Packing for a Multi-Country, Multi-Climate Trip
I recently looked back on a 6-week trip that literally took me around the world. Packing for multiple countries and multiple climates is one of the biggest challenges travelers can face. I'm going to share some of the tips I learned from that trip which will hopefully help you pack better for a similar journey!
About the trip:
I started the trip in China with my mom; we went to Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Yangshuo, and Hong Kong. The weather ranged from 50F and rainy in Xi'an to 90F degrees and sunny in Hong Kong.
My next stop was in Dubai, where the desert temperature was 105F+ and some of the most stifling heat I've ever felt in my life.
After that, I flew over to England to visit friends, where the weather was typically overcast and in the low 60's. The temperature was similar when we went on a 3-day mini-vacation to Scotland.
My plans changed when my friend mentioned she was going to Thailand to visit her dad, so naturally, I dropped everything and changed my plans to go with her for a week! The heat was back up to the 80s.
When I planned this trip, I knew I was preparing for a range of temperatures and activities such as hiking the Great Wall of China, city exploring, fine dining, and let's not forget… hours and hours of sitting on trains, busses, and planes. Here's what I packed, what I did right, and what I learned…
Trip Length: 6 weeks
Destination: 3 weeks in China, 10 days in the UK, one day in Dubai, 1 week in Thailand, and a whole bunch of travel time!
Forecast: 50F - 105F
Agenda: Light hiking, city exploring, fine dining, lots of time on planes and trains
My bags:
For this trip, I knew I wanted to pack carry-on only so that I didn't risk having an airline lose my bag along the way. I also knew that packing light would make it easier to maneuver with a lot of travel days. Packing light made my life SO much easier, especially in the bustling streets of China's major cities. I traveled with a group, many of whom brought large suitcases, and they struggled way more than I did on travel days. We had a few overnight train journeys, and only smaller bags would fit under the beds in the storage areas. If someone's bag was too big, it blocked the aisles for everyone else, plus large clamshell-opening suitcases were too large to open in such tight quarters. I brought my trusty 40L backpack, plus a crossbody purse. I also had a packable 20L backpack which occasionally accompanied me on travel days instead of the purse.
Here's what's in my bag:
Tops and Bottoms:
6 t-shirts - one basic cotton v-neck; the rest were from Columbia, made from synthetic materials, and could withstand the hot climates I was in while being modest and respectful of the local culture. An unexpected benefit to these shirts, they were all brightly colored and really popped in photos!
1 long sleeve shirt - also made from synthetic material, a good layering item that stayed in my day bag for when the A/C was blasting
1 pair of leggings - I never travel without these! They offer great comfort on travel days and add an extra layer of warmth under another pair of pants in colder weather.
1 stretchy pencil skirt - I thought this would "dress up" nicely for when I was in the UK, but it was too cold to wear the entire time I was there! I maybe wore this once in China.
1 pair of "travel" black shorts - I bought these specifically for this trip since they offer a longer inseam than my other shorts, and I felt more appropriate wearing them. Seeing what other tourists were wearing, I could've brought any of my other shorts and been just fine.
1 pair of "travel" pants that could be rolled into capris - not exactly my personal style, BUT these pants were made of a synthetic material that handled the heat well. I wore these most of the time in China, and I wore them in Dubai since they are not skin tight, and I felt more respectful of the local culture.
1 black cardigan - great for layering and able to be dressed up
1 rain jacket - considering we got caught in a few downpours in China, this was invaluable! Also, it was great to block the wind as I traveled to the UK.
Dresses:
1 reversible dress – very easy to dress up or down with the addition of some jewelry. This dress is simple, flattering, and best of all, it reverses to solid black! You can't beat two looks in one! I only wore this on nights out in China; once I got to the UK, it was too cold to wear this.
Accessories:
1 belt - cute and stretchy, easy to throw over my dress or skirt to change up my look
Teva sandals - this was the first trip I had taken these shoes on, which is typically the #1 thing you should NOT do on a trip. I found the sandals to be very comfortable, but they didn't offer a lot of traction, especially in wet conditions.
Skechers Go Walks - I loved these shoes when I brought them on a previous Europe trip since I did not have to wear socks with them. But, much like my Teva's, these also didn't offer a ton of traction - especially when I was on the Great Wall of China! I was very grateful I brought my Teva's along on the wall because I was sliding around like crazy with the Skechers! Looking back, I would've been better off with a pair of laced Nike's, like I travel with now.
Black flats - these were nice to have on our few nights out, it was too cold to wear these in the UK, but they came in handy in Thailand!
Crossbody purse - I mainly used this once I got to the UK and didn't need to carry as much around with me during the day
Packable backpack - Great for carrying around extra clothing layers, water, my "bathroom kit" (see below), and everything else I needed with me in China
Other:
Pajamas, 1 swimsuit, bras & undies
Toiletry bag
Microfiber towel
Collapsible cup
Spork
Instant coffee packets - every room we stayed in had a kettle; this was an excellent way to get coffee on early mornings when we didn't have time for breakfast.
Sink plug - for hand washing laundry
Laundry detergent packets
"Bathroom kit" - if you're from the USA like me, this may come as a surprise to you, but the bathroom situation around the world looks a little different than it does back home. Luckily we had researched this before we left and put together a "bathroom kit" for using public restrooms. This bag included a mini roll of toilet paper, tissues (a great backup if you run out of TP), hand sanitizer, and a small microfiber hand towel. Many public restrooms in China do not have toilet paper, hand soap, or something to dry your hands with after washing them. Also, many toilets are "squatty potties" (i.e., basically a toilet built into the ground that you need to squat over to use). Not going to lie - I avoided these at all costs. My mom brought some disposable "she wee" products that we luckily never needed to use.
Baby wipes - great to freshen up after a long day in the heat or to wipe your hands off after some yummy street food!
Travel necessities - inflatable neck pillow, eye mask, compression socks
Deck of cards
Mini duct tape
Gadgets:
Headphones
iPod Shuffle + charger – I learned a long time ago not to waste my phone battery on music. This bad boy is the best and great for workouts as well!
iPad Mini – loaded up with movies and books
iPhone – also to be used as my camera
iPad/iPhone charger – I love that I only need one charger for both accessories!
Headphone splitter – two of us can watch a movie together.
USB power adapter – 2 USB ports in one for the win!
Battery Bank
Things I Purchased Along the Way
Admittedly, I mostly packed for this trip thinking about China, and everything afterward wasn't super well thought out. This was partially because my mom and I packed together/brainstormed what to bring for China, and I just figured that stuff would work for me as I continued traveling. I primarily focused on being practical but not super cute. So when I split off with my mom, I sent her home with my shorts, dress, and skirt (since it would be too cold to wear in the UK) and planned to buy a few things as I continued on.
1 black fleece - I took this from my mom when she went home from China, and I headed to the UK. Why I didn't bring my own in the first place… I have no idea! This was so nice as a warm and cozy layer on planes. Thanks for letting me borrow this, mom!
1 pair of jeans - jeans felt more "normal" to wear in London, and I got a cheap pair from H&M that was slightly stretchy and very comfortable - so much so that I even wore them on my 24 hour travel day home!
2-3 sweaters - all relatively cheap from H&M and Forever 21. It felt much colder in the UK after spending weeks in hot and humid places, plus these felt more "fashionable," and I was able to layer my fleece and rain jacket over these.
1 pair of black ankle booties - I ended up buying these in a Sainsbury's, which is basically a grocery store with a few household and clothing items. It felt COLD in the UK after traveling to warmer countries, and the shoes I brought weren't cutting it. These were a lifesaver, and I still use these to this day!
1 dress - remember how I sent my one dress home with my mom? This would've been fine had I not made a last-minute change to head to Thailand with my friend from the UK. I ended up buying a dress and a pair of shorts before heading to Thailand.
Even though I'd been on many trips up to this point, this was my first multi-climate trip. I didn't get it 100% right from the get-go, but I did learn a TON because of this trip! The most helpful thing to remember is that if you find that you need something along the way, the odds are that the locals need it there, too, and you can buy it while you're there, just like I did!
I hope you can learn from some of my mistakes and pack a bit better for your next multi-climate trip!