Packing
Updated for October 2022 Trip
​(Even fewer clothes this time. We'll see how it goes.) 

Few ways to easily do laundry. The possibility of constant rain. Of cold. Of working up a sweat while hiking. What you need are shoes that can get wet as well as soothe and protect while walking eight hours or so a day. Clothes to layer so you can add or subtract easily. All in one bag that isn't too big to carry on as who wants to be slowed down at baggage claims. We finetune things each year as needed because we're smart like that.

Outerwear

The only thing you can be certain about the weather in the UK is that it will change. Especially on the coast. Often several times a day. We've been lucky over the years and have had only a handful of truly bad weather. (See the Lynmouth to Massive Storm post for an example.)  We've learned to pack our raincoats and rain pants in our backpacks every day. They don't weigh much and the raincoat doubles as an extra layer of warmth. The black half-zips keeps you dry when you sweat, warm when you're cold, and dries overnight (for the most part). That, my friend, is a travel clothes. ​

One long sleeve quarter-zip, two T-shirts.

Raincoat, rain pants, and a warm headband in a space bag that keeps losing more air every year.

Hiking boots with inserts and three pairs of socks.

A word about cotton

I like cotton. Pure 100% oh-so-soft cotton. But, cotton has its downsides for travel. First, it's not a good layer next to your skin when it's cold, or when you're sweating. And second, it takes forever to dry and then wrinkles something awful when you air dry it. So I came to a decision after our first year: no cotton. It makes me sad but there you have it. Practicality rules when it comes to travel clothes. 

Clothes

In May 2022 I took three short-sleeve Lululemon shirts. This fall I am taking two, one of which I will wear. These dry overnight so two is plenty. LLBean makes the best hiking/travel pants in the world. The world. The Comfort Trail Pants are lightweight and breathable for year-round wear and made of a nylon blend that's soft yet durable (this lingo is straight from their website). But it's the pockets that I really like. There are plenty. One is big enough to hold a phone charger. This trip for the first time I am packing both pants and travelling in comfortable leggings on the plane. The leggings will also serve as long underwear if needed. We've never been hiking in November. I also take one nightgown. It's cotton because I hate sleeping in synthetics, which means it requires a clothes dryer when I wash it.

Footwear

I take three pairs of hiking socks as these don't always dry quickly. Hiking boots, this year with inserts to see if I can get more miles out of them. One "extra" shoes though not totally sure which ones. I'm not happy with the Keens I've used for the past 10 years because they aren't soft and soothing after all day in boots. I may just wear birks.

Underwear: spend the damn money

Ten years ago we came up with the bright idea to save up ratty underwear for our trip. We'd pack six pairs, wash them all halfway through the journey, then toss them out daily the last six days. It worked in theory. That year, we did finally find a washer & dryer (they don't have them at B&Bs and guest houses) and did a load of laundry halfway through our trip. But first I had to get change. Then I had to spend ten minutes trying to figure out how the damn things worked, and I still got it wrong. Then it took forever for the cotton shirts and underwear to dry. And, I had to keep running back and forth to the laundry room late at night to see if they were done. 

And they never were. 

As I was spreading everything out across the spare bed and over the chairs and off the doors to dry so I could go to bed, I swore that on the next trip we would buy the damn the underwear that I came so close to purchasing. In a fit of frugalness, I had stuffed them back on the shelf and walked away. At the time I felt virtuous. After all, at $18 a pop—-and we'd need two each—-I had saved us a small bundle. The night of laundry hell convinced me to spend the damn money. 

Misc

Lightweight backpack, minimal toiletries, a few bandaids, water bottle, walking poles, guidebooks for the paths we're doing, and phone cords, chargers, etc.

On the plane

We carry on our luggage. In May, 2022 we didn't feel like shlepping them around the airports so we checked them. Never again. Our flight to Ohio was delayed in Newark and even though our luggage was RIGHT THERE in the airport, we couldn't get it. Neither could 1000+ other people. Hotels all booked. No car rentals. We ended up sleeping at the airport. (In the meditation room if you must know, which was, yes we know, against all rules.) 

Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, hairbrush.

It all fits!