I use my slow travel checklist to make packing for a trip a whole lot quicker but choosing clothing can be a little trickier. The two most important things for successfully packing light is focusing on the weather forecast and what you’re planning to do at your destination. Weather and activities hugely impact what you need to pack and what you should leave behind.
I knew the weather in Scotland was going to be (as it always is) interchangeable and unpredictable; a mix of sunny spells and scattered showers. Mild weather, possibly a little chilly, requiring a travel capsule that could keep me warm and dry. My days were going to be filled with exploring castles and conservation sites with dinner reservations every evening so I knew I needed a travel capsule that would cover all bases without resulting in me overpacking.
I’m quite happy to wear a slight variation of the same outfit for pretty much every day of my trip if it means I’m comfortable and it keeps my luggage light. So instead of trying to pack for every eventuality, I focused my travel capsule around one outfit for the day and one for the night that I could switch up with a couple of options.
I decided on a dress I could wear during the day and culottes for the evenings both paired with smart knitwear that would keep me warm, and the option of a practical anorak for day trips and a more appropriate duster jacket for the evenings. Sticking to this simple outfit-repeating capsule meant I drastically cut down on how much I needed to pack and created versatile outfits that covered me for casual days out and smarter evenings. Adding jewellery like a necklace and earrings helps to make repeated outfits appear a little dressier at dinner time.
To travel in I wore a pair of leggings and a jumper. A comfortable outfit for the 5 hour train journey that would also double up as loungewear when I was at the B&B. I also packed an umbrella, scarf, and sturdy pair of shoes (plus essential underthings, of course). This was a work trip so I had to pack several electronics that I wouldn’t usually take including my laptop, camera, battery pack, and chargers.
That’s where having appropriate luggage is essential. One that’s designed to make travel easier, with plenty of organisational features and sectional storage. I travel with an Arcido Faroe Backpack. It’s comfortable to wear, easy to carry, and fits into overhead storage. When travelling with a backpack only, I find packing cubes useful for separating clothes from lingerie, and storage pouches for things like electronics and toiletries so everything is easily accessible without having to pull it all out. Extremely useful when you’re on a packed train and need to quickly access your water bottle or travel tickets.
I packed everything I needed for the 5 hour train ride (water, snacks, eReader, phone charger, etc.) in my Kanken Mini, which easily fit inside the Arcido backpack and could be swiftly taken out once I’d reached my train seat. Everyone hates that person who’s faffing around trying to pull things out of their main case so this little trick saves you time and other people’s patience.
If you’d like to read more about my trip to North Berwick, what I did while I was there and the places I recommend visiting, head to this post: Slow Travel In Scotland. My trip to North Berwick was sponsored by Visit Scotland but this post is not.