Buddha Drinks Fanta has been slumbering for most of the pandemic. Not due to lack of my own travel.

It was due to a deteriorating back-end theme that the creators didn’t update. Picture scaffolding left to rot. It eventually starts to fall apart and none of the functions on the web site work, from the search function to creating blog posts.

Thanks to the diligent, amazing work of my web-savvy friend Annie Shustrin and a few long hours of replacing imagery and resizing fonts on my end, we are back and cuter than ever!

I thought I’d kick off a new season of travel coverage on this spiffy new layout with something I’m very, very good at: Packing Tips for Long Trips.

If you’re suddenly finding yourself with a job that doesn’t demand sitting at a desk (thanks, Pandemic!) or if you’re simply taking a sabbatical, a month on the road might be on your horizon. If you’ve never packed for something like this before … or, maybe you tried it once and failed … here is what has worked for me on countless trips, over an entire decade — in 7 Simple Steps.

Step 1: Get the Right Gear

This is the most important step to seamless travel. After years of trial and torment, I discovered the following brands. I’ve really put these to the test, including dropping my entire Peak Design backpack in the ocean. My Passport was in an interior zipper pocket and when I plucked it out, the Passport was dry. I’ve been using each of these brands very happily for five years, and while they might not be exactly what you need, they do offer things each traveler should invest in.

These things are: Adequate Sizing, Durability, Waterproofing, Damage Policies, Ease of Use and Style.

Here’s what I carry everywhere:

1 Away Suitcase, The Bigger Carry-On

1 Peak Design Everyday Backpack

1 Matador Freefly, Pack-flat Duffle (for trips where I plan to shop)

1 Explorer Plus Toiletry Case

3 Suitednomad Waterproof Packing Cubes

Step 2: Lay Out Your Outfits

Listen, for most vacations (and even work trips), I wait till midnight to pack, throwing old favorites at my suitcase like a Yankee pitcher in the bottom of the ninth.

Figure it out on arrival, right?

The act of packing for one month, using only a carry-on suitcase, is a different situation entirely. You need to put serious thought into your packing.

You need to start at least 24 hours ahead of your departure. But, really, for a trip this size, I start making lists and ideas at least 3 days prior to leaving.

Ask yourself …

How sweaty or wet will I get during the day?

How fancy are my evening plans?

How long can I go without laundry?

How expensive or time consuming is dropping off laundry?

Is there mud?!

Recommendation for 1 Month, in warm-to-hot weather:

7 different separate *outfits* with easy mixing/matching potential

2 travel/lazy day options: 1 pair of jeans & 2 t-shirts

1 workout/strenuous day option

Underwear + bras + bikini

Grand Total : At least 7 to 9 days before laundry

Now …

Make a full spread of fashion on your dining room table. Analyze it.

Opt for darker colors and busy prints, because stains and wrinkles show up less.

STEP 3: EDIT

“Take something off the table.”

– You’ll thank me later

There is something on the table you do not need. Trust me.

If you don’t edit, you’re doing it wrong. Can you take two things off? It gives you room to buy a new outfit!

This is why I like to have a few days to consider things. For this upcoming trip to Italy, I found a cute pair of pants I’d forgotten about in my closet. The fabric is thicker. I worried they would be too hot. So, I wore them out all day here in Louisiana summer, and, it turns out, they did just fine.

Giving yourself time to mess around pays off.

Fabrics Are Up for Debate

Linen cools you in tropical, swamp weather.

Cotton works for all occasions.

Silk saves so much room when packing.

“Everything in life has a drawback.”

Linen wrinkles and might need dry cleaning.

Cotton absorbs sweat and can get stretched out.

Silk will show stains or sweat.

Really give consideration to what you personally prefer, where you are going, the time of year, and the propensity for sweat, rain … and pasta sauce!

Finally, are you an Instagram Fashion Model?

If so … ohhhhkay.

If not … ditch the difficult outfits.

Beauty is being the best possible version of yourself, inside and out.

Audrey Hepburn

We all want to look as glamorous as Sophia Loren, stepping onto a yacht in an evening gown or walking through the airport in full Chanel.

Let’s get real. If you don’t do that at home, travel is not the time to start.

Channel your inner Audrey through a red lipstick and some large sunglasses instead. I never travel without one big pair of rhinestone earrings. They take a black t-shirt and jeans to ‘cocktail party’ in an instant.

PRO TIP: If I have a favorite top or dress I love to take traveling, I try and purchase it in other colors, for deep discounts, on Poshmark.

STEP 4: CAN IT SERVE 2 FUNCTIONS?

Instead of … Pajamas

Black leggings

– For sleep, for the gym, and for a Sunday brunch

Instead of … bulky sneakers

A pair of Tigers, Vans or Converse

– For mornings on the elliptical, for sightseeing and for a dress at dinner

Instead of … a full purse

A clutch, with a crossbody chain strap

– Great for hands-free photos and safer in crowded places, where a leather strap could be cut

I see a lot of travelers with a backpack + a big bag. Your purse should fit easily inside that backpack.

I use this Clare V. option. It’s out of stock, currently, but Madewell has an excellent, affordable alternative

Instead of … multiple shoes

3 pairs max: cute sandals/dress shoe + flip flops + sneaker/slip-on

– Again, this depends on the destination, but never more than three pairs.

STEP 4: CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS

If you are going to a Muslim country, to rural villages where people are more conservative, and/or to sacred places of any kind … pack at least one long sleeve shirt, a long skirt or loose pants, and a scarf.

My travel mantra is: “No one asked you to come.”

It’s a great reminder that I mutter to myself when I’m hot and sticky and very uncomfortable at times in certain locales. The truth is, anywhere I go, no local has asked me to come there, be it Brunei or Dubai or a Tibetan temple I stumbled across once in Charleston.

I chose to get on a plane and fly to conservative place, right? American dress codes do not apply.

You can sunbathe topless in France. Fabulous! Now, would you enter The Louvre with your nipples out? No.

Wandering around outside of a mosque with your shoulders exposed is the same thing.

Wearing super-short shorts at the temples of Angkor Wat — or even in the Doha airport — is obnoxious. It’s the brand of a clueless, careless tourist.

Travel to get out of your comfort zone. Just don’t put the locals out of theirs.

The reason to travel is to change inwardly; to broaden a personal worldview and to see things never seen before.

Travel to get out of your comfort zone. Just don’t put the locals out of theirs.

PRO TIP: These linen-gauze button down shirts by Velvet are great. They look chic all wrinkled, roll down to nothing and cover up your butt in a pair of leggings — another key to being respectful in conservative places.

STEP 5: GREAT TOILETRY GEAR

It might seem counterintuitive to bring less beauty rituals on a longer trip, but it will keep your suitcase lighter and your life easier. Hauling a bunch of stuff to one hotel in Florida for 3 days? No big deal. Hauling it across six hotels and on several flights in a month? You’re gonna feel exhausted by it all.

You don’t need an eyelash curler.

You don’t need an extra eyeliner pencil.

You don’t need a hair dryer.

You don’t need all your jewelry or your big barrel styling brush.

Every little thing you leave out adds up to less weight. Like your clothes, it’s helpful to put all your toiletry items out on the table and see where you can cut back.

Remember … travel isn’t supposed to feel like being at home. You are supposed to miss a few things in your everyday routine.

My personal favorite:

The Explorer Plus Toiletry Bag – Made by Gravel, this is a waterproof carry-all, with so many pockets and a hook to hang it up

Watch the full video below

I also love:

Hairstory ‘New Wash’ – a conditioner plus cleanser that detangles with a pea-sized amount

GoToob bottles or Kitsch Refillable pouches – filling two of these 3-ounce bottles is enough Hairstory to last me 3 weeks!

And, I never leave home without:

Hollywood fashion tape – to hem pants, raise a neckline, or go bra-less

STEP 6: PACKING CORRECTLY

Get at least 3 packing cubes, in 3 different sizes

Underwear, bras, bikinis and socks in the smallest.

T-shirts, cotton tops and jeans in the middle size.

Dresses and fancier items in the largest cube.

When physically packing, fold each item neatly. Then, roll.

STEP 7: MONEY, MEDICATION & BACKUP PLANS

The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry

– robert Burns

PASSPORT:

Decent hotel? Leave your passport in the room, inside the safe.

Delightfully sketchy-fun hostel? Take your passport with you, but keep your bag on you at all times!

DEBIT CARDS:

I always travel with two debit cards.

One goes in my wallet for carrying around.

Another is hidden in my suitcase and always stays in the room.

This came in handy when an ATM in Zanzibar ate my card. It could have ruined my trip, but I had the second debit card, so it was no big deal.

CREDIT CARDS:

Same rules apply. Have two credit cards. Keep one in your wallet and one hidden in your suitcase.

PRO TIP: American Express and Chase Sapphire are both great for travel points.

However, did you know that if you cannot get money out of an ATM or you are stuck somewhere without a wallet, you can call American Express!

For $25, they will contact a fancy hotel near you to have $1000 in cash waiting at concierge, in under an hour. I’ve done this before in Istanbul, when none of my debit cards worked. Plus, picking up a stack of cash in a fancy hotel lobby makes you feel like a sexy spy. Yeah Baby!

When an ATM in Zanzibar ate my card, it could have ruined my trip.

But, I had the second debit card, so it was no big deal.

– Me.

VACCINE CARDS + PASSPORT PHOTOS

Take a photo of your vaccine card, your passport and of your driver’s license.

Have these images on your phone but also upload them to your email. Should you end up in an Embassy with zero identification and no phone, this will literally save you days of hassle.

STOMACH MEDICATIONS

Going too much? Going too little? These are very common travel issues.

The question is … do you really want to go to a pharmacy in Santiago and play charades for constipation? Take both types of stomach medication with you.

Plus, someone in your friend group will end up needing it, and then you are a hero.

MEMORIZE THE NAME OF A GREAT HOSPITAL

This especially applies if you are in one of the world’s more boisterous cities, like Delhi, Manila, Bangkok or New Orleans, for example.

If you break your ankle, you’d probably like to be taken to a fancier emergency room, yes? Best know the name of it before needing it.

And, with all that, I’m off to pack for my own 37-day trip that starts on September 5th.

Hopefully this helped some of you out there.

If you have questions or want a more detailed, honest review of why I like certain brands, feel free to email me!