What we packed for 2 months in Europe

Now that I've expressed just how excited I was about my backpack, I've had many people ask me how exactly I was going to fit everything or simply WHAT am I going to pack.  Great question!  As we finally were able to pack our items, I recorded exactly what went into our backpacks.  As you will see in the following photos, we were limited on what we could bring and therefore had to choose our clothing items wisely.  As tough as this was for me, I absolutely loved it.  I love the challenge of living with whatever we have on our backs for a couple months.  Our lives can sometimes be so full of stuff and I don't know about you, but this can sometimes make me feel suffocated.  It's time to go back to the basics.  I'm excited to get out into the world with not being weighed down with materialistic things.  That's not to say that I don't love fashion and style.  That brings me to my next point.  How do you pack simply for a couple months in a backpack but yet stay stylish?  Not only do I love wearing clothing items that I love, but we are going to a place in the world that seems to always be a step ahead in the fashion world.  I'd like to think we did a fairly good job of mixing functional travel wear with fashion ( or, I hope we did!).  For example, I made sure to bring simple items that are easy to mix and match and are also easy to accessorize with a fun scarf or headband.  We'll see how it goes....

We'll start off with a list of Zack's items:

1.  MEC travel pants.  They look nice but also are extremely light weight and quick drying.  Best of both worlds.

2.  Black shorts, blue shorts

3.  Zack's "Euro" swimsuit.  As you can see they are quite a bit shorter than the typical surfer short... We'll see how that goes... 

1.  Sport shorts and tank

2.  THREE pairs of boxers.  Zack was determined to bring only two for the longest time but last minute threw in a third pair (thank the Lord).  These are special "travel underwear" that are made especially for trips like this.  He was pretty stoked when he found these online.

3.  Socks.

1.  Lightweight half zip sweater.

2.  Two collared shirts (one long sleeved, one short sleeved). Both are light and quick drying.

3.  Three t-shirts.

4.  Two tank tops.

1.  Rain coat

2.  Flip flops

3.  Trail runners

4.  Crocs (who knew that Crocs could be so stylish?!)

All Zack's toiletries (excluding face wipes) fit into the waterproof toiletry bag pictured top left.

Now for my packing list.  I (not surprisingly) had a tougher time narrowing down my items.  When it came down to it, I had to force myself to just think "simple".  My goal was to be able to mix and match as many items as possible.  So much that I should be able to pull any two items (one top and one bottom) and they should go together just fine.

1.  Two cardigans.

2.  Two t shirts.

3.  Four tank tops.

1.  Two dresses.

2.  Two rompers (I adore these items.  I love being able to throw on a romper and not think about trying to match a top with bottoms.  And I think they're super cute).

3.  Jeggings.  Whoever thought of the idea of combining jeans with leggings is genius!

4.  Two skirts and one pair of shorts.

1.  Sport shorts and Capri length tights.

2.  Two quick dry tank tops.

3.  Quick dry half zip long sleeve.

1.  Rain resistant jacket.

2.  Day bag.  It's perfect for a day in the city and is unisex.

3.  Lightweight infinity scarf.

4.  Belt.

I ended up adding a few more things, but you get the jist.  It all fits nicely into my little toiletry bag.

1.  "Cushe" slipper shoes.  I put my running shoe insoles inside for additional support.

2.  Running shoes.

3.  Crocs (again, who knew Crocs could be so stylish? I love these!)

1.  Four pairs of socks.

2.  Two bathing suits.

3.  Bras and underwear.

1.  Camping towel.

2.  Travel pillow.  

3.  Water bottles.

4.  Sleeping bag liners.

5.  Eating utensils.

6.  Sunglasses.

7.  Drain plug, lighter, locks, pen.

8.  Eurail passes, passports, wallet.

1.  Camera.

2.  Camera to iPad adapter, extra battery, USB.

3.  iPad, iPhone and charger.

4.  Electrical converter.

5.  Earphones.

And there you have it!  This concludes our packing lists for the summer.  Wish us luck!