Packing for Backpacking [Europe]

If you haven't personally heard my squeals of excitement recently, you may not know that after graduation (which is 13 days away, by the way) I am going backpacking in Europe! For like... 40 days!  With just one bag and everything!

A friend and I set off for Rome 36 hours after crossing the stage and turning our tassels.
Talk about busting out of Kirksville with a vengeance.

Here's all of the places that we're going:

We're using a nifty little service called Busabout, which seems a little less complicated than a Eurorail pass.  Through Busabout, we were able to book all of our inner-Europe transportation and accommodation.   

Obviously I'm EXTREMELY EXCITED as I've never been to Italy or Spain before -- and I can't wait to return to France! But I've learned that preparing for this adventure is UNLIKE anything else that I've ever done!  This trip is going to be a far-departure of the time that I brought two large suitcases for a week stay in London or the time that I brought 5 suitcases for a summer in Minneapolis.

I've been doing my research on how to live out of a single bag for an extended period of time, and how to handle life constantly on the road.  Resources that have been especially helpful include Rick Steves' Europe, Nomadic Matt's Travel Site, and Her Packing List.  These websites have made me think of things that I would have never thought to pack and made me ditch items that I thought would be necessary. 

Since it's important for me to be at least moderately comfortable and stylish on the road, I have put A LOT of thought into what I'm packing for this trip.

So what's making the cut?  

First off, we have THE BAG:  

The Patagonia Black Hole Duffel, A highly water-resistant and super durable gear bag duffel, designed to carry your gear to faraway places.  Let's hope so!

And inside of that bag, we have little bags!  Packing Cubes from eBags:

I had never heard of packing cubes before, but apparently they are a *must* for on-the-go travelers.  When backpacking, we may only stay at a certain location for a couple of nights, so it is very important to stay organized through all of this moving around.  The compression aspect of the cubes also helps with space management.  I have already received these in the mail and can tell they are going to be a Godsend!

And what's going in those bags? (Can you tell how extremely Type-A I can be yet?)

Slim Bag #1: Health & Beauty

 This little bag holds all of this...

-3 headbands

-Shampoo and conditioner samples (to get through the first couple of days, I'm planning on buying actual bottles once over there)

-Overnight hair rollers

-Nail clippers

-Tide-to-go pen

-Razor

-Roll-on perfume

-Olay facial wipes

-Dryer sheets (to freshen things up when need be, they also act as natural insect repellent)

-Travelon dry laundry detergent stripes (For washing clothes in a sink- I'm excited to see how these work.  They look like those Listerine strips)

-Fabreeze spray

-Baby powder (for those days when you want to skip washing your hair)

-Multivitamins (your immune system is heavily compromised when traveling)

-Ibuprofen

-Ponytail holder/bobby pins/spin pins for cute hair buns!

And of course there's a bit of makeup in there too!

-Mary Kay all-in-one tinted moisturizer with SPF

-Eyeshadow

-Roll-on blush

-Lip balm

-Mascara

Slim Bag #2: Electronics and Travel stuff

-Journal

-Chargers

-Power adapter (not pictured)

-Copies of passport, credit/debit cards

-Copies of travel info and booking numbers

-A couple of padlocks for keeping my bag and valuables secure in luggage lockers

Slim Bag #3: Accessories!

-Cloth scarf

-Silk scarf

-Brown leather belt

-Skinny gold belt

-Pink, cream, and black ribbon (can be used as belts or hair bows)

-Necklace

Small Bag #1: Workout stuff and swimsuit

-Tempo running shorts

-Running/yoga capris

-Quickdry tee

-Running singlet

-Sportsbra 

-Swimsuit

-A few magazine clip-outs of exercises

**I realize that some people would never entertain the thought of packing exercise gear when travelling, but there is really nothing like starting your day with a run on the Promenade des Anglais or through the trails in Cinque Terre.  And I don't want to miss out on that.  

 

Small Bag #2: Pajamas, camis, and underwear

-Neutral colored camisoles (for layering)

-PJs

Now the fun part!  

There really is an art to dressing for backpacking, but also being able to look somewhat less-touristy.  I picked out a slim selection of clothing that would mix-and-match well together, and would allow for a variety of activities: visiting churches and museums, walking around all day outside, shopping, lounging by the hostel pool, going to a pub, etc. 

Shirts, Sweaters, and Cardigans:

-Red floral blouse

-Orange print blouse

-Rose lace tank

-White sleeveless blouse

-Black tshirt

-Denim polka dotted shirt

-Navy blue v-neck sweater

-Cream sleeveless blouse

-Coral 3/4 sleeve tshirt

-Blue striped tshirt

-Navy cardigan

Pants:

-Slim leg blue jeans

-Black skimmers

-Green jeans

Shorts/Skirts/Dresses:

-Floral print dress

-Black and lace skirt

-Khaki shorts

-Denim shorts (with lace at the bottom!)

-Blue cotton lace print skirt

-Striped skirt

Shoes:

-Brown loafers

-Running shoes :)

-White TOMS wedges

-Flip flops (for questionable hostel showers)

-Black flats

And lastly, we can't forget accommodation for inclement weather!

-Light waterproof down jacket

-Umbrella

...And that's everything!  I've already done a "practice pack" -- everything fits comfortably, with enough rough for a few souvenirs of course :)

I'll have lots of time to relax and write after finals/graduation, so be looking for some exciting blog posts soon!