(Back)Packing Light

 7 Tips And Packing List On What To Bring On A Short Backpacking Trip

When I went on my mini backpacking trip to Scotland I was impressed with how little I brought along. Especially when city touring I usually like to bring a different well-coordinated outfit for each day, but with staying in hostels and going from city to city I didn’t want to be lugging a suitcase with me, regardless of how small. I wanted a backpack.

So I packed just enough that I could mix and match to still create a "put-together-look". It definitely was not as glamorous as a big city but for this trip it was perfect. I also did not have a large range of weather conditions to be packing for as Scotland is pretty consistent in rain and clouds. Therefore, my aim was to pack for layering. Even though this packing list is one I specifically used for Scotland I think it is a good basis to build on for future travels, adjusting main pieces based on the weather or adding a few things depending on how long the trip will be.

Looking back, I could have lasted longer with just these few things. (They might have eventually needed a wash, but I didn’t once find myself wishing I had packed more). You never really see the same people again, so even though a few pieces can create many different outfits it also doesn’t matter if you wear the EXACT same thing multiple times. Ultimately, it is important to pack just basics that can easily be mixed and matched to create ease when travelling.

What to Pack 

 

Packing list

• Two Basic Long Sleeve Shirts
  I chose black and white - solid colors go with everything.  
•  One T-Shirt and a Pair of Leggings
  Wear leggings during the day, but they can also be used as a PJ. (Especially is the weather isn’t that nice and you're sleeping hostels, you stay warm and it can also calm your nerves about the beds and sheets). 
• Jeans and Light Pants
  In case it gets warm or to just mix it up! I packed a thin pair of linen track pants. 
• Two "Nicer" Long Sleeved Shirts
  Under both of these “nicer” long sleeves, I layered the basic long sleeves for colder days.
• One Big Warm Sweater
  You can fit lots of layers underneath to create a warm and stylish look. Add a scarf to that and you definitely look like you should be reading that captivating book at that cozy corner table in a cafe. 
• One Patterned Tanktop
  This is where I suggest you bring patterns in. The tank top can be worn underneath the basic long sleeves or nice shirts, or under multiple layers of clothes if it's cold out. It brings a nice contrast and some color into the outfit. 
• Extras
  Some other things that aren’t included in the picture…
• I would keep undergarments to a minimum. It's easy to quickly wash small things like underwear in the sink, and you definitely don’t need 3 bras for a short trip… I’d say one normal and one sports bra is enough. Again here it might be fun to bring a patterned sports bra, in case its warm out and it shows through your t-shirt.  
• Wash kit and toiletries I would also suggest keeping these to a minimum. Use lots of small (plastic) bags so that you are not struggling to fit one big wash-kit into the backpack. Instead, the smaller bags can be stuffed in all the little leftover spaces. I did bring a small wash-kit for essentials - things I needed multiple times a day.  
• On this note, purchasing a few smaller containers that you can fill with your shampoo, conditioner, creams, face soap, etc.. is also a good idea, specifically if you are bringing the small backpack as carry-on for the short trip.

Bags, Shoes, Accessories

I packed 2 pairs of shoes… running shoes for walking and flip flops if the weather is warmer, but most importantly for showering.

In the picture above lies the black backpack I took in which all my clothes fit. I have my travel wallet where I keep my passport and any other important documents such as bookings, extra money or different currency needed. You can find travel wallets like these all over that place.


A notebook to write things down in is important ... see my reasons in the previous post, “Why You Should Travel Alone” post. I also brought coloured pencils in case I decided to sketch or wanted to color code… it just makes things more fun! Just as important is a good book to read. Read Why You Should Travel Alone to see why I think an insightful book is a must.


I also brought a small purse along which I used every day while exploring. While travelling between cities, it had all my important travel documents that were easily accessible. While travelling I could store those documents safely in my bag and take this small purse sightseeing with me. It was big enough to hold maps, tour flyers, my wallet, and sunglasses. I would suggest bringing a small bag to carry around with you because you really don’t need much especially if the weather is staying somewhat consistent.

Outfit Options and Examples  

Here are five simple outfits that you can put together with the packing list above. 

Outfit 1 - “Causal Layer Day"

Knit or warm sweater

Basic Long Sleeve

Patterned Tank top (to show out the bottom)

Jeans

Running Shoes

  
Outfit 2 - "Comfy and Warm" 

 “Nicer” long sleeve
Basic Long Sleeve (to layer underneath)
Leggings
Optional: Tank-top underneath for more warmth and layering
Running Shoes

Outfit 3 - "Museum Day"

“Nice” warmer top

Patterned tank-top underneath (to show out the bottom) 

Jeans

Necklace

Running Shoes

Outfit 4 -"City Touring"

Wrap around sweater 

patterned “cute" tanktop

Jeans

Necklace

Running Shoes

Outfit 5 - Comfortable Travel  

Knit or warm sweater
Basic Long Sleeve
Patterned Tank top (to show out the bottom)
Light Pants
Running Shoes

Six Packing Tips:

1. Bring multipurpose clothes.
   
Basics and sold colors can be worn multiple times without you getting bored of them or it being noticeable.
2. Flip-flops are a MUST.
   If you are travelling on a budget and nice hotels aren’t on your “To-Do” list, flip flops for a shared bathroom are 100% a necessary. 
3. Have travel documents ready and research done. 

   It is important to know HOW to get from one place to another. Especially if you are travelling alone, know what trains to use, where the location of your hostel is or the general area you would like to go to if you’d rather spontaneously find one. It is simply a good idea to have some idea of where you are headed. 
4. You DO NOT need as much as you think.
   
Practice being minimalistic. I promise you right now, that you do not need to bring that extra sweatshirt or a “going out dress”. Regardless of whether you are travelling for a number of weeks or months, keep in mind that less is more. Bring your few favourite things and you’ll wear them all the time. 
5. You can ALWAYS dress an outfit up.

   The more simple the clothes are the more use you will get out of them and you can ALWAYS dress something “plain” up! 
6. Pack Snacks.

   Now to the important things in life: Food. Snacks are never a bad idea. They will come in handy for long trips and anytime you are not hungry enough to get a meal (or want to save money). 
7. Roll Up Clothes for Packing This will save space by rolling your clothes as small as possible. Wrap an elastic around multiple rolled up pieces of clothing to keep them rolled up. This will keep things organized as you can put like pieces together for example by tying an elastic around all long sleeves.

Why You Should Travel Alone

 Solivagant: (The Spectacular) Wandering Alone

I recently took a backpacking trip to Scotland by myself. Initially, I was planning on staying with a friend for part of it but in retrospect, I am so glad it didn't work out. It was an amazing trip and I had some incredible experiences. Let me give you a few reasons why I think traveling alone is so important and why I can’t wait to do it again!

You Plan Around Yourself

One of the biggest advantages and benefits to traveling alone is that you don’t have to factor anyone else into your plans. You get to do whatever it is you want to do whenever you want! It is interesting to see how everything seems to fall into place when you just let life happen. You wake up and begin your day with a few things in mind that you would like to see and without a real plan, the day unfolds itself. You happen to arrive at the museum just as it opens and skip the lineup, and as you walk down the street the correct bus just happens to pull into the stop. When you let go of plans and have no worries about time, it starts to seems as though life is planning for you.

Observation Allows You To Stay In The Moment

Whether you are walking through the streets, immersing yourself in a nature hike, or are simply people-watching from a cafe window, be aware of everything you see. Every little detail matters. While you are observing you might start to notice things about the people walking by, the architecture, a single beautiful flower perched on a windowsill. Don’t be afraid to start a conversation with yourself. That doesn’t make you crazy, don’t worry. But it will allow you to get to know yourself a bit better. Amuse yourself a bit and make note of everything that is going on around you and maybe you’ll even feel comfortable enough to start a little inside joke with yourself! You will be amazed at the amount of company you have while just being alone!

You Learn To Deal With Things

One of those things is getting around on your own. Of course, google maps and smartphones give you an easy way out. Still, you are able to get familiar with the city when the only person you have to rely on is yourself. You can no longer be mindlessly lead around, blindfolded, by another person who has “the good sense of direction”. On my trip, I also got into a bit of a money situation where my bank shut down both my credit card and my bank card. Thankfully it all worked itself out, however, there was an extended moment of panic where I realized I did not have the safety net of another person. Having another person would have saved me from a lot of stress I experienced, however after it passed I was proud that I could deal with the situation on my own. It increased my confidence in myself for the remaining trip and for my future travels.

You Learn About Yourself

I think this was probably the most eye-opening and calming part of my experience. When you are alone you spend time with your thoughts, however, because there are not a million other things happening in the world around you that you have to pay attention to, you can actually focus on a single thought at a time. Everything slows down and there is a sense of serenity and a feeling of content. A thought would appear in my head whilst observing the small shops and cafes as I strolled the streets of Glasgow, and I would welcome it. One thought would come at a time and I would study and disassemble each, in order to understand why I was experiencing that particular perspective on the situation and why this other particular thing gave me a feeling of stress. I asked myself why I have particular feelings and reactions towards these thoughts. The answers just arose.

I was able to understand myself better in terms of my actions and feelings in relationships and friendships. I would also recommend researching a little about “finding yourself” before you go. I know that may sound a bit too spiritual for some people, but really all it is is asking yourself the important questions so that you can start prioritizing what’s important to you, being aware of how you act in relationships and understanding what you want in life. I made a list of things I should do to start understanding yourself better in my journal before I left. One afternoon I sat in a park and another I spent drinking tea in a coffee shop, simply jotting down thoughts and feelings that each point on the list arose.

Bring a Contributing Book

Bring a book that discusses the meaning of life, the world, love, or relationships. Bring a book that gets you thinking and reflecting on your life. Bring something that will give you time to think and contemplate your views on different aspects of life. I brought The Alchemist , one of my favourite books, by Paulo Coehlo. It gave me a lot to think about while I was traveling on my own. This book in particular has a lot to do with the idea that there is a greater force of energy in our world that ties everyone together. Paulo Coehlo uses this force to explain life lessons including the belief that everything happens for a reason. Reading this while traveling alone contributed to understanding myself better and added to my attitude towards life and everything that it thrown at you.

I would say this book contributed greatly to my trip. It was an interesting story with an eye-opening abstract but meaningful message and was able to almost apply the essence of it and I was able to re-examine my life, all while traveling and exploring on my own adventure.  One specific aspect of the book that really spoke to me was the phrase “Maktub”, translating loosely into “it’s written”… the reassurance that everything that happens exactly as it should, as long as you follow your heart. So that is what I practiced doing… listening to my heart. Because I was on my own, I was able to really think about what it is that I want in all the different aspects of my life and therefore listen more clearly to what my heart wanted and in turn what would ultimately make me happy.

Some other things to do…

• Take artsy pictures 
• Spend time in a bookstore 
• Mix it up and spend time in nature as well as in the city 
• Pick one part of the city and spend the day exploring that area 
• Find a cafe and people watch, read, or journal
• Go on a tour and get a feel for the city 
• Talk to people! Especially if you’re staying in hostels!
• Make a goal to make friends to hang out with for a day or night 
• Practice eating alone in a restaurant 
• Take a walk through nature or go on a hike 
• Sit somewhere and try not to think about anything, instead, just be in the moment 
• Have fun being by yourself and practice entertaining yourself! 
• Take note of the architecture 
• Contemplate what this place looked like a hundred years ago 
• Examine what the three most important things are in your life

Zucchini Brownies

A Healthy Sweet Treat! 

Recently I departed on a crazy mission not to eat any sugar or gluten. After returning home from my first year away at university in Canada, I felt like I had spent the year stuffing my face. Yes, I had been working out and trying to make healthy choices concerning food. Especially my final week in Canada though, I can chalk the unhealthy feeling down to the fact that my aunt and I just aren’t good for each other. And honestly, I love that and its always fun to have treats with her and no guilty feelings - that's the rule. After a time of letting go, however, I always need my health kick; My workout plan and my healthy foods. It was the need to feel healthy once again.

Back to the goodness that is good and sweets. This amazing Zucchini Brownie recipe that is both gluten free and (mainly) sugar-free has quickly become one of my favourite sweet treats. They satisfy my craving and are healthy enough that I feel I’m doing my body at least some favours. The following recipe is altered based on a few recipes that I have tried.

Ingredients  

 Instructions: 

1.  Turn the oven on to 180°C (350°F).  
2.  Mix all the wet ingredients; Almond Butter, Vanilla, Egg, Agave Syrup, Zucchini together. 
3.  I like to blend it lightly to make the pieces of zucchini even smaller. The mix of half big pieces and half small pieces makes for a nice consistency.      
4.  Add the remaining dry ingredients; Baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg. 

 

        5.  Oil pan and pour in mixture. Add chocolate chips and stir.

 
Of course, now if you made it, you know that it is healthy and has a vegetable and no sugar in it, and that might ruin it for you. Let me tell you though that these treats make it pretty close to top ten on my dessert list. And now please don’t think I’m a sugar-hating monster - I’m not. Chocolate is probably one of my favorite foods. Yet I still love these brownies. I also just put normal semi-sweet chocolate chips in so that's where the sugar some from, but dark chocolate also works! They just as gooey, sweet, and delicious as any other brownie!  

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Once and a while, natural is the way to go ... detox your body!

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Often we don't have time to do the intense organizing that we feel needs to be done, just because we haven't been keeping up with it.  But hopefully, this page will put your stress to rest with a few easy steps to help you stay organized.

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If you ever have any questions, comments, or feel like collaborating, please feel free to contact me through social media. 

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Thanks for visiting D3!

About Me

Welcome to D3!

Meet Olivia 

Olivia is the face behind D3,  a blog full of personal tips, tricks, opinions and experiences about detoxing the negatives of life into a new healthy lifestyle, decluttering your mental and physical space into an organized and calm state, and designing your style and routine. 

 

She spent most of her life growing up in Germany and discovered her love for fashion as a 7th grader, wearing what she would now consider to be "interesting" and "colorful" outfits to school, that she had spent hours putting together. Later on, she realized that the organization played a large part in why she enjoyed assembling outfits.

 
She has now embarked on her next chapter at Western in the University town of London in Canada, where she studies Media Information and Technoculture.  

  
Living in Europe and now North America has influenced her in various different ways, all contributing to how she lives and organizes her life.

 To list a few of Olivia's favorite things results in difficulty, but to list a few (outside the main aspects that this blog include), there is singing, skiing, baking, exploring new places, anything with lace and every episode of The Office.  

After graduating Olivia hopes to have a career with something to do with fashion, marketing, advertising and organization, and hopes she will have jobs that take her all around the world.  

I hope you enjoy just a few things I love and am passionate about.

Thanks for Reading!

P.S. Cute and tiny little disclaimer: I am just writing for personal pleasure and my passions in these topics in order to share them with you. I am not a certified professional expert but I am posting out of personal experience and research and opinions.

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