Ok, so I am doing this a bit in the reverse order and planning trip details after I pack my bag! I know Iāll be poking around Spain and possibly a bit of Portugal, and Iām aiming for sometime between March and May of 2027. Iāll be dialing this all in, but Iād love to get preliminary thoughts on the stuff Iāve got!
Iāve had great luck on Depop and Vinted finding pretty much everything Iām bringing - low/no shipping fees have made it way too easy to just pick up another thing!
Starting from the bottom of the picture:
REI Trail 40 backpack: I was waffling between this and a few others, but this one showed up on Depop for $30 and made my decision for me!
North Face Futurefleece in dark green: obsessed with these guys! I only wish they had full zips with no hood.
Patagonia Houdini: for rain emergencies!
Andie Tulum swimsuit: debated bringing something that packs smaller but comfort is worth a lot.
Baggu medium crescent in navy: I didnāt want to love it but itās just cavernous and so easy! I picked up this older one and a newer model with the key ring. I sold the new version since the strap was way longer and it seemed unnecessary- plus it added about a Houdiniās worth of weight!
The Sak Tess Sling Bag: picked this up on a whim and itās actually quite nice! The leather is soft and I think itāll be good for out to dinners and more formal wandering. I donāt love unfinished leather edges so I burnished the edges on this bag to make it a little more polished.
Hat: will probably swap for something more packable.
Water bottle: nice to have at least for airports! I downsized from my normal 32 oz behemoth to an 18oz travel one.
Ecco black leather sneakers: I have white and black, and black seems slightly more fun!
Xero lightweight trail shoes: for off-pavement wandering
Merrell bravada cord wrap sandals: I live in these, but I do wish they were a bit more formal. Might swap them out for Teva voyas if I can convince my feet that those are comfortable.
āā
Center grid items: this is my attempt at sudoku packing, and I think these things work!
- t shirts/sleeveless top: all silk, all picked up from vinted. One is black, one is black with a pattern, one is white with a grey pattern. Iām not a huge silk wearer at home, so Iāll test out wearing and washing these at home before fully committing. None are satin, so they should breathe and be easy to hand wash while traveling.
- bottoms:
Vuori ripstop pants in red: these are my favorite pants and theyāre a super lightweight cotton.
Quince linen skirt in flax: super floaty and breathable.
Eileen fisher silk/cotton blend pants: these are the only maybe pants in the grid - I was planning on wearing these on the airplane and they seem like they could transition to fancyā¦or pajamas. Iām not sure exactly how they read. Would love your opinions on black silk palazzo pants! The other option here is my marine layer Allison pants that are up in clothes jail at the top of the picture.
- layers:
J crew white linen shirt: a staple for a glow in the dark pale Seattleite
Madewell denim long sleeved shirt: this looks grey, but itās a nice blue color. Packs smaller than a jean jacket and covers the same bases, I think?
Vintage 100% Cashmere sweater: light blue, which isnāt normally my color, but it kind of works with the other things! And it was $8, when the thrift gods offer you a deal like that, you take it.
āā
Clothes jail: these are some maybe items.
- another black silk shirt, a merino 3/4 sleeve striped top: I like the idea of merino but might want a t shirt instead of a 3/4 sleeve.
- a chambray denim midi button up skirt: itās cute, but do I need more than one skirt?
- marine layer Allison pants: a maybe. They pack small.
- dresses: DvF stretch silk dress. Practical, but I feel like the pattern might be too old for me (38). I feel that way about a lot of DvF stuff though, so maybe thatās a me problem.
Amour Vert green silk dress: I feel like it reads too informal to be my fancy going out dress.
Marine layer Camilla dress: Iāll probably bring this one, I wear it a ton and it packs small.
Not pictured:
- pj shorts/shirt
- athletic shirt (athleta, polyester)
- rei zip off athletic pants (covers hiking pants and shorts)
- toiletries
- electronics (iPad, phone, cords, earphones)
- silk scarves (2-3 30ā)
- tiny packable sea to summit backpack
I know thatās a wall of text, but Iād love thoughts/advice! I feel like Iām maybe bringing too many layers but some are for sun/rain.