What I Pack for 30 days of International Travel

I'm headed off to the UK for 30 days and thought I'd do a "what I pack" blog...

I'm quite a lightweight packer, I love the freedom of being able get straight off a plane or train and do what I came to do, not have to bother with leaving bags at hotels or finding luggage storage and then having to plan my day around retrieval etc. I also love to hike, and the ability to do this without having to come back to my point of origin to collect heavier gear is a major bonus.

I'm planning on doing a combination of rail and hike in a loop around Scotland - up from Glasgow to the Isle of Skye, across the highlands and then down to Edinburgh. This way I can hike sections and catch the onward train connection - although my 13 year old son is coming along, who isn't the keenest of hikers, so I'll be limited to shorter day walks.

I'll take my Osprey Sportlite 25 daypack, which is a great pack, has a padded hip belt and a space for my hydration system so I won't have to carry a bottle. For me considering how everything matches with everything helps. Merino is an amazing material for not having to wash too often (or at all as some of my friends tell me). Lightweight shoes that can do everything from trails to day casual (I wear minimalist shoes, so my Merrell barefoot trail gloves are perfect), along with minimalist sandals that are so comfy. Rain is a big factor for the UK so even though it will just be the start of Autumn - a good raincoat (my RAB Kinetic Alpine 2.0 is amazing for holding up to all kinds of persistent rain) that will withstand getting wet and cold in the Scottish highlands, along with a puffer jacket for warmth and an umbrella for some gentle sight seeing days when it drizzles. Lastly clothes that go for a nice dinner out and work for climbing and hiking, in the cold and, fingers crossed, the warm.

5x easy dry underwear

4 x socks (injini toe socks are the best!)

2x bras, including a merino sports one

4x t-shirts (at least 2 merino)

2 x long sleeve tops (one zip up)

1 x skirt

1 x hiking pants

1 x pants

1 x Rain jacket

1 x Puffer

PJs

Sarong

1 x togs

1 x small bag for casual use

1 x Umbrella

1 x hiking shoes

1 x casual (that can work for a nice dinner)

Tech - phone, power bank, earpods

Art journal and pencils

Toiletries (including ear plugs and eye mask)

Collapsible Bowl and fork (I love salads and find this works for buying the supermarket packs)

Water bottle or hydration bladder

Souvenirs and shopping can get me in trouble however! Sometimes posting these back home mid-trip is a great solution, using the money you saved on baggage storage.

What are your best tips for lightweight travel?

If you've got a longer trip coming up that you'd love to be AdventureFit for check out our 12 week countdown to travelling and hiking program - perfect for building up to long days on your feet seeing the sights, and negotiating new cities.