Packing for a vacation can be stressful because it's hard to pack ahead of time accounting for the weather and the various places your plans may take you. I wanted to share what I packed for my 12 day trip over the Christmas and New Year's holidays to Cape Town, South Africa. Because I CARRIED ON my luggage. You can do this, and I can help.
Let's start by outlining your supplies.
BBB Packing Essentials by courtchase featuring tote handbags
1. I am a huge fan of
Hideo Wakamatsu's Feather 20" carry on. I bought this for my boyfriend last Christmas and he uses it at least 1-2 times per month for business. Its frame-less, soft bag body allows you to stuff this to the max and still pass as a carry-on. It has compression straps on the side to keep its shape and prevent your things from shifting in the bag. I've been stealing this bag for my trips but since we were traveling together, I bought one for myself. Trust me, if a 6'3" man can put two week's worth of clothes and shoes in this bag any lady will find that this provides enough room for a lot of clothes.
2. You will need another bag for your toiletries and other items you need in-flight. I recommend a
backpack. Yes, I said it. It's not glamorous but necessary when traveling across the planet with multiple stops. I brought a messenger bag and I HATED it. I overstuffed the bag and the strap (which was so long it had to be knotted to prevent the bag from hitting me behind the knees) put so much stress on my neck and back. Do yourself a favor and get a good backpack. You will need it for your trips into town or for any hiking you do.
3. Also, pack a
canvas tote. I folded mine up and packed it in my suitcase. It was my go-to bag for our trips into town, to the beach, or the grocery store. They charge you a nominal fee in Cape Town for using plastic bags so we often used my tote to go green and also avoid fees.
4. In-flight entertainment is essential on a 16 hour flight from JFK to Johannesburg. I made the mistake of taking multiple magazines and books on the flight, adding more weight to my miserable messenger bag. Do yourself a favor and download books, mags, and movies to your ipad. They hold a 10hr+ charge and will get you through your flight. Sometimes the in-flight entertainment goes on the fritz and you're going to want your ipad if the tv in front of your seat goes out (about 30% of passengers on my flight had this problem).
Now, your packing strategy.
1.
1 Black Blazer: Wear this at night to shelter you from the high nightly winds in Cape Town. Layering this over a maxi takes you from the beach to the restaurant at night and also serves as a smart topper to your cocktail dress on New Year's Eve. You can also use this to dress up your day ensemble of jeans and a tank for casual dining.
2.
3 Dresses: 1 colorful Maxi, 1 beige cocktail, 1 black mini.
A maxi is the chameleon of dresses. You can wear it to and from the beach, out to dinner, or on the down and you will look sexy, down to earth, and put together....all at the same time. Top the maxi with a blazer for dinners out, or pair it with the circle scarf when it gets chilly at a late afternoon braai (barbecue).
The nude/beige cocktail dress fits any occasion. Dress it down with sandals for day shopping and vamp it up at night with bright heels and accessories.
The black mini racerback dress takes you from the beach (just pop it over your head and pair with a statement necklace) or a night with killer heels and a blazer. Instant, effortless sexy.
3.
1 white jean: This is your chance, ladies, to whip out your white jeans in the dead of winter. Pair with simple tanks and tees during the day (Cape Town is breezy enough that you're not sweating bullets in jeans during the day). Top with blazer and statement necklace (don't forget the heels!!) at night.
4.
2 bikinis: 1 sexy, 1 practical (not pictured). We spent a lot of time surfing and went shark cage diving this trip so I relied heavily on my old standby sporty brazilian bikini. Reef and O'Neal make excellent ones. Also, check out Mikoh for amazingly hot bikinis. They're made with flat seams so there's never a pinch, bulge, or muffin top. And while I'm at it, buy a brazilian bikini. Let it all hang out, ladies, a cheeky bottom never hurt anyone.
5.
1 men's chambray: wear with shorts and flats for day trips or as a beach cover up.
6.
4 pairs of shoes: Yup, I said it. The only shoes not pictured were my running shoes that I wore on the plane. You CAN do this! Flats, sandals/flops, killer bright heels. There's not need for anything else. Get creative.
7.
Accessories: This is the lifeblood of your wardrobe. Bring in color and interest with scarves (double as blankets on the plane), statement necklaces (brings those beach coverups straight into the club or dinner), and bracelets. Make sure you wear a watch so you can program it to local time. We had no cell phones so in order to know what day and time it was, I relied on my watch.
8.
3 Tanks, 3 Tees: Pack white, black, grey. Your jewelry will be your color and interest so it's best to rely on these basics as your base layer for all outfits.
9.
Not pictured: work out clothes, sweatshirt. You will see in the next week that my trip to Cape Town was very athletically driven. I LIVED in a bikini or work out clothes during the day. Pack 2 sports bras, 3 pairs of socks, and 1 capri tight. The sweatshirt is a must, as the temps cool even during the day when you're mountain climbing. I took a crappy one and regretted it. Bring something functional AND stylish like
this one from Lululemon. That way you can be warm on the mountain and look good when you hike down to lunch.
So that's it. I PROMISE you, there will be enough clothes for your entire trip. We had access to laundry and did the wash twice to get the essentials (tees, tanks, socks) clean. I'd highly advise doing laundry if you can, or send it out at your hotel. We opted to NOT check bags (BTW, bags are free on South African Airways) because they would not transfer them from our first leg to Johannesburg to our Cape Town flight 12 hours later. We killed time during the layover at the hotel spa at the airport so it was essential to have access to fresh clothes and toiletries (highly recommended!).
Stay tuned tomorrow where I recap our surfing lessons with Stoked School of Surf!
