The Packing Basics - My Rules

I love this part. I consider packing for travel a personal challenge. I love shopping for the most versatile, lightest, practical items on the plant.

My basic criteria for packing

My bag must weight between 17-19kg (this applies to 3 weeks or 3 months!)
Everything must fit with a 70-80 litre bag (I refuse to carry anything bigger)
Everything can be thrown into a washing machine
Everything must dry quickly (I love specialist travel gear)
Nothing that needs ironing
Everything must be able to be worn multiple times or else it stays at home
Everything must be packed into a packing system – I hate a messy bag!

‘How many of what’ criteria

The number of type of each item will change according to the season that I will be travelling in, however the following principles apply:

No more than 3 pair of shoes (2 is better but it will depend on the season and the type of trip)
3 bottoms only (including pants, skirts and shorts)
6 tops depending on the season (made up of t-shirts, layering sweaters, warmer layers or warm jumper)
Underwear (5 pair of undies, 2 bras, (2 thermal tops and 1 thermal bottom in winter)

Click through on the galleries below for more information about my kit. (The summer kit is coming!)

Packing for Four Weeks in Italy and Spain

I'm heading off to Italy and Spain in October (Autumn) for four weeks. I try to pack the same amount

The travel gear you need before you pack anything!

Clothes are important but before you head to your favorite travel clothing site, you need to get yourself some basic

Packing for Europe in Winter

Packing to travel to Europe in winter can be a challenge, but I'm a packing professional! I am determined to

What to pack for business in Europe in winter

Packing for Business in Winter I take one suit, usually navy, another pair of suit pants - usually grey. These

I’ve also listed my favorite retailers and brands below.

My favorite clothing shops

Just so you know, I receive a small commission from Woolovers and Kathmandu if you decided to click through and invest! I do not receive commission from the other retailers listed here.

This online store is truly a ‘best kept secret’. I buy most of my knitwear and jumpers from Woolovers for travel and for wearing at home. The price is the best you’ll find for jumpers and cardigans and the quality is fantastic. They stock everything from chunky knits to fine cashmere products. For travelling though, I recommend that you don’t buy the chunky knits – they take up too much space in your bag so keep them for home – but their fine knits in lambs wool, cashmere and cotton are just right. Woolovers ship internationally from the UK. Their service is efficient and free if you spend over $100aus (75 pounds). Just to be transparent, I do receive a commission from Woolovers if you click through on this site and decide to invest! Just so you know.

I buy a lot of my ‘proper’ travel gear from Kathmandu – lightweight travel pants and fleece jumpers mostly. I love these products because they look good, wash well and dry quickly. I have a favourite pair of navy travel pants that are perfect for traveling on the plane – they look like proper pants, they zip off for warmer weather and they are made of a stretchy fabric that is comfortable on long flights. You need to buy some these.

I also buy some of my packing kit from Kathmandu.

I’m a particular fan of their soft packing cubes that come is a range of sizes and squish down nicely. I pack my t-shirts and thermals in these.

I also love their clear packing cubes that come in three sizes. I pack my bathroom items in one, my power cords in another and small things that you always loose in the last one. They slip nicely down the sides of your bag. You can see both of these items on the “Gear you need before you pack anything” page.

Kathmandu clothing can be slightly expensive so I always shop during their sales – which have great discounts. I’m also a member of their “Sumit Club’ loyalty program that gives you a 20% discount off Kathmandu branded clothing and 10% of other brands. Well worth signing up to.
Join the Kathmandu Summit Club for just $10

I do receive commission from Kathmandu – just so you know.

I go to Cotswold.com/au to buy all of the clothing that I can’t buy in Australia. They have every label and only charge $9 delivery to Australia – check out what they charge to your country. I buy my Columbia, Exofficio and Jack Wolfskin clothing from Cotswold. Australia have some items in these brands but the selection is limited. Cotswold prices are good and their shipping is fast and efficient. No hassles. Click the logo to go to their site.

I don’t receive commission from Cotswold – just so you know.

Uniqlo is a new brand for me but I discovered their ‘Heattech’ range and took it on my last trip to Europe in the Winter. This amazing product keeps you warm, minimises odour (very important when you can’t find a washing machine!), its lightweight and dries very quickly. With this product you do not need thermals. I made the mistake of taking Heattech long sleeve t-shirts as well as thermals – I didn’t need both and I could have saved a bit of packing space!