Packing Light for Italy - returned

namastetraveler — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 10:05:00 GMT

I just returned from a 2.5 week trip to Italy. My light-packing adventure was a success, so I thought I'd post it online to help others who want to travel light but keep some comfort. The total weight of all items listed below, minus the clothes I'd be wearing on any given day is 12 pounds. I used a Hurley International travel backpack and it was the best thing I could have used! Here's my packing list with notes:

Clothing

Ex Officio Capris x 2 (could have brought just one, but wanted variety)
Black leggings
Polyester knee-length, black skirt
Polyester scoop-neck tunics x 4
Dressy sleeveless shirt
Short-sleeved button down shirt
Shelf-bra camisoles x 2
Undies x 4
Bra
Fashion scarves x 2
Black cardigan
Sun hat (did not use)
Pair of flats
Pair of Vibram KSO
Rain jacket (REI EVent: Excellent and came in handy)
Bikini (did not use)

Toiletries

Bar of Brommer's Soap
Disposable Razor
Exfoliating puff
Exfoliating glove
3 oz. shampoo+conditioner
1.5 oz face wash
3 oz face toner (did not really use)
3 oz toothpaste
toothbrush (decided against bringing sonicare - good idea)
3 oz sunscreen
2 oz hair gel
2.5 oz contact solution bottles x 2
2 oz antibacterial gel (could have brough 1 oz)
travel perfume (like sample size)
3 oz deoderant spray
2 pairs of spare contact lenses
Lens case
10 tums tablets (I get heart-burn)
20 cotton swabs and 8 cotton balls
eyeliner
a travel brush
feminine products, as needed (they are expensive in Italy, don't take up too much room and are really light)
Travel toilet paper (just in case, never used but good idea)

Other

Lonely Planet Guidebook to Italy
Sunglasses
Eyeglasses+case
Ear plugs
Migraine meds (good idea so you don't have to buy a whole pack)
Nail clippers with file
Watch (which busted on the plane over to Italy - ha ha!)
Journal + Pens
Combination lock with flexible loop (skinny loop to go through zipper pulls and hostel lockers.)
camera + battery charger
iPhone + headphones
Small day pack
Small purse
Hand towel (used as main towel - worked fine)
Rain Poncho (never used but it's so light and doesn't take up space.)
Platypus .5L water bladder with squeeze top (better than twist top)

Intangibles: (printed out and kept in a plastic bag in pack)

travel insurance - AMEX Global Shield Deluxe was only about $70 pp for the most coverage
Copy of passport

Things purchased on the road:

Travel buddy forgot contact lens case, so we purchased a big bottle of solution just for the case (in Venice). It cost us about 8E and we used the big bottle throughout the trip. If we hadn't bought this, we would most likely have run out of the amount we brought. I thought it was a good idea we bought some and it wasn't too big to carry around (for me). My travel buddy's pack was so tightly packed he didn't have any room.
Spray Deodorant: For some reason, I couldn't get over some of the funky smells and the tobacco smoke smell, so I bought some deoderant spray to spray on my scarf. I ended up using it as a deodorant and to help me smell fresh when we were traveling all day. It was the BEST thing I bought! (btw, the scent was called "Passion" and smelled great!)

Overall, I was usually comfortable all the time. I would have brought some other flats with more padding, but I think anyone's feet would have hurt with the amount of walking/standing we were doing. Maybe next time I'll experiment with some insoles or something. I LOVED traveling from place to place with a small pack that didn't hurt my back. We could zip through crowds and going up/down stairs was a cinch. Also, traveling on trains was a breeze. If you don't need a ton of products and can make-do with a limited wardrobe, I recommend this light-travel method.

The KSOs actually hurt my feet. I'm not sure if they are too small for my feet, or what, but I just didn't want to wear them around as much...

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

Packing Light for Italy

namastetraveler — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 10:58:00 GMT

I'm on a mission. In just a few months, I'll be heading to Italy. I've never been there before, and throughout Architectural Studies at Uni, I've always thought of visiting Florence. My mission is to pack all that I will need in a simple, easy-to-carry backpack. No, not a hiking backpack or anything that comes in a kg or lb classification. This backpack will be light. I'm not sure if this mission is even possible or not, but I don't want to lug around a bunch of clothes - clothing makes up most of what we bring, isn't it?

I've done some research. I'm going to bring mostly sun dresses and maybe 2 pairs of capri pants and 3 shirts. Besides this, an additional pair of shoes and some needed toiletries, I will make it work for my 3-week trip.

What are some of the necessities that I must bring?

Over the next few weeks, I'll be putting together my packing list, packing and testing out my packing plan. Later, I'll write about how my plan worked (or didn't work.)

I've always been a light packer. Last time I was in Paris, I had a large hiking pack and it was so cumbersome. There were no lockers, so we couldn't go anywhere! This time, I'm going to pack really light.

Namaste Traveler

Packing Light for Italy - returned

Packing Light for Italy