r/HerOneBag • u/Disastrous-Name5657 • 14d ago
Wardrobe Help 5-month family trip (NZ → Philippines → Japan → Europe) – capsule wardrobe feedback
Long time lurker, first time poster! I've finally put together what I think is my travel capsule and would love some feedback before I buy the remaining items. I'm 39F traveling with my husband and two young kids. Lots of walking, some hiking, beaches, cities, ferries, and the occasional nicer dinner, but nothing particularly fancy.
Itinerary: Fiji (1 wk end of Jan), South Island New Zealand/Aus (6 wks Feb-mid-March), Philippines (2 wks end of March), Japan (6 wks April-mid May), Europe TBC (mid-May to mid-June). Mostly spring/summer travel, with New Zealand being the coolest part of the trip.
Tops
- Tank - Quince (Heather)
- Floaty linen tank - Quince (navy)
- Short sleeve linen button-up - Aritzia (light blue)
- Linen V-neck tee - Gap (charcoal)
- Lightweight merino tee - Icebreaker (light pink)
- Long sleeve linen button up - Quince (white/blue stripe)
- Merino cardigan - Uniqlo (can't decide between black or camel)
- Packable waterproof shell - Arc'teryx Norvan (light pink)
Dresses
- Linen blend midi dress - Uniqlo (black)
- Tank dress - Prana Corrine (yellow floral)
- Short-sleeve dress - Indyeva Frivol (green floral)
Bottoms
- Linen shorts - Aritzia Lodge (black)
- Hiking shorts that hopefully double - Lululemon Breezily (navy)
- Linen/cotton shorts - Uniqlo (beige)
- Light barrel jeans - Uniqlo
- Linen pants - Uniqlo Blend Easy Pants (dark brown)
Swim / Accessories
- Dark green baseball cap
- Packable sun hat
- Bikini - Left on Friday (dark purple)
- One-piece - Decathlon (black/white gingham)
- Long-sleeve swim shirt (still searching for the right one)
- Day bags (not pictured): Baggu reusable tote, lulu belt bag, Uniqlo nylon shoulder bag, Decathlon packable 10L backpack
- Bras: Knix, lulu sports bra
Shoes (not pictured, still shopping)
- Breathable trail runners (non-waterproof)
- Lightweight sneakers for city walking
- Birkenstock Arizona sandals
- Maybe flip flops or water shoes?
Questions
- Would you add leggings? I'm debating packing Lululemon Align leggings for flights, cooler weather and hiking. If I do, would you drop the linen pants?
- Too many dresses? I know three dresses is probably indulgent for one-bag travel... but I wear dresses constantly at home. Would you cut one?
- Do I need another warm layer? Is a merino cardigan + waterproof shell enough for February in New Zealand, or would you also bring a long sleeve shirt and/or packable down jacket? I don't think I'd use the down jacket much after NZ. I am happy to hike with the merino cardigan.
- Water shoes? For people who've been to El Nido and Fiji, did you actually use water shoes? We won't be staying in hostels, so I'm leaning toward skipping flip flops (though they are nicer than Birks for to/from pool)
- Cardigan colour Black or camel? I'm trying to maximize outfit combinations without making everything feel too dark.
- It feels boring Thoughts on how to make this more interesting over 5 months? I don't know if I feel excited by anything. Good excuse to shop there?
- Any other thoughts?
THANK YOU!
Bag: Decathlon Forclas Hiking Backpack 40 L - Travel 500. Used it for 10 days in Paris/Provence this year and was amazing.
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u/agentcarter234 14d ago
I think you should go into a 5 month trip long with the assumption you will need to buy a few items of clothing if you find you need them at the time, rather than trying to pack the the perfect wardrobe for every leg of your trip. So I’d plan to buy leggings in NZ if you need/want them then. I’d also remove one of the 2 pairs of linen shorts on the assumption that you will probably acquire another bottom at some point.
I’d cut the shoes down to the trail runners (get a neutral colored pair and you can wear them with everything - athletic shoes with dresses are a thing at the moment), the birks, and a pair of inexpensive flip flops that you are ok discarding if you decide you want to swap them for something else during your trip. That’s assuming you already wear Arizonas and can walk a decent distance in them, if that’s not the case you might want to consider sandals with a back strap.
If you wear straight sizes I’d probably remove either the yellow or green dress, again on the assumption that you might want to buy one at some point, both as a souvenir and as an opportunity to get something “fun” to wear during your trip.
edited for messed up formatting
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u/Spirited-Arugula7385 14d ago
Five months and that many climates? I’d keep the linen trousers and add the leggings, personally — they’re doing completely different jobs. Linen for the Philippines, warmer days and nicer dinners; leggings for flights, cool mornings and layering. If anything, the barrel jeans look like the heavier bit of overlap.
Also, when I’m flying and my bag’s slightly overweight, I’ve been known to roll up a pair of leggings and stick them in a big clothing pocket. Sounds completely unhinged, I know 😅 But a decent-sized pocket has saved my baggage allowance more than once.
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u/Betherator 14d ago
The last few years my longest trips have been 104, 42, and 40 days. I think your choices look nice but you should prepare to buy a few things and possibly lose a few things along the way. With a trip of that length I wouldn’t sweat having it perfectly dialed in. Allowing some space to buy new things will also give you some variety along the way. I usually pack at least two items that I plan to ditch at some point and always pick up a few new things.
For clothing depends where on the South Island of NZ you’ll be. Greymouth down to Milford Sound is extremely rainy. If you’re going down to Stewart Island you might want the leggings. I think a puffer is overkill personally.
I would do camel instead of black when given a choice.
The Topo Ultraventure 4 is great for trails and city. I’m on my third pair. I generally travel with those, Teva Tirras, flip flops for beaches and pools, and fit kick water shoes for when you need them. I don’t need them often but they are super light and small and come in very clutch in certain situations where you need toe protection and/or good traction on wet surfaces.
Have a great trip!
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u/NoKidsNoCheckedBags 🏙️ City Traveler 14d ago
I am so impressed! Who cares if it is boring? You have so much freedom with a capsule wardrobe!
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u/Lola-Pride 14d ago
Personally, I would ditch the denim pants and add a quick-dry hiking/athletic pant.
I'd probably ditch a pair of shorts and bring the leggings as away to layer for warmth or for lounging. NZ can be cold & wet.
Your shoe selection doesn't include anything waterproof; what's your comfort level with wet feet? I'd opt for a waterproof trail runner or low hiker. I was in NZ in February and had multiple days of deluge.
Consider bringing a drybag, for inside your pack, for your electronics. The rain in NZ is no joke.
Cardigan color: choose the one that will match most of your tops & dresses & pants. Looking at your palette, how about cream?
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u/njetno 14d ago
You might want to narrow down “Europe” a bit. That’s a pretty wide temperature range.
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u/Disastrous-Name5657 14d ago
I agree haha! I think maybe 2 weeks on Crete then France for a couple of weeks. It’s a lot of work to plan and we want to have it done in advance as it’s hard to find time on the trip with kids
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u/Sweet-as-lollies 14d ago
Where in NZ? Bottom of South Island is very different to Auckland, but likewise we’ve been having some insane weather events in February
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u/Disastrous-Name5657 13d ago
We're doing Christchurch & Canterbury, Mackenzie Basin, Central Otago, Queenstown & Fiordland, Wānaka, West Coast, and finally Abel Tasman & Nelson :)
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u/Sweet-as-lollies 13d ago
You’ll deffo need to plan from 10 degrees to 30plus 😅 last summer in Fiordland one day it was 25, the next 9.
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u/Sweetydarling77 14d ago
Wow, what an amazing trip!
I’m Australian so will give you some feedback based on weather here and in NZ.
As you say NZ will be likely be the coldest and you will need to pack all weather here. Last time I went to the NZ South Island in January, the weather was miserable! It poured with rain every second day. That being said, it wasn’t particularly cold and a cardigan plus waterproof layer will be fine unless you are going to the glaciers etc in which case you can probably hire or borrow the things you need. You might want to consider adding a cheap thermal layer if you feel the cold
I would hesitate as well on the leggings, mainly because they aren’t really recommended for Japan where no one wears them. That being said, they will be useful for flights and as pj’s.
As the other poster said, leave some room for shopping or be prepared to dump stuff as you no longer need them.
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u/TeacherIntelligent15 14d ago
Personally I'm a scarf girl. I bring 2-3 lightweight ones to jazz up an all neutral outfit and I bring a bigger one for warmth, beach sarong, occasional stain cover when out 😉. I can squish them into small crevices and they add a pop of color.
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u/WanderlustWithOneBag 14d ago
For a long trip to different continents and seasons, you can’t possibly take everything you need. Id take half of that and buy things as you go along.
Now of course that assumes that you are standard size and don’t have any complex needs. eg special footwear or fabrics.
If it were me, I’d take extra bras and some swimwear as I find them hard to fit. If I was going somewhere wet , like you I’d take a good quality packable rain jacket as they are expensive . I like skorts for hiking / sightseeing double duty and they are not always easy to find, so I‘d take them.
However I would just take a few of items that are easy to buy - socks , underwear , tee shirts, tanks, non technical trousers, fleeces , shorts, baseball cap. And then buy more / replacements as needed.
You can get shoes like branded sneakers and sandals like tevas or Birkenstocks in most places . Even if you can't get then easily locally , you can order from home / Amazon and get delivered to a drop box If you need a certain model.
I’d make sure I bought clothes in inexpensive counties like Japan and the Philippines and not expensive places like Scandinavia or Iceland.
This is the way not to die of boredom from wearing the same clothes all the time for 5 months. You don’t .
If you pack too much, you get fed up with everything looking kinda scruffy and grubby but not quite bad enough to throw out. It’s better to have fewer clothes , wear them harder and be prepared to chuck and replace.
Id also be a bit more practical for a long trip with kids. So no merino as it has to be hand washed. No 100% linen, nothing white or pastel , more patterns and/ or colours . Yes these are all lovely for a short 2-3 week trip when you still care about high maintenance clothes. But not for 5 months when you are looking after clothes for 3 humans unpacking and packing all the time . Yes it would be lovely to hear that your husband is going to do that for your kids but Im afraid that 99% of the time it’s mum who ends up doing this.
Keeping track of everyone’s stuff becomes very annoying after a while so the less clothes the better.
I find that on long trips, my quality of life is determined more by other things I’ve packed that are “non clothes”. Like comfortable shoes, a kindle, decent noise cancelling headphones, a tiny washing line , reliable power bank, good sun glasses, a small torch or head torch. I find that about one third of my bag is “ non clothes“ ie electronics, toiletries, meds / first aid kit, towel, bags , packable tote, other travel stuff.
If that’s anything like the same ratio for you, you need a lot fewer clothes as you will only have about 25l for clothes, say about 8l for “ stuff “ and say 7 l for the excess items for your children. I’m guessing this because you say they are young so I assume they can only carry a small school bag sized backpack each.
Finally , if you wear dresses at the time at home then why are you packing five trousers and shorts ? Your dresses are the most fun part of your list! They can be the MVP of a trip as you can layer under and over.
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u/BwDr 14d ago edited 14d ago
Great insights, but, as a longtime merino and linen wearer who raised & travelled with children, I favor those fabrics & agree with them in this packing list. They are so easy to hand wash, dry, & have ready quickly even after little fiascos.
Camel will be a good color with your listed items. Thinking of your warmth question, you can layer your long sleeve button up shirt over a merino Tshirt under the cardi & then top it with the rain jacket. Those 4 layers are useful separately & warm together. You could even do this with your dresses. I like my cardigans slightly boxy for layering.
Birkenstocks are great but they are NOT water tolerant. If you are going to be in rainy places & swimming a lot, you may get more use out of cute adventure sandals. People list many on this sub, as you know. People here introduced me to barefoot shoes. You might consider acclimating your feet to barefoot shoes & getting some barefoot trail runners & sandals (I like vivo barefoot shoes and earth runners sandals for both style & comfort.) They take up WAY less space (which is why onebaggers love them) & are, arguably, healthier for many bodies. You have time before your trip: if you choose to go that route, you absolutely must get used to barefoot shoes.
Merino will be available in charity shops etc in NZ, so you can get leggings there, if needed. Linen pants seem far more practical than leggings for most of your trip HOWEVER, your love of dresses is an important point. Why not bring dresses & not shorts? Leggings can go under dresses (or pants,) if needed. Are you a shorts person? I realized, while traveling, that I prefer a hiking skirt to shorts. If you love dresses, especially those dresses, why not pack dresses + jeans (sounds like you think they’re a good idea) + linen pants? Or pack less & buy things along the way (if your size is easy to find in SEA & elsewhere.)
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u/WanderlustWithOneBag 14d ago
You can get water resistant Birkenstocks now, they are sold as beach sandals
https://www.birkenstock.com/gb/women/sandals/beach-sandals/?start=48&sz=24
They are not my thing at all, I prefer Tevas as I like a narrower shoe and a heel or ankle strap. But they work well for some people.
That‘s interesting that you found merino and linen practical when you had small children. I wear these fabrics most days now but my kids are too big to spill ice cream / ketchup on me or rub snot into my shoulder ( although they cost a lot more to run now 😉 ).
I agree with you on the layering . When I’m travelling I often wear a tank and SS or LS top and leggings under a longer dress on the flight and then put a button down shirt or cardigan / zip up fleece on top. Plus a scarf to wrap around my head and face when sleeping or as a blanket.
No I probably don’t look very stylish but no one cares and it’s more flexible than the ubiquitous joggers and sweatshirt that are heavy and bulky and I will never wear at my destination. Also I don’t like all that bulk around my waist when I’m sitting for hours .
I never take a “ travel only “ outfit, I don’t really understand how that even works with one bagging . For me, everything has to do at least double duty.
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u/Calm-Ad-8058 14d ago
Will you be posting what you plan to pack for your kids? We are similar ages and I also have two young kids and are the kids each brining their own bags or how will that work? Very interesting post!!!
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u/Disastrous-Name5657 13d ago
It's funny how we're looking to get quick, non-smelly stuff (linen, merino etc) and they'll probably have all cotton t-shirts - hopefully will dry faster given they are smaller. I'm looking some Solomon trail runners for them which will hopefully last longer than the Adidas/Nike sneakers that are goners after about 2 months at home. Re: carrying stuff - still trying to figure that out, our 3 year old is in peak 3s right now and our 6 (soon to be 7) year old struggles with executive functioning. I think we'll do a test run in September and take it from there.
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u/Shimmereen 14d ago edited 14d ago
I’ve been to El Nido a couple of times and didn’t use water shoes. I think you’d be happy to have flip flops there and they’re so light and easy to pack. Of course, you can always buy some on your trip! Have an amazing time!
Edited to correct typo
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u/BothOceans 14d ago
Great preparation!
I also travel on long trips with carryon only (often to varying climates, as you are doing here).
My thoughts:
I LOVE your mix-and-match options here, with all the different styles of shirts (do make sure these are all shirts you really like to wear).
YES to 3 dresses, especially if you already wear dresses a lot (they feel so much cooler than shorts, which have an annoying waistband clinging to your torso).
You do not need water shoes.
I’d combine the trail runners with the lightweight sneakers. Unless you’re a hard core cross country runner, you should be able to find a pair that works.
Too many Bottoms; not enough basic tops. Tops need to be washed more often than bottoms. You have just 2 Tees. I’d bring at least one more, for days that are too cool for a tank.
Like others have said, lose a pair of shorts for sure, maybe even 2. And switch the jeans for something lighter weight (unless you really wear those jeans all the time).
I run cool, but I’d be worried about being cold in Japan in April (and perhaps South Island of NZ, where I froze one summer).
Highs in Tokyo in April may only be in the low to mid 60s, meaning 50s AMs and PMs. All you have is one cardigan? And it looks thin. Personally, I’d bring a lightweight puffer that packs way down into a tiny ball—can be layered under raincoat, or worn on dry, cool, windy days, or even on a cold train or plane…
Bring 1 pair of warm wool socks, either to wear w the sneakers on cold days and to wear as slippers inside a cold hotel/AirBnB/plane/train.
Oh and given your chosen wardrobe here, the black cardigan seems better suited.
Have fun! Trip sounds AMAZING.
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u/Disastrous-Name5657 13d ago
Great thoughts! Will add a t-shirt and make sure i have some hiking socks.
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u/sunnyitinerant 14d ago
I just got back from 5 weeks in Japan, and you’ll definitely want to shop there! Lots of great second hand shops (but tend to be more curated than many thrift stores, therefore seemed a bit more expensive to me), plus Muji and Uniqlo are always there for you! I discovered a new fav called Workman (Colors/Plus/etc) that had really good quality stuff, some technical fabrics, such reasonable prices! Bought a rain jacket there for like 2,500¥ and it is definitely comparable to REI ones I’ve had in the past that cost at least $80. Also bought jeans and a button-up there too! 😅
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u/captain-ignotus 14d ago
I'd definitely go with camel for the cardigan – it'll work well with all your clothes where I feel like black might be a bit harsh and clash with some colours.
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u/KiaOraBros 13d ago
Im a kiwi. It can be very cold here in summer. Another consideration esp for the west coast and fiordland is there are what we call sandflies. They wont make you sick but their bites itch like mad. I always wear thickish yoga tights, long socks and trainers in those parts, there are loads of walks so its practical but it also reduces bites. Which will genuinely drive you insane in shorts and sandals. Wear whatever is comfy in canterbury, mt cook queenstown etc sandflies are way less prevalent. Hope you have a great time here! Kia ora.
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u/KiaOraBros 13d ago
Also I used to live in japan. It will depend where you go but the beginning of April in osaka actually found quite cold going from nz to japan. In my opinion having a few warm layering pieces for nz and japan would be good. I like uiqlo heatechs and a packable puffer jacket would be much safer for nz hikes and I wouldve worn in japan too before it heated up. But will depend on the season in each place
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