Packing your things for abroad: blogs and contributions of WorldSupporters - Bundle
Collection of tips, experiences, and stories from fellow WorldSupporters about packing your backpack or suitcase
How to pack for every climate (without carrying your entire wardrobe)
After 3.5 years of travelling, I can say that one of the more frustrating things is deciding what clothing to bring. Sure, if you're heading to South East Asia for six months, all you really need is some light clothing, a swimsuit and a pair of sneakers or trail runners. But when you travel, live or work across different continents, packing suddenly becomes a lot more complicated.
From the warm, humid climate of South East Asia, to the ski slopes of Japan and the windy autumn weather in Tasmania - how do you pack for all of that? And how do you do it in a way that's practical, sustainable and doesn't require a 100-litre backpack?
A little bit of background
Over the last few years of travelling, I've gone from warm to freezing Nepal, hot to snowy Japan, humid India and both summer and winter in Tasmania. All very different climates, but somehow I managed it with one 65-litre backpack. Sometimes that backpack even contained camping gear and climbing equipment as well.
It might feel impossible to prepare for every type of weather, and honestly, sometimes it is. But over the years I've found a few tricks that have made travelling between different climates much easier.
The basics: layers
One thing that has worked really well for me is layering.
So what does that actually mean?
Instead of bringing one enormous winter jacket or completely separate wardrobes for every climate, you bring multiple thinner layers that work together. It's a system that's commonly used in hiking and mountaineering, but it works just as well for everyday travel.
The minimum that I usually carry is:
- one short-sleeved shirt
- one long-sleeved shirt
- fast-drying hiking pants
- shorts
- a fleece
- an insulating jacket
- a rain jacket
- a bikini
Depending on where I'm going, I might also add:
- a windbreaker
- thermal leggings and a thermal shirt
- hiking leggings
- a beanie
Of course, these layers can be adjusted. You can choose a warmer fleece or a lighter one, and the same goes for your insulating jacket. Sometimes leggings make more sense than hiking trousers, sometimes it's the other way around. It all depends on your plans, but overall I've found the layering system incredibly flexible.
Besides these practical layers, I usually bring one or two outfits that simply make me feel good. A lightweight dress, a nice pair of trousers and a couple of tops. Just because you're travelling light doesn't mean you can't enjoy dressing up every now and then.
Stop caring (a little) about how you look
I know, I know. It's nice to look good, even when you travel. You never know who you'll meet ;).
But if you want to pack efficiently, you simply can't care too much. Packing for different climates means being minimalistic and flexible. Clothes that can serve multiple purposes become much more valuable than clothes that only work for one occasion.
For example, I love fast-drying hiking trousers. In tropical weather they're comfortable on their own, and when it gets cold I simply wear thermal leggings underneath. Suddenly those same trousers work in two completely different climates.
That doesn't mean you have to wear ugly outdoor gear all the time. Outdoor clothing has come a long way, and there are plenty of options that look good while still being practical.
Second-hand shops are your friend
One thing I stopped doing quite quickly was trying to prepare for every possible situation before leaving home.
Yes, you'll need warm clothes if you're heading to New Zealand or Patagonia. But do you really need to carry them through six months of tropical weather?
Instead, I started buying things second hand whenever I needed them. Australia, New Zealand and Japan all have amazing thrift shops where you can find warm jackets, fleece jumpers, hiking clothes and even ski gear for a fraction of the original price.
And when I left, I simply donated or sold them again. Not only did this save space in my backpack, it felt much more sustainable than buying brand-new gear for every climate and it was a nice feeling to wear something “new” every once in a while.
Don't be afraid to buy (or leave) clothes
This was probably one of the hardest lessons for me. Before leaving, I wanted to bring everything with me "just in case". But the reality is that almost every country has second hand clothing shops.
If you're moving from Thailand to Canada, buy a warm jumper in Canada. If you're leaving the mountains for tropical beaches, maybe it's okay to leave those thermal leggings behind for someone else.
Your backpack doesn't have to stay exactly the same throughout your journey. Especially during long-term trips, it will evolve together with your travels.
Invest in quality where it matters
While I love second-hand shopping, there are a few things I don't compromise on anymore:
- a good rain jacket
- a warm insulating jacket
- comfortable shoes
These are the items that can genuinely make or break a trip.
My rain jacket has followed me through monsoon rains in Nepal, Tasmanian storms and countless hikes. My insulated jacket has kept me warm at altitude, around campfires and during freezing mornings.
Spending a little more on the things you'll use every week often ends up being cheaper than replacing poor-quality gear over and over again. Furthermore, they are quite lightweight items. These items are also the ones I’d never leave behind but would always take with me.
Wash more often, pack less
This sounds obvious, but I think many people still overpack. I used to think I needed enough clothes for two weeks, but now I'm perfectly happy carrying enough for four or five days.
Most places have washing machines, laundromats or at least a sink where you can wash a shirt or a pair of socks.
I'd much rather wash my clothes in the sink every once in a while, than carry another five kilos on my back.
Accept that you won't be prepared for everything
Acceptance is key - no matter how carefully you pack, there will always be a moment where you wish you'd brought something else.
You'll get caught in unexpected snow. You'll end up at a nice restaurant with only hiking clothes. You'll forget gloves. You'll wish you had sandals.
That's just part of travelling.
After three and a half years, I've realised that packing isn't about being prepared for every possible situation. It's about being prepared enough.
Last tips
Nowadays, whenever I'm deciding whether something should go into my backpack, I ask myself three questions:
- Can I wear it in multiple situations?
- Can I layer it with something else?
- Could I easily buy it if I really needed it?
If the answer to the first two is no, and the last one is yes, I usually don’t take it. And so far this has worked. I went down from a 65L to a 55L backpack, carrying everything I need for normal travelling.
Maybe try it out some time and see if it works to lighten your backpack too?
Choosing sustainable outdoor gear
In 2019, it's hard to ignore thinking about how your consumption choices affect the world. While you're probably familiary with the bad impacts of flying, the meat and dairy industry and the plastic soup that we call oceans, the textile industry hasn't entirely made it's way into the spotlights.
A couple of months ago I saw the documentary "Stacey Dooley Investigates: Fashion's Dirty Secrets". While I was aware of terms like sustainable fashion, I had never been presented with the blunt facts or shocking images that come with it, nor had I tried to read into it. The fast fashion industry comes at a huge cost to the environment; water pollution, toxic chemicals, fashion waste and transportation costs. Furthermore, the water footprint of fabrics like cotton, and even more shocking, organic cotton, is huge. And while we are on the safe-side of the fashion industry (for now...), millions of people are suffering from the fashion choices we maken.
Fast fashion is an industry focusing on low costs and speed. In reducing the costs for clothes, companies often choose for the cheapest countries with little (enforced) rules on environmental impact. The vibrant colours you love so much in your clothes, are often created with the use of toxic chemicals of which the residues end up in rivers and oceans, making this practice the second largest pollutor of clean water, following the number one we're all aware of; agriculture. By making such choices, fashion companies can constantly provide new collections at low costs, and the consumer is presented with cheap attractice new options all the time. In turn, this has caused a high-turnover of clothes in people's closets. Whereas in the past you used to have the same trousers for years, now you might have worn them 5 times before buying new ones and sending these to the second hand shop, hence the increasing amounts of textile waste.
What can you do?
I was shocked by what I saw in the documentary and it totally changed my view on fashion. I'm not the only one, many blogs can be found on the internet regarding sustainable fashion, or even cutting out clothes shopping as a whole (check out this girl who didn't buy clothes for a year). While the latter option is something I might consider as a new-years resolution next year, it's a bit difficult with my upcoming trip and my lack of outdoor clothing. Therefore I have found some other ways to reduce my environmental fashion impact, which I would love to share with you.
First of all, the number one rule is buy less. It's a simple solution to a big problem, buying less means less waste, less chemicals, less transportation, less water use etc. This is immediately connected to the second thing: buy recycled and good-quality. Recycled clothes are often the best as little pressure is put on virgin resources used for new clothing. Buying good quality means the clothes will last longer and therefore again, you'll also have to buy less. However, not all good quality fashion is sustainable, so make sure to look at the brands.
Since this blog is about outdoor brands, I want to give you a list of brands that from most sustainable to least sustainable based on the amazing website "rankabrand.org".
Vaude
Vaude scores the highest in the list of outdoor brands and therefore achieves a B-label. This is due to their use of 100% green electricty, their policies regarding toxic substances and their waste and packaging management. Furthermore they are a member of the Fair Wear Foundation.
Jack Wolfskin
Jack Wolfskin is assigned a C label. They have implemented several measures to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and work with organic cotton and certified manufacturers. However, they are not entirely transparent about their practices and therefore many impacts remain unknown.
Fjällräven & Patagonia
Even though I've repeatedly been told Patagonia is one of the most sustainable brands, both Fjällräven and Patagonia score a C-label as well on the rankabrand website. Since the website uses a strict set of criteria, if the brand is not transparent about this, or does not publish results on their impacts, they score rather low.
Other C-labels are assigned to Pyua, Trigema, Schöffel, Norrona, Deuther. Furthermore, D-labels are assigned to Bergans, Burton, Icebreaker, Regatta and Millet.
When looking at a review of the fair cottage website, Vaude again pops up as the top sustainable choice, followed by Houdini and La Sportiva.
The Greenpeace campaign "detox our fashion" on the use of PFCs (long-term severe pollutants) also gives an overview of the big outdoor brands. Their detox champions are again Vaude, and Paramo and Rotauf. The brands that are moving towards becoming more sustainable but that are definitely not their yet are The North Face, Haglöfs, Black Yak, Jack WOlfskin, Mammut, Salewa and Norrona. The brands that score the worst are Arcteryx, Columbia and Patagonia. While they mention that Patagonia is one of the leaders in sustainability, they are definitely falling short in their detox from PFCs.
Interestingly, an independent website, theprch.com, puts Patagonia as the most sustainable brands out of a list of outdoor brands. Patagonia is refered to on many websites and in many articles as one of the most sustainable brands due to, for example, their focus on recycled fabric. While they score the highest on theprch, the website does mention that they are far from perfect and not very transparent. However, they do provide a lot of information on how they try to reduce their impacts, while many other companies hardly make any efforts at all.
Patagonia is followed by REI, which has a B score. In the D category, the North Face, Mountain Hardware, Mammut, Marmot, Columbia, Black Diamond and Arc'teryx are listed. The worst brands, according to this list, are SmartWool, Sea to Summit, Osprey, Big Agnes, Coleman, Exped, Five Ten, Granite Gear, Gregory, Kelty, KUHL, MSR, NEMO.
If you want to know more about how these brand were scored, check out the theprch website.
All in all it seems that Vaude is definitely the most sustainable brands. Whether Patagonia follows, I'm not sure. They mentiion that they try to do a lot to be more environmentally friendly, but they lack actual reporting and therefore score quite low. Furthermore, they are not active in reducing their PFCs. I think it's best to buy products from Vaude, look into what products you buy from B/C categories, and definitely avoid the brands with a B-label.
Last of all, I want to mention the option of second hand clothes. While it can be tricky with outdoor clothing, there are still plenty of options to find good clothes. Check out second hand (outdoor) shops, people selling clothes on the internet, shops, or even brands selling used clothes (https://www.rei.com/used for example).
Well, hopefully this helped you in making your sustainable outdoor shopping easier! Let me know if you have any more ideas, thoughts, tips or comments below :).
Cheers
Hannah
Drink SAFE with a Tulip Water Filter
What if you are traveling and no shops around and need water, use a Tulip Water Filter to make clean water!
The Tulip Siphon is a lightweight portable water purifier that is easy to use and store. It purifies 4–5 liters of water per hour. The filter can be used in emergency situations as well as for daily usage. It has a unique backwash function making sure that the filter stays clean and fit for purification and a fast flow rate. The Tulip Siphon lasts up to 7000 liters. After which the candle can be easily replaced.
Watch the video how it works here
You can buy the Tulip Siphon at JoHo Support Centers
Travel lifesaver - a period cup
So, a bit of a different topic today, but one that you can't ignore when travelling as a woman, period. I mean, periods! Yeah, it's the one thing I'm always worried about. Ah, let's book a skiing holiday! Oh no, what if I have my period and two full days of cramps? Let's go diving! Ohhhh, but what if......................... Sometimes life sucks as a woman, and while it's a bit easier if you can take a contraceptive pill and have the upper hand over your periods, I can't, so I've had to work my way around it. Aside from that, putting a bunch of hormones in your body is something I'm not very fond of anyways because of all the side-effects it can have, although some women of course hardly experience any! Since there are more women who have to, or want to, get rid of all the hormonal stuff, the period-market is opening up! Yay. A couple of years ago I've found my near-perfect solution and while it still sucks to have my period, and to be subjected to two full days of pain, it has made my life a lot easier.
A cup!? Yes, a cup.......
About three years ago, I saw this add on Facebook for the Organicup. What? A cup? For your periods? How does that work? I had no idea, but it caught my attention! I was trying to live more sustainably and to reduce my waste, so this seemed to fit right into my lifestyle. After doing some research I found out that there were a couple (not as many as today) of period-cups on the market. These are small cups, that you can insert in your you-know-what, and which you have to empty around 3 times a day. You'll never need tampons or sanitary napkins ever again! WHAT A BLESSING! And if you use them correctly they can last for 10 years. Imagine how much money and unnecessary waste you can save! I was convinced, so I decided to buy one. Since the Organicup had good reviews, is vegan and free of chemicals, this was going to be the one. 25 euros, but only the best for my.... since I wouldn't want to put any chemicals in there (I believe this can be the case with some of the cheap cups you can buy on AliExpress for example). Now there are many more options, of which probably a bunch are safe. The only way to know which one is best for you eventually, is just to try them out. Which was what I was going to do. Eventually, I found the Organicup quite stiff, which didn't work for me, but in Germany I bought a Fair Squared cup (which was also slightly cheaper) which was a lot more comfortable. Unfortunately I totally burned it because I was boiling it and forgot, so I had to buy a new one. It seems like there can be minor differences since this one works a little bit less well for me, but I'm still super satisfied and wouldn't want to go back to anything else anymore!
The first try
Within a couple of weeks the cup arrived. There are two sizes, the small one for women whom haven't had kids, and the bigger one for women who had. The thing looked a bit uncomfortable, and I couldn't imagine not feeling that thing the whole day even though that was what many women mentioned. After reading through the instructions of how to use it (boil it first, fold it double and insert and twist), I decided to give it a try. It was a bit uncomfortable at first, so I decided not to ditch my previous period-stuff immediately. I would definitely recommend to combine it with sanitary napkins or panty-liners on your first couple of tries, just to make sure you get a hang of how to put it in. The important part that I only found out after a couple of tries, is to twist the thing after putting it in. In that way you make sure it creates a vacuum, so that no stuff can pass it. Then, depending on how heavy your periods are, you have to empty it a couple of times a day, since it fills up. I believe it is recommended not to leave the cup in for more than 12 hours at the most, but emptying it more often is of course more hygienic.
Cleaning
This is where I started to appreciate the toilets with a little tab inside of the toilet room. What a lifesaver! Although I believe these cups shouldn't be a taboo anymore, I do feel slightly awkward walking around with a cup with my period blood and emptying it in the sink next to someone who's washing their hands. But well, sometimes there's just no other option. Every time you take it out and empty it in the toilet, you have to clean it before using it again. The best way is just to wash it with some water (and make sure the vacuum holes on the side are clean as well). I usually do this in the shower in the morning, which makes things a lot easier. However, if water is not at hand (which is the case in some washrooms), then there are three other options; (1) bring your own bottle of water and just wash it above the toilet, (2) clean it as much as you can with toilet paper, (3) use the Organiwash or Organiwipes.
Before every first use, make sure to boil it in water for about 5-10 minutes as to fully clean it. This is the only real obstacle I found while travelling. During my last trip, which would be a packpacking trip through Asia for some months, I was mostly worried about this part. Staying in a hostel, there are always people around you, so boiling a period cup in a hostel pot can be a bit awkward. Or maybe there isn't even a kitchen available, if you're in the middle of the jungle for example. To work my way around this, I looked for other options. Eventually I found out about Organiwash and Organiwipes. I figured this would be a good way to clean the cup while not having access to a kitchen or anything, and whenever it would be possibly I would just boil it then. Eventually this worked out well, and makes travelling a lot easier!
The pros
For me this cup makes travelling a lot easier. I don't have to worry about where to buy sanitary products, or where to throw them out. It saves tons of money, and I can still take part in activities that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to, such as snorkeling, diving, surfing, or any other sport for that matter. Also, I'm happy that I don't have to use all these throwaway product anymore. So much unnecessary waste every month!! However, the most important reason why I'm happy with my cup is just because it makes life so much more comfortable. I hate the feeling of most sanitary products, it feels unhygienic, you have to change them quite often, and there's a possibility of ilnesses if you don't. With this cup, I really don't feel anything throughout the day (the only problem with this is that sometimes I forget that it is still inside), so yeah, it makes my life a lot easier.
The cons
Personally, I can't find many cons, but there are some. The biggest one for me is that every cup is a bit different and it can therefore be difficult to find the right one. If it doesn't go in correctly or doesn't entirely fit well, then it can leak a bit. This is not really a problem, but 100% leakproof is of course the best. On my worst days this isn't always the case with my current one (the previous one, the one I totally burned, was perfect though), so I wear panty-liners on these days anyway. I did recently buy washable ones though (yeah, they exist as well!! :D), since this eventually is cheaper and better. Another con is the washing, obviously. You can't simply throw it away and be rid of it (or well, you can, but this will cost you about 25 euro's every time). However, when you get used to washing it, you'll find your own way to deal with inconvenient situations. The last con I can come up with is that it can take some time to learn how to use it, but that is easily overcome by just trying.
All in all, I'm super happy with my period cup. It is my most important travel companion (with the Organiwash) on longer trips and I wouldn't want to live without it anymore. It's definitely worth the money, since you'll save loads in the future, and it adds to your sustainable lifestyle as well! Of course, everyone has their own preferences, so I can only speak for myself, but if you're in doubt about getting one, just try it! And if you have any questions about my experience, just post them in the comments below :).
Stasher, reusable, resealable bags
Hi! Recently a good friend of mine surprised me with a present from Japan; a Stasher resealable bag! I never knew this things existed so this was awesome! For hiking I bring resealable bags to store my breakfast (cereals with water) overnight. This means I have to throw away a plastic bag every day. Well, now I don't have to anymore! Furthermore, they are temperature resistant (can even go into the oven and microwave). So, I just wanted to let you know this alternative for plastic resealable bags exists! Another good alternative to plastic, yay!!
Scrubba Wash Bag
When I'm travelling I always envy people with little luggage. It makes travelling so much more relaxed, convenient and easy. But how do they do it? Why don't they need multiple pairs of pants, a lot of underwear and many, many t-shirts? What if you can't find a washing machine? How do you survive if you're out of clean panties?
Well, recently, while preparing my next trip, I found out about the scrubba wash bag. It's a portable wash bag that kind of works like a portable washing machine, but then by hand and as a bag. You simply put your clothes in it, add water and detergent and scrub for a couple of minutes. Because the bag has knobs in the bottom, you can really scrub your clothes clean.
I haven't tried it myself, but would really like to bring one with me. It's on the expensive side (50 euro's), which is why I haven't bought it, but hopefully cheaper versions might become available. However, if you have it, you do save money on laundromats.
