I’m going to be honest: I’ve been living abroad for over 2 years and packing for either long or short-term trips is still the bane of my existence. If you dread the airline baggage weigh-in, know you’re not alone- but there are some great ways to simplify your packing so you can travel lightly (because lighter is happier, I promise!)
Focus on Basics- When it comes to shirts, pack solid color tops you can wear casually or dress up with a few accessories. Think something you can wear with shorts hiking or with a skirt out at dinner or a bar later with a cute necklace or scarf.
Bring a Sarong/Scarf Not only is this great for dressing up your basic tops, but you’ll need to cover up your shoulders and legs when visiting holy sites. You can also use it as a beach cover/light blanket/ground cover.
Limit the Shoes Seriously, ditch everything but a simple (and comfortable!) pair of sandals, sneakers, and flip flops. Gladiators are great because they’re cute, light and match virtually anything, and flip flops are vital for hostel showers.
Limit the Make-up/Toiletries If you’re not sure if you’ll need it, you probably won’t- or if you do, you can grab one on-the-go. Use 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner in a travel bottle, ditch the shaving cream and just use soap or conditioner, bring a simple foundation, mascara and lip gloss- simple is the way to go, as rocking the natural look is the way to go in the backpacking life!
Accessories A chunky necklace or pair of awesome earrings will dress up a simple outfit and you’ll save the space and weight of bringing extra clothes. Even better, save the space and buy some cute jewelry on the road- it’ll double as a souvenir!
Layers Be prepared for any temperatures, bringing a light sweater or button-up and jacket (or more, depending on your destination.) The point is, just bring one of each layer and you’ll have a variety of outfits and stay warm.
Convertible pants They have plenty of cute convertible pants out there- and the best part is you don’t have to pack pants, capris and shorts, because you can get them all-in-one!
Bring Laundry Soap Packs You can hand-wash anything that gets dirty or stinky, so you don’t need to bring as much with you.