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    News — travel

    Traveling with your Fanny Pack: Part 2

    Now that we've covered travel bags, what exactly do you put in them to make your 1 bag last 2, 3 or 4 weeks while still looking good? Here are some of my essentials plus some ideas for things you can cut out - it may seem tough - to make it happen.

    The first thing to think about when you are packing for a trip is the kinds of activities you will be doing, because this will inform the necessities you need to bring and help you differentiate between what you'd like to bring, and what you MUST bring. For me, this is mostly outdoor activities like rafting, mountain biking, hiking, etc. Prioritize the specialty gear you'll need for these activities. In some cases, you'll be better off getting certain gear when you're there. For example, when I traveled to Patagonia, I brought hiking shoes for the outdoor activities I was planning like ice trekking and mountain hikes. However, Patagonia is such a hub for those types of activities that you'll find tons of places renting hiking shoes for the day or week. I wish I had done this, because I really only used my hiking shoes for 2 or 3 days and for the rest of my 4-week trip I had to haul them around. But some things you just need - and that's fine. The point of packing light is to make your travels are easier and more convenient - you don't want to end up doing the opposite.

    The next thing I try to plan are outfits. You don't have to fully decide what you'll be wearing on each day, but think about your clothing in terms of outfits, not separates. And pick from your most comfortable and most flattering, favourite outfits. Just because you're on vacation does not mean you have to look like a tourist. A cute outfit at home is also cute abroad! I find if I bring my best outfits, I don't mind wearing them over and over again. I try to have a week's worth of outfits, plus maybe 1 extra just in case. This usually looks something like this (for hot climate vacations:

    • 3 dresses (1 that can be dressed up for nice evenings out)
    • 2 long flowy pants (these are my fave - ultimately comfortable, have a super vacation-y vibe, and cover your legs fully so you don't have to worry about sunscreen or bug spray as much!)
    • 3 t-shirts
    • 1 legging
    • 1 pair of shorts
    • 1 sweater (for the airplane)

    Even though that is not a huge amount of clothes, it will last you over 1 week easily. Just add your undergarments (try to pick a versatile bra or two!) and you're good to go.

    The next thing I think about is hair, makeup and jewelry. This is where I've really learned to cut down! Ladies, you seriously only need 2 looks when traveling. A day-to-day look - I stock concealer, powder and lipstick, and an evening look - add blush, eyeliner, masacara. I pick 3 of my favourite lipsticks that go well with my chosen outfits. This way you still have variety. I find I really don't need anything more than this. For my hair, I have a mini flat iron that I swear by. It's super tiny (travel-sized) but still works great for me since I have short hair. For jewelery, really limit this. Bring one versatile statement necklace and a few pairs of earings. It will allow you to give the finishing touches to your outfit and won't take up a lot of room. I like to keep all of these items contained inside my fanny pack, within my luggage, for easy organization. The various pockets make it a great place to keep track of small items like earrings.

    Fanny Pack travel necessity

    Next up is toiletries. Since you're traveling with carry-on only, you are only able to bring liquids that are less than 100ml and that fit in a small ziplock-like bag. To make this work, I buy small containers and then fill them with my shampoo, body lotion, etc. You can get these at the dollar store and they really help keep things compact! I usually store my toiletries in a clear plastic bag. This way I can easily bring them out for airport security and there are never problems.

    The last thing remaining is shoes. This is where things get controversial. Pick an EXTREMELY comfortable pair of sandles as your main shoe (this is if you're traveling to a hot climate, of course). Then pick a nice flat that could be casual or more formal depending on the outfit. I have a cute gold lacey pair that work great for this. I've even mountain biked in them, they were actually perfect for that! If you are able to limit yourself to two small pairs of shoes like this, your life will be much easier. But I know this is probably the hardest part for most people!

    I hope these tips have helped you consider how you can more efficiently pack your bags for carefree travel. Instead of stressing, just remember that you can always pick up something you may have forgotten when you arrive. So it's really not a huge deal.

    Feel free to comment below with any questions or tips of your own for traveling.

    Cheers!

    How to Travel Light with a Fanny Pack

    We all try to pack light, but it’s easier said than done. And when on vacation, you want to look good and NOT stand out as a tourist. So how do you do it? With some simple planning and the right travel bags, that's how. Learn how to travel like a boss while saving money and time.

    Fanny Factory Fanny Pack for traveling

    I’ve traveled South East Asia for 3 weeks, South America for a month (all climates!), and Europe for 3 weeks all with a carry-on bag.

    So how can you pay less for flights and checked luggage, have the flexibility of low-cost transfers (easily hop on a bus, train, or low-cost flight), carry less weight (3 flights of stairs up to your AirBnb? No sweat!) and still look cool doing it? Read on below for my tips!

    Standard luggage travel bag

    Packing light starts with the right carry-on travel bag. Standard Luggage’s Carry-On Travel Backpack is versatile, light, and sleek. It’s a great base because it is super light – 3.7 lbs – a benefit of its simple design and cloth construction. It doesn’t have wheels, but you don’t seem to miss them – instead you have carrying options. Wear it on your back like a backpack (that’s how I usually sport it), or use the side strap to sling it over your shoulder, messenger-bag style. It’s also sized perfectly to fit on international airline rules for carry-on size. So basically anywhere in the world you go, you know you’ll never have to check this bag. That is a HUGE time (and hassle) savings.

    I like it because it’s loaded with features (expandable zip, rain cover, compression straps) & compartments (laptop sleeve, passport holder, extra zipped pockets) but it still looks super clean and simple. I’m just not into those oversized backpacker packs with a million zippers and stretchy things and attachments everywhere. These features are well thought out and help to maximize space and organization!

    This is optional, but I also use Standard Luggage’s packing cubes when I’m going on longer flights and need to pack a lot in. For instance, when I went to South America last January, I used the packing cubes to separate out clothes for different climates and keep everything EXTRA compressed. I was visiting Buenos Aires and Santiago which are super hot and humid, trekking down south to Patagonia where it's MUCH milder, and then also hitting up the Atacama desert in northern Chile where it can go from-10 and +30 in one day! I put all my cold weather clothes in one packing cube, and all my hot weather clothes in a different one. #winning

    The best packing cubes for traveling

    For day-to-day activities, I swear by my fanny pack. When I'm on vacation, I don't need a purse full of stuff like I normally wear. I just need a small wallet with cash, ID and 1 credit card (not the zillions of gift cards, membership cards and business cards I normally carry around with me at home - ha ha) plus a few other key items like hand sanitizer, tissues, lipstick and of course my phone. Pairing down your regular purse to a fanny pack will help you save packing space, plus it's lighter and more convenient to carry around, especially in hot climates and when you're out and about for long periods of time. It's the perfect wandering bag. And you can still look cute and stylish thanks to the fab Fanny Factory designs!

    Cool retro fanny pack for music festivals

    Now that you have your carry-on bag, your packing cubes and your fanny pack, what are you going to fill them with? Good question. In part 2 of this blog post, I've cover some of the ways I cut down on space while still having a lot of variety and fun outfits that can work for day and night. Stay tuned!