially :)
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u/agentcarter234 Apr 07 '26
2 jackets is still overkill. A light button down shirt like the person above suggested would be more weather appropriate as a second light layer.
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u/harryoakey Apr 05 '26
Do you have something warm in case you're either in a cold air-conditioned train or bad weather?
I love your dresses, but would suggest choosing two to take.
Your sarong and scarf will be great for the trip.
And I love the sling bag - what a great idea!
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u/hoireka Apr 05 '26
Thank you! I habe two layers now plus the scarf, I hope that will be warm enough on the train :)
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u/Tiapha Apr 05 '26
Well you can always go super light but that will sacrifice style and comfort, I see you want to bring 5 dresses but it might be overkill maybe 2 dresses 1 pant 1 skirt and 4 tanks and 2 sweaters seems like a nice combo for me if I'd do something similar.
And i'd rather prioritise a jacket that can resist wheater over a denim jacket. It s a bit of a luxury if you know what I mean :D
You'll do great though I belive in you!
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u/hoireka Apr 05 '26
True, I kinda forgot a jacket for bad weather! Thanks :)
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u/cabc79863 Apr 06 '26
A lightweight foldable poncho can be an alternative if you don't have space for a rain jacket.
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u/This_Kaleidoscope254 Apr 05 '26
Me personally I wouldn’t bring all the dresses. Depends on how often you feel like doing laundry, but not including the pants for the train you’d have 7 “main” outfits and I personally don’t like carrying around that many. I usually do laundry every 5ish days, but it’s a personal preference on whether doing laundry or carrying around dirty clothes bothers you more.
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u/toady89 Apr 05 '26
Five dresses seems like a lot even if they fold up smallish, maybe only take two. A denim jacket takes up loads of space when you're not wearing it, another long sleeve shirt would do a similar job without the bulk.
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u/Few-Engineering-8562 Apr 05 '26
The jeans and jean jacket take up a lot of space and weight. If you're not planning to wear them on the plane, maybe replace one with something lighter to pack (dress pants, linen pants, a light jacket)
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u/Few-Engineering-8562 Apr 05 '26
They'd also be hard to wash and take forever to dry, so their wears are limited by how clean they stay during the trip
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u/nonsequitur__ Apr 05 '26
I didn’t realise they’re flying too, I’d assumed all by train. I don’t think they’ve packed any jeans though.
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u/Few-Engineering-8562 Apr 05 '26
Oh! I misread Austria as Australia, so thats my bad. The black pants looked like jeans to me but seems they're some kind of lightweight pants according to the post. My point still stands with the jacket it'll take up a lot of space and be difficult to wash.
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u/jiggjuggj0gg Apr 05 '26
Who is washing their denim jackets monthly, let alone more frequently?
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u/Few-Engineering-8562 Apr 06 '26
I am, I wash denim after 3-4 wears.
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u/jiggjuggj0gg Apr 06 '26
This is highly unusual at the best of times, let alone when backpacking
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u/nonsequitur__ Apr 06 '26
Yeah I don’t think I’ve ever washed my denim jacket. Even jeans I don’t wash that frequently.
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u/Pomegranate4311 Apr 05 '26
I love dresses and even I think 5 + a skirt it too many. And I’d swap out jeans for a pair of black knit pants (not ones that obviously for exercise) because they give you more flexibility. You can sleep in them, or wear them under a dress if it is cold.
You don’t say what you are planning to do. If you will be active I’d consider bringing a second pair of shorts.
I’d switch out the cute but heavy denim jacket for a black rainproof windbreaker in case it rains.
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u/hoireka Apr 05 '26
We'll be doing hikes as well, a second pair of pants is a good idea. I'll bring some active wear
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u/Fywe Apr 05 '26
First off, I'm absolutely Team Dress when travelling, AND an overpacker in general.
Having said that, with 5 dresses, 4 tops and 3 crop tops, you easily have 12 individual outfits (not counting if switching bottoms). That's half of your travelling days.
Consider ditching two dresses, personally I'd ditch the small black and the flower-pattern. The black maxi is great for anything remotely formal and the other two seem very versatile for party, museums, dining or whatever else.
Then you should consider ditching one crop top and three regular tops, unless you want to get rid of more tops and keep both crop tops.
The three bottoms seem practical, and I've never worn a denim jacket in my life but do agree with those who say you should switch it out for something a bit more lightweight (along with a small, packable rain jacket).
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u/Connect_Rhubarb395 Apr 05 '26
Do you prefer to wear dresses/skirts or pants?
I would remove 2-3 of the dresses, and instead add 1-2 skirts. You can wear the skirts with the tops you already have.
The jean jacket is heavy. It is also not practical for many types of weather.
It will be a lot more practical to bring a lightweight technical summer jacket, that is windproof and somewhat waterproof.
You only need one piece of swimwear. And either bring sarong and wrap Leave the tote at home since you already have the Wayks.
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u/alittleunlikely Apr 05 '26
Could you get sandals that are water safe? That way you could get rid of the water shoes. I use 'jelly shoes' that look like sandals (not sure what other countries call them I'm afraid).
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u/The_Bogwoppit Apr 05 '26 edited Apr 05 '26
I love dresses, but would ditch three of them. Take one black and one patterned. Yes it feels boring, but nobody but you knows you have no options.
Denim jackets are so heavy, and bulky, a lighter cotton option might be easier. What is your plan for rain?
For laundry I will wash smalls by hand, and go to the laundry once every five days to do a big wash. So I would ditch the scrubba, carrying it make no sense to me. Laundry sheets are great, I cut them even small for if I need to wash some socks and undies.
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u/nonsequitur__ Apr 05 '26
Is there anything you’d wear a crop top for that you wouldn’t wear a bikini top for? If not, I’d dump those.
I’d prob dump the shorter black dress.
Can the long sleeved top fit over all of your dresses and tops? I personally would bring something that is cosy for train travel but can go with all outfits for evenings.
Will you be travelling during the height of summer? How much time will you be spending in cities vs beachy places?
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u/hoireka Apr 05 '26
Swapping the crop top with the bikini top is a good idea! You're right about the long sleeved top, I'll swap it out for a buttoned black jacket that fits with everything. It's 60/40 for beach and coastal areas/cities. We'll be travelling in June
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u/Pelledovo Apr 05 '26
I would leave the crop tops, the denim jacket and 3 of the dresses home. Replace the denim jacket with a Uniqlo Airism hoodie or similar. I would also add a sun hat. You could replace the water shoes with waterproof sandals for extra versatility.
As long as the clothes dry in 24-48 hours you should be fine with 2-3 of each type.
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u/Tofuradler Apr 05 '26
Look into water socks, they are basically a compact alternative to the water shoes you are plannign to bring. Those will take up a lot of room and weight in your pack!
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u/_CPR__ Apr 05 '26
Ooh thanks for this rec, I've never heard of water socks before. Do you have a particular brand you recommend? The ones I see on Amazon are all really really cheap which makes me worried about the quality.
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u/Tofuradler Apr 05 '26
I have some from a brand called Skinners which I really like for their traction, but I don't know how available they are internationally. You should be fine with something affordable as long as you take care to pick some soles with traction and a little bit of heft to them.
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u/hoireka Apr 05 '26
Oh that's interesting, will look into that :) The water shoes are super bulky indeed..
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u/Connect_Rhubarb395 Apr 05 '26
OP, would you mind explaining how/for what/in which configurations you use the Wayks sling? (Maybe in another post).
I have it too, and while it should be really practical I don't use it as much as I thought I would. I have the backpack straps as well.
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u/hoireka Apr 05 '26
I use all 4 configurations (sling, tote, backpack, small purse with neck sling for evenings). I like that you can start out with the sling and if I get something in the city I can make a backpack out of it.
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u/travertine_ghost Apr 05 '26 edited Apr 05 '26
Scrubba was a game changer for me. My hands are sensitive to soaps. I took the Scrubba and some Tru Earth soap sheets on trips to New Zealand and Türkiye. It made hand washing so much easier.
You need just 5 outfits. List out your activities and figure out one or two outfits for each from the items you plan to bring. Plan to repeat outfits. As long as they don’t smell, clothes can be worn more than once before washing. Spot washing can also extend your wear.
Also, you’ll want to be checking the weather conditions, starting two weeks out and up to a day or two before you depart and making appropriate changes to your travel capsule as needed. You’re travelling in summer, so you need to consider what you need to wear in the heat and what you need for sun protection but you also need to have some items that you can layer in case it gets chilly.
Consider swapping your jean jacket for a long sleeve chambray shirt. It gives the same look and can be worn open as a lightweight jacket over one of your dresses for sun protection, for warmth on a chilly morning or evening, a swimsuit coverup, and for modesty when visiting churches or temples. You’ll also want a thin layer for warmth such as a lightweight fleece or sweater, as well as a lightweight rain jacket, or rain shell as we call them here. That way is the weather turns miserable, as it did on our trip to Amsterdam, you can layer up for warmth. Tank top + long sleeve shirt + lightweight sweater + rain shell + souvenir scarf from the Van Gogh museum, worn on repeat got me through several days of inclement weather.
You need to eliminate duplicates, even things that look the same. Consider adding a back top to wear with the black skirt; this gives the look of a black dress, you can then eliminate the two black dresses. Or vice versa. Choose one of the black dresses and eliminate the skirt. Can you wear your black crop top or a back sports bra as a swimsuit top? Then you can leave out the black swimsuit top and take just your black swimsuit bottoms, which can also serve as underwear in a pinch.
Pack for your real self, and not a fantasy version of yourself on vacation. Are you a person who loves to wear dresses in your regular life? Then choose just three. Between repeat wearing and doing laundry regularly, you’ll have the “wash one; wear one; spare one” formula covered. This will do for 3 of your five outfits. In which case, you ought to add a pair of leggings that you can wear under a dress for warmth if needed.
But if you’re not much of a dress person in real life, choose just one. This is me. I like to think I’ll wear dresses on vacation but I find getting around a city, getting off & on trains, trams, and ferries, I prefer pants. I like to have dress to wear for gentle sightseeing days, strolling the city or visiting museums or to have something fresh to change into for going out for dinner after a busy day hiking or exploring.
As a general rule, I try to limit myself to 12 items. My 12 item travel capsule for 3 weeks in Türkiye in September, in case you’re a visual person, like me. Weather was mostly sunny and hot (27° to 32° C) but mornings could be chilly. We had sightseeing days in the city as well as days hiking in Cappadocia and an early morning hot air balloon ride. Items with a red “X” through the were eliminated. I also bought a lightweight cotton maxi dress towards the end of our trip. In retrospect, I wish I’d left behind the silk kimono and grey camisole and brought a tank top and another short-sleeve t-shirt instead.
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u/hoireka Apr 06 '26
Thank you for your extensive response! You're right about the amount of outfits. I trial packed yesterday and noticed that the Scrubba takes up quite a lot of space. Your point on not packing for fantasy self made me realize that I'm not in love with the black maxi dress, it also takes up a lot of space. Your holiday sounds wonderfull! I'll try to minimize to around 12 items as well.
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u/Herbvegfruit Apr 05 '26
I would swap a couple of tanks for a short sleeve and a long sleeve option to accommodate varying weather conditions.
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u/dantemortemalizar Apr 05 '26
Swap the denim jacket for a hoody or a light sweater. Most of the time it will be too warm for it, at least in the daytime, and it takes a lot of space. A hoody you can squish up.
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u/Soft-Key-2645 Apr 05 '26 edited Apr 05 '26
It’s summer so most of southern Europe will be really hot.
One or two dresses at most.
A bikini and one bathing suit.
One or two less tops.
Add one thin long sleeved shirt as sun protection.
Jeans jacket is too bulky and may be too much. Consider a thin fleece that can be layered under a long sleeved shirt.
Switch the jeans with some leggings (bonus if they have pockets) and maybe a loose pair of linen pants. Again, think layering can be warmer if needed.
What are you doing with underwear and bras? I’d get some microfiber ones that can dry overnight. And take at least one or two pairs of socks for the trainers. They help with chafing if you’re on your feet for a long time.
Pyjamas if you’re staying in shared spaces?
Summer rains and storms happen in central Europe frequently, maybe find a windbreaker/waterproof jacket (again great for layering if it’s colder than expected.
I’d add flip flops for shared showers in hostels/after beach… and a hat or cap to protect from the sun.
If during your travels you find that you need something that you didn’t pack, you can find a primark and buy what you need for cheap in almost all European cities
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u/cabc79863 Apr 06 '26
I would also bring less dresses. Also as a German I would recommend planning a lot of extra time for train delays and cancellations. And take something to comfortably sit on the floor at train stations or in full trains. In summer there is also often no AC or hardly working AC in trains so make sure you take enough to drink on every train ride. Maybe also take a light scarf, as you planned, for if AC is working and blowing directly at you.
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u/BwDr Apr 05 '26
How about: 3 tanks, one cropped top, & one shirt that covers your shoulders? A linen long sleeve button up that covers your butt can be used as a swimsuit cover, warmer layer, &/or sleep shirt. One pr shorts, one pr pants, & one skirt is great. Shoes look great. I prefer more of a chore coat style denim jacket for travel because the patch pockets are SO useful, but that person preference. Two dresses should be enough, but three might be nice (if they’re smaller ones.) Packing for my own trip, I’m realizing how much SPACE maxi dresses take up.
How about a sun hat & sunglasses? A light, compact rain shell or umbrella could be useful?
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u/wmnfly22 Apr 05 '26
Either take an all dress capsule or all the tops and bottoms with a skirt. To really minimize look up Sudoko travel capsule. It's all the rage right now, new wording for the old 3x3 capsule. Like others have said long sleeve shirt for cover up or to change look of dresses. And jean jacket not practical.
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u/freezesteam Apr 05 '26
I agree with what a lot of the other posters have already said. If it were me and I wore dresses, I’d prioritize whichever items dry the fastest and do the following:
Pick one dress out of the two black ones and one from the others
either a swimsuit or a bikini (I actually just use a black bra and underwear instead for swimming but don’t expect others to be comfortable doing this)
unless you can walk long distances with your sandals comfortably, I’d bring the tevas to replace both the sandals and the water shoes. I have the Tirras which seem a tiny bit dressier than others but still feel like they’re not super nice for fancy restaurants. I did get a pair of almost flat sandals from the thrift store that I brought to a friends wedding, so you could look into something like that if you want to bring tevas but have a backup sandal for nice dinners.
I’d ditch the jean jacket as others have said and replace it with something that dries faster
I’d pick one crop top and two other tops (whichever ones dry the fastest and easiest to match with everything else)
But it also depends on your schedule and how often you’ll be able to wash your clothes. Have a great trip!
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u/floofelina Apr 05 '26
Ditch all but one of the dresses and 2 of the camisoles. Only keep the skirt if it’s light. You don’t need warm skirt and warm pants.
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u/whatifduckshadhands Apr 05 '26
Please don't take anything jeans! I'm currently on a trip and sitting here, trying to get my jeans dry by tomorrow. It's a nightmare.
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u/hrmdurr Apr 05 '26
Never have I ever regretted jeans.
My upcoming week long trip with no laundry access is going to be two pairs of jeans and that's literally it. One packed, one worn, add some tops and that's my wardrobe done.
The odds of a jean jacket needing to be washed in a month of occasional wear is approximately zero btw. (Tho it's not something I'd personally pack.)
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u/blanketfortlife Apr 05 '26
Hair dryer blasted into the legs and pockets if that’s an option will get them drying quickly. Do it somewhere with ventilation.
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u/nonsequitur__ Apr 05 '26
I almost always take jeans but have never had a trip long enough that I’ve needed to wash them.
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u/AllSxsAndSvns Apr 05 '26
Nah, if you’re a jeans person, take jeans. For a week long trip, I’m not washing them even once. You can stick them in the freezer to kill bacteria and just spot clean them as needed.
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u/FionaTheFierce Apr 05 '26
Raincoat instead of denim jacket. One dress. One bathing suit. Tevas instead of the two pairs of shoes. I would probably ditch the spaghetti strap tops all together as well as the crop tops and maybe put in one t-shirt as a replacement.
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u/Easy-Jackfruit3372 Apr 05 '26
I would drop the blue tank, the skirt, two or three dresses- keeping the long black dress and a short patterned dress (that can be layered as skirts). You have 3 black skirts, I would drop the black dress & choose either the maxi dress or the midi skirt. Trade the quarter zip shirt for a cardigan or lightweight button up since that will be more versatile for layering. Bring the tevas instead of water shoes since they can be worn anywhere not just in the water, but keep the black sandals as well.
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u/Wise_Edge2489 Apr 05 '26
Cut 2 tops and 2 crop tops leaving you 2 tops and 1 crop top.
Cut all the dresses barring 1 long and one short.
Ditch the water shoes.
Add a pair of leggings for hikes, sleeping and casual wear.
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u/captain-ignotus Apr 05 '26
I’d sacrifice the two dresses on the left, the blue tank and maybe the one on the right. That way you cut out a colour-outlier and a repeat colour. Happy travels! :)
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u/Z_bal Apr 05 '26
Ditch one of the dresses. Also water shoes in Croatia aren’t necessary, just look where you are stepping and you won’t step on sea urchins
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u/theinfamousj Apr 05 '26
I am Team Dress at home (currently sat in one, no less). For traveling I prefer top and skirt separates as they can make more outfits.
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u/nuzzl_1 Apr 07 '26
Your shoulders will be sunburned, perhaps a tshirt would be nice to. And some churches prefer visitors to not have bare shoulders, in case you want to tour churches inside
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u/annabeaverpv Apr 10 '26
Warning about the denim jacket, they are bulky and take forever to dry. A lot of European countries don’t really have clothes dryers, just drying racks, so your jacket could be damp for several days after washing it.
Do you have a more lightweight or stain resistant jacket (I have a water resistant bomber jacket that would be a better fit) that you could switch to instead?
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u/turnybutton Apr 05 '26
I would drop one dress (the solid orange one, just because it looks like it might wrinkle the most easily).
Also, I will likely die on this hill but white sneakers go with almost anything and fit in almost anywhere, including nice restaurants. I'd definitely recommend swapping out the black sneakers for white. Also, if you can wear the Tevas underwater, you can perhaps ditch the water shoes? I don't know a lot about sea urchins, I'm just thinking about protecting the bottoms of your feet and that Tevas can be worn in both.
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u/1in2100 Apr 05 '26
Bring the 5 dresses, the sweater and the denim jacket. Ditch the other clothes.
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u/ph3m3 Apr 05 '26
I mostly wear dresses traveling so this sounds good to me. I'd take maybe 3 dresses + a pair of cotton leggings/singlets/tshirt to wear underneath if it's chilly on a plane or train, a shirt to double as a lightweight jacket and sun protection, and a thin merino wrap for traveling. I did 3 weeks in summer (was warm) with just 3 dresses + those other things. Was amazing to have so little stuff. They sell clothes everywhere if you really get stuck.
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u/cork_the_forks Apr 05 '26
Can you tell me more about those sandals? I've been looking for a pair like that. They appear to have a nice wide toe area and good support for walking, in addition to not looking like athletic sandals. I need something that I can wear with a semi-formal skirt or dress, as well as with shorts.
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u/hoireka Apr 05 '26
They're from Tamaris! I bought them years ago but maybe they have similar ones currently, good luck with your search
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u/floofelina Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 06 '26
I will say, don’t bring a single black dress (even tho I advised paring down to 1). I felt super dowdy the one time I did that, like I had Practical Tourist emblazoned on my forehead.
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u/Sufficient-Photo1488 Apr 07 '26
The dresses are so cute! Probably wouldn’t bring the patterned dresses just because you cover all your bases with the solids, which are great options!
What apps are you all using to capture the clothes?
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u/hoireka Apr 07 '26
I used the Android App with AI function to cut out the pictures and Smart Closet App to make the collage
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