Tag: backpack travel

Travel: Walking, Wind, and Waves!

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Oliver and I recently went on yet another international vacation – this time to Greece. We decided to change up our usual modus operandi and try out a cruise ship. I have a lot of thoughts on that (let me know if you guys want a blog post just about this?) but this post is about what I wore and why I brought it.

Now if you’ve read my post about Tahiti, I definitely decided that next time we were planning to travel to somewhere warm (and believe me – Greece was HOT the entire time we were there) that I was going to bring copious amounts of sundresses. And so I did, to the detriment of my backpack.

My collection of proposed packing items (almost exactly what I ended up bringing minus a few last minute cuts, and the “geriatric nurse” outfit that I wore for the plane. Supremely comfortable, and perfectly warm if not my most stylish travel ‘fit.

I want to stress that trip packing is not a one-and-done deal, but that there are always new lessons to be learned and new tweaks to try. We took some of the lessons from Tahiti and applied them to great impact on this trip:

  • We made more room for sunscreen by bringing shampoo/conditioner bars and reducing other liquids.
  • We brought straight up /better/ sunscreen and were more religious about applying it
  • I packed more with the idea of comfortable in mind than I did when we went to Tahiti – for example I brought looser clothing (sundresses) and remembered bike shorts for my poor thighs

The red sundress I wore in Crete and the sunflower dress I wore in Rhodes.

I learned some new lessons on this trip, however, when it comes to clothing.

  • The benefit of not sundresses is layering – of course this comes into play with style, to keep outfits feeling fresh, but this also comes into play with smell. Dresses get smelly, and when one is too smelly it takes a whole outfit out of play instead of just one piece. I did hack this a bit by hanging my dresses inside out in the closet while on the cruise ship, which allowed them to air out some.
  • The type of shorts I bring are very important, and bike shorts are my real heroes: they keep my thighs from rubbing together and don’t move, they are comfortable, they are thin enough to work under a dress but thick enough to work as bottoms on their own, they pack small. For real, if you’re mid-size or bigger, try bike shorts on your next vacation.
  • Long sleeves didn’t necessarily equate to hotter, and it was sometimes nice to have a loose fitting long sleeve shirt to wear to save myself some sunscreen effort.
  • I need to prepare for not being able to wear my dresses some days, or that I’ll want to change up my look, and bring more layering pieces in the future.

The striped shirt and bike shorts I wore in Mykonos, and the t-shirt and bike shorts I wore in Olympia.

Now, let’s get into the nitty gritty of what I brought, what worked, and what didn’t.

** Skincare/Hair Care **

I have been working on clearing up some pretty rough acne and I know that sunscreen and dirt and sweat can make this worse, but I also wanted to cut down on liquids so here’s what I ended up with.

What I Did: At the time I was using Curology (I’ve since stopped using their products, but they did a decent job on this trip) so I brought their cleanser and moisturizer. Greece has a limit on how many prescription products you can bring, so I did not bring my medicated cream. In addition, I brought these face wipes from BusyCo which are really awesome, work well, smell great, and are compostable! They also pack super small which is convenient. For hair care, I brought this set of shampoo and conditioner bars which I got from Grove Collaborative (but you might be able to find elsewhere).

What Worked: In contrast to Tahiti, I wasn’t having to bug spray at night, so I actually did my most intense washing in the afternoon when we stopped by our room to shower off the day’s sweat and rest. This worked very well for me, and I think would be easy to replicate with any skin care regimen. My skin was pretty rough before we left, but actually cleared up a bit while on the trip. The shampoo/conditioner bars were honestly better than I expected though it did take a bit of effort to figure out how, exactly, they worked. If you can put up with a bit more work in the shower, I say look into some bars because they save on liquid space. I put ours in soap savers I got for like $6 from Ross, so they also dried out well between uses and packed without leaving grim on anything.

What I Would Change: Honestly, not much. I think I really hacked what worked well for me this time.

The floral dress I wore in Corfu, and the red dress worn again under one of my layering tops for Santorini.

// Hair Sidebar – Accessories //

Since I knew we wouldn’t really be swimming on this trip, I brought a few more accessories.

What I Did: I brought a whole host of cute bobby pins, a couple of clips, and two big scrunchies, and two small scrunchies.

What Worked: This setup was a quick and easy grab, especially since I have short hair right now. These were all tested items that I use every day at home, so I knew they would do roughly what I wanted them to.

What I Would Change: THERE WAS SO MUCH WIND IN GREECE. Legit, I almost made Oliver learn to French braid while we were on the cruise ship. If you were wondering why my hair is such a mess in all these photos – for real, the wind was a problem for my short curls.

** Shoes **

What I Did: I brought my Vionic leather sneakers and this pair of Tiva sandals.

What Worked: After our very first international trip to Paris, and again tested in Tahiti, I have really figured out what shoe combination works well. The sneakers were better for our city roaming days, and the sandals were better for scrabbling about the dusty ruins. I am a firm believer in bringing two pairs of shoes – even better if they are pretty different from each other – so that when things start to rub or blister, you can change it up and give your feet a break. I saw this in full force on this trip. Also, it should be noted that my Vionic sneakers held up much better than my Aerosoles I previously used as my travel shoes, and they had better support than either the Aerosoles or the Soludos. If you’re looking for a solid pair of well made travel shoes, I highly recommend checking out Vionic.

What I Would Change: My main concern was that neither pair of shoes had a really good grip for the loads of marble or the dry, dusty climate. I wasn’t anticipating that Greece would be so dry in general, and I might hunt better grip shoes for our next foray into arid lands, but overall both pairs of shoes did exactly what I needed them to.

Athens days one and two. The striped shirt and shorts was by far my least successful outfit – in future trips I probably won’t bring these shorts again. The dress was fine, but I felt a little weird about how see through it was.

** Clothing **

What I Did: I brought on this trip four sundresses, three t-shirts, one long sleeve shirt, one sweater, one pair of sweat pants, three pairs of bike shorts, one pair of looser athletic shorts, two long tanks, one crop tank (tight fit), light rain jacket, one swimsuit.

What Worked: As I mentioned above, the bike shorts were the real heroes – even though the sundresses were a lot flashier. I’m very glad I brought two long/loose tank tops, as these did all the real sweat mopping work under my cute dresses. The tight top wasn’t super practical – I’m not positive I would bring this one again.

I purchased another sundress from the locals and once again, this was the perfect thing for this climate. It’s almost as if the people who live there know how to dress for it! Also, as I mentioned a bit in the caption above, I frequently had some concern about how see through some of my dresses were. Fun fact: the Greek people do not care ONE BIT about you seeing their underwear through their cute sundresses so this was entirely my own self-conscious issue. Once I got over this, I was a lot more comfortable in the heat.

What I Would Change: Definitely some of the items I brought were just too heavy. Specifically the turquoise t-shirt; while it’s a very cute layer and did do that job well, it was a bit thick for the heat. So when I was layering it over things, I was often just too hot. I also probably needed to bring one more pair of regular shorts (maybe the denim ones I cut from the first picture in this post) and maybe one more t-shirt. I forget that my travel outfit is usually completely wasted by the time we arrive (I get so smelly on planes)! Also, I didn’t need to bring the raincoat at all — the only day it rained, we didn’t have our coats and my sundress dried out just fine. Plus the wet was a welcome reprieve from the hot sun and dry wind.

The sundress I bought in Greece, my go-to cruise ship outfit, and Oliver in his favourite outfit – linen pants and floral button down shirt, paired with his dad hat and sandals (of course).

** Final Thoughts **

I really love travel, and while I complain endlessly about it, I also love the challenge of travelling out of a backpack as a fashionista. It feels like such an accomplishment when I implement new lessons each time, and learning and growing always feels so natural when it comes to trip fashion. At the end of the day, I love to look good and I love to see new things, and the combination of the two is *chef’s kiss.*

I feel like each time we go on a new international vacation, I also start to hone in on what is important to me while travelling, and it’s comfort – hands down. I really need to be able to move well and look cute while doing it. In this sense, the sundresses do a lot of work. But I also need to bring items that pack efficiently, and use what little space I have to the best of my ability. The sunflower dress was so dang cute and pretty comfortable to wear, but took up about half of my space. If I had swapped that for some smaller items, I could likely have fit at least two other full outfits – dresses or tops & bottoms – and this would have been to my advantage.

Finally, I want to talk a bit about colour palette: I’ve proven, handily, that you can bring a whole host of colourful patterned items that all work together. To all the people out there who want to try a capsule wardrobe or want to travel out of a backpack but aren’t really into plain-jane clothing and neutrals – it can be done. I never once felt like I was trying to make colours or patterns go together that just didn’t work. The whole palette made sense. My best helpful hint for how to do this is to lay all the items out that you intend to pack (like I did in the first photo of this post) so you get a quick visual on things that just don’t work together. In the future, thought, I might not put the strict ban on black clothing like I did this time. I have some really fun sundresses and shirts that were quickly ruled out as packing options which might have worked better than some of the items I brought.

I hope all of you get to travel soon, and that these fashion debriefs are helpful in your own packing adventures.

What are your go-to items for vacations? Do you bring multiple suitcases or just backpack it like we do? Planning a trip and don’t know what to pack? Let me know in the comments below.

Review: Osprey Travel Backpack

Published on by jamielanelle1 Comment

A few years ago, as we planned for our first extended trip abroad, my love decided that we would travel solely out of carry-on sized backpacks. Shocking as this was to me at first, I remember that I’ve always been a light packer. Admittedly, not for 14 days, but it was certainly worth a try. I couldn’t deny that it would save us a good chunk of money as well.

You can find my post about how I pack for extended vacations here.

Oliver capturing me post-morning pack. My look says “Are you ready to leave yet?”

After a good bit of research, and a lot of thinking about it, Oliver spotted some Osprey backpacks on sale.

“They’re supposed to be pretty good,” he said with a shrug, “and they are on a good sale. I think we should do it.”

Probably the best travel purchase we have ever made. The Osprey Porter 30-Liter Travel Duffel is an incredible backpack, especially for travel, and here’s why:

  • It opens like a suitcase. No more of the prioritized stacking like packing in a normal backpack, this time I could lay it on it’s side and pack it like any other suitcase. This feature also makes everything in the backpack easy to access at any time. It also makes frequent unpacking and repacking easier because you can see all the space you need to fill.
  • It’s a carry-on sized suitcase made of cloth on all sides so it fits so many more things. Coming home from any of our trips abroad, we have every ounce of our backpacks stuffed out in all compartments. Our first trip home, I was amazed at everything that fit. Since there aren’t hard case constraints, you can really max out the packing space.
  • It fits the qualifications for carry-on for almost all travel – even tricky budget airlines with stringent guidelines.
  • You can stow away all parts of the straps and carry it on it’s side if needed (particularly helpful on airplanes) and then easily pull them back out when needed. Having the plush, cushioned straps is great for walking from one side of the city to the other, but they only get in the way when trying to stow them for travel.
  • There are straps specifically made to make the backpack smaller. We usually pack anything breakable or fragile right in the middle, buried in clothes (or keep it in one of the looser outer compartments) then stuff everything in and pull the straps tight. This results in shrinkage of 2″to 3″ – crucial for making those tight carry-on requirements.
  • It’s water resistant. We’ve taken this for a road test, having walked through most of Brighton (in England) during a freezing fall downpour. Our clothes were soaked through, but the contents of our backpacks remained dry.
Trudging through the wet weather.
  • Also remember those cushioned straps? There are both shoulder straps with good, thick padding, and also a strap for the hips. It seems excessive until you’re walking from one end of Naples to the other in 80 degree weather. Then it’s perfect to be able to make sure most of the weight is transferred to your hips rather than your shoulders.
  • They are durable. When I find something I love, I will wear it through because I use it all the time. These backpacks have been through planes, trains, rain, multiple packing and unpacking, stuffed in all manner of corners, dropped in the dust, kicked and tossed about, and every part of them still works like new. I don’t even see any visible signs of wear.
  • There are lot of perfectly sized compartments. The main compartment is large and spacious. Then there is an upper compartment – perfect for cords and chargers. A front, smaller compartment hosts many pockets and zippers and places to keep pens, toothbrushes, all of our toiletries, tickets, documents… and finally a great front compartment where we usually slide thinner notebooks and puzzle books for easy access.

Overall, I couldn’t be happier. They are sturdy, comfortable, and spacious backpacks that hold up to all sorts of scenarios. These backpacks make travel a breeze.

Have any concerns or questions I didn’t address above? Have you tried these backpacks too and have your own thoughts? Feel free to comment below!

How To: Pack for Travelling out of a Backpack/Carry On

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Packing for travel is hard.

Packing for travel when you like to be stylish is even harder. You want to look great, you want to feel great, and you want to be prepared. So when my love suggested we only use carry-on size backpacks for our travels, I was stunned. Our first trip abroad was coming up, and we would be gone for 14 days.

Me with my travelling backpack entering Nuremburg, Germany

Of course I managed to get everything packed. Since this trip, we’ve had many others, and I always find a way to pack what I need in the backpack (see my full review of the backpacks we use here). This is not going to be a list of the “essentials” that you should bring – you’ll find plenty of those about the internet (the one I am currently living for here).

Another note before we begin: I’m not a makeup person, and my body care needs are minimal at best. Some things we even just buy while we’re abroad to save space. If you do need space for these items, keep that space in mind while working through packing process below.

THE PROCESS

Know Your Trip

You are going to need to know your upcoming trip inside and out. This will help narrow down things while you are packing. Constraints of the location and planned activities might require certain pieces. Are you going hiking or footing it through cities? Will it be hot or cold? Will it be wet or dry? Are you attending any fancy events or mostly touring about? Answering these basic questions sorts out a lot of more specific items. For example, you won’t want to pack a velvet dress if you’re spending all of your time camping in the mountains, or you probably won’t need heavy hiking boots if you’ll be in the city the entire trip.

S H O E S

A bad pair of shoes can ruin even the best of trips. When you’re packing in a backpack or carry on, your space limited making shoe choice critical. For a two week vacation, I pack two pairs of shoes.

Trip One – Paris & Italy: I brought my wine colored Aerosoles sneakers and a pair of black strappy sandals

Trip Two – Germany: I brought the Aerosoles sneakers again and a pair of dusty pink Tommy Hilfiger sneakers

You’ll see that I favor sneakers for vacations, but that’s partially because of the type of trips we usually go on. It’s a lot of site seeing while walking around cities, and we are usually walking for many hours of the day. Sneakers – especially nicer pairs like the above – can be dressed up or down, and don’t have the trouble of being open toed which can stop you from getting into places like churches.

Focus on Color

Telling a color story or sticking to one color scheme makes packing hard but wearing outfits easy. While you’re traveling, you want things that will mix and match to make new outfits, and you want making an outfit to be as easy as possible. The best way to do this is with color.

To pick a color scheme, I start by looking at my closet and my chosen shoes. I figure out what I have a lot of this is the most comfortable. For me this is neutrals like black or fall colors like wine, mustard yellow, and forest green.

Now that you have a base color (or colors) in mind, you can figure out what colors pair well – gold, pink, and red all pair great with forest green. Any color pairs easily with black. The more neutral your base colors are, the easier it will be to pair items and make outfits.

Try not to expand out of three or four colors total; remember the main goal is to have pieces that will easily mix and match with each color to make new outfits throughout the trip.

Keep it Classy

Unless you’re travelling to a festival a la Burning Man or you’ll be camping in the woods the entire time, you will want to pick items that are elevated and classy. This is helpful for a couple of reasons:

  1. Preparedness! it is generally better to be fancier than an even requires over too casual. If all the clothes you brought are classy, timeless pieces, then surprise occasions during the trip are easily handled.
  2. What you wear says who you are! this is most important when traveling abroad; people will treat you how they see. If you’re dressed in nicer clothing, it will be easier to communicate even if you don’t speak much of the language.
  3. Photos! if you’re anything like me, you will take a million photos and be in a million photos, many of which will end up on social media. Packing classier pieces will help relieve stress about what’s being posted and where.

The following are my go-tos for staying classy and comfortable:

  • dressy jeggings: the fit and comfort of leggings but with elements that elevate the style to create clean, classic lines. See my current faves below. Remember: check the fit in a mirror, and make sure the fabric is thick enough even when bent over, to act as pants.
  • corduroy pants: these always look nice and pair well with both a sweatshirt/t-shirt for a casual look, or a button down/nice sweater for something more dressy. I love these from Kut from the Kloth (my pair pictured below).
  • a versatile dress: your goal here is something comfortable and nice that can be layered to change the look or elevated with accessories. Below are the ones I love to pack.

Easy Layers

I live for a good hoodie, sweater, hat, or scarf – especially since most of our travelling happens during transitional seasons like Spring or Fall.

You will most likely not want to stop at your hotel all the time. So, to keep things moving, I find fun layers that are easy to remove and carry, like this green hoodie or this thin scarf which both work well with my color schemes and are warm layers that pack small or tie around my waist.

I also habitually pack a thin raincoat that rolls up small but provides an easy protective layer in case of rain. The pink one bellow from Forever 21 fits nicely into a larger purse or ties around the waist.

Also, for colder seasons I find that a knit hat or beanie that’s plain and in a good classy color looks chic and keeps you warm!

Bring Your Favorites

Have a favorite pair of jeans or a sweater you wear all the time? Chances are there are good reasons; often this means they fit well, look good, and are comfortable. Bringing your favorites also helps stall the 10th day slog of a long trip where you have already worn everything and don’t really feel like wearing them again. If it’s a favorite piece, then it will still be easy to wear.

My favorites are these Zella Live-In Leggings (tip: these typically go on half off sales at Nordstrom which makes them much more affordable) and a swing turtleneck sweater dress.

Finally – Pair Up to Pare Down

If you are looking at a huge pile of things that definitely won’t fit into your backpack – you’re not alone! The best way to pare down the pile is to create outfits. You don’t have to make an outfit for every single day, but strive for at least four or five to make sure you have enough diversity.

If an item doesn’t fit into those four/five outfits, then it doesn’t get packed. This helps me get rid of items even if they are something I love, and helps me work through the barrage of “what if” questions that inevitably occur while packing for a longer vacation.

Think these tips will help you pack for your next vacation? Have any hot tips of your own? Feel free to comment below.