My dear friend Melissa is a very busy gal these days. As if moving to a new home wasn’t enough, she also drove to Philadelphia to rescue a furbaby! During all of this she and her husband planned a vacation to the Florida Keys. February in the Florida Keys sure beats being in North Carolina during that time. I thought no problem when she ask for my help putting together her capsule wardrobe for her trip. But, here’s the kicker, they are renting a motorcycle in Miami to ride to Key West! Well, I am all about carry on only no matter the length of your trip or destination, but this is a new one for me. No matter, Global Girl can do this!
First of all, we have to take into consideration safety. Then we have to consider the amount of space we have to pack everything and the length of her trip. When we are done, Melissa is going to be packed light, tight, and stylish!
Since her riding attire will be her heaviest clothing, I recommend she wear them on the plane. So her travel day outfit will consist of riding jeans, boots, thin (not cotton) socks, long sleeve shirt (not cotton) and leather riding jacket. Also, a small cross body purse for her ID, credit cards, money, lipstick, phone, etc…
In her backpack or saddlebag she should use packing cubes to keep everything organized. Because she will only have a small backpack to pack everything I suggest slim packing cubes .
I have these exact slim packing cubes and it is amazing how much you can pack in one.
Packed Clothes ****All tops should match all bottom***
- 1 pair black leggings or long pants
- 1 pair shorts
- 2 short sleeve tops (not cotton) or 1 short sleeve top and 1 tank top
- 1 lightweight dress or skirt/top to wear to restaurants or cocktail lounge
- 1 light weight cardigan
- 1 light weight fleece
- 2 bras or 1 bra and 1 sports bra
- 5 pair of panties
- 2 bathing suits
- 1 pair thin socks (not cotton)
- Neck buff or bandana to wear while riding (optional)
- Beach cover up
- Sleepwear
- Flip flops
- 1 other pair of shoes if you think you may need something else to wear at night or for walking around Key West
Cosmetic, Toiletries and Meds and First Aid
- Tooth Brush and tooth paste
- Deodorant
- Lip Balm
- Few individual packs of Aleive
- Neosporin
- Olay face wash/makeup remover wipes
- Moisturizer
- Sunscreen
- Make up
- Band Aids
- Hair brush
Miscellaneous
- Sunglasses
- Dry bag
- Hair ties
With smart packing in the packing cubes and a capsule wardrobe all of this should very easily fit in a backpack!
I didn’t list shampoo, conditioner or soap because all of this is supplied by the hotel and space is at minimum.
Florida has as many Walgreen’s as it does retirees, so she can just pick up more sunscreen there and anything else she may need. You maybe wondering about beach towels. Since space is at a minimum, I would pick up a couple of cheap ones once at Walgreen’s.
I’m sure you maybe wondering why I keep repeating “no cotton”. Cotton is NOT a traveler’s friend. It wrinkles, it’s heavy, it doesn’t keep you warm when it is cold and it doesn’t wick moisture or breath when you are hot. It also retains moisture and odors, and is very slow to dry. Much better fabrics are synthetics that breath and merino wool is the best fabric of all.
Now I have Melissa all ready to enjoy her ride through the Keys. Maybe when she returns, she will give us a “debriefing” on her packing success!
To find out more about Melissa and her rescue furbaby, Bella, checkout Forever Dreaming Farm and Sanctuary on Facebook.
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