The most common piece of advice I received during the lead up to this trip was to PACK LIGHT! I can see how important this is because it will severely impact my flexibility during this trip- not being burdened down by a heavy pack or multiple bags will give me more freedom, especially on days when I don’t have a hostel locker or somewhere safe to store my belongings.

I had always intended to backpack, but after looking at the 36 liter pack I had planned to use back at my home in San Diego I was afraid that wasn’t going to cut it. After consulting the Internet it looked like for about 3 months a women of my size would be much more comfortable with a 40-45 liter pack. Borrowing a friends 40 liter pack and bringing an additional smaller day pack (my handy NorthFace that had done me so well for my 4 years at Berkeley) I had just enough room for my things plus room for souvenirs (#touristlife).

Below is a summary of what I’m bringing. Remember I’m new to this so it is in no way “correct,” but I’ll add additional notes about what I use/don’t use after  my trip along with my packing regrets and victories. Wish me luck!

What I packed for a 3 month trip to Europe during summer.

Clothes

• 3 Pants/capris (2 workout, 1 pair of jeans)
• 2 Shorts
• 2 Short sleeve T-shirts
• 4 Tank top shirts
• 2 Blouses
• 2 Sun dresses
• 1 Long sleeve shirt
• 2 Jackets (1 rain shell, 1 fleece)
• 8 Socks (6 day wear, 2 heavyweight hiking)
• 8 Underwear
• 1 Bikini
• 4 Shoes (dress sandal, hiking sandal, shower shoes & running shoe- not pictured)
• 1 Scarf

Toiletries

• toothbrush
• tooth paste
• dental floss
• face wash
• makeup
• makeup remover
• lotion
• shampoo
• conditioner
• soap
• tampons
• hairbrush
• quick dry towel
• wash cloth
• extra bags for laundry
• vitamins, allergy medicine, etc.

Electronics/ Other

• iPad w/ keyboard
• iPhone
• Canon Ti Rebel
• ALL DEVICE CHARGERS!
• Plug adapter
• headphones
• Travel books/maps
• sketchbook
• journal
• pens

Am I forgetting anything? Have any packing tips? Leave a comment  below!