Wednesday, July 27, 2016

How to pack for a month in one suitcase

How to pack for a month in Europe in one bag

Last year we visited Italy for a month…3–4 days each in Rome and Florence, then two weeks traveling throughout Tuscany with a small group tour, then on our own for another day in Florence, then several days in Venice. The group tour bus was small and we were restricted to one suitcase each that could fit in the smallish compartment under the bus, plus one small day-pack that could fit on the overhead rack on under the seat.

We traveled by taxi, plane, train, sometimes on foot. (Taxis were on strike the day we left for Venice, so we had to walk a mile to the train station. If we had had more than one wheeled case and a small shoulder pack each, we would have been in real trouble!!)

Clothes for one whole month in one suitcase?  How could we possibly do that???  We had to really think this out. I started by reading blogs and information from pros like Rick Steves, for example, as well as tips on Pinterest.

Here are tips on how I packed. My husband did the same, but with a man’s wardrobe.

1. Buy a small journal. 

Years later you will be glad you have a written record of where you went and what you saw when you are going though your photos.

I like these journals from Moleskin. I use the thin paperback ones for shorter trips, and the thicker hard-cover ones for longer trips.  The 3.5 x 5.5 inch size easily fits in a purse or pocket. There’s a ribbon marker, an accordion pocket for business cards, etc. in the back, and an elastic band to keep it closed.

Available at Barnes and Noble.



2. Plan out what to pack ahead of time.  

Do not do this the day before. I recommend at least several days (or longer) before you leave.

Limit yourself to a simple color scheme. For me, that was black, white, with one bright for an accent—I chose a citrusy yellow-green.  (Yours could be navy/white with red. Brown/tan with orange. Use your own wardrobe as a guide. You probably have favorites. If you crave color, add another scarf or two…they pack flat and don’t take up too much space. But exercise some discipline here. Strive to choose items that will mix and match.) 

3. Restrict yourself to clothes that can be washed in a sink and hung up to dry. 

No ironing. No sending out to have them done. No wasting valuable time at a Laundromat. See additional notes on laundry below.

 4.  Make a written plan in the back of your journal.

Use these clothes to come up with options to vary the looks. This is where scarves can help provide some color and pattern.  I repeat, write these ideas down! Not only will it help you remember outfits you put together, it is a record of what you packed if your luggage should get stolen. Also, these lists are helpful for future trips.  (My list is below.)

5. Accessories.

In addition to some scarves, pack a few pieces of cheap costume jewelry that you won’t be heartbroken if lost or stolen.

6. Give up the idea that you can’t repeat outfits. 

No one cares what you are wearing. Most people, even if you are travelling in a group wouldn’t notice anyway. (Test this out. Think of the last event you attended. Try to remember what everyone wore. I bet you can’t.)

7. Limit the number of shoes. 

I packed one pair of versatile, comfortable sandals that worked with a skirt or pants, and one pair of plain black Toms (Galapagos Toms are black with black soles. They are dressier than the ones with white soles, so they are more versatile.) I threw in a pair of dressier flats at the last minute and never wore them.

8. Use Packing Cubes to make packing easier and more organized. 

When I first saw these I thought they were a waste of money. There are several manufacturers. I found some that were less expensive online. These packing cubes made living out of a suitcase SO MUCH EASIER. I had one for pants/skirt, one for tops, one for underwear and nightgown, one for accessories. When I needed a top, I only had to go to the one case, unzip it to see what I needed.  These are available in several colors.



9. Roll your clothes.  

This is another thing I thought was silly until I tried it. Fold the item in thirds, folding sides in toward the center. Then start rolling from the hem to the top. Not only did the clothes not have pressed-in folds from having been folded and stacked, they were organized in the packing cubes like little cylinders so you could see everything practically at once. 

10. Stick to your written plan. 

At the last minute, I broke my own rules and threw in a few extra things since I had room, such as a dress and a pair of dressier flats. Never wore either. My skirt worked wherever a dress would have been appropriate. And my sandals worked as well as the flats. It was a waste of space and weight.

11. Save some space to bring back things you buy. 

You will be glad you did.

12. Pack your suitcase the day before

The exception is your toiletry case. But this should be ready to go.

13. Work out of your packed toiletry case case the day you are leaving. 

That way you will know that you will have everything you need while on the trip and haven’t forgotten anything.  Rick Steves advises that you get a case that can hang from a doorknob or shower rod. Many hotels in Europe especially, have limited space on the sink counter.  I bought this one from the Container Store.


WASHING CLOTHES IN A HOTEL. 

The number one thing you can do to save space on packing is to pack less and wash clothes along the way. Only pack things that can be laundered in a sink. Plan ahead. If you are going to be in one place for few days, launder any dirty clothes on the first day you are there. That way the clothes have time to dry before you move on. I used hotel shampoo for soap.

Buy these handy items:

Nylon laundry bag.  This one weighs next to nothing. You can keep your dirty clothes away from your clean ones.



Sink stopper. Must have! Some sinks do not have a stopper already!




Travel Clothesline. You will need to be creative with where you hang this depending on the hotel. The line comes with Velcro tabs. Buy some carabiner clips (at a hardware store) to attach at each end so you have an option depending on what you have to work with.



Or this one:



Laundry hooks and folding hangars. We ended up using both of these. You can hang your clothes in the twisted loops on the clothesline, but I like these better. The small clips are good for things like socks or underwear. Two of these can be used to hang pants…use one at each end of a waistband. The black plastic ones unfold and can be used to hang shirts.




Microfiber towels (2 per person depending on the size). These are very lightweight and take up little space. They are important for being able to wring out your wet clothes and they dry quickly. (Otherwise your hotel towels will be wet.) Lay a towel out (they are pretty small). Place an item of wet clothing on the towel. Roll the towel up and wring the towel so as much water as possible comes out. You may have to do this more than once to get the item as dry as possible. Then shake the item vigorously before hanging and smooth out any wrinkles.

We hung the clothes on the line at night, then put them in the closet during the day so the maids could clean. Then hung them up again on the line the next evening. Everything dried by the end of the second night.

NOTE: I made the mistake of buying the towels in white. If I were to do it over, I would buy a color. We ended up hiding our towels from the maids because we were afraid they would be confused with the hotel towels.

Available on Amazon from many sources at varying prices. Search Microfiber towels.

What I brought and wore

I am partial to knits. Just about all of these tops are knit.  J Jill has a line called Wearever that packs very well. They are stylish and mix and match.

For bottoms, you can’t beat Chicos’ Zenergy line in their Neema fabric. It weighs next to nothing and is not clingy, shiny and heavy like their Travelers line. I have been collecting the Neema pieces when I find them. They are my go-to travel clothes.

I took several cardigans for warmth and to mix things up a bit.

This may not look like a lot for a month when it’s in a list, but it was plenty and took me through several climate changes.

Tops:
White v-neck tee
White scoop neck tee
White tank
Black v-neck tee
Black/ivory tunic length sleeveless top
Black silk sleeveless tunic length tank
Ivory/black stripe tee ¾ sleeves
Lime/black stripe tee ¾ sleeves
Green crinkly silky fabric tank
Long-sleeve striped tunic: gray, black and white

Cardigans
Black/grey leopard — light weight
Mustard yellow silk knit — medium weight
Black silk knit tunic length—heavier weight

Bottoms
Black Neema skirt
Black Neema capris
Black Neema slim long pants
Black knit skinny pants (great to wear on the plane)
White pants (could have lived without these)

Jewelry
Cream & black beaded necklace
Black large chunky beaded necklace
A few pairs inexpensive earrings

Scarves
Lime green crinkly scarf
White crinkly scarf
Black/gray leopard print scarf
Long super skinny giraffe print scarf
Large square black/white/beige/green animal-print scarf

Miscellaneous
Undergarments (enough for 6 days)
Camisoles for extra layer…black and nude
Two nightgowns
Small folding umbrella
Foldable visor hat
Raincoat (lightweight, very packable)
Small lightweight folding umbrella
Sunglasses!!

Shoes
Black sandals. Mine are by Arche. Expensive (even on sale), but I have had them for years! They are super comfortable and wear like iron. I have a winter style that are closed-toe slip-ons. This brand is a real splurge but worth it in terms of comfort, durability, style and versatility. I have worn them so many times they are paying me back. You can try eBay. I recently bought a nearly-new pair for $50. Note: The sizing is European. 

Black Galapagos Toms (black with black soles. Dressier that those with a white sole.) Great for walking, and wearing on the plane. Very light weight. Search Galapogos Toms online. Nordies has free shipping.


OUTFITS

• Any black top, black skirt. Works with green, white or leopard scarf. Sandals
• Any white top. Black skirt. Sandals. Or Black capris and Toms. Black chunky necklace
• Black/ivory tunic. Skirt. Cream/black beaded necklace.
• Black sleeveless tunic. Skinny pants. Large scarf.
• Black tank tunic. Skirt. Yellow cardigan. Black/cream necklace or giraffe scarf. Sandals.
• White tee. Leopard scarf. Capris. Sandals.
• Lime crinkly top. Capris. Toms
• Yellow cardi. White tank. Capris. Necklace or Giraffe scarf. Toms
• Long pants. Long black tank. Yellow cardi. Black/grey leopard scarf. Sandals.
• Long pants. White tank. Leopard cardi.
• Gray/black stripe tunic. White jeans (or leggings). Sandals or Toms.
• Black tunic tank. White scarf. White pants. Toms or Sandals.
• White/black stripe tee or green/black stripe tee. Black long pants or capris. Toms.


I actually could come up with more variations, but you get the idea. A limited color scheme. A basic bottom. A top. Add some accessories. Of course you will have more variety when you are home. 


Not having to lug around a ton of luggage and having to keep track of a lot of clothing is worth repeating some pieces.  Good luck.



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