Complete (back)packing list

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Kristina

My mum always said “in this day and age, everything you’ll need is your passport, some money and your phone.” She’s not entirely wrong, of course, but since I don’t plan on shopping for an entire new wardrobe and accessories, here’s a list of what I’m planing to take to Malaysia with me. It’s my first real backpacking trip and I’ve never really done a proper packing list so here we go (this might also be therapeutical for me and could show me to not always take so damn much!)

Let’s get started:

What I put in my carry-on:

Passport
Prints of hostel/flight reservations
Credit card
Debit Card
Cash

Phone (and charger)
MacBook (and charger)
Camera (without charger)

Chewing Gum
Small snacks (lately I tend to get a bit nauseaous on long haul flights and meals are never that appealing to me)
Book
Travelguide
Headphones
Pen and a small notebook

Scarf
Toothbrush and travel sized toothpaste
extra pair of underwear (I’ve learned from my lost luggage incident in Morocco!)

In my trekking backpack:

Locks (for lockers)

Travelsafe
Underwater Camera
Portable speakers
Various chargers
SD Cards

2 long, wide, cotton pants
1 pair of jeans (worn on the plane)
2 dresses
2 pair of shorts
5 T-shirts
2 long sleeved shirts
1 Cardigan (worn on the plane, I tend to freeze on planes and I know it can get cold on buses too!)
2 pair of socks
Underwear
1 bikini
1 pair of sneakers (worn on the plane)
1 pair of flip flops (for gross hostel showers)
1 pair of sandals

Earplugs
Toothpaste
Shampoo
Travel sized conditioner
Razor
Menstrual cup
Facewash
Lotion
Sunscreen
Deodorant
Bug spray

Wet toilet paper/baby wipes (has been a lifesaver many, many times!)

Lipbalm
Mascara
Lipstick
Hairties and clips/bobby pins
Hairbrush
Nailclippers and file
Sunglasses

Painkillers

1 travel towel

I’ve linked a couple of things that I’ve really enjoyed so far or are really handy to have on travels (foldable toothbrush, anyone?).
The Hansaplast earplugs are honestly the best I’ve ever had – and let me tell you, I’ve tried a lot of them.
The travel safe is actually rather bulky and heavy but something I got to have some peace of mind when it comes to my valuables. I’ll be taking my Laptop with me, as well as my DSLR, and while the camera will be wherever I am most of the time, my MacBook won’t. I’m not sure if there will be suitable lockers in every hostel so this is a compromise. If someone really wants to steal it, they’ll probably manage it but it will make stealing my stuff a bit harder and more inconvenient for the thief ;-)
I think this is a pretty conclusive list of what I’ll be taking with me to Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
I’m aware that Malaysia is also a muslim country, so I have my usual long cotton pants with me, but since I’ve been told it’s more relaxed than most other muslim countries I’m hoping I’ll also be ok with shorts or knee-length dresses :)

Essentials: Morocco

Posted on August 3, 2015 by Kristina

I haven’t done one of those fashion advice posts in a loooong time. I never really had the need to but now I’m struggling again and I’m kinda astounded at the lack of inspiration out there. I’m also very surprised at the lack of appropriate clothing available.

I’ve browsed online shops for a while now and I found it very tough to find clothes I deemed appropriate.

Here’s my situation: I’m traveling to Morocco. In July and August. Morocco is a muslim country so I obviously want to respect that, which means I want to cover my knees and shoulders as much as possible. I’ve heard that it’s not absolutely necessary when you’re in touristy areas, but I’m pretty sure I won’t only move around those areas and I want to be prepared for all eventualities. And, most importantly, I don’t want to disrespect people in their own country. So there’s that. Then add in that it’s a country which gets very high temperatures during the summer, so it will be HOT. And I’m human, so of course I sweat. It’s not pretty, it seems almost impolite to talk about but it’s a natural reaction and part of human life. Still, I don’t want clothes that immediately show when and how much I sweat, so I’m looking for something that can conceal this as much as possible. Another important point is that I’ll be traveling. As lightly as possible. I don’t plan on taking a lot of clothes with me and I’m prepared to wash them myself if needed. I don’t know where and when I’ll be able to access a washing machine so the clothes I’m looking for need to travel well and be easily washable. This means all fancy fabrics are out. All things that crumple easily? Those are out too. I’m definitely not ironing anything while I’m away. And lastly: I don’t want to look like a complete hobo. At least not all the time. I’ve tried that and it’s comfortable and easy as hell, but that too, might give away the wrong impression. So here’s to no holey shoes and not wearing the same 3 T-Shirts for 6 weeks.

Let’s summarise this. I need:

* light, flowy fabric that travels well and washes easily

* clothes that fall past (or at least to) my knees and cover my shoulders

* colours that don’t stain after 5 minutes (looking at you, white and pastels).

And here’s what I found so far:

You can already see that I failed in some aspects. I just really enjoy the simplicity and freshness of white T-shirts but all in all this isn’t all that bad. Most of those items I already own, I only purchased the maxi dress and skirt, to add to my collection. I’m not big on wearing maxi- stuff at home because I feel like it makes me even taller, but it does suit me, I think, and I definitely need to get over myself. So that’s what I’m going to do this summer!

Summer / Travel Essentials: Shoes

Posted on August 13, 2013 by Kristina

Here’s a mix of shoes I own and shoes I desperately want to own (Sunkiss from Steve Madden for example!). I really need to feel comfortable and at ease when wearing shoes. I need to be able to walk for a long time without getting blisters so these shoes seem kind of perfect.

Summer / Travel Essentials: Safari Style

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Kristina

Summer / Travel Essentials: Beauty

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Kristina

Here some info on why I picked these products:Essie Nail polishes have been much hyped and after careful consideration (should I really spend 10€ on a little bottle of nail polish?) I finally caved. I picked up Vanity Fairest and Forever Yummy and was quite positively surprised. Yes, these nail polishes are worth the hype. However, you should also think about investing in some Top Coat. As I wasn’t very happy with the one I had, I bought the “No Chips Ahead” Top Coat from Essie and that as well was worth every cent I spent on it. The manicure lasted longer than any other I had before!.
All About Eyes from Clinique is an eye cream that really soothes the lids. It makes the skin soft and smooth and I’m really considering buying the full sized version once I’m done with my sample.
Let’s talk a bit about this Lip Balm from Kiehls. This is another product that was hyped so much, and again I was asking myself: 8€ for a lipbalm? What is so special about this lip balm that it warrants a price like this? Again I was more than positively surprised by this product. It didn’t only feel good on my lips for a short time, no, it actually cared for my lips more than just on the surface. For the first time in months my lips were smooth and healthy looking. This will come in even more healthy next winter.
Sunscreen and After Sun are pretty self explanatory, though I picked Garnier as a brand because I really like the smell (especially of the sunscreen for kids!). The After Sun has a very cooling and calming affect on my skin and also moisturizes it pretty well.
Pink Grapefruit Body Mist and Shower Gel. Ladies and Gentleman, I’m so in love with this product, it’s insane. I just love the scent so much. The Body Mist has a very subtle and pleasant note, which is perfect for me. I tend to get headaches from perfumes really fast, but this has been a very good friend to me so far. The scent is the perfect mixture between fresh, fruity and sweet and I’m actually thinking about getting the actual perfume as wel.
Tiger Balm comes in super, super handy when you get bitten by mosquitoes. Just apply a small bit on the bite and it will start to heat up, making the itch all but disappear. I’m always carrying one jar with me in summers!

Standard of Grace

Category Archives: Essentials