Adventure is Out There: What's in that bag....Ladies version

Packing for such a long time in Europe was definitely a hard task-but it was a challenge I thoroughly enjoyed trying to overcome. Below you'll find photos of everything I was able to fit into my bag. My total weight is 20lbs-just under the limit. I have no doubt I'll find some goodies to buy alone the way but I'll just wear some extra layers onto the plane to even out the weight.

Clothing packed into an Eagle Creek Compression Cube (a loaner graciously given to me by my good friend Dana): Bikini, 3 pairs smart wool ankle length socks (I will be wearing a pair of Eddie Bauer thick calf length wool socks on the plane), 3 pairs underwear (rolled up) that help wick away sweat, 1 tanktop, 1 Victoria's Secret everyday t-shirt, and a black and white longsleeved thin material shirt, 1 pair of versatile thin black leggings purchased at Costco, 1 pair base layer North Face thermals that have special Flash Dry technology and help keep you really warm in cold temperatures and a hot pink exercise bra.

Everything listed in the photo above fits in this Eagle Creek compression cube. I am a huge fan of packing cubes. My own cubes are Eagle Creek brand but I love this new compression style of cube because it adds just a little extra room in your luggage and as we all know, that extra space can come in handy.

Additional Clothing: Hot pink North Face Rain jacket with hood, black fleece lined leggings that are unbelievably warm but not too thick, Eddie Bauer Reversible long-sleeved shirt (has stripes on one side and solid on the other) and a thin, light weight sweater dress that has 3/4 length sleeves. The sweater dress was added to my wardrobe mainly for fancy attire and to wear to the Scavi Underground Tour while in Rome at St. Peter's Basilica.

All the clothes listed above were placed in a medium sized compression bag that sucks the air out by rolling the item inside. This is my first time traveling with these bags and I've quickly become a huge fan due to to how easily it is to pack inside them and how small your items shrink down to which gives you extra space.

Inside this bag is an Alps brand sleep sack liner. This will come in handy when staying in hostels as well as provide some extra warmth when we stay in a mountain hut in Iceland. A lot of people have chosen to go without the sleep sack and I tell them-not a big deal. It's not for everyone and I encourage you to pack for what your individual needs are. I personally have horrible anxiety about bed bugs any other creepy crawly critters. Sleeping in this sack provides me with a barrier between the bed that I'll be staying in and my skin. It also worth it to me to pay $20 for my sanity. This liner comes with its own bag which I place into a ziplock just so that nothing from the outside of the liner touches my other belongings.

Electronics: I have a small zippered pouch (think the size of a pencil bag) that will carry an extra SD memory card for my camera, travel smart European adaptor, mini bluetooth speaker, portable batter charger, apple block to charge USB items, iphone/ipad mini charger, jawbone UP band charger cord, speaker charger cord, camera charger cord and portable batter charger. All the black cords look very similar so I used a piece of tape and tiny peice of paper and attached it to the cord with an identification of what the cord charges.

Shoes: Ipanema sandles (these are comfy, look fancy and can be worn in the shower), Tieks fold-up ballet slippers in silver. My Tieks were an investment but worth every penny. They are the most comfy flats that I have ever worn and their signature teal padding on the outside bottom of the shoe provides plenty of support when walking around for hours. Also, since these shoes are made of Italian hand stitched leather they don't smell when I wear them without socks (a major benefit!!). My everyday shoes are a pair of black Reebok trainers that have built in orthopedic soles. This was the first shoe I've ever worn that didn't need a break in period. I have a separate pair of these Reebok's that I wear to work as a nurse. The first day I wore them my feet felt like they were walking on a fluffy cloud.

This is what the shoes look like in their carrying case (Tiek bag and ziplock)

Necessities: universal sink stopper, portable clothes line (little black bag), lock, pencil with painter's tape wrapped around it, black and silver duct tape (this will come in handy and become invaluable as the time goes on) and a quick dry towel. The sink stopper and clothing line allow us to do laundry on the road. Some of our airbnb rentals will have a washer and dryer but some stops will require some hand washing.

Day Packs: I have two different daypacks. The first is a backpack and will probably be my go to favorite. It folds down into a small zippered pouch (the pouch is actually one of the outside pockets of the backpack turned inside out. I also purchased an Eddie Bauer cross-body bag that also folds down into a pouch the size of my palm. I also have 2 small locks that we use on our day packs and main backpacks to help prevent theft. Last time we went to Europe, I only used my money belt a few times because the small locks kept everything in my purse safe.

This is an image of my Eddie Bauer cross body bag folded down into the pouch.

In a make-up bag sized bag I have the following: my first aid kit, headband (fashionable, wicks away sweat while hiking and keeps my ears warm, wrist guard-I sleep with this due to my carpel tunnel, ankle/foot compression sock-helps with plantar fasciatis and a small bag with accessories (watch, cheap earrings, bracelet and 1 necklace)

First Aid Kit: I tend to pack quite a few medications (all legal of course) but mainly because I have the world's weakest immune system and I hate being sick on vacation. So my first aid kit includes mole skin (prevent blisters or pad them if you get one), hand warmers (will come in handy in cold places), a glide stick (rub it on your feet before a long day of walking to help prevent blisters, dayquil, mucinex-D, benedryl, excedrin, naproxin and ester-C (immunity booster that I swear by), q-tips, zofran (anti-nasea), immodium and pepto.

Sony a6000 camera-this was a Christmas present from Super Nel and it's the perfect size (small) and weighs next to nothing.

Toiletries: I purchased this Jack Wolfskin toiletry bag when we were in Germany. Jack Wolfskin is like our version of REI. The best part of this bag is that it has a hook to hang your bag next to the sink or in the shower if there is no shelf. I've packed a foldable toothbrush, floss, Lush brand toothpaste tabs (no liquid, just add water and these tabs get foamy and get your chompers white and clean), deodorant, a razer, comb, scrunchies, loofah, kleenex, baby wipes, small bag of bobbi pins, facial/make-up remover wipes, female items (for when aunt flow comes to visit), sunscreen face stick, and in the blue round tube up top I have my Lush brand products-shampoo bar, 4 in 1 dough (body wash, bubble bath, shampoo and facewash).

My Jack Wolfskin toiletry kit all rolled up.

Two words-Money Saver: we always pack a small insulated lunch box to keep drinks cold or any other perishable items we buy in local supermarkets. It's less expensive to buy food from a market or save left overs for the next day rather than eating in a restaurant for every meal. We also bring along reusable utensils, peanut butter (hard to find in Europe!), a bag of Wet Ones and this time I've added a large cloth napkin to use as a picnic blanket or tablecloth (some of the eating areas can be messy).

I pack my toiletry kit in the lunchbox to save space.

Another money saver: reusable and colapsable water bottle. This a Vapur water bottle-I like this one best because it comes with an attached carribeaner clip that can attach to the outside of your bag or help you roll and fold the water bottle when not in use.

Liquids: I have one bag of regular liquids: lotion, face oil, make-up remover, hair conditioner, roll-on perfume, small bottle of hand sanizer, sunscreen and in the contact case holder I have some concealer and cc face cream. In the other bag of liquids I have liquid medications: nasal spray, neosporin, orajel, eye drops, biofreeze (aches and pains-I have a bad back and Super Nel has chronic foot/lower leg pain), and anti-itch cream (in case any creepy crawly things bite me).

These are our wedding cake toppers. We try to bring them on every adventure and take a photo of them enjoying the fun. We hope to make a book of all the adventures they go on during our first year married together.

Necessary for the plane-inflatable neck pillow, ear plugs and an eye mask.

All of the above are folded into the neck pillow bag.

Black beanie and headlamp.

A pair of warm cashmere gloves.

Wallet, money belt and secret bra pocket. The money belt and secret bra pocket are for any high risk areas (read: Rome) where you need to be extra cautious and stash your goods in a secret place. Ladies, don't forget that while in Europe it's not recommended to set your bag down on the empty chair next to you or on the back of your chair because that can make you an easy target for robbery. Same goes for anyone's camera bag or satchel.

A coin purse. The currancy in most European countries is the euro and some of the coins are equivalent to $1 and $5 so you don't want to lose those. A coin purse makes it easy to keep track of your moolah.

A foldable hat-my favorite brand is Walleroo which was recommended to me by my friend Miss Jeanie. These hats can be rolled into a teeny tiny ball and they still go back to their original form.

Extras: ipad mini (for updating the blog, reading travel books and watching netflix), journal, pens/sharpie, post-it notes, sunglasses and Star Wars sunglass holder, misc pill box, and aWonder Woman thumb drive .

Make-up: Try to find items that can do double duty or have multiple actions. I'm packing the Nars multiuse stick-it can be used as eyeshadow, lipstick and blush. I love anything that combines multiple products all into one. I'm also packing chapstick, eyelash curler, tweezer, eyeshadow, sponges, nailclippers, eyeliner and a brush.

All fits into this pink zippered pouch.

Everything loaded up into my Osprey 46liter bag.

All zipped up and ready for departure. I have a mini carribeaner flashlight clipped onto the outside of my bag along with a green bendable attachment-useful for hanging a towel, shoes or waterbottle from the outside of your bag.

My friend Bree packed her bag recently and she wins for lightest packer of the group. She's bringing an Osprey 30liter backpack. That's 16liters LESS than what I'm bringing. How she did it-I honestly don't know but I'm impressed beyond belief.

Clothing: 1 pair of pants, 1 pair of jeans, 1 pair of leggings, 1 skirt and a towel. All of this goes packed into the bottom of her backpack and lays flat.

3 t-shirts, 1long-sleeved shirt, 1 tank top, pair of gloves, 2 pairs of socks, a scarf and 5 undies (I tried to talk her into bringing only 3 pairs of undies but Bree insists that she needs at least 5. This goes back to packing for your own personal/individual needs).

All of the above goes packed into an eagle creek organizational cube.

The Eagle Creek cube goes on top of the other clothes.

Shoes: Pair of sandles for hostel showers/shorts/dresses, nude colored ballet flats and a pair of blue Nikes (everyday pair of shoes).

Sandles and ballet falts get wrapped with rubber bands so that they lay flat.

The shoes go in the bag next to her Eagle Creek cube. \

Clothes line, belt, chargers, reusable utensils and a belt.

All of the above goes into this clear pouch.

Toiletries include, but not limited to, baby wipes, Wet Ones, first aid kit, qtips, loofah, scope mouthwash, hair accessories, toothbrush/paste, floss, vaseline, powder, hair gel, comb, deodarent and a razor.