In deciding what to pack for our Round the World trip, I considered the weather (it would mainly be spring/summer in the countries we were visiting), comfort (I’m all about comfort!), durability (it had to last 6 months on the road), cost, space (i.e. what would fit in the packing cubes), and how often I realistically thought we would be doing laundry (my goal was every 7 days).
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ONNO bamboo t-shirt, Athleta jogging pants and long-sleeve layering piece. Pisac, Peru
I decided not to buy specific travel clothing, as we weren’t doing any long, multi-night hikes, or a lot of camping, so you won’t find quick-dry pants that can be turned into shorts on my list. Jeans also didn’t make the cut, primarily because I couldn’t fit into my jeans at that point in time (I’ve since rectified this situation and now my jeans are too big!). My go to items were bamboo-derived (viscose) leggings and short sleeve tops, layered as necessary. I’m not a stylish person to begin with, so I wasn’t looking to travel in style.
One of the few times I wore a long-sleeve top. Shown with my capris leggings. Bako National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia
Now that we’ve returned from the trip, I can tell you that my packing list was almost spot-on! I didn’t end up wearing my specialized long-sleeve tops because in places where there were mosquitos, there was also heat and humidity, so I preferred going with short-sleeve tops and insect repellent. I also didn’t wear my Italian leather flats, because we were in Italy in February and it was too cold to wear them. The only thing I wish I had have packed was a sweater for Italy. Even though I had a fleece and layered up, I was still cold.
My wool socks from Peru. One of the few things I bought along the way.
While we had a couple of long stretches between laundry days, we never did run out of clean clothes (whew!). In the end, we were doing laundry about every 5 days, just to be on the safe side.
I’m glad I brought an extra pair of prescription sunglasses, because I lost a pair to a wave in the Indian ocean in Goa, India! I also lost a scarf along the way, so the second one came in handy.
As for buying clothes along the way, I really didn’t need to buy all that much. I picked up an extra pair of flip-flops in Kenya, for inside wear; some wool socks in Peru, slippers in New Zealand, and a pashmina scarf in India.
So here is my packing list. Again, keep in mind that I was packing for our specific itinerary, and you would definitely need to pack differently if you’re going to snowy destinations.
Sabrina’s Packing List:
3 pairs of full length leggings
2 pairs of capri length leggings
1 pair of full length jogging pants (Athleta)
1 pair of capri length jogging pants (Athleta)
3 long-sleeve tops (one with UV protection, one with insect repellent built in)
6 short-sleeve tops
1 long-sleeve knit layering piece (zip-up with hoody, but with holes throughout)(Athleta)
1 ¾ sleeve sweater (Athleta)
1 long-sleeve two-piece pajama’s
2 short-sleeve nightshirts
9 pairs of undies
2 bras
1 fleece (North Face)
1 water-proof jacket (Athleta)
A pair of running shoes (Brooks)
1 pair of flip flops (Kerr)
1 pair of Italian leather flats (so I would look stylish walking around Italy!)
9 pairs of ankle socks
2 bathing suits (Athleta)
1 travel dress (Athleta) 2 scarves
1 wrap
2 pairs of prescription glasses
2 pairs of prescription sunglasses
With my fleece and rain jacket in Ercolano, Italy
