Sometimes I’m a little wary about writing up these little packing posts because I often find myself thinking “Randi, nobody actually gives a shit what you brought.”
But then I realize that I personally Google “packing for [insert_destination_here]” ALL THE TIME, and also I’m always looking for new ways to economize my luggage — especially because I’m a light packer and I usually try to carry a single backpack with me on my trips.
So, I guess sometimes these lists are useful! With that said, here’s what I packed for my recent extended weekend trip to Tulum, Mexico.
(Heads up! This post contains affiliate links cause, yunno, I fly Spirit and I’m broke and appreciate the $0.03 I get whenever you click something. Thanks!)
I packed everything into two bags: My main 17-inch laptop Fjallraven Kanken backpack, and my small J. Crew leather crossbody bag. I didn’t use packing cubes, so everything (aside from what I was wearing) was folded and shoved into my backpack or crossbody.
Unfortunately I don’t have any super detailed photos like the ones I took last time I packed one backpack — when I went to Europe a year ago — but hopefully this post is still useful! Also, a lot of my packing methods remain the same, so checking that post out will give you further in-depth idea of how I packed some of this stuff.
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IN MY CROSSBODY
My passport, wallet, external battery pack, Kindle, snacks, iPhone charging cord and block, earbuds, retainer, Chapstick, tissue pack, sunglasses.
- In my wallet: State driver’s license, Global Entry card, health insurance card, Capital One Venture One credit card (best for traveling IMO), bank card (for withdrawing local currency via ATMs), pesos, birth control.
IN MY KANKEN
TOILETRIES:
Like most trips I take, I used two bags to pack my toiletries: My two-compartment hanging toiletry kit, and a small leather Cuyana bag.
Hanging toiletry kit, side one (non-liquid): Invisibobble hair ties, tweezers, deodorant, contact case, tampons, razor, foldable hair brush, travel toothbrush, travel scrubbie, mosquito wipes, shower wipes, micellar wipes, double-sided pill box.
- Pill box, side one: Q-tips, bandages, spare contacts.
- Pill box, side two: Aquatabs, Imodium, Advil, Aleve, sleeping pills.
Hanging toiletry kit, side two (liquid): contact solution, face cleanser, toner and lotion, sunblock, shampoo, conditioner, Dr. Bronner’s, lotion, dry shampoo, travel toothpaste,perfume, hand sanitizer.
Cuyana leather bag: Eyelash curler, various makeup brushes, lipsticks, concealer, undereye brightening cream, eye primer, a small eyeshadow palette, eyeliner, mascara, eyebrow powder, cream blush, a powder compact.
CLOTHING:
Outerwear: Patagonia rain jacket, denim jacket (old, similar).
Bottoms: Black leggings, black soft shorts (old, but this style in cotton), denim shorts (old, similar), olive maxi skirt.
Tops: Chambray button-up, white crop top, white tank top, black tank top, black t-shirt.
Dresses: Black sundress, black maxi dress, black swim cover-up.
Shoes: Black Keds, leather sandals.
Etc.: Straw hat, two bikinis (one black and one patterned), underwear, no-show socks, black sports bra, nude bra, sleep shorts.
- It was super easy to figure out what to wear every day because everything was the same color scheme: Black, white, denim, leather and olive — with the exception of the colorful bikini which matched everything because it was the only outlier I brought.
- Also, keep in mind that I was wearing some of this at any given point, which freed up a bit of room in my backpack.
ETC.:
Quart-sized Ziploc bags, travel tripod, Camelbak water bottle, umbrella, travel lock, Turkish towel, packable nylon backpack
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THE BEST THINGS I PACKED
My Kindle. This is becoming my absolute staple when I travel solo. Dining alone feels much less awkward when you have a book to focus on! My Kindle (a touch model that’s about seven years old now) also has a really long battery life and can hold hundreds of books.
A Turkish towel. Turkish towels are thin and fold down small, but are also super absorbent and cover a large surface area. I used this as a beach blanket, a hostel dorm-style bunk curtain and a hostel shower towel.
Bug wipes. Mosquitos are no joke in Mexico, so I packed about five of these little individually-packaged wipes and they were fantastic. As a bonus, they didn’t take up any space in my TSA-approved liquid bag, either.
Sunblock. DUH.
My Longchamp Le Pliage backpack. This little guy folded down to fit perfectly in my Kanken, and was a lifesaver on the days I went from beach to jungle to dinner. I was able to fit all my stuff in it for the entire day and it was pretty inconspicuous and comfortable.
Portable battery pack. There’s no way I can get through an entire day traveling on a single iPhone charge (even with my phone on low battery mode) and this battery pack is a lifesaver. It has two built-in cords to charge my iPhone and anything micro-USB, like my Kindle or bluetooth headphones.
This two-sided pill box. I didn’t end up using this (not complaining!) but I was still really glad I had an easy way to carry everything from Imodium to Benadryl with me.
My two-compartment hanging toiletry kit. I feel like I say this every time I travel, but this thing is a godsend. It’s TSA-approved to serve as your quart-sized bag of liquids and has a hook to hang in the shower. It’s so nice to not have to shuffle three-ounce containers of shampoo and whatever between bags and to just keep everything in one little bag that moves effortlessly from my hostel locker to the bathroom and back.
WHAT I PACKED THAT I WISH I HADN’T
My travel tripod. I didn’t feel like carrying this around on my first day out and about, and it just stayed in my bag the entire time. I ended up finding people willing to take photos of me anyway, so I didn’t need it at all.
My Camelbak water bottle. I know this sounds weird, but I didn’t use it at all once I got off the plane. It wasn’t really like there was anywhere to refill it in Mexico anyway! I just bought bottled water the entire time I was in Tulum.
My umbrella and rain jacket. It only rained once — and very briefly — while I was in Tulum, and it was so hot and I was wearing such light layers that I wouldn’t have minded getting wet anyway.
My maxi skirt. I’m a little torn on this one because I loved my outfits and they were super comfortable… but by the end of the night, the hem of my skirt was absolutely soaked in beer/ tequila/ whatever else was on the floor of all the clubs we went to. Gross.
My straw hat. I had visions of wearing this on the beach and looking super cute in photos, but honestly, it just seemed inconvenient to carry it around during my entire trip since I went from jungle to beach to dinner and didn’t want to deal with holding it on my head in the wind. It stayed in my hostel the entire time.
Like, half my makeup. I have no idea why the hell I thought I would be wearing eyeshadow (?!) but — even though I packed very little makeup — I still could have left half of it (the concealer, blush, lipsticks, etc.) at home.
WHAT I DIDN’T PACK THAT I WISH I DID
More soft shorts. I brought one pair of lightweight shorts (The “Don’t Ask Why” shorts from AEO) and wish I’d brought a second pair to wear instead of the denim shorts I brought.
Aloe vera. Because GAHHH SUNBURN! Luckily I met a cute Australian paramedic (no joke) who brought some and then (drunkenly) insisted on taking care of my pathetically red skin… but, still. I should have been smart enough to pack my own!
WHAT I DIDN’T PACK THAT I DIDN’T MISS
My noise-canceling headphones. I always get a little nervous about sacrificing quality sleep when I book myself into noisy hostel rooms, but… I didn’t actually sleep at all during this trip*. So. Haha.
*minor exaggeration. I slept eight hours total: Six the first night, two the second and zero the third. ?
Jewelry. I’m not a big jewelry person as it is, so I only packed a few things: The pearl earrings, reed bracelets and moonstone ring I wear every day, and a delicate gold necklace. I was a little tempted to buy some cute beaded/ tasseled earrings… but I’m glad I didn’t. I wouldn’t have worn them if I did and I would have felt completely out of place in them.
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OK, so! That’s everything I packed. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to take photos that were as detailed as the ones I took when I packed for Europe a year ago, but hopefully, you get the gist!
Until next time!
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