Checked Bag: Last year, I used the Cotopaxi 35LAllpa but because of a broken humerus in January, I opted to go back to my TravelPro Maxlite 5 carry-on spinner. It has always stood me in good stead and is a real trooper. I did not use the expandable zipper and everything fit well. I also had an AirTag inside.
Carry-on Bag: I used my Calpak Glenroe travel backpack, which I love. It’s 24L, has great pocket organization in front and inside, a laptop sleeve in a separate compartment, and many other features. The only thing it does not have is a sleeve for a water bottle, which I would have liked. But it holds a lot, so I put a complete change of clothes in here, since I was checking my TravelPro. Plus it held my 3 Travelon bags (toiletries, meds and first aid) and my 2 Tom Bihn travel trays and cubelet, which held my electronics.
Personal/Day Bag: This changed on the way back (details later) but on the trip over, I brought my Sherpani Vale crossbody bag, which I also used as a day bag while out and about (at least until I bought a new bag). This had my passport, ID, credit cards and phone. I also brought a packable “grocery” tote bag that I kept rolled up in my day bag. I found this worked better than carrying a larger day bag.
Clothing: For the most part, everything worked. I packed 4 prs of pants, 5 tops, 1 sweater-fleece vest, 5 prs undies, 6-7 prs socks, 2 bras a 1 nightgown:
- Chico’s black traveler pants. These were good for when I wanted a dressier option, and so comfortable.
- Eileen Fisher black ponte pants. Again, these are a dressier option and also nice when it’s a bit warmer outside.
- Old Navy PowerSoft Joggers in black. I bought these right before the trip but lucked out as they're comfy, looked good on me, were lightweight and they wash well and dry very quickly. They make great travel pants.
- Jockey knit grey joggers. This is an older pair of very comfy knit joggers that I mostly wore when I was walking outside or just lounging around on the “days off” from my vacation.
- Red, black and white print top from Anthony’s in Naples, Florida. It was super comfy (poly/spandex blend), lightweight, looked good and washed and dried very quickly. I plan on getting more of these types of tops for my next trip.
- Lucky Brand heathered grey pullover lightweight sweater from Costco. Again, comfy, also warm, and looked good. Took a bit longer to dry, though.
- 1 solid black and 1 light blue knit LS top. These were fine when worn with my Orvis sweater-fleece vest but I didn’t really like them well enough to wear them by themselves.
- Lightweight blue/white print hoodie. This was comfortable and an old favorite of mine, but it got black grease on it in a noticeable spot, so I had to throw it away about halfway through. No clue how that happened.
- Heathered-blue Orvis sweater-fleece vest. I think I wore this almost every day. It matched all my tops (enough) and gave me just that extra bit of warmth I needed when it was too warm for a jacket but a bit too cold for just the top. It was thin enough that it fit under an outdoor jacket and it had 2 deep side pockets, which was handy for holding my phone.
- Underwear. This year I learned my lesson and brought 5 pairs of my tried-and-true Gap Breathe High Rise underwear, along with 6-7 pairs of socks, and 2 soft bras (which I rarely wore). Next time I’ll bring just one.
- Shoes: I had one pair of my Oboz walking shoes, which I wore most days, and one pair of very lightweight Tioseban lightweight walking shoes that were for times when I needed something a little bit dressier. Both were rock stars.
- Nightwear: I packed one knit nightgown and that was it. I washed it about every 5-6 days.