What to Pack for a RTW Trip

Clothes are the most important decision. Go wrong and you could have a miserable time.

After much angst, research, and shopping, we have settled on our outfits for our Round the World trip in April. As a reminder, we will be in Stockholm, Oslo, Bergen, Amsterdam, Rome, Athens, Moscow, Beijing, Los Angeles and San Diego. We will be carrying back packs, and the temperature will range from 25 to 70. Here’s what we decided to what clothes to pack for RTW trip.

The Perfect RTW Shoe

We started with our feet, where we need one pair of shoes that can manage ice, snow, rain, heat, oceans, and dirt. These shoes must also be comfortable, fairly lightweight, and can be worn for the Greek ruins and the Russian ballet. I’m also allergic to wool, so wools and wool-blends are out!
Here’s what we settled on:
This fantastic shoe from Lands’ End.

The Perfect RTW Pants

Next up were the pants. After much shopping for base layers, cargo-type pants, and pants made out of magical materials I can’t pronounce, I finally decided that I would get a pair of yoga pants and a pair of hiking type pants. That way, we could wear the yoga pants for one type of weather, the hiking pants for another, and both of them together for a third. We got the yoga pants at Target. We got the hiking pants at REI.

I really like these pants because I can roll them up to become capris, which will be nice in the warmer weather. For my daughter, we got these pants.

My husband got similar pants and shoes.

The Perfect RTW Jackets

Next up were the jackets. We wanted something light weight and stuffable, but warm down to 0 and comfortable at 30. We actually decided on two jackets, that if necessary, we could wear together. I’m in love with my package down jacket from Lands’ End. We bought one for each of us.

This jacket packs down to the size of my fist! It’s unbelievable. I’ve tested in -25 to 40, and although I was a bit chilly in the -25, I was super comfortable once it got above 0. The jacket is rated 0 to 25. It’s absolutely perfect…but it doesn’t have a hood, and it’s made with down. I’m a bit worried that if we get stuck out in the rain, we might end up wet ducks. So, we’ll be bringing along a set of wind breakers as well. Kelly’s is from REI.

For our second jacket, Steve and I already have windbreakers from our Grand Canyon hiking trip, and we’ll be using those. They are Marmots, and they are wonderful.

Today, in Denver it’s a cloudy 25 degrees, so we thought it was a perfect day to try all of this gear out. We went for a 2-mile hike, and we were absolutely toasty warm yet not hampered by bulk. We do need warmer gloves and perhaps some gators for our noses and chins. We will purchase those during our travels if they become necessary.

We are 49 days from departure! The list is long with action items, which is my next blog. None the less, I feel we have the perfect clothes to pack for RTW trip.