Wardrobe Workhorses

For those of you who eagerly read one of my first posts on Packing for a 4 Month Trip [here, if you missed it the first time], I figured it was about time for an update.  How are all those clothes fairing?  Did I chose well? What do I wish I had/hadn't brought?

This is what I packed for the trip, along with my shoes (read the post above for details):

Awards for Top 3 Useful Items (so far) would be given as follows - 

#3: Vibram Five Fingers 

[More info on the Vibram website if you aren't familiar with them.]

Holly's

Kee-Min's

These suckers did us right time and again. They were great in New Zealand - we'd wear them on our driving days, our feet comfy but still ready to hop out at a moment's notice for a cool photo or to eat some tasty salmon.  

Cool photo

Tasty salmon

Further, they were the best kayaking shoes EVER.  We could wear them to transport the kayaks, then hop right in and be ready to go.  Our feet were protected and the shoes were secure (advantage over flip flops), but the Five Fingers never got grossly water-logged or heavy (advantage over sneakers).  We also wore them for some of our hiking adventures.  

I will admit, we probably won't wear them much once we hit cooler climes, but they have already earned their spot in our packs!

#2: Technical Undergarments - These will go unphotographed, but suffice to say, if you are planning an extended and/or active trip, I would strongly suggest investing in a few pieces.  They may be a bit pricey, but are absolutely worth it.  They'll be wicking and comfortable in warm weather, and you can wash/dry them overnight (so you don't need many).

#1: Sorry gentlemen, this one's for the ladies - Athleta Bra Cup Tops

[Find them on Athleta's website here, although mine are from last season, bought on sale at the end of the summer.]

I knew they'd be useful, but I had no idea I'd be grabbing these tops again the minute they were dry from the wash.  I've worn them with shorts, skorts, capris, and pants.  I've worn them for sightseeing, hiking, wine tasting, and house cleaning.  When one of them was really ready for the wash, I'd wear it to run.  I admit they may not be right for every woman, but they do come in many sizes and are comfortable, forgiving, and wicking.

Tunic tank on a run at Mount Cook 

A glimpse of the Racerback tank in Queenstown...

...and again in Taupo.

And trust me...these tops made far more appearances than just the three documented above.

What items haven't I used?  I haven't used much of my cold weather gear.  I've worn my jacket and fleece twice, my lighter second layers (Salomon jacket, black cotton zip-front) a few times, and I still have a few long-sleeved tops that I haven't worn at all.  But we just haven't hit the right weather for me to judge these items yet.  Other than that...I probably could have left one or two of my tank tops/short-sleeved behind.  I don't mind having them, but I probably wouldn't miss them if 1 or 2 hadn't made the trip.

What do I wish I'd brought?  There were a few times I was really wishing for some of my Salomon trail shoes...but they were just far too bulky to bring for an item I probably won't be wanting for the remainder of the trip.  Other than that...a pumice stone?  That's about it, really.  So I guess I was thorough enough!!

Overall, I'm quite happy with my choices.  I hope they are just as good for the rest of the trip as they've been for the first 3.5 weeks!!!

And finally...the shoes.  Remember the shoes?

Being the anal-retentive data-gatherer that I am, I have chosen to keep tabs on how many days I wear each pair of shoes.  We have been traveling for 26 days so far, and the number below indicates on how many, of those 26 days, I've worn each pair.  [Keep in mind that I often wear several different pairs per day.]

Sneakers: 11

Brown loafers: 7 

Brown sandals: 11

Vibram Five Fingers: 6

Red dress flats: 4

Blue flip flops: I've worn these around our hostel/motel just about every single day, so I haven't kept track.

I'm pretty pleased with those numbers so far.  The Vibrams haven't been worn on as many days, but I wore them for every moment of our kayaking trips, except while sleeping.  The red flats have been under-worn, but I expected as much and still feel good about their inclusion.  The only number I'd like to see higher?  The sneaker number.  Not quite enough running lately...

Hope this wardrobe recap was useful (or at least, entertaining) for some of you.  Cheers!!


*Obviously, I'm not being paid to endorse any of these products - these are my honest, end-user evaluations.