Best and worst things I packed for Asia
Does anyone love packing? I don’t mean the part where you try on cute outfits, dreaming of all the cafes you’ll go to, the romantic strolls and idyllic alfresco dinners. That part is fun — it’s all about the dream. The part I mean is when you have to get real about your choices. I mean, it all has to fit into your suitcase and you want to leave extra room to bring home goodies right? When you’re gone for five weeks, every choice is critical. This is even more true when you need to bring items specifically focused on taking care of your well-being. Making the task even harder, given all the flights we decided to travel light by bringing carry-on bags only. This decision meant that minimalist packing was a must. I spent hours upon hours trying to figure out what to bring. Mostly it worked out with a few stand outs and two things I’d classify as a mistake.
Best thing I packed: Air Mask
We both loved this pattern so much we decided not to mind twinning.
My mask. Asia, particularly Seoul is well known for it’s poor air quality. Our friend who lives in Seoul insisted we get one. I also used this in high density places where germs travel fast like airports and especially on the plane. I had a rare asthma attack in Laos and once I recovered, wearing this helped prevent any more from happening.
Worst thing I packed: White fitted pants
A pair of white fitted pants. Yes, they were linen but they were fitted. Worse, they were white! At first I thought I was so smart choosing this color of pants. While white might not absorb the sun like black does, it attracts dirt, especially in wet conditions. The rainy season in Southeast Asia officially ends in October so rain threatened pretty often. The relatively tighter fit and weather conditions meant they largely stayed in my bag instead of on my body. I donated them (as planned) near the end of the trip but I would have been better off picking a different pair. While I love these pants, wearing them all the time when at home, I made the mistake of thinking they’d also be perfect for this trip.
Runner up Best thing I packed: Linen pants & Fanny Pack
While I did terrible with one pair of pants, I completely nailed it with another pair. I wanted something that was comfortable but also fashionable-ish for the trip. This blue pair from Not Perfect Linen was perfect. When paired with a top of the same color, it looked like a jumpsuit. I wore it out to a high end vegan restaurant for a friend’s birthday. I felt cute and got tons of compliments. These pants also had deep pockets which were perfect for tucking in my phone and wallet in a secure spot for quick trips to grab coffee or food.
As a New Yorker accustomed to lugging things through Burroughs, I’m generally not a fan of little purses but then I thought of all the flights and airports we’d be going through. Though it was a little pricey, I’m glad I settled on this cute little number from Clare V. It was perfect for airports and I felt cute when we went out to a nice dinner. It perfectly fit my passport, sunglasses, wallet and lip balm.
Runner up Worst thing I packed: Old hiking shoes
We packed extremely lightly for five weeks in Asia — just a carry-on bag and a small personal item each. As the biggest items, we were very careful with shoes. I wanted to bring three at most: a pair of sandals for sight seeing and for dinners out, a pair of light tennis shoes for every day and something for more active days. We had a few days of activities where a sturdy shoe was required which meant hiking shoes were needed. My plan was to bring an old pair and then leave them behind to give us extra space on the way home for goodies we’d acquire. I forgot that these shoes rub my right foot, especially with lots of down climbing. On my last 14er I actually lost a toenail to them. There was one day of intense up and down travel and by the end, I had trouble walking. I came home to an injured toenail though luckily not too bad. While the extra space on the way back was invaluable, I should have bought new shoes instead.