I am planning a trip to Europe and from the research I've conducted, packing light and buying necessities is the suggested way to go. After deciding our destinations and locating the various sights we want to see, I focused my research on packing, starting with the bag.
What is the perfect travel bag? Honestly, I don't think there is an answer out there. You'll find lots of reviews or "top 5 travel bag" lists, but there is not one exact bag that meets my criteria:
- Backpack Style
- Fully Opening Panel
- Shoulder and Hip Straps (hide-away preferable)
- Flat Pack (not too hard or too soft outer material so that items don't bulge out)
- Sturdy material that won't rip easily by wear and tear.
- Lockable
- ~22" x 14" x 9" size OR ~35L
The North Face Alteo 35
This backpack doesn't have a fully opening panel, but it has a wide opening at the top plus side zippers that allow you to reach the bottom contents without having to remove the top layers. It has great shoulder and hip straps although they do not hide-away. The material is sturdy but has some give to expand when filling it. It doesn't have locks and measures to fill 35 Liters. Some added features that I wasn't looking for to begin with is a lumbar support, wind tunnel on the back so that your back stays cool when carrying the bag (I have this problem when I'm carrying my regular backpack to and from work; the back laying directly on my back makes it hot.) Now that I have my travel bag, I began thinking about what to pack.
Over packing for the sake of being prepared is what I normally do. I've shared my packing lists for weekend, camping, winter, and summer trips which include almost every basic that I use at home plus some. Note that I've left off some items which might be added to customize the location of my trip. But am I being a little too prepared? To be honest, I don't use everything I pack with me OR I could stand to go without some of it.
Typically I pack a week's worth of clothes and wash whenever I'm traveling to visit family because there is a washer / dryer available to me, but I never thought of hand washing or doing laundry in a laundrette while I traveled. I heard / saw articles on special travel under ware "17 countries. 6 weeks. And one pair of underwear. Okay, maybe two." ExOfficio sells travel underwear and clothing that dries in roughly 2 hours so that you can wash / hang dry your garments to be worn the same day. I decided to buy 2 pairs of underwear (I found them cheap on Amazon) to see if I will be able to survive in Europe for 2 weeks on 2 pairs of underwear. I'm doing a test run in Las Vegas this weekend. If they prove themselves, I'm going to invest in a ExOfficio sleeveless shirt.
As for bottoms, I'm bringing a pair of pants, maybe 2, and was recommended to not wear shorts because of modest countries, as well as sticking out as a tourist. I really don't mind looking like a tourist so I'm going to bring a pair, but I also invested in 2 maxi skirts which are recommended because they cover your legs in modest countries, are feminine, and can transition to night wear if necessary.
I'm currently researching shoes. My friend that traveled to Europe a few years ago said that she was wearing flip flops 24/7 but her feet took a toll. Sneakers are also a "touristy" thing and don't look very nice for outfits. I did see recommendations to invest in good socks. A buddy of mine that runs suggested Wright Anti-Blister Socks. I am waiting for them in the mail, but will test them out soon. Another popular shoe recommendation was Toms which are fairly cheap, but still a little too casual to transition for night wear. Many of the shoes women recommend look like "old lady" shoes, are ugly, or too casual. They're all probably comfortable, but I stumbled upon Ahnu Maia sandals; they look pretty feminine, young, and are super comfortable according to reviews. The sandal might also be great for transitioning to night wear if needed.
Summary:
Europe Trip: France and Spain
Bag: The North Face Alteo 35
Underwear: ExOfficio 2 pairs
What to pack: 3 shirts, 2 tank tops, 2 Maxi Skirts, 1 pair of pants, 1 pair of shorts and 2 cardigan sweaters
Shoes: Toms and Ahnu Maia Sandals
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