Help!

So I obviously spent hours deciding what to bring and what to drop from my bag to keep it a manageable amount. The first two weeks of my RTW I'm spending in Mexico with my grandmother. Today we went shopping and she literally forced a pair of small fairly nice flats on me, and refuses to understand that I DON'T WANT THEM. Should I actually keep them? Will I need them? I really only want to bring sandals and a small pair of hiking shoes, and now I have another pair of dressy small heels that I can't imagine ever using. ARGH. Anyways just venting.

hey malena. i checked out your blog and it's great! i didn't realize the contest you won was via A Map for Saturday. Congrats!

As for the flats - take'em: your grandmother doesn't understand you don't want them, you might want something less conspicuous than hiking boots / sandals and - in the end - you can ditch them later if needs be. I don't know about your grandmother, but I've certainly found that it's easier thanking mine instead of trying to explain why the gift isn't helpful for me

Good luck and looking forward to following your adventures.

If you think you're having a hard time, try figuring out the logistics of packing for four people on two bicycles!! It was sheer madness, I tell ya'!

As for your question - you don't need much at all. We tend to take two sets of clothing and wear one until we have a chance to wash it. then we put on the other. Yes - that might mean we wear the same clothes for a week, but it's worth it.

the only thing I've ever regretted bringing was too many clohtes. I bring 3 outfits now, two casual and one a little more dressy. I'm wearing one outfit so I only need to carry two sets of clothes. I also bring a swimsuit, something to wear to bed and a packable jacket. I almost always stick to warm climates but if I do go somewhere cooler I also bring along a lightweight base layer. I also make sure they are all clothes that I am able to handwash in a sink. I find it easier to wash out something in the sink that lug around a lot of clothes and have to look for a laundry. You can always buy clothes on the road. I do get sick of wearing the same clothes over and over, but when I can't stand it anymore I can buy something new and throw out something old.

You need much less than you imagine. We only have a one pair of socks and two pair of underwear ( my daughter has more) and that has worked fine for us so far and we are 19 months into our open ended RTW trip.

My husband brought a pair of jeans but we are giving them away as they have never been used, he lives in one of his 3 pair of exofficio pants. Jeans are too heavy and take too long to dry. Quick dry is the key and those kinds of things take up less space.

I have never worn my one skirt or one dress, so will give them away as well.

We do not backpack, but often go off for a month or more with 3 small daypacks each and often backpackers are amazed at how little we carry. We carry one or two laptops,a few toys, & homeschool supplies in those day small daypacks besides clothes and supplies.We wear a lot of black and wear things over and over. Stain, wrinkle, & smell resistant clothes are good.

We love our special towels that fold up to nothing, dry quick and can be used as blankets , shawls or sarong. Love a japanese washcloth that drys almost instantly and is long so good for back scratching. The socks are smart wool and great. We have not bought any clothes on the road, except finally for my daughter this fall as she is outgrowing things. My husband and I have VERY few things & we go 4 seasons.

My advice is go with as little as you can. It makes life easier. Carpe Diem!

Malena,

If you don't want to hurt grandma's feeling take them and if it turns out that you will only have occasion to use them once every 2 months give them to someone to a nice local you meet or trade them for something you do need.