Trek America - What To Pack
So as some of you may know, I have not so long ago come back from my Trek America trip and I wanted to share with you some of my packing tips and what I personally took myseslf. I loved reading these type of posts or watching packing videos on youtube before I flew out as it did help me when it came to packing so I would love to share it all with you. I did a camping tour and was away for just over 6 weeks so some of these items may differ slightly for a BLT tour or if you are going for a shorter amount of time.
Shall we start?
SUITCASE OR RUCKSACK?
- Personally I wanted to take suitcase as I have never travelled with a big rucksack before but I did do my research before hand to see whatever everyone else suggested and in the end I went for the suitcase. Having looked around in camping shops at rucksacks I found that I would have more space in a suitcase with me going for the length of time that I did and thought that it would be more accessible and easier to live out of as I could open the case up fully and see everything right in front of me rather than having to rummage around or take everything out of a rucksack to find something in the bottom for example. I also chose to buy packing cubes (I bought mine from Ebay) as I found this easier to organise and put clothes into sections, like dresses in one packing cube, underwear in another etc and then I attached a labelled tag onto the zip so I knew what was in each one. Another personal preferance of mine was that I took a hardback suitcase now you don't have to, any suitcase if fine but I had previously read on other blog/reviews the weather was unpredictable over in the USA and if it rained or had a huge down pour as America is known for then a few peoples luggage got wet, I didn't want this to happen with mine so I opted to pay for a hardback case.
CLOTHING//
- Swimwear x3 (Only ended up wearing 2)
- Sports bra x2
- Gym leggings x1
- Leggings x1
- Jeans x1
- Denim shorts x1
- Cycle shorts x1
- Pyjamas x2 (long pair for colder nights, then I did end up buying a 3rd pair out there)
- Jogging bottoms x1 (travelled in)
- Hoody x1 (travelled in)
- Dresses x6 (including day dresses and 2 night time dresses)
- Underwear x14
- Socks x7
- Walking boot socks x3
- Fluffy bedtime socks for cold nights x1
- Bras x5
- Waterproof jacket x1
- Tops x5
- Trousers x2
SHOES//
- Flip flops x2 (one for the shower and one for a comfort/around the campsite)
- Walking boots x1
- Trainers x2
- Sandals x2 (nice enough so I could also wear on an evening if wanted to)
- Low block heel x1 - This is a personal preference, I wanted a low block heel mainly for vegas to go with my outfit. Some wore heels and others wore sandals so just chose what is most comfortable for yourself as there is alot of walking so I didn't want a too high pair.
ACCESSORIES//
- Jewellery (but remember, try not to bring anything too expenive in case it gets damage or broken/stolen)
- A watch (although bare in mind if you're doing a long trip like myself you have quite a few time differences),
- Hair things (bobbles, clips/slides, bandanas/headbands, brushes, tangle teezer)
- Straighteners/curlers/hairdryer - Now this is optional and I didn't bother with any of these myself, I have long hair so I let my hair dry naturally as it dried very quick in the heat over there or i just used hotel hair dyers when staying in accommodation for the nights. You could also just simply ask to borrow someone elses or if you're in contact before going on trek, you could organise for one person to bring staighteners, another bring curlers, another bring hair dryer etc and share that way.
- Sunglasses
- Hat
TOILETRIES//
- Face wash
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Shampoo/Conditioner
- Hair detangling spray
- Shower Gel
- Razor
- Body lotion
- Dry shampoo
- Medications
- Deodorant
- Bug spray (essential and brings lots of it haha!)
- Face cream
- Sudocream
- Sun Cream
- After sun
- Carry bag with a hook (I found this easier as I could just hang up in the showers or on the back of the door)
I did origanally buy full sized items of all my toiletries but ended up just taking travel sized ones in the end due to the weight limit and just purchased a few extras once out there!
ELECTRICALS//
- Phone
- Ipod
- Kindle
- Chargers
- Portable power banks x2
- Earphones/headphones
- External memory stick that I could use for my phone to back up all photos
- USA adapter plug
- Cigarette plug charger with multiple USB points (perfect for the van)
DOCUMENTS//
- Trek documents
- Insurance documents
- Hotel vouchers
- Cash/money card
- Visa (esta)
- Passport
- ID (although a few places would only accept the passport therefore I just carried both with me at all times)
- Trek tips/city guides ( instead of printing these off I just downloaded these to my phone to make it easier and handy if I was out and about)
- Flight information ( I also downloaded my airline app so I got any notfications delivered to my phone)
- Bank cards incase of any emergency
EXTRAS//
- Packing cubes,
- Head torch/hand torch
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping bag liner (optional, I didn't but I knew the odd ones who did, just in case the weather was hot, it was more comfortable in that than a sleeping bag)
- Self inflating matt (I had one and was going to take it, but in the end it didn't fit in my case with everything so decided agasint it, trek do supply you with a foam one though so it is only for extra comfort if you wish to take one or could simply buy once over there from a walmart)
- Microfibre towels (I took 3, face towel small, body towel and one extra for my hair)
- Shower cap (One to use for my hair but I also took extra which came in handy to put my mucky walking boots in)
- Travel pillow (for planes or comfort in the van)
- Sleeping pillow (I bought mine from walmark for about $3, made sleeping in the tent at night much more comfortable)
- Re-useable waterbottle
- Locks (for suitcase, backpack and for hostel lockers)
And I think that's pretty much it! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.
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