Inspired by our constant desire to travel carry-on only, and the need to plan a Spring Adventure!
And yes, even on car trips, because there’s still no need to overpack and lug around a bunch of stuff you don’t need. Not when traveling, and not in life in general.
These packing lists are a dual-purpose way to purge and manage your closet as well. My packing lists are always stuff we already have IN our closet. If you wouldn’t pack it to travel, is it really something you wear anyway?
One travel outfit that has layers to cover just about any weather you run into.
Skinny (or straight leg) dark jeans. I like my Carhartt ones, which are pull-on WITH BELT LOOPS. But I also love the wide, stretchy waistband on these Lee Flex-Motion ones. I would definitely pick these for airport travel because there’s no need for a belt to give you security headaches.
Cozy medium-weight flannel shirt. This soft blue one from LL Bean comes in regular, petite, and plus sizes. It’s perfect for layering with a tee underneath and a sweater or sweatshirt over top if you need to. This one is also a good medium-weight, but it shrinks a bit, so watch your sizing.
Waterproof boots. I’m currently in love with my waterproof Sorel Chelsea boots. They are comfortable enough to walk around all day and do some light hiking while keeping your feet dry from a rain shower or early-morning dew. But you could also easily swap these out for my good-old standby Merrell Moabs. I pick high or low-top depending on how much actual hiking we plan to do.
Packable puffer vest. I have to admit, it was hard for me to STOP buying everything with a hood. But since a vest is a great inner layer, if your jacket has a hood (or you just grab a hat too), you don’t need to double up on hoods. The Carhartt puffer vest includes their Rain Defender coating and is pretty squishy when needed. You can find them in Mens or Women’s sizes (including Plus or Big and Tall) but I’m not really sure what the difference is. I guess with Mens, I always size down, and Womens, I always size up. But the product itself is the same as far as I can tell. {shrug}
Study raincoat. I am completely sold on the Duluth No-Rainer jacket. It is a bit heavier and bulkier than my previous pocket-sized packing choice from REI, but it is very sturdy for windy weather, and has a bazillion usable pockets for every conceivable need. The colors are constantly changing, so look at the Men’s and the Women’s choices, and read the sizing chart.
And always a beanie. I keep a hat in my truck year-round. I’m not about to ruin my day with cold ears or a weather-related migraine!
For the rest of the list, I stick pretty close to a routine of 2 shoes, 2 pants, 3 long-sleeves, 3 short-sleeves, and a couple of options for going out to dinner.
Two Pants. This time I’ve got a pair of adventure-ready, water-repellant Flexpedition pants, and a casual pair of wide-legged navy pants. (You can also try these navy pants for a pull-on version!)
Two Shoes. My casual, pack-small, Sperrys, and these super-comfy foldable cheetah flats. I highly recommend these flats in every color! I don’t even need to use an insert like I usually do with them. Both of these come in almost any color.
Three Short-Sleeve. Simple, plain, solid tee shirts. I have the scoop neck cotton tees from LL Bean in a ton of different colors. They go with everything. Lands End also has a good line of short-sleeve tees in a ton of colors for basic wardrobes.
Three Long-Sleeve. I used a light sweater, a thermal tee, and a striped Henley. I love these cotton sweaters, and have them in several colors. Took one to Norway and to Iceland. They layer great and they pack very flat, and can be dressed up or down. I have several thermals and henley-style long-sleeve tees from LL Bean and Eddie Bauer that I use for pretty much everything transition season now.
A picture of us in Norway, layering a navy cotton sweater with a collared travel shirt.
Dinner Clothes. And we learned in Scotland to make sure and pack SOMETHING to go out to dinner in. So I always throw a couple of coordinating chiffon blouses in my backpack. They take up almost no room–even long-sleeve ones.
And a cardigan, to cover all your bases. Most of mine are from Lands End, but I’m also loving these super-soft and cozy ones from Khol’s at the moment–if you can find the color you’re looking for.
Based on our normal trips, this is easily a week or more of clothes. I took a heavier coat and a couple more shirts when we went to Norway for 10 days, but didn’t really need them. Anything more than a week, you’re probably going to need to do laundry if you don’t use checked luggage. I needed the coat, though! It was May, and there was snow! {smile}