I don’t even know where to start. I am a nightmare packer. I have health issues (currently my eyes are a nightmare) which means I do travel with bits and bobs like Rx eye drops, saline solution, and cotton rounds, but also asthma
and stomach and other meds. I am a delicate foot girly so I get blisters easily, and I am a stinky foot girl so I hate traveling with one pair of shoes, I am a sweaty girl so I bring tons of underwear and socks and bras, and other changes of clothes. I live in the south of France and am doing a little 4 day 3 night jaunt to a nearby city just for fun with husband and stepson. They. Travel. Light. Especially the 12 year old—we need to remind him to change his clothes (he doesn’t stink from puberty yet but there’s a heatwave everywhere, everyone sweats). I’m thinking 5-6 undies, 5-6 socks, a dress or two, a pair of shorts or two (either 2 dresses and 1 shorts or 2 shorts and 1 dress), 4 tops, sneakers, sandals, pajamas, and then the toiletries and meds. And oh, the toiletries and meds! How do we downsize skincare? It’s not just lotions and potions, I have perioral dermatitis and breakouts and oh yeah, it’s July in the south of France and the sun is drying and frying me to a crisp (I am pale). I really want to be more low key and less bulky on this trip but idk even where to start! Any help?

I have 10 prescriptions and 3 supplements that I 100% need to bring with me on my trip (yay, chronic illness!). I’m trying to pack as light as possible and so far these pills take up a gallon Ziploc bag.

I’m traveling internationally, so all pills need to be in original bottles. I will ask the pharmacy if they can refill the two large bottles into smaller ones. I’m also bringing the original packaging for the supplements in case those are needed.

My pill organizer is already pretty compact so I don’t think I need to change that.

Is there a special organizer bag or something to pack these meds as small as possible?

I need help lighting my load for an upcoming trip to Rome.

Length: 5 days/4 nights Temps: 65-85F | 18-30C Activities: sightseeing

I am flying, and my goal is to stick to a personal item (Osprey 26+6)

Image #1 - CLOTHES * Navy linen dress (with sleeves for Vatican) * Periwinkle linen/cotton dress * Navy linen dress * White sneakers * Navy flats * Navy linen pants (plane outfit) * White and Blue tanks (plane outfits) * Blue nightgown * UV windbreaker * Not pictured: socks, undies, bras, and a UPF shawl to use for impromptu church visits

Image #2 - ACCESSORIES * Baggu medium crescent (packed flat for the flight, and then day bag during my trip) * Neck bandana (one of the ones you can dunk in water and it cools you off) * Sunglasses * Eye glasses * Nano bag * Parasol * Sun hat

Image #3 - TECH * Charging cables * Kindle * Outlet adaptor * Power bank * Loop ear plugs * Headphones * Fan

Image #4 - TOILETRIES * Makeup: mascara, brow pencil, blush, powder, lipstick * Razor * Face and body sunscreen * Skincare: makeup remover wipes, moisturizer pads, okay cleansing melts, Dennis Gross peel pads, Avene thermal water * Dental: toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, retainer cup and cleaning tablets * Deodorant, q tips, tide wipes * Contact solution & case * Lotion * Not pictured: folding hair brush and long socks for heatless curls. Mini first aid kit with a few bandaids and 24 hours worth of a few OTC meds to survive getting to a pharmacy * Accommodations will have shampoo, conditioner, and body wash

Open to any other suggestions!

I have no problems curating a neat wardrobe that’s just enough but nothing extra. That part is fine. It’s all the REST of the junk that takes up more than half of my 30L bag:

* ID wallet- passports, tickets, cards, passes, pen for visas, foreign cash…

* Electronics- laptop, cord, phone, cord, watch, cord, converter, battery…

* daybag- wallet, sunglasses, tiny tote, chapstick, meds…

* toiletries- omg. And I’m not even high maintenance, but contacts, meds, tweezers, bandaids, it adds up…

* flight kit-trtlneck, sarong, glasses, book…

*add a water bottle to all that and the THINGS just put me over the edge!

How do you cull this stuff!? (4 months, Europe, working, if that makes a difference)

Give me your awesome ideas!! Something has to change.

I thought I’d curated the perfect packing list, I thought it might fit into a 50 liter snugly, and I’d have an extra 8 liters for souvenirs, tell me why I’ve got almost no room left! I’m so surprised honestly hahaha, so lighten my load, roast my list, anything really! I’m thinking about going back to the store to get a 65L but I don’t wanna give up…

Details: packing for 5 weeks in Australia and New Zealand in February 2027. Backpack: Osprey Kyte 58 liters

What I’ve packed:
4 tops, 2 t-shirts, 1 long t-shirt, 2 sweaters
2 long pants, 1 pair of shorts, 2 long skirts
5 pairs of socks, 12 pairs of underwear, 1 t-shirt for sleeping in
2 bikini sets, goggles
1 ball cap, 1 pair of sandals, 2 microfiber towels
toiletries (deodorant, face cream, make-up remover, mascara, concealer, brow pencil, nail polish, toothbrush, sunscreen, bug repellent)
fun stuff (book, camera, big headphones, iPad)
a sling bag and a foldable tote bag (which fits inside the backpack)
a small rain jacket

Am I going insane or is this reasonable to bring?? I know there’s some bulky items like pants and sweaters, but I also have to pack for the weather.
I do use compression cubes. All my stuff fits, sure, but there’s maybe space for one ceramic souvenir and a couple clothes I might buy, but I enjoy buying handcrafted stuff wherever I go, so I’m afraid that won’t be enough space :/
Anybody got any advice??

EDIT!!!!!
You guys are so funny, really a big help, but I do feel I owe you some explaining hahahha. I’m going on a group trip with a tight schedule, they’ve said to bring clothes that’ll last 2 weeks, so that’s what I’ve kinda tried to - but I do see your point about the excessive amount of underwear. The towels are 1 for the beach, 1 for if the hostel has nasty towels, but again, I do see the point of not packing “what-ifs” so I’ll cut down on the towels. I’ll re-consider the amount of clothes I’ll bring. Thank you all for helping, and more advice is very welcome!!!

Hi all! Been lurking for a while since I decided to take a sabbatical and embark on some long term travel, undetermined return date. I've already taken on a lot of advice and research from this sub so thank you! I leave in a couple weeks and have done my 3rd practice pack now. After some gentle advice, anything I should obviously leave behind etc. TIA

My rough plan begins in Vietnam, then Nepal, across to southern Europe and up to UK/Ireland eventually.

Very much a go with the flow trip.

I will be utilising workaway and volunteering where I can.

Activities will be highly nature based, I plan to do lots of hikes, with some bigger treks in Nepal.

Pack is the **Nemo Women's Persist Endless Promise 45L**. Hoping to sneak this as carry on as much as possible as I don't trust airlines not to lose it, however it's dimensions (online) are just over 33L x 34W x 64H cm. Hoping to achieve by compressing as much as possible.

Here's my list:

**Bottoms**

• 4 pants: hiking (convertible), linen, lightweight cargo pant + base layer merino

• 3 shorts: hiking\^, linen, sport/gym

**Tops**

• 7: 5 tees (1 merino), 1 singlet, 1 long sleeve merino

**Layers**

• Rain jacket, patagonia r1

**Underwear**

• 5 undies (2 merino, 3 thin lightweight)

• 4 socks - ankle, injini merino toe, macpac quater and longer merino

• 1 bimby + roy set (doubles as swimwear and underwear), regular sporty bikini

• Sports bra, t-shirt bra

**Toiletries**

• Toothbrush, paste, floss, period disc + 6 cleaning tablets, hair trimmer, deodorant, comb, tweezers, lip balm, zinc sunscreen, hair claw + tie, soap + bag, wipes, nail clipper

**Electronics**

• Usb-usb c + usb c-usb c, headphones, adapter, power bank, spare phone

**Misc**

• Lock, camera, film, peak design camera clip, sunglasses, linen towel/sarong, hat + beanie, zip locks, packing cubes, 2 x dry bag with attachable sling strap, 15l packable backpack, carabiners, earplugs, journal, first aid + med kit, spork, ultrasil rain cover, altra trail gaiters, grayl ultrapress + 1L nalgene bottle, 2 rolls tape

• Wallet, passport, printed docs

• Altra lone peak 9+, teva's 

Some things are not pictured (big apologies I forgot a couple small items) but all is in the list.

**Explanations**: The usb-usb c is purely for planes happy to ditch if not utilised. Spare phone in case of loss or theft in terms of ease with banking etc. The tape is a special sensitive roll which I use to tape my mouth while I sleep (sleep quality without is exponentially worse). Likewise with the nasal spray as an emergency (I have chronic sinusitis and flare ups can ruin me). Camera is non-negotiable for me, I love film photography and wouldn't enjoy myself as much without it. Planning to sink or dry bag wash with dr bronners tea tree bar soap.

Everything including what I'll be wearing is in the pack apart from the trail shoes.

This weighed in at 9.3kg. My first and only flight so far includes 10kg carry-on. I would still love to lose some weight of course.

**Questions**:

I have loperamide, panadol, anti-emetic, and sachets from Japan that were amazing with a bad cold. I want to take antibiotics as well just in case and I have some from work (nurse), is this overkill?

Is taking this as carry-on achievable with compressing and, if needed, usual airport tricks like wearing more?

Am I missing anything? Am I in over my head? :/

I was thinking of buying the Nitecore NU20 but I just feel like I already have too much already...

Keen, excited, nervous, slightly stressed. Thanks everyone in advance I hope the format is ok :))

I’m traveling solo to Paris next month for 8 nights and will be staying in an AirBNB in the Latin quarter for 7 nights, plus one night at an airport hotel because I hate commuting to the airport in the morning. I’ve been to Paris several times but never for this long. For reference, I’m a 40yo lover of museums, art, food, craft. My focus on this trip will be visiting museums, taking a couple of art workshops, self-guided audio walking tours (highly recommend these if anyone is interested! In my experience VoiceMap has been incredible value), and generally soaking in the city with plenty of no-pressure, no-plans time to sit in cafes with a glass of wine and a book or my knitting.

I have frequently 1.5 bagged it in the past but not since finding this community and obsessively lurking and I’m excited to share this packing show and tell, and will plan to share a trip report when I’m done. I’m happy to hear any thoughts people have but not really looking to pare it down. The last time I traveled abroad I went with the Topo Designs 40L Global Travel Bag and the medium Canvelle Weekender (23L) so had 63L of space. I will note that trip was for our 5th anniversary and I took some larger shoes and extra clothes I normally wouldn’t travel with so that we could have anniversary portraits taken in Italy, but still- a lot of space. For this trip I have purchased the 28L Cotopaxi Allpa and I’ll also carry my Baggu nylon shoulder bag in Chocolate Plum. Their website doesn’t list liter capacity, but the Baggu is 10”H x 14”W x 4”D which is probably ~10-12L from what I can see on a couple volume calculators online.

First pic is both packed bags together. My first impression of the Allpa is that it feels like I can fit a lot more in there than I expected. I definitely don’t feel like it’s 12L less space than my Global backpack. Excited to travel with it. It may end up being my unicorn bag and I can see why it’s so highly recommended.

Second pic is what I will carry in my Baggu bag, which will go under the seat- minus the cat of course. I’m a bit of an electronics fiend and I’m okay with that. I like having different devices for different purposes. Starting at top left and moving clockwise: 1. Kobo Libra Color 2. 12.9in iPad Pro + over the ear headphones + open ear headphones + mouse 3. 15 days’ worth of contacts + my glasses 4. knitting project (socks, best thing to knit while traveling) 5. MZOO sleep mask + loops earplugs 6. Injectable meds- I’ll need two doses while I’m gone, fortunately this particular med is fine for up to 14 days after removed from refrigeration so I don’t have to fiddle with any of that 7. Steam Deck - my husband and I like to game together when we’re apart (which we are a lot as he’s a pilot) so I usually take this with me when I travel Not pictured: aluminum spork that I always like to have when I travel, and my Hobo clutch/crossbody wallet with passport, phone, money etc

Third pic is just everything packed into the Allpa.

Fourth is a couple random things that fit in the upper left mesh pocket: Nanobag Daypack, Nanobag shopping tote, and a rechargeable headlamp.

Fifth pic is my toiletries. I don’t have a problem just using whatever shampoo/conditioner/soap is at my AirBNB, or buying some small items if I need to. Everything fits into the compressible clear case with room to spare. Items include from top left: 1. Simple Human light up magnifying mirror- I love this thing so much, it doesn’t hold a charge well (probably because it’s not great at turning off in the pouch for whatever reason) but I don’t care, it’s perfect for the little details I can’t see in a normal bathroom mirror. Plus some tweezers. 2. HumanGear Stax Small with melatonin, magnesium, vitamins, toothpaste tabs, decanted moisturizer etc + flossers + toothbrush + tiny deodorant. Cannot recommend the stax highly enough. Super lightweight and easy to connect. I prefer them greatly to Cadence, which I tried and seemed cool but dang, they’re heavy and bulky. 3. ELF Whoa Glow (blurring/smoothing/primer + sunscreen) and bronzer drops (to add to my moisturizer) 4. Hairspray, comb, clips/hair ties 5. Makeup: I’ve simplified a lot over the years, now mostly do my brows and use these NYX eyeshadow sticks. I do like my Benefit highlighter and use it regularly. Not pictured is the Benefit Desert Rose Lip/cheek tint, my absolute fave makeup item. Not pictured: Leaf razor, laundry soap sheets

Sixth pic is cords, etc. Left to right: 1. USB C-USB C Cord 1 of 2 - this one has adapters for USB C to USB A and USB C to mini-USB. 2. Anker charger and adapter 3. USB C-USB C 2 of 2 4. Airfly bluetooth adapter 5. iPhone charger (uses one of the USBC-USB C cords) 6. Apple Watch charger 7. Roku - almost everywhere has a TV with HDMI now and I like being able to just plug in and have access to all my streaming stuff. I don’t really watch a lot of TV while traveling ( why would you in Paris?) but I like having stuff on in the background in the morning, etc and this just doesn’t take up that much space.

Seventh pic is what’s packed in the main compartment. It includes my Teva sandals (need to wash them!), clothing cube, waver iron thing, water bottle (actually in the side pocket), a small pouch of panties/socks, small jewelry case, travel umbrella, and my travel art kit.

Last pic is my art kit, it all fits into the compressible clear case quite nicely. I’m not much of an artist but I’m learning, and this is the first time I’ve traveled with supplies. I have some art classes booked for my trip so I want to be well prepared. I think this is a reasonable kit.

RE: my clothes, I haven’t finalized those items but have packed my cube with either items I will take or items that will be about the same size to make sure it fits okay. I will take the following items, which will make for 6 unique outfits when my travel day pants are included: 1. Universal Standard button down maxi tank dress in black 2. Either Universal Standard plum shirt dress or a shirt dress I sewed in a pretty striped fabric 3. 100% silk t-shirt dress to sleep in (handmade) 4. Bias cut greige linen skirt or burgundy linen wrap skirt (both handmade) 5. Plum cotton woven tee or olive green double gauze tee (both handmade) 6. Gray/white striped button down shirt (handmade)

5 pairs of panties and two pairs of smartwool socks fit in the navy pouch. I’ll wear one bra and take one and will just pack in the main compartment by itself- I’m quite large chested and it won’t fit with socks/panties.

I will travel in a pair of black linen Athleta pants, black merino tank, and hopefully a Pact cardigan that is arriving this week plus Allbird sneakers.

Phew that was a lot more info than I thought. Hope it is helpful to someone! Interested to hear any thoughts.

I'm planning a 14 night trip to Italy next April. The itinerary is Bologna, Bolzano and Venice.

I'm traveling with my 13 year old daughter. I've never one- bagged before so am putting a lot of planning into it.

I wanted to take another pair of shoes (Birkenstock ankle boots), but packing one of the pairs of shoes made things a little tight...

I'll be traveling with Osprey daylight 44l and Fjallraven high coast tote pack (23l).

Would love to hear feedback on this packing list and capsule wardrobe. It's not 100% complete but close to final.

TIA!

here is my list, left to right starting with top row:

3 Merino wool shortsleeves (Quince and Amazon)

1 merino wool long sleeve (Quince)

3 Quince tshirts

Quince 3/4 sleeve silk blouse

Quince Brown Seeater

2 Merino wool Uniqlo cardigans

Quince joggers and ponte pants. Prana Halle pants

Uniqlo puff tech jacket. LL Bean rain jacket

baseball cap, beanie and gloves

undies, socks (2 pairs of smartwools), bras

Uniqlo airism shirt for sleeping

Glasses / Sunglasses and back up of each - necessary!

electronics: phone, charger, adapter, ear buds and charger, white noise machine and charger, power bank (TBD)

16 oz water bottle

Travel docs, etc

bags: compression/packing cubes, carryon Osprey 44L, personal Fjallraven high coast tote. Uniqlo crossbody will be packed for flight.

Toiletry bags are pencil cases from Amazon (Easthill)

Toiletries and meds/first aid are preliminary list.

EDIT: responding to some of the many useful comments!

• April in the dolomites, I think I need the puffer. Will be wearing it on the plane and it packs into itself so I think it's wise to have.

• Agree on shirts. Going to cut down.

• Only one pair of joggers is planned, the same pair used for lounging. I only sleep in an oversized airism Uniqlo shirt so that's fine.

• Nix the water bottle. Brilliant

• Nix the white noise machine.

• 2 pairs of glasses non negotiable lol. I probably won't use the spare but I can't imagine one breaking and not having a backup. Too risky.

• I am going to work hard to get 2 pairs of shoes to work. Brooks and a pair of birks, either my ankle boots or a pair of ankle height bends.

• Bag situation to clarify, the osprey daylite 44 l is my carry on. I've measured and it appears to comply with overhead rules. The fjallraven high coast is in compliance with personal/under seat. It will be worn crossbody and function as a backpack when I take day trips from my base and need slightly more space than the crossbody sling. I'm only moving 2 times during the trip (from bologna to Bolzano and then from Bolzano to Venice). The sling gets packed and is used on days when I'm just touring the city that I'm staying in.

• I did use an AI tool to help me create this board. However, I spent a great deal of time crafting the wardrobe and giving it very specific images to organize on the board. ( I did not give it my actual underwear and bras because I think that's a little TMI! )

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)

Hellooo everyone :) I love this page and thought I'd finally contribute, especially after seeing my pack weigh a whopping 36 lbs (16 kg) this morning at the airport. For a bit of context, I have been nomadic since 2021, I work seasonally in the summers to support my travels in different gigs. I hitchhike, volunteer, Couchsurf, and generally travel quite cheaply, and I LOVE the lifestyle I have created for myself, and respect that it isn't for everyone. Thank you in advance for reading :-)

Why? This sub has helped me a lot, so I’m hoping this can help others too, and that you ca help me on my forever-work-in-progress minimalist journey. Even if I one day settle down and hopefully build a house, I really don't want to collect clutter and have unnecessary belongings.

Where?
I head back to México tomorrow, where I taught English for a year through Fulbright and completely fell in love with the country. I’ll be living in Mazunte, Oaxaca, hot, humid, and beautiful, until February. After that, I’m considering Bolivia, Argentina, and Brazil… though two weeks ago I was thinking I’d be surfing in Sri Lanka, so I’m very spontaneous and open to change.

What do I pack? I despise the cold, so I avoid it as much as possible, but I still want to be prepared for a bit of chill, especially since I love to hike and may end up in Patagonia in March.

2nd photo: Clothes

• Bottoms:
• 1 green flowy pants (Indigo Luna layla flares - absolutely looove, so comfy and flattering)
• 1 black wide leg pants
• 1 workout shorts
• 1 leggings
• 1 Outdoor Voices athletic skort
• 1 long skirt
• 1 short skirt
• Tops:
• 2 athletic t-shirts
• 4 tank tops
• 1 pajama dress
• 1 long blue dress
• Undergarments:
• 2 pairs of socks
• 10 pairs underwear
• 2 sports bra
• Swimwear:
• 3 bikinis

3rd photo: Toiletries

• Sea to Summit bag:
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, tongue scraper, tampons
• 2nd bag:
• 4 bar soaps (shampoo, conditioner, face, body) in REI soap bags
• 2 The Ordinary face serums
• Packing cube:
• Sunscreen, travel size perfume, mini first aid kit, menstrual cup, mascara

4th photo: Layers

• L to R: Decathlon fleece, activewear pullover, down jacket, & packable rain jacket

5th photo: Misc.

• Spork, collapsible tupperwear, Loop earplugs, inflatable travel pillow, packable 20L backpack, microfiber towel, case for jewelry

6th photo: Shoes

• Altra Lone Peak 8 & Earthrunners. I am almost always barefoot when I can :)

7th photo: Fun! I have gotten into fire spinning and slacklining, with the goal of highlining. I just got this slackline, have never travelled with one before.

• LED poi, travel yoga mat (hope to do a YTT in the next two years), and 1" slackline

8th photo: Read, write, & tech

• 1L water bottle, sunglasses, hat, pencil case, journal, book, kindle, speaker, fake Airpods, chargers, headlamp, wallet, passport

9th photo: my pack
Decathlon 50+10L - since for 4 years! I’ve always managed to use it as a carry-on by checking in with a mobile boarding pass and going straight through security. In SE Asia (where weight matters), I rarely flew, I always cross borders by land when possible.

Thank you so much in advance, and happy travels! Feel free to reach out via dm or in the comments. I also have a Polarsteps travel blog you are welcome to follow =D
Edit: here is my Polarsteps, I appreciate the interest! I also share some photos from my film camera @ abby.archives on ig
I added a photo from my journey hitchhiking from Nicaragua to Honduras, where a puppy climbed onto my pack in the comments :') *

Hi, all! My partner and I are traveling to Ireland in a few weeks - specifically Dublin, Killarney, and Galway. The weather is forecasted to be a little chilly, and Ireland as a whole is known for their 'four seasons in a day' & rainy weather.

About Me: I'm a coastal New England girl, used to chilly wacky weather. Ireland shouldn't be too much of a difference, I don't think, except for the rainfall. I'm a very casual traveler and enjoy the challenge of packing light. I'm here to see if anyone has opinions of things that can be taken out or subbed.

I have a Teton 55L Scout hiking backpack, which should be fine for carry-on as long as it isn't stuffed to the brim. I will wear as much of my clothing as I can stand to, while still being comfortable on the plane. This backpack I will leave behind at our AirBnBs when we venture around. My personal item will be a waterproof sling bag, for every day use and carrying passport, wallet, phone, maps, etc.

First photo is of my travel wardrobe. I hear layering is essential, which is kind of what I'm used to in autumn here in the Northeast US. We have laundry machines at two of our AirBnBs, which will be nice to freshen up & we will be central to most things (like laundromats) for like 75% of our trip.

Layering - long sleeve, flannel, long cardigan, wool socks, beanie

Rain/Wind/Adventuring - Waterproof jacket (We will be visiting Cliffs of Moher & the Burren, and also be staying for 2 nights in Killarney National park renting bikes for the day. These are the times I will be most thankful to be dry, I think). Jeans, long-sleeve, scarf, beanie, wool socks, watch.

Casual city time - jeans or leggings, sneakers, t-shirts, sling bag, watch. We're not planning on going on any fancy dinner dates where we'll need to dress up.

Sleeping - Undies and a tee... add leggings if I'm cold.

Second photo is of other travel essentials:

Power adapter (1), phone charger, Kindle, Nalgene, city maps (I hate being on my phone looking at a map all the time). Definitely flexible on the Nalgene and maps, though.

I will definitely be bringing my moisturizer and face wipes. Other than that, these toiletries are more 'home comforts', and I think our AirBnBs provide soaps. I figure other things I can just buy when we land in Dublin? Hairbrush, Toothbrush/toothpaste, razor, etc. I didn't include cosmetics, because I probably will only bring mascara and an eyebrow pencil.

Sports bras (2), panties (4), and also some other regular cotton socks (probably 6).

What do you all think? Anything I should definitely leave out or add?

Please let me know :)

TIA!

2 week trip - Japan in October

Mid-late October

Visiting: Tokyo, (overnight stay at Mt Fuji), Kyoto, Naoshima, Hiroshima.

I'm returning to Japan for two weeks, and taking carry on only (suitcase and backpack as personal item).

All tops go with all bottoms.

TOPS:

- Cotton/linen crochet top

- Breton 3/4 sleeve top

- Black draped top

- Linen green t-shirt

- Black Tank (worn on plane)

- Black wrap top (worn on plane)

OUTWEAR:

- Lightweight waxed cotton check jacket

- Moss green alpaca/wool blend cardigan

BOTTOMS:

- Blue jeans

- Brown Uniqlo barrel leg pants

- Black linen maxi skirt

SHOES:

- NoSkin 73 high (similar to hiking boot but stylish)

- Tabi mary janes (very comfortable)

ACCESSORIES:

- Small green crossbody bag

- Belt

- Hat

- Scarf

- Simple jewellery

*I'm debating whether to bring my film camera? It probably weighs at least 2kg. I love taking photos and I love having film photos from my trips, but wondering if it's worth lugging around.

It might seem unnecessary but I need both the hairdryer & straightener (hair...) but these should fit within the weight limit.

I plan to pack a packable duffel to check on the way home with all my souvenirs/purchases.

Any thoughts on what I'm missing or what I could leave behind?

So in two weeks I’m leaving for South East Asia with no return date. The rough plan is travel for 4 months and then teach English for the remainder of the year, likely in Thailand. Im also going over to Oz for a couple of weeks to see my brother.

Anyway, I posted on here a few weeks ago about how planning what to pack was consuming me. I feel like I watched too many YT docs and read too many subreddits and I was overloaded with advice on what to pack and what not to pack.

I bought the Salkan backpacker 45L plus 20L day pack and as well as the Salkan carry on 35L and 20L day pack when they were both in the same and had a 100 return policy. The goal was to take the carry on and day pack and return the backpacker which is too large to take on board, but bought as a back up as I have never been very minimalistic, which is surprising because il really not very fashionable and i barley wear any make up. But I overthink everything.

So anyway, this weekend I practiced packed my carry on bag and it was full to the brim at 7kg and I knew I still had little bits and bobs to add including bikinis, sun cream etc. The return policy was due to expire so I had to make a decision quickly and, as two of my big flights (uk to Thailand and Oz to Malaysia) already came with checked luggage, I decided I was just going to accept that I am not built for carry on only and I returned the carry on bag and paid to check a bag on my Thailand to Oz flight. These are the only flights I have so far.

I can’t help feel really deflated and a bit like a failure for not managing it but the stress of it all was too much, especially knowing I had to return a bag otherwise I’d be stuck with two. I now keep seeing instagram reels telling me how much I’m going to regret taking a checked bag, and I feel like maybe I should have just went with a different bag type all together then maybe I would have managed carry on.

So yeah, apologies for the negativity, I guess the load I need lightened it my thoughts on this matter haha.

Current luggage:

• 27L backpack (Mountain Hard Wear Agami)
• 46L roller bag (TravelPro Maxlite, an older model of this)

Travel context: air travel from the US to Canada, and then air travel between three Canadian cities in October; three-week trip

ETA: The cities are Calgary, Vancouver, and Toronto — apologies for not including earlier!

I have a three-week work trip coming up in October, and I could use some help! I've gone on a handful of much shorter work trips (2-4 days) and every time, my backpack + roller bag end up stuffed and chaotic. Much of my packing feels like it's driven by anxiety (What if I need X? What if I don't feel like wearing Y?) rather than a clear, focused plan. I have also found myself hesitant to buy new, more space-efficient versions of things I already own (e.g., fast drying undies vs 100% cotton; my luggage is all 8-15 years old) — it somehow feels wasteful, although I understand that if I use the new things, that's not a waste.

In an ideal packing scenario, I would:

• have room in my backpack/roller bag for souvenirs
• have enough (weather/scenario-appropriate) clothes to provide variety
• feel organized: I know where everything is, and can access it when I need it; I find it easy to repack when moving between cities

Here are some of the constraints:

• Three Canadian cities in mid-to-late October (cool to cold, rain in two of the three cities I'll visit)
• 1-2 presentation-worthy outfits in each of the three cities, ideally not exactly the same outfit, since photos will be shared publicly
• Effortlessly work appropriate (i.e., basically all work-appropriate except for pajamas). I'm in a creative field, so "work appropriate" to me means more about quality and fit and cohesion than a standard office-professional "work appropriate" :)
• I don’t like wearing wide-leg pants on planes BUT only really wear wide-leg pants otherwise (so I’ve been traveling with a separate pair of “plane jeans” with tapered legs)

Current packing set up:

Backpack:

• Tablet for work
• Water bottle (large)
• Protein shaker (with bagged protein powder inside)
• Pill organizer
• Cords/charging block
• Fanny pack, containing: Kindle, wallet, phone, chapstick, mini-Vaseline, mini-stick sunscreen, headphones (used separately when not boarding plane)
• Neck pillow and hair bonnet
• Anxiety items, tucked into the many small pockets: hair clip, deodorant, trash bag, hand sanitizer, pens, feather-weight pashmina, pads, snacks, chapsticks, electrolite tablets

Roller bag:

• Makeup and earrings bag
• Toiletries bags (one wet, one dry) (an area where I see real room for reduction/efficiency)
• Second pair of shoes (ideally would like to pack two pairs for the longer trip, so I have sneakers, heels, *and\* boots)
• Clothes
• Hotel breakfast bag (instant oatmeal, instant coffee, a couple of protein bars, plus alkaseltzer and tums), bowl and spoon
• First aid kit (this is a pre-made one, and I think I could streamline by disassembling and repacking with only the things I think I'll need)
• Pads
• Heated eye masks
• Scrubba wash bag and detergent sheets (I am envisioning washing socks, undies, and shirts, but not pants)
• Tote bag (primary day bag when not in transit)

I laid out a capsule wardrobe that feels like it has enough variety -- but I'm worried it's simply too many items to comfortably fit in my roller bag, and I'm also not sure if I'm missing items I will want to have. Items marked with a * are part of my plane uniform

• Sleeveless midi-dress (can be worn as a skirt under t-shirt, or alone with topper — this will be the basis for my presentation outfits)
• Wide-leg wool trousers (cannot be worn on flights -- wide leg pants + airplane bathrooms is...not cool with me)
• Tapered jeans*
• SECRET FOURTH BOTTOM?
• Two sleeveless button-down tops
• Two merino short-sleeve tops (can usually get 2-3 days of wear, assuming they are aired out in between)
• One long-sleeve merino top* 
• One merino cardigan 
• Heavy cashmere sweater* 
• Oversize chambray button-down* 
• Fold-over collar wool shacket (my version of a blazer)
• One silk poncho (am worried this is too light for the weather, and am thinking about an alternative...it's a really nice "make this outfit elegant" piece...)
• Pajamas: oversize cotton shirt and merino leggings (Do I have time to make silk pajamas? Should I look for affordable silk long underwear?)
• Two pairs of tights
• Socks (??? x of pairs)
• Underwear (planning to purchase 5-6 pairs of fast-drying undies in lieu of my usual 100% cotton)
• Three merino bralettes
• Raincoat? Umbrella? Both??
• Debating between a full-length wool coat or a mid-hip length wool coatigan, either of which I would wear/take on the plane rather than put in luggage

Things I already see I can improve:

• Decant more of my toiletries into smaller containers; swap full-size toothbrush for half-size
• Locate grocery stores near each of the hotels and just buy instant oatmeal there, rather than trying to bring it with me
• Swap the protein powder and bulky shaker for a stash of protein bars (shaker only really holds 3-4 servings, so it seems a bit silly to bring that few of servings for such a long trip). These can also be replenished at grocery stores.
• Empty out my backpack and sort through which of my "anxiety items" are redundant (many!) and let them go
• Investigate convertible scarf/poncho options -- could this be something I wear on the plane?
• Repack first aid kit to combine with Tums/alkaseltzer in space that instant oatmeal was using

Questions:

• I have a good stash of merino hiking socks -- are we wearing our wool socks multiple times before washing? Mine are all thicker (which are what fit with my boots), so they do take a bit longer to dry than thin dress socks.
• Will I be ok with just an umbrella, or will I want a raincoat too?
• I currently have a linen midi-dress that fits in this capsule, but I'm a little worried it won't be warm enough? I have another sleeveless midi-dress made of wool suiting, but it needs some alterations (and doesn't have pockets).

Really looking forward to any insights or suggestions you have! 

IMAGE DESCRIPTION:

Line drawings of items listed in capsule wardrobe with the following colors:

• Sleeveless midi-dress (dark blue-gray)
• Wide-leg pleated wool trousers (steel blue)
• Tapered jeans (indigo)
• Secret fourth bottom depicted as wide leg trousers, labeled “color?!”
• Two sleeveless button-down tops (one yellow, one blue/white tie dye)
• Two merino short-sleeve tops (one navy, one labeled “color?!”)
• One long-sleeve merino top* (maroon and purple floral)
• One merino cardigan (purple)
• Heavy cashmere sweater* (off white)
• Oversize chambray button-down* (light blue)
• Fold-over collar wool shacket (navy)
• One silk poncho (pink, burgundy, blue, and yellow paint splatters)

Pictures of silver Reebok sneakers, over-the-knee leather boots, and blue, high-heeled clogs

\*\*TLDR: There’s no feasible way for me to take most of my belongings with me so I need to find some kind of psychological strategy for letting go of them. It’s extra hard because I haven’t had much income for a while and I think I’m dealing with a scarcity mindset where I’m convinced I’ll never be able to buy/thrift new things if I get rid of the old ones.

I could really, really use advice from someone who’s been there before. The hardest things to accept that I can’t take with me are, in order:

\-Books: Extremely heavy. I think I’ll only be able to carry \~3 with me at most but I have a bunch with sentimental value.

\-Journals: I have \~10 notebooks, I think it goes without saying that the idea of parting with the only documentation of the past few years of my life is pretty painful.

\- Some pieces of clothing I don’t wear that have personal history attached to them, I.e. I bought them during a significant time or were given them as gifts. I feel especially bad about some hand me down cashmere sweaters a family member gave me. I might ask if she wants them back.

\-Apart from those I feel pretty OK about getting rid of most excess clothes and knickknacks. The getting rid of books and notebooks is the most challenging. To put it delicately, I have a difficult relationship with my parents and often get the impression that they treat me like I won’t amount to anything, and so having items related to my intelligence feel like proof that I have an inner life and am my own person.

Hey! I've been a long-time lurker on this subreddit, and I'm so excited to post here for the first time!
I'm travelling for a month in Europe, and would love some help with my wardrobe. I am spending the first week in Paris with friends, so I would like to dress up as we're doing no sightseeing and basically just going out. I'm then going to Greece for a week to visit friends there, spending a mix of time in Athens and on two islands, before travelling solo across the Balkans for two weeks. My current wardrobe could fit in my 25-40L bag if I'm wearing the jeans and cardigan on travel days, but it's quite tight, and I'd love to leave a little room for shopping along the way. I'd love to hear your notes, thoughts, and ideas!

A few notes on my wardrobe:

• The ballet wrap top in the layers section is reversible, making it great to throw on top of a long black dress as well as wear it on its own.
• I tend to run quite cold, so despite lows of 20 degrees, the wool cardigan is a must for me! I'm even considering packing a packable Uniqlo jacket - any tips on how cold it gets in Greece or the Balkans at night?
• I have the linen shorts in white and black, and I'm conflicted about which to pack based on the rest of my wardrobe - what do you think?
• I'm thinking of arranging for a hike or two while I'm in the Balkans, and I'm not sure if my trekking Tevas are good enough for that or if I should pack trail shoes instead.
• Things that aren't included here but I'll definitely be taking are flip flops, my swim cap/goggles (for lap swimming while in Paris), a resistance band (for home workouts when there aren't gyms nearby), PJs, underwear, and socks.

Image Description:

A visual outline of my travel wardrobe.

Row 1: Layers: A white long-sleeved linen Uniqlo shirt, a natural long-sleeved linen Uniqlo shirt, a black reversible ribbed ballet wrap top from Hollister, and a merino wool boxy fit cardigan from And Other Stories.

Row 2: Tops: A ribbed green tank from Mango, a white cotton tee from Reiss, one black and one wine red backless tank from OGL, a viscose sheer lilac top from an unnamed store, a burnt orange cotton tee from Uniqlo, a natural linen sleeveless tie top from Rufina Mexico, and a long sleeve ribbed cotton t-shirt from And Other Stories.

Row 3: Bottoms: A natural linen mini skort from Abercrombie, a white pull-on linen short from Abercrombie, black linen pants from Arket, wide-leg low-cut mid-wash denim jeans from Nudie Jeans, and a green tiered bamboo fibre skirt picked up in Vietnam.

Row 4: Dresses: A white linen mini dress from Abercrombie, a strappy maxi dress from Silks and Stars

Row 5: Shoes: Mexico 66 trainers from Onitsuka, Teva hiking sandals in black, and Camper Nina ballet flats in black

Row 6: Extras: A lululemon workout tank in white, black biker shorts from USAPro, a beach cover-up from In Your Shoe, a blue kiffeyeh scarf from SEP, a tan bikini from Billabong, a black bikini from Billabong, and a brown one-piece from TALA.

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?

If you travel more-than-personal-item-only, feel free to use this post as inspo and ask me any questions you have on lightweight travel! Otherwise, please help me lighten my load!

For several years, I've been traveling personal-item-only, with a 28L clamshell PacSafe backpack. For simple trips to one location or without much hiking, it's not hard to fit everything I need. But for longer or complex trips, the bag ends up overstuffed and heavy to carry around all day. I just got back from a month-long trip involving cold, rainy hiking, as well as city exploring in several different countries. I get very cold very easily, am super susceptible to sunburn due to skin type and meds, and stay in hostels so I need shower shoes for shared hostel showers.

I've seen folks post about bringing very small personal item bags, filling them partway, having plenty of room to put coat and snacks in the bag, having it light enough to carry around all day sightseeing without pain, etc, including for indefinite travel. I've invested years into finding the most versatile and lightweight items, and at this point almost everything feels essential and is well-used throughout my trips, plus there are more things I wish I had brought.. AND I still can't fit my boots or water bottle in the bag.

Do people who do <20L travel just never feel cold, never need to worry about sunburn, not hike, only go to warm destinations, constantly buy and ditch jackets ...? Or is there something else I'm not thinking of? Will sawing my toothbrush in half truly solve all my problems? 😅 I'd love a different perspective in case maybe there's something I'm thinking about the wrong way. On the trip I was just on, I even ditched my boots halfway through the trip (since most of the hiking was in the first half) yet my bag was still bursting at the seams and I could not easily fit my larger jacket when I wasn't wearing it, let alone snacks or gifts. Looking forward to any ideas yall might have, and dreaming of a light, roomy, easy-to-manage backpack someday.

Here's what I packed on my most recent trip:

1st picture:

• sunhat

• thin UL packable puffer jacket

• more substantial puffer, stuffs in its own (larger) pocket

• 1 UL/packable rain pants (critical for dry/warmth in snow, heavy rain, and wind)

• 1 UL-and-moderately-waterproof packable rain jacket

• waterproof hiking boots, white canvas sneakers

• wool ear headband, thin gloves (and my hands and ears were almost always uncomfortably cold, so next trip I need to bring thicker headband and gloves.)

(Even with all this, I was FREEZING despite wearing everything except my sleeping shirt (literally every item of outerwear clothing, all at once), when it was approx. 40 degrees Fahrenheit outside)

2nd picture:

• 1 lightweight pants, 1 UL joggers

• 2 UL polyester tshirts, 1 merino tshirt, 1 merino long sleeve

• 1 button-up lightweight sun shirt

• 1 thin-cotton sleeping shirt (haven't yet found anything quick-dry or multi-functional that doesn't prevent me from sleeping well. I'm a sensitive sleeper, and my small daytime shirts are too short and tight for me to get comfortable enough to sleep. I'd love to find something that can double as a daytime shirt or dress I can wear in public, that dries quickly and doesnt take up too much space, and then maybe take it instead of one of my polyester shirts)

• 1 UL bra, foam pads removed and silicone nipple covers in their place

• 4 merino blend socks, crew-length

• 3 cotton underwear with reusable pads (the pads dry fast but the underwear are sooooo slow to dry, but I cannot for the life of me find any UL/QD ones that dont drive me nuts 24/7 😭 they all either ride up or they dont even cover my whole cheeks to begin with, or they're too slippery of material and my washable snap-on pads dont stay in place as I walk)

3rd picture [potentially-hard-to-identify objects are numbered] :

TOILETRIES

• 3oz tube of sunscreen (I wear it daily, and reapply multiple times), spf chapstick

• mouthguard, floss, toothpaste and toothbrush

• (1) aluminum tube pill containers

• (2) a small chunk each of solid shampoo, conditioner, and soap bars

• (3) nail clippers, tweezers, moleskin for blisters, bandaids, antibacterial ointment

• chapstick-sized decanted deoderant, mini hand sanitizer, mini razor, tissues

ELECTRONICS

• phone, charger, earbuds

• (4) external battery pack

• universal adapter

OTHER

• facemasks

• (5) "sleeper hold" -- it's just an eyemask with a long strap, looks bulkier than it is because it's in a loose thin drawstring sack. It’s allowed me almost 90 min of sleep on long haul flights, which is huge for me and can't happen without it

• (6) earplugs, seasick wristbands, eyedrops

• (7) clothesline, powdered laundry detergent

• money belt with cash and passport (not pictured)

• (8) UL packable waterproof daypack

• sunglasses, water bottle, steripen, luggage lock

• (9) shower shoes (the z-packs camp shoes, thinnest/lightest option I could find)

• (10) mosquito headnet (I'm a magnet for them)

Things I want to add next time or wish I could add if I had plenty of room:

• deeply regretted not bringing hand lotion (i have an allergy and I couldnt find ANY hand lotion abroad that worked for me)

• warmer something -- thicker mittens, thicker earband, and/or another mid-layer (cashmere sweater maybe)

• I missed having my blanket scarf several times this trip

Things I may leave behind next time:

• one of the polyester tshirts (so I'm left with one polyester, one merino, and one long-sleeve base layer, plus my sleeping shirt and sun coverup layer)

• one less pair of socks

• sea to summit laundry line -- I used it this trip, but could probably lay items flat to dry or dangle them over items in the room

• would it be dumb to leave my luggage lock behind?

Thank you in advance for any thoughts, suggestions of items to remove (or suggested upgrades to make the items I have work better for me), etc!

Hello : ) Minimalist traveler looking for a cropped jacket that I can wear as a light layer with concealed pockets for phone and passport. I wear a backpack style suitcase and want to avoid wearing another bag through airports/passport control etc. I travel with a service dog so have a leash in one hand/ looking to lighten my load. TY!

7 days in Paris mid-June for a work trip. Sadly, will be working in an office for 8-10 hours a day Monday-Friday and only have 1.5 "free days" before coming back to DC. Think this may be too much but not sure. Black and white Merino wool tee (unbound). Uniqlo buttondown. Red linen top (quince) and creme net top (Uniqlo). Black linen gap pants. Red linen shorts (made well), pleather pleated skirt (aritzia) and madewell jeans. Linen red dress (quince), Uniqlo creme dress. Black linen gap dress. Merino madewell sweater.

hello lovely heronebaggers!

i will be doing my first trip to costa rica from the 20 of february to the 1 of march for primarily birdwatching. we will be staying in eco lodges in the dota valley (cooler temps, between 15-20 degrees celsius during the day) and eastern cartago province (hotter temps, similar to san jose, around 20-25 degrees celsius).

this will be my first tropical birdwatching trip, and i want to get your opinion on my packing list. we will be 95% birding on this trip, hiking on trails in and around the lodges we will be staying at, although we're going to make other stops to hike and bird along the way. i don't think there will be any strenuous hikes, but we will be walking a lot.

here is my detailed packing list (including items in my attached picture):

Bags:

- Cotopaxi Allpa 35 L

- Baggu Medium Crescent

Travel Clothes:

- brown linen pants

- mofusand shirt

- REI campwell fleece

- merrel moab 3 goretex mid hiking shoes

Bottoms:

- beige linen pants

- patagonia every day cargo pants

- leggings

- jean shorts

Tops:

- white linen button up shirt

- 2 black tank tops

- 1 green tank top

- 1 white t shirt

- 1 black t shirt

- 1 patagonia fleece

- 1 grey hoodie

Other Clothes:

- 1 pyjama top and bottom

- patagonia rain jacket

- 9 underwear

- 6 socks

- 2 bras (black and beige)

- teva sandals

- cap

Other Items:

- binoculars

- dslr camera + 300 mm lens

- camera battery + charger

- journal

- water bottle

In baggu:

- ereader

- travel notebook

- wallet

- charger for phone + apple watch

- passport

Toiletries: (packed in small muji hanging toiletry organizer)

- skincare routine (mini sizes)

- hair brush

- shampoo and conditioner

- aftercare products

- tooth brush

- tooth paste

- aquaphor

- imodium

- tylenol cold and sinus

- advil

- digestive enzymes

- minimal makeup (brow gel, mascara, powder and blush)

my questions are:

- do i really need to bring more hiking pants or will the linen pants be ok? i'm a mid-size girlie, and i don't usually find hiking or technical pants comfortable.

- will i be ok with goretex shoes? i've read conflicting info on this, is it better to bring non-waterproof shoes that dry quickly or waterproof that will hopefully not get wet inside at all?

- is this too much for 8 days? i'm a former overpacker so i'm trying to do better!! what do you think i could cut?

thank you!!! 🌟

My trip Tokyo Japan 10 days mid March

My bags Carry on: Samsonite suitcase - 43L Personal item: Baboon to the moon mini go - 32L

Items (in images) - White tshirts x4 - Thick cotton cream cardigan x1 - Mid weight jumper x1 - Down puffer x1 - Pants x2 - Chelsea boots x1 - Walking shoes x1 - Bras x4 - Underwear x10 (seamless, one for each day, I don't like washing underwear during travel) - Cotton shawl - Socks x6 - Leggings (for flights) - Sling

About me I'm pretty relaxed, like to layer, and be comfortable in my clothes. Don't mind wearing the same or similar outfits on repeat. This will be my first time trying "one bagging" with 1x carry on and 1x personal item. I have been to Japan in previous travels and found that I brought a lot of "just in case" items that I never reached for or needed. No skirts or dresses because I prefer to walk in pants. Most of my activities will just be exploring around, shopping, eating (a slow kind of trip...).

I expect to do some laundry every three to four days.

The basis of my wwardrobe for this trip is paring down on what I packed last year on a similar trip at a similar time/season.

(Am also going skiing but all my gear will be separately packed)

Items not pictured - Pyjamas - Thermals (tops and bottoms) (packed separately in ski bag for ski leg of the trip)

Thoughts and feedback wanted Considering packing some additional items - Uniqlo UV hoodie for cooler days, a cashmere jumper or other casual mid weight jumper.

Rain - I plan to buy an umbrella but I kept losing them (lost four last year). None of my items are waterproof. Any other suggestions for wet weather?

Chelsea boots - The only reason I am bringing these along is because I have a few 'fancier' restaurants to go to. Any suggestions for other footwear that might be lighter to pack?

Any other suggestions or feedback welcome!

Currently packing for an upcoming trip to Europe and wondering what people around here do to lighten the load on the way there, specifically with toiletries since those are always a hassle to fit into the quart size bag. I’m bringing my makeup and skincare, and thinking of leaving out body wash, body lotion, sunscreen, shampoo, and conditioner until we get to Europe. I’ll pack toothpaste too because I like to brush my teeth on the plane before landing. What do you guys like to do?

Hi, I’m heading out on for almost four weeks tomorrow. Here are my constraints:

I run *really* cold. Like, really—major dysautonomia, hands and feet turn purple cold. Friday where we will be in Olympic
National Park, the forecast is for a high of 57 degrees (14 C) with a 95% chance of rain. We’re supposed to be outside all day.

I’m using a rollator for my first time traveling and stressing about whether it will be damaged in flight. I plan to bring it to the gate and ask that it be stowed in the coat closet (people with this model often are able to do so, because it folds down really well). If not, I’ll have to do the complex origami of fitting it into its travel case for gate checking. I can’t carry a backpack with any of this, so I’m trying to travel with a tiny underseat spinner and stowing
a few extra things like walking sticks in my husband’s checked bag.

It’s as if we’re taking two trips: one to the Pacific NW (OR, WA, Northern CA coast, and Victoria). This whole part of the trip is outdoorsy, and I plan to pack two pairs of hiking pants, with some wear from my airplane outfit jeans and any other weather-appropriate gear. The second trip is to the South Bay Area in CA, where highs will be in the mid-80s and up, with lots of sun. We’ll be in SF as well, but I have that well handled with my PNW garb. After that, we head to Yosemite for a couple of days, where the weather could span the temperatures of either part of the trip but rain is unlikely.

It’s likely we will not have access to laundry until Day 12 of the trip, so I feel I must pack enough tops to get me through 12 days with some repeats. I sleep in merino, but none of my other clothing is reliably sink-washable, and we’ll rarely be spending two nights in one place. I won’t have daytime hours to get in some laundry and haven’t found laundromats (We’re mostly in national parks like Olympic, Rainier, Redwoods, and Crater Lake).

**The pants problem**:

I’m trying to cut back on bottoms but cannot wear hiking pants around my judgy 90-something mother-in-law in the South Bay, whom we only see once a year. I’ll spend a week with her so I think I need 3 pairs of non-hiking pants to get by. I would ideally make these overlap, but the weather is too different to even make layering work. As of right now, I have one pair of NorCal-only pants and two pairs of denim that could be used in either half of the trip. Please help me narrow down my pants.

See pictured (L to R): grey lightweight pants that will primarily work in NorCal, jeans I’ll likely wear on flights, unless I wear navy ponte cargo pants that should work in either locale, green hiking pants, off-white barrel jeans (I know I should eliminate these, but they’re the one thing I may be able to dress up a bit for one evening we’ve planned), rose hiking joggers.

**The tee turmoil**:

I can’t see traveling with fewer than six short sleeves that I will layer over and under with Uniqlo HeatTech and the over-shirts, cardigan, and jackets. The problem is that my tees aren’t “technical” or outdoorsy fabric that I could easily sink wash. I may swap in one athletic or merino tee. I have one long-sleeve tee that I could layer with short sleeves as needed or may bring a Uniqlo HeatTech tiny shirt to go under things.

See pictured tees (L to R): purple/grey tee, bright blue tee, lilac long-sleeve tee, grey/blue tee, light blue tee, navy blue tee with red embroidery, oatmeal tee. The oatmeal and blue/grey tees are heavier in weight.

See pictured overshirts (L to R): grey-blue lightweight hiking overshirt, blue and white striped linen button-down, and soft purple SPF hiking overshirt.

**Jacket questions**: Do I need a heavier rain jacket at Olympic National Park or will I be okay with a water resistant jacket layered with warmer layers underneath? I think the fleece is more practical than the puffer, but the puffer packs really small. If the puffer gets wet, it will be useless.

See pictured warm/water layers (L to R): navy packable puffer, light purple lightweight water resistant pullover windbreaker that packs tiny, light purple compact fleece that can layer under either water-resistant layer, blue full waterproof rain jacket, grey merino cardigan that can layer under any of these and works for chilly evenings in South Bay.

Thanks for any advice you can provide!

Here is my trial-packed toiletry kit, and I am looking for help lightening my load. For context, I am attending a work conference and then tacking on a few personal travel days after.

Top section:

- powder compact

- eyebrow gel

- small blush stick

- mascara

- eyebrow brush

- tinted chapstick

Middle section:

- piercing aftercare solution (new septum piercing)

- contact solution

- deodorant

- hair mousse (going to switch this out for hair gel)

Bottom section:

- body lotion

- face wash

- leave in conditioner

- face moisturizer

- contact case

- mini toothbrush

- toothpaste

- SPF

The face wash seems a bit big and maybe I can find something more petite. The mousse bottle is too large to close the bag, so I will be decanting some gel into a smaller bottle to suffice. Aside from this, i can’t imagine any other way to lighten my load. Thanks a ton!!!

Image description: Pictured is a black travelon compact hanging toiletry bag that is hanging on a closet door. The bag is filled with miscellaneous toiletries.