Backpacking Fashionista

The following clothing tips are for those women who wish to travel light to cold-weather countries and don't want to be buried under a pile of luggage-full  of jackets, sweaters and thick cardigans....

LAYER AND ACCESSORIZE

Bringing a heap of clothes is not necessary. It’s always better to travel light especially if you are traveling by yourself, moving quickly and lugging your own bags.

There is no need to bring a shirt for each day of your trip as you will usually wear your outer coat most of the time. If you do spend most of your time indoors and with your coat off, mix your separates wisely. Use accessories to change your overall look.

Go for clothes that can easily mix and match in color and style.

Long-Sleeve thin shirts:

To have different "looks" during your trip, think "Layering" when you peruse your wardrobe choices.  I make sure to include my favorite thin, long-sleeved separates which are paired with sleeveless pullovers or blouses in different occasions. The shirts get a lot of mileage for a 2-week  or more travel period and the colors are in either basic black, brown or gray.

Sleep outfits:

Bring practical sleepwear that can be also worn as part of your everyday outfit - time and again, when I've run out of clothes to wear due to extended trips,  I have used tank tops with built in bra support to double as inner blouses for dress shirts or for that extra layer of warmth if the wind blows.

Scarves and shawls:

Invest in scarves and shawls.  Not only will it keep you warm, but a shawl will add to a change in your overall appearance.  I am fond of cashmere...its wonderfully soft feel on your skin is luxurious and  it is lightweight to boot!  I also recommend shawls which have reversible color and patterns.

Your scarves can be also used as belts for your dresses or pants so there is no need to bring a belt with each outfit.

Necklaces and such:

If you bring necklaces, bracelets and other "butingtings"   buy those with classic designs or with varied tones which can match your choices of clothes. You skip on having to bring a lot of accessories to match each outfit that you don.

Shorts and Limb Covering:

Tuck into that little extra room a pair or two of leggings. They can be worn with shorts. You can use them separately or together as sleepwear, lounge wear, beachwear, exercise-wear, camping wear, mosquito-protection wear *wink* etc.

Aside from leggings, you can dispense your coat for a day if the weather is not too cold and just use leg and warmers with your clothes. Some have fun designs which add another dimension to your appearance.

Colors and Laundry:

Choose to bring clothes whose colors do not clash when you mix them up.  And do plan to wear similar-colored clothes in a row. If you group your laundry and use the coin laundry machines this will matter.

For example, if you wear the  lavender-colored ones for the first 3 days, then when you do your laundry, you don't need to be concerned about   mixing them up with other colors  which  may bleed and ruin your other outfits. You can save time with one or two batches of laundry instead of waiting for 5 batches of laundry because you have 5 disparate color clothes.

What I usually do is bring basic black ,  then throw in a theme color – say red and purple tandem or orange and brown pairs, or white and blue separates.

NOT JUST THE USUAL BLANKIE

Pack a "malong" or "sarong" -  this can be an extra blanket, a cloth to wrap around you when you are going out, or for lounging.  You can also hide inside it when changing clothes in a room which you share with other people.

I tried staying in a dorm where privacy is almost non-existent (unless your bed in the double-decker has curtains covering it and  you can dress while lying on your bed! Hmm… it does have its possibilities).  The malong or sarong can also function as a towel to help you dry off if all else fails!

Always include a small, quick-drying travel towel -  pair this with your malong. I have a faded blue travel towel which absorbs water pretty easily and dries in an hour or two.  Even if I don't have a towel to wrap around my head or body, the malong will help.  If you suddenly pay an unplanned visit to the beach and its warm weather in that area - tah-dah! with your sarong you have a cover-up ready to use!

Have a  handy furoshiki (Japanese hanky/cloth) - it can be used as a bag, big hanky,  neckerchief, towel, head cover etc.

MAKE USE OF THE EQUIPMENT ON HAND!

If its late autumn or winter months when you are a-visiting, choose clothes and underwear that can be washed and dried quickly. You can use the hotel's hair dryer - available in your room or maybe their washroom - or your room heater to help dry them without having to avail of the hotel's or laundromat's services.

It is better to bring light and thin fabric ones - e.g. nylon material clothes are thin and may not keep out the cold but they do dry fairly fast even if you just hang them up overnight.  In the worst case scenario, use the coin laundry.

Before I sleep, I usually hang near the a/c or heater vent the clothes that I washed. When I wake up in the morning, they are ready for another round.

HAPPY FEET

A comfortable and very good pair of shoes which can withstand a lot of walking is a treasure worth its weight in gold if you are planning to be doing tours. While boots with heels look spiffy and trendy in the end, think of the health and comfort of your poor feet.

These shoes must have comfortable soles so your feet won’t ache at the end of the day.

THE OUTER LAYER

Invest in a good coat which is flexible - the inner layer can be zippered out if you need less bulk and warmth.  Again, the key is layering!

The inner layer (especially if these are the "quilted" or puffy jackets) can  be used as padding for delicate items you need to protect in your luggage (I used mine to cushion my laptop). You can adjust the coat's functions to what is needed.

I usually go for windbreakers and just make sure to layer my clothes underneath for warmth.

EXTRA: THE LADY-BAG’s INNARDS

Sandwich or freezer bags:

Freezer bags can be used in lieu of buying a travel zipper bag or expensive travel "cubes".

If you are like me,  preferring to compartmentalize clothes for easy choosing, this is one way of seeing quickly your available outfits. You can also use them to separate your dirty laundry as the see-through plastic helps organize your clothes

Lady-bag it!

Buy luggage which can be "convertible" - a backpack which can be converted to a trolley to be wheeled around if it’s a long trip.

My preference is the polycarbonate bag but unfortunately they have not designed one for convertible bags but only for wheeled trolleys.

How about some dry bags to bring with you? You can quickly put your water-challenged equipment in it if you experience wet weather and your main bag is not water-resistant.

For that matter, I always bring an extra foldable bag which can be used to put other things I may pick along the way. As a Filipina, I inevitably buy souvenirs/gifts (pasalubongs) and accumulate it for distribution to family and friends back home so I’ve always needed an extra bag.

I also don’t stick with one big bag.  The extra foldable bag I mentioned is what I bring if I go on a an overnight trip to another town. I can repack that smaller bag and leave my big bag somewhere else while I just go with what I need.

 Specific for Japan travelers:

If you stay in a ryokan - there's no need to plan for lounge wear or sleepwear - you will be provided a yukata and sometimes a haori.  Sometimes they also provide toothbrushes and toothpaste, comb. The shampoo/body soap/conditioner are also usually available in your room or in the public bath.

Pack shoes which can easily be taken off and put back on since most temples and establishments require you to take your shoes off and leave them at the door on the shoe cabinets.  Make sure to pack very presentable looking socks...no holes or discolored patches please!

To be continued… if something occurs to me when I wake up from my needed sleep.