List of essentials to take away

Go with the half-you-need adage. Last September I back-packed across a continent - and found all I packed and needed was ok.
I asked myself several questions: 1. Can I buy what I need when necessary.
2. Is it possible to do laundry or have it done? 3. Are there any specifics I can't do without? And the final consideration was - do I mind being a bit scruffy and not having a shower -to which I answered no.

How long were you away for ffinochio? We are covering mountains where it's dropping to 15 at night and day 25. It's variable. Also boat trip and train trip and evenings in cool restaurants.

I was away for about a month - but staying with family in the USA and then Canada. I decided to mostly back-pack because I needed to catch lots of flights/ferries and didn't want to be bothered with luggage transfers.
Is it important that you are smart? I decided that wasn't important - so chose casual comfortable clothes - all that could be layered. Good walking/travelling shoes.
Another tip you might find useful is to roll t-shirts, underwear and all small items - it makes packing much easier. Wear vest, t-shirt, jumper, fleece and heaviest shoes when travelling and take layers on/off as and when necessary.
You'd be surprised at how much you don't need.
How long are you going for? Sounds exciting.

Ffinnochio you're obviously a seasoned traveller.
I agree with all you say.
I'm travelling at the moment - 10 weeks and limited to 23kg, and I had to cater for winter temperatures in Virginia and much warmer here in Florida.
It hasn't been a problem. Uniqlo do fantastic heattech tops - short or long sleeved - that weigh nothing.
Before we came away I bought a light-weight fleece top from the North Face and that's been a godsend too.
If you take a necklace and some dangly earrings, even jeans and a t-shirt can look reasonably dressed up, should the need arise.
I think 5 pairs of knickers and corresponding bras is the minimum.
As someone put on my facebook page the other week, 'there's a limited number of times you can turn your knickers inside out'.

Would recommend putting everything inside a large polythene zipped bag inside the suitcase, (like the underbed storage bag type ones). DD1 came here via HK and the luggage for their flight was left out on the tarmac in a typhoon during a delay of 14 hours. No-one would admit liability, new clothes were sodden and the dye had run ruining some things.

A couple of skirts with different tops for evenings plus a wrap?
Mostly I go for casual comfort but it depends where you are going. Layered look and a good fleece plus a thin waterproof that will go in a bag.
And an overnight bag as hand luggage for your overnighters.
We bought cases with 4 wheels and they are very easy to push; we go on the coach to the airport and the driver lifts the cases in and out, then it is just mainly pushing it.
It's surprising what you can manage without, however I don't think I could manage on 16 kilos; I always take too much though!

Have a great time.

jane; could you do a link to your blog again please? I tried to find it the other day but forgot which thread it was on .

Stick to clothes of only two colours. I had three and a half weeks in five locations last summer. Everything I took mixed and matched, in browns/creams/blues of all shades from turquoise to navy. I only took one dress and one skirt, but wore different tops/cardigans/crocheted tops with them. One pair sandals, one pair walking shoes, one pair smart shoes. Travel slippers. One pair jeans, one pair linen trousers, 2 cropped trousers and smart shorts. We went to the beach so I took a towel that folded into a beach bag. Foldable hat. Kindle instead of books. Smart nylon raincoat, smart fleece. My tops were all smart, because I dressed them up in the evening with lots of junk jewellery. Cotton nighties, thin, to keep the mossies off. I also bought a very thin cotton dressing gown. Spray for water to cool down on hot nights. Don't forget medications.

I wore everything, apart from a swimsuit, I had taken two and only wore one. I took loads of tops, all thin, and they all got worn. You might want some deck shoes for the mini cruise.

Tegan www.talesfromtheamericanwaterways.com

A long sleeved shirt or coverup for over your swimsuit. Squeezy suncream (Boots own) in case you don't find a shop. And I take anti-histamine tablets because I react badly to mozzie bites which always seem to find me despite insect repellent.

So long as you take yor pearls nothing else matters

Not instructing you to take Boots suncream meant to say Boots do a handy size!
And a collar on the long sleeved coverup is useful, in case the back of your neck does catch the sun, which mine always seems to.

Nothing Galen?? The naked rambler with pearls!

Now you know how I spend the time on the balcony of my cabin.and why I have a white mark round my neck!

Galen I now cannot help having an image of you on a cruise with nothing on but your pearls. Are they so big they would cover the minimum necessary for common decency?

No! But the bloomers I wear cover me from my ankles to above my head . They are black with eye slits!
Why does everyone keep talking to me in Arabic?

Confused of Bristol?

Jane, I am also in Florida! We've been in Key West (sublime) and now somewhere near Tampa on a golf resort (don't ask!) I'm not complaining, Key West was my week and now it's his turn .

Sorry meant to post 're OP, I also travel light, also have to carry my own stuff mostly. Luckily I was a keen hiker when I was younger and I know I can carry most of what I need on my back.

Galen I think Phoenix is of Jane being in Florida not of your bloomers

But then again....

GK check out Sarasota if you have time - not that far from Tampa. The Ringling museum is lovely. We are on a boat we've just bought, just come through Lake Okeechobee and woke up this morning to find it's 7 degrees and condensation all over the windows! Brrr! Back to my thermal long sleeved top and fleece!
Enjoy the rest of your trip - I would love to go down to Key West at some point

@janerowena I think I usually do terracotta browns creams for one lot of clothes and a denim to navy range. I was hoping just to take one lot. I'm also taking walking boots ,a goretex which fits in a small bag and an alpaca pashmina which folds to nothing but is warm as a blanket for planes and trains and an umbrella which acts as a sunshade as hats always end up blowing away. I would like to take something to wear in the evenings as I do like a change from sweaty day time wear. I'm printing this out and ticking off. @Galen the cruise is in Halong bay so I think it's quite busy and I would put too many people off their dinner if they saw me just wearing my pearls. I've joined the silver travel forum to see what they can come up with on Vietnam. Thank you all.

I had a little handheld fan which I used when I got very hot.DD1's friend said "your Mum looks just like an Englishwoman on holiday" - I said that that was precisely what I was!

The fan was M&S battery operated and very useful