Letter 25

I have recently been getting together all of the things I intend to pack for my 3 months in the states so that I’m organised for when I actually have to pack it!

 

This letter however is all about clothing, how to pack light and what are the must have items! Obviously, your packing list will differ to mine but this could be a good start!

CLOTHES

I would be packing roughly the same amount of clothing no matter what trip I was going on and this is how I plan what to take.

• TOPS: 7 tops will offer you a week’s worth of clean clothes which is ideal. Here I have 9 (including what I will wear on the plane). I have 3 bamboo t-shirts, bamboo clothing is great because it is super soft, light and dries quickly; 4 other t-shirts, including 2 americamp tops I have been given; and 2 vest tops which can be used more in the evenings or dressing up.
• BOTTOMS: I take 2 pairs of durable shorts for daytime which I purchased for daytime use and are great for walking. It’s good to choose basic colours, I have khaki and grey. I then have a pair of dressier shorts (blue and white) which go with most of the tops to transfer from day to night. I have a pair of flowery trousers which are my favourite things to wear especially whilst travelling on planes, buses and trains. Lastly I have a long plain skirt. This is great for travelling because it’s so light and can be worn with anything for day or night.
• WARM: Even if you are going to hot countries you can’t predict the weather all the time and sometimes transport can be drafty. I take my trusty fleece which I can throw on over anything. I also take a waterproof jacket just in case of storms which I have experienced a lot of! Lastly I take a small white cotton cover up which I actually tend to use in the day to shade my shoulders from the sun. Very useful!
• OTHERS: Pyjamas. Some people don’t take dedicated PJs but I like to. I take a set with 3/4 length bottoms. I take about 8 pairs of pants and 4 pairs of socks. I normally live in a sports bra for comfort but I also take a couple of normal bras (ladies only obviously).

 

SHOES

• Walking trainers: for everyday use and more physical activities like hiking or sports. These are essential. I buy Karrimor ones from sports direct and I love them!
• Flip-flops: everyone must have flip flops! I get plain ones so they go with everything and I often wear them in the evening.
• Dollies: Again, I use these in the evening. They are not practical for day use but light enough that I can justify taking them.
• Walking sandals: this is the most used item. I wear them everyday, they are cool on your feet, easy to clean and very comfortable and supportive. Again, these are Karrimor.

 

As I said, it’s important that all of the clothing is interchangeable and nothing is for one specific use. You will get more wear out of it all, trust me! That doesn’t mean you need a boring colour palette though. You can see in my photo, I like colour! Here are some examples of how the outfits come together:

 

PACKING

I mentioned in my other letter about travel essentials that I bought a set of packing cubes, and here I will show you how I am using them.

• The packing cube shown is the largest of the 3 in the set, and it fits all of the clothes in (minus what I will wear on the plane). I didn’t expect it all to fit, but I’m glad it does!
• The black zipped bag contains 3 pairs of shoes, as I will wear the trainers on the plane and would never pack them.
• The 2 ‘laundry’ bags contain my underwear and swimsuit. It’s handy to keep this stuff separate.

 

So there you go! The list of clothes I will take. The main piece of advice is to pack as light as possible. Remember you can wash clothes wherever you go and anything you need on the road you can buy.

Enjoy your week!

From Lou

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