Travel Packing Tips ~ What clothes do I need?

Travel Wardrobe ~ Packing for a trip to Anywhere

When we're packing for travel far from home, our travel wardrobe can act as a comforting security blanket. After many days on the road, though, your luggage turns into an unwanted anchor! (Bricks? Why am I carrying bricks?, you may well ask!)

I know how scary it can be to pack for travel with what seems to be hardly any clothes at all! You are sure you will run out, or be wearing dirty clothes all the time. But you won't. Just follow these simple basics on what to pack, and you will be fine! And remember, you can always buy an inexpensive sweater or coat at some foreign market, then jettison it before you come home. If you're not ready to go cold turkey, then as soon as you get home, make a list of anything that you did not wear or use. Leave this list in your suitcase, so that it's the first thing you see when you're wondering what to pack for your next trip.

Let your itinerary pack your bag!

Once you know where you are going and for how long, and which activities and tours are scheduled, your bag will pretty much pack itself. But get involved so it doesn't run amok and try to take everything you own. YOU are the one going on a trip, not your closet.

But first, set out your itinerary, as details are confirmed. Yes, you can print off long pages of airline info and files sent from travel agents, but soon you will have a ream of papers to shuffle through to find the simplest details. When I start to plan a trip, I modify an old page from one of those large desk pad calendars. (I buy the current year's calendar around Christmas, just before the new ones come in for January. This gives me 13 clean pages, enough to plan 13 trips.)

Using pencil at first, I enter the details as I would *like* them to be, but, should the flight, tour or hotel I want not be available, I can make changes. As reservations are confirmed for flights, hotels, activities, ground transport and the like, I mark the details in pen. This way I can tell at a glance what still needs booking or confirmation. And on any given day when I am on the road, I know where I will be, and when, and what I am likely to be doing: Attending a business dinner, touring museums, on a city walking tour or hiking in the mountains.

And that is how you will know what to wear! Simple!

And I rarely unpack on the road. It takes up too much time! Try to pack the items you will need soonest near the top, like your pajamas, and a clean top for the next day. About once a week, I find that I have picked and pulled enough bits and pieces out of the suitcase that I need to re-pack it. A side benefit of not strewing your belongings about the room is, should you oversleep on a travel day, you can be ready to leave in a flash!

Layer, Layer, Layer If you'll be in a hot climate, you can take things off; in a cold climate, you can put things on. In South America, with basically the same items, I went comfortably from a few weeks in the hot, humid tropics of north Argentina to a few weeks in the windy, chill springtime of the south. Wear your bulkiest items (jacket, hiking shoes) when you are in transit.When it got chilly at night in the Ethiopian Highlands, I slept in most of my clothes, and added a fleece hat!

My suitcase top unzips to add two inches to the main compartment, and is extra space for souvenirs and for those times when I really have to pack my jacket. Wear your bulky sports shoes on the plane -- lace up shoes are more practical for flying, as the laces can be loosened easily, and should your feet swell during the flight, you'll be able to get them back on. For really cool climates, pack a jacket or rain jacket that can double as a windbreaker, and a pair of lightweight silk long underwear, or heavier wool underwear for really cold climates.

Cold weather travel packing If you are packing for travel to a cold climate, such as Canada or northern U.S. in winter, then follow the above advice, but consider buying a really warm winter jacket or coat when you arrive at your destination. The cheapest place is often a charity shop; if you won't need to wear your new winter clothing when your trip ends, then simply re-donate it to the charity. Gloves, scarves, and heavy sweaters (jumpers) can also be bought cheaply at these shops, or on sale at large department stores.

If you will be staying with friends, rather than at a hotel on your own, ask them if they have winter clothing you can borrow for the duration of your stay. Most people who deal with winter usually have spare winter gear.

If you are traveling to Antarctica or climbing Everest, or skiing in the Rockies, then your tour operator will have a list of suggested winter sports gear. (see also Canada Snow Winter tips)

Be Fussy About Fabrics Choose fabrics that breathe, don't show dirt, don't wrinkle, and are easy to wash and dry. It sounds like a tall order, but with all the great fabrics for travel and sports clothing, there's lot's to choose from. This means no linen, of course. You'll look great and feel great!

Pack Your suitcase To save space, roll clothes into tidy sausages, and only fold clothing, like suit jackets, that do not readily roll. Stuff socks and any small items into the various crevices around larger items. Put a second pair of shoes (you will be wearing the first pair) into a plastic bag (or put each shoe into its own plastic bag) and pack near the top of the clothing. Shoes with heels generally do well in the corners.

Be Ruthless When Choosing Everything must do double or triple duty or it stays home. This is the hardest part of packing, when you begin to second guess your wardrobe choices with thoughts of 'What if . . . ?' Whether you are going for one week or four weeks, you don't need as much as you think you do. Lay out 4-7 tops and 3-4 bottoms, and see how many outfit combinations you can make. Three pairs of pants and seven tops gives you 21 combinations so 21 outfits. Ideally, every top should go with every one of the bottoms, or it stays home.

TIP When you have your travel wardrobe laid out on your bed at home, do a final check. Think about your itinerary, and what activites you have planned. Ask yourself questions like 'What will I wear to fancy restaurant? What will I wear when going from my hotel room through the lobby to the swimming pool? What will I wear for the canopy walk? What will I wear for dinner at the Captain's table? You get the idea. Make any changes now, then get packing!

When You Get Home At the end of your trip, make note of any item(s) you did not wear even once (bathing suit excepted). Even following these rules, on a two week trip to Hong Kong and Kota Kinabalu with a one-week stop in British columbia (Canada) on the way back, I still had three tops I never wore once. That's the kind of dead weight you can do without. Why, oh why, do we persist in taking so many clothes on holidays, when so very few of them really deserve a trip?

Travel Wardrobe Now, after wearing the same clothes for so many weeks, you will be heartily sick of them, sometimes to the point of considering burning them. But don't! Keep them as your Travel Wardrobe. By the time your next trip comes along, you will be glad they are there. The more you travel, the more your own travel wardrobe will evolve into a few select, well-chosen items you can toss into a bag at a moment's notice and be on your way. And that is the joy of traveling light.

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