How to pack for a four week holiday away

In just two days Luke and I will be hopping on a plane for a long-awaited holiday travelling around Italy and the US. To say I’m excited is an understatement; it’s been a good four years since I’ve travelled beyond Australia or New Zealand, so this trip away has definitely been a long time coming.

We are spending just shy of four weeks abroad, and it probably comes as little surprise that one of my biggest concerns is: what do I pack? Or perhaps more importantly, how much should I pack?

I’m definitely not planning on being as optimistic as the time I took a mere 13 items away with me for a six week holiday (let’s just say that a lot of shopping was necessary), but I also don’t want to overpack. While I might not be planning on doing much shopping, if at all, the last thing I want is to be standing at the airline counter worrying about whether my bag is going to be a lot heavier than it should be.

I’ve had the good fortune of taking a number of extended vacations in the past ranging anywhere from 3-6 weeks away, so I wanted to share some of my top tips for packing your suitcase like a pro for a long trip abroad…

KNOW WHAT KIND OF WEATHER TO EXPECT
Let’s start from the very beginning. It’s counterproductive – to say the least – to not have some semblance of what kind of weather you’ll be facing once you reach your final destination. I recommend adding all the cities you’ll be travelling to your phone’s weather app so you can keep an eye on the weather trends in the lead up to your trip. This will help you to plan and map out exactly what types of clothing you’ll need to bring with you, and help you to avoid any situations where you find yourself without a jacket or a pair of shorts right when you need them.

THINK ABOUT WHAT YOUR HOLIDAY IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE…
Will you be spending most of your time by the pool? Sightseeing? At the shops? Hiking through the bush?

Before you actually start packing your bag, thinking about how you will be spending your time. If you’re by the pool most days you’ll want to make sure to bring at least a couple of swimsuits with you. If you’re planning on going on the occasional hike, pack some leggings, a loose fitting singlet and some sneakers to get you by. A little like how I would plan my capsule wardrobes, I’ll get a broad idea of what my holiday will entail and then pack accordingly.

ADOPT THE 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 PACKING STRATEGY
A while back, I stumbled across this packing concept on A Pair & a Spare, and I have to say, I think that the inverted triangle concept works perfectly for anything from a week to an entire month (or more!) away. What I love about this concept is that it helps you to maximize your options, while increasing the functionality of what you’ve packed away in your suitcase for your trip.

This means packing more tops than bottoms, more bottoms than dresses and shoes, more dresses and shoes than swimsuits and bags, and more swimsuits and bags than other accessories (think hats, sunglasses and watches). Trust me when I say, this, works. As you’ll spy from my own ‘packing list’ below, I’ve adapted it for the length of my holiday.

START WITH THE BASICS
When I’m mapping out my vacation packing list, I always find it easiest to start with the basics; pieces like a staple pair of jeans, lightweight tees, a loose sweater, a comfortable pair of shoes and a light jacket. By approaching packing this way, I can plan the rest of my holiday wardrobe around those essential key pieces that I’ll be reaching for first, more often than not.

I find that this is also a great time to start planning your travel outfit. I tend to work in layers to make sure that I’m not doubling up (while making the most of my precious suitcase space), and I’ll always pack an outfit to change into for when I land.

BUILD IN SEASONALLY APPROPRIATE PIECES
Next, I’ll start to build in items that are seasonally appropriate; if you’re travelling to a country that is in the throes of winter, you’ll be packing things like chunky knit sweaters, sturdy leather boots and an oversized scarf. At the opposite end of the spectrum, for a summer vacay you’ll want to bring along denim shorts, pretty sun dresses, swimsuits, and a pair of sandals.

This is also where I’ll think about any statement pieces that I want to bring with me, and work it around the theme and colour palette which has organically presented during this process.

And if there’s one thing I can’t recommend enough, it’s to make sure that you pack at least one nice going out dress. Even if all you have planned is a week sitting by the pool, you never know what’s going to happen when you’re on holiday and I figure it always pays to be prepared.

RATIONALISE YOUR ACCESSORIES
You all know I’m addicted to shoes, through and through, so I find this the hardest part of packing for any holiday. For four weeks away, I’d typically pack about 5 pairs of shoes – this gives you enough options so you won’t get bored, and you can switch up your footwear if you start getting even a hint of a blister.

Take the time to also think about how many bags you’ll need; will you need an evening bag for going out? Do you want to take a small crossbody for exploring? And also whether you’ll be bringing along any jewellery, scarves, sunglasses or hats. I try to keep these to a minimum where possible – accessories (and my travel beauty kit) tend to weigh down my bag the most!

KNOW YOUR GO TO LOOKS
This is one of the more fun parts of packing… trying everything on! I like to have a few go to looks that I can just throw on; my main focus while travelling is to get out and explore, so I don’t want to be stuck in my hotel room fussing over what I’m going to wear. Take a couple of photos so that you can then refer back to the ‘looks’ while you’re travelling.

PACK YOUR MUST HAVE MAKE UP
As someone who used to travel with just a bronzer, eyeliner and mascara, I know all too well how much a bulging make up bag can weigh you down. Where possible, pack multi purpose products – like a cream blusher you can also use as a lipstick – and try to narrow it all down to the bare essentials. My weak spot is hands down eyeshadow palettes and lipsticks – I always have a hard time trying to settle on my absolute essentials for a trip ahead.

One tip; bring along a bold red lipstick – it’s one of the few beauty products that I can’t leave behind and easily dresses up even the simplest of looks.

ORGANISE YOUR TECH
The final thing to organize – aside from your passport, itinerary and currency, of course – is your tech. I always tend to travel a little tech heavy; as someone who shares part of their life online, it’s hard to avoid. I find that the best way to narrow it down is think about what you can’t live without, and pack accordingly. Also, don’t forget to make sure that you’ve picked up the necessary plug converters for your final destination – that’s something that you definitely don’t want to forget.

As you’ll see from my own packing list below, I’ve kept things p-r-e-t-t-y neutral colour wise, adding in a bit of colour with my accessories.

Obviously there’s the odd piece missing, like my Nike Roshe Runs, my gym gear, and a couple of samples that I’ll be shooting while I’m away, but for the most part, this is everything that is coming along for the ride with me. The one thing that I couldn’t manage to cut down? Shoes. Let’s just pretend that there aren’t seven pairs of shoes sneakily stuffed into my suitcase. I guess we all have a weakness….