Travel Packing Clothing - the smaller stuff

Swimsuits, undies, socks, shoes, sandals, rainwear

Once you've decided on your larger travel clothing items (See Travel Packing Clothes for pants, skirts, tops etc.), then you can start to pack the smaller items, like sleepwear, rainwear, swim suits, undies, socks, scarves, shoes and sandals, because once you have decided on the larger items you want to pack, you know what underwear, soocks, shoes, etc will match your main wardrobe. I mention swimsuits on this list, which you may not think of if you are not going to a resort. As well, I never pack swimsuits in my checked luggage (see travel packing luggage page) as they are too hard to replace if your luggage goes astray.

Sleepwear Even if you prefer no sleepwear at all, I recommend that when packing for travel, make sure you have something to throw on. Like if the hotel smoke alarm goes off and you have to get out of the room fast! (Some hotels in Sydney and the south of Australia are notorious for smoke alarms so sensitive, the steam from the shower will set them off.)

My own sleepwear depends on the trip. For a trip to Ethiopia, I knew that the nights in the mountains could be quite chilly, so I took a long-sleeved black cotton / lycra knit top and leggings. At night, I slept in this outfit plus several other layers AND my fleece hat! During the much warmer daytime, I wore this 'pajama' top as a T-shirt. As well, the leggings can be worn under my regular travel pants in cold weather.

I LOVE Egyptian cotton (also known as Supima) for bedding, so I looked into travel tops and jammies made with this long-fibre cotton. Wouldn't it be wonderful for travel! And as wonderful as Supima cotton feels against your skin, I find it wrinkles too much to be made into travel blouses.

Underwear and Socks Ladies, you can get by with two bras (one on, one spare) if you rinse one out each night. But since bras are relatively small, take a third bra; Choose some dark colored and some light. Also, by rinsing out underpants each night, you can get by with 2-3 pairs, but, again, feel free to add several more -- they are small. The same applies for socks -- 2-3 pairs of lightweight cotton or sports socks should do you nicely.

TIP Launder socks and undies with shampoo -- ot's great for removing body oils -- or carry a small package of powdered detergent. Some travel tips suggest packing all your worn out underwear when you go on a trip, then simply throwing it in the garbage when it gets dirty. But for me, the thought of some hapless housekeeper finding sad, old skivvies in the trash is too awful to contemplate.

Shoes and Sandals Not taking along multiple pairs of shoes is perhaps the hardest part of travel packing for many people (Ladies!), but all you really need are two pairs: One pair of shoes with laces, suitable for walking or hiking (easier to adjust should your feet swell) that you can also wear when in transit; and one dressier pair -- a slip-on sandal, or a glide with a low heel, or flats -- that can double as slippers in your hotel room, if necessary, and dress up an outfit for dinner or business.

My favorite hiking / walking shoes are on Amazon!!  And for a lot less than I paid for mine at a store! See  MBT sandals, walking shoes, hiking shoes Amazon has MBT sandals AND the walking and hiking shoes! But if you are new to the delights of Masai Barefoot Technology footwear, then be aware that it will take you a few weeks to get used to them.  (I have these ones -- see MY MBT shoe!!) I got them about a year ago, and prefer them over all my other shoes. The soles grip all surfaces really well.  I wore them all winter in Mississauga and they were so great on icy surfaces that I even wore them in the Dominican Republic (wet pavement and cobblestones), and they performed very well! (I got my mom the sandal version for her birthday, and she loves her sandals (see my MOM's MBT sandals!) as much as I love my walkers!

A word about sandals as travel footwear : Just once find your feet awash in sewage or who knows what during a sudden rainstorm -- the Caribbean, India, etc --  and you'll wear a full shoe forevermore and save your sandals for the beach. But if you know your destination is not likley to have issues like that, or you wear them around the resort/hotel area, then by all means. There are some others  sports sandals at Amazon for men women and children that are rated fairly highly (other than the MBT ones listed above) - see sport hiking sandals .

About high heels Ladies, explain to your high heels that you are leaving them at home because you love them too much to risk damaging them on rough foreign cobblestones and broken tiles, and promise to wear them just as soon as you get back!

Bathing Suit /Swimsuit / Sarong / Cover Up Even if swimming on your trip is the furthest thing from your mind, pack a bathing suit. Really! What if there is a super hot tub you hadn't expected? It is ever so much easier to pack one, or even two bathing suits than it is to have to go out, find a store and buy one. And at an ayurvedic spa in Sri Lanka, where the massage involves copious amounts of almond oil, I wore my easy to wash bathing suit and saved my clothes from getting all oily afterwards

Lightweight rayon sarongs are a wonderful add-on to your travel wardrobe, too. They take up very little suitcase space, and can be worn as a dressing gown, bathing suit cover up, long skirt or evening wrap (Good for places like the Dominican Republic or any tropical resorts.

Rainwear As well as a compact waterproof rain jacket with heat-sealed (water proof) seams, I take a few of those thin plastic ponchos that come in a small pouch. I get them at the Dollar stores (or Euro stores or whatever is the equivalent where you are). They take up very little room, and cover a lot, including me and my backpack, together. Keep one in your carry-on bag so you can get at it easily, and take one just to cover your luggage, in case you have to hike several blocks on a rainy day. Umbrellas, no matter how tiny, require a hand to hold them, and you may have yours full with your bags!

You may also be interested in these travel packing tips

• Teena - http://abfab-australia.com - December 3, 2007, 3:12 am
  Karen,
  
  Loved your comment on SARONGS! I live in sarongs whether travelling or at home - they're so versatile!
  
  I have a couple of handpainted silk sarongs which I can actually use as a wrap around the shoulders to dress up a simple outfit when I'm on the road.
  
  I also travel with at least handpainted silk coats, and several silk scarves, which fold up so small for my suitcase. In fact 6 pieces of silk [3 coats, 3 scarves] easily fit in plastic ziplock baggie about 10"/25cm square, and I squeeze the air out so they pack flat.
  
  Love your website - TONS of great information!
  
  Teena
  http://abfab-australia.com
• Karen - December 8, 2007, 5:45 pm
  Thanks, Teena!
  
  I've pretty much worn out my sarongs so it's time to get new ones.
  
  They're not easy to find in Canada.
  Must be time for a trip to Bali or Australia!

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