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Packing List for Two Weeks In Cold/Cool Climate


ducklite
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I just got back from a two week visit to London and Paris. No, it wasn't a cruise, but same idea. I had everything from casual sightseeing days to dinners and events requiring dressier clothing. (If I had a formal nights I would have included a long black poly skirt and some bling jewelry and a larger silk scarf to dress up one of the tops I had with me.) People seem to like my carry-on only packing lists, so I figured I'd share this one as well.

 

Grey wool skirt

Black slacks (Brushed cotton that could be dressed up or down)

Blue jeans

Black leggings (thick ones, not tights) (wore on plane)

Black cashmere mockneck

Fuscia wool blend top

Dark red silk knit top

Black silk knit top

Black cotton tunic style top (wore on plane)

Grey tunic style top

Black knit top

Black wool blend cardigan

Pink cotton jersey cardigan

 

2 pair black tights

3 pair black socks

1 pair of "fuzzy" socks to use as slippers

1 cotton camisole

4 pair underwear and bras (wore one of each on plane)

2 tanks to sleep in

2 sets of yoga gear (tops, bottoms, and sports bras)

1 silk bathrobe

 

2 silk scarves

2 pashminas

Wool coat, gloves, ear muffs

 

Pair of black ballet flats

Pair of black riding boots (Wore on plane)

 

Jewelry (a couple necklaces and a couple pair of earrings)

 

All of the tops much matched all of the bottoms which gave me a lot of choice each day. I wore everything I brought at least twice. I was glad I brought a combination of wool and cotton tops (all were long sleeved) as the temps ranged from low 40's with a frigid wind to mid-60's and very sunny where I ended up carrying my coat. There was nothing I wished I had brought but didn't. I would not bring both silk knit tops if I could change anything about the list.

 

All of this fit in my 20" rolling bag with room to spare.

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Mai I ask what brand your leggings are? Thanks.

 

Sure--I found them on sale right after Christmas at Banana Republic. I really like them because they are leggings, but they aren't as completely "glued to my legs" clingy as tights, and are nice and thick.

 

A shout out for the Vera Wang tights from Kohls. They stay up, the waistband doesn't roll, and they are nice and thick. (I can't stand tights that roll and fall down!)

Edited by ducklite
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  • 2 weeks later...

ducklite - i saw your listing and really like it - where do you get those pants. sounds like u have lots of colors. also i dont think you had heels on your listing. tell me more. can you get away with sandals for evening wear on a alaska cruise temperature wise. i have been wondering that thank u

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can you get away with sandals for evening wear on a alaska cruise temperature wise.

 

I brought low heeled evening sandals on an Alaskan cruise - I wore them on formal night and I think one of the casual nights. The other casual nights I wore privo ballet flats.

 

Whether or not you want to wear them depends on how warm/cold you are and what the specific temps are during your cruise. We had mostly nice weather (but we were also indoors for dinner and the temps are pretty steady indoors, so....) I didn't wear really summery linen clothing (it was a September trip) but I didn't bundle up like it was an Arctic expedition either :p

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thank you for your response big time. so do you think bring one sandal dressy and one closed in dressy? trying to avoid boots if i can. ..... did you bring any waterproof boots? or just tennies? thank you for writing about clothes - i have been looking at travelsmith and there seems to be some good things that i could use on future cruises and possibly business. i like some of their reversible items. there is a dress and a jacket that both reverse from black to black with polka dots.

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ducklite - i saw your listing and really like it - where do you get those pants. sounds like u have lots of colors. also i dont think you had heels on your listing. tell me more. can you get away with sandals for evening wear on a alaska cruise temperature wise. i have been wondering that thank u

 

 

The pants I brought were from White House Black Market. I don't have many colors in pants, I have tan and black, that's about it.

 

No heels. I took ballet flats and riding boots, both in black. I would probably bring a pair of black flat sandals with a bit of bling for an Alaska cruise. They take zero space.

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There are several Alaska packing list threads here - try searching (some days the search works better or worse:rolleyes:) In general, my recommendations are layers so you are warm from 30 to 80, waterproof coat and shoes, and attractive comfort.

 

Personally, I brought fewer shoes to AK than I do for many other vacations (though I just did a week in China with 2pr). Anyway - we spent a few days with family who lived outside Fairbanks, doing active stuff, then the cruise. So I brought low heeled dressy (dressier..) sandals, the privo ballet flats, and a pair of goretex hiking shoes. My husband and I are big fans of goretex - it's pretty much the most awesome thing ever when you like to travel during wet seasons like we do! So no, no boots. If you don't have goretex shoes, make sure you spray whatever shoes you are bringing with a waterproof spray. I had a great pair of suede Keen ankle boots that were my favorite (fall & winter) travel shoes and I sprayed them once a year with a silicone waterproofing spray and they did great.

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  • 4 weeks later...

This is a good start for my upcoming trip this fall, but it's a weird one--4 days in Paris and then 10 days in Egypt, mostly onboard a luxury Nile boat, but trekking around the pyramids and temples during the (hot) days.

 

So cool weather in mid-October in Paris, then hot weather plus cruisewear onboard. Sigh. I managed very well with a roll-aboard last September to Tahiti for a two-week trip including a cruise and land stay, but warm weather "resort" packing is the simplest, isn't it? Not sure I'll manage it for this "hybrid" trip.

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but warm weather "resort" packing is the simplest, isn't it?

 

Not for me. I personally do best with late autumn (cool/rainy) urban vacations. Nice coat & hat, a couple different scarves. No one sees much else, so I have no problem re-wearing the same 2 sweaters with a couple of different warmth layer options underneath (love the uniqlo heattech t-shirts!). I pr boots, 1 pr walking shoes. A merino dress. Easy peasy. But also, since this is the type of leisure trip I've done the most, I have the most experience packing for it....

 

If you do warm weather resorts, beach trips, Carib cruises most often, then it makes sense that would be the easiest trip for you to pack for. But if that's not your thing, it's not as easy:p

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Not for me. ...

 

If you do warm weather resorts, beach trips, Carib cruises most often, then it makes sense that would be the easiest trip for you to pack for. But if that's not your thing, it's not as easy:p

 

I understand. My urban, cool-weather lifestyle is now limited, since I spend the winter in Florida, and my overall goal is to live in sandals!! I don't quite manage to do that, and I still enjoy spring/fall weather, but my wardrobe is much smaller than my summer one.

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thank you for your response big time. so do you think bring one sandal dressy and one closed in dressy? trying to avoid boots if i can. ..... did you bring any waterproof boots? or just tennies? thank you for writing about clothes - i have been looking at travelsmith and there seems to be some good things that i could use on future cruises and possibly business. i like some of their reversible items. there is a dress and a jacket that both reverse from black to black with polka dots.

 

Yes, I would strongly suggest to anyone that they bring some type of waterproof shoe or boot to Alaska. I needed mine every single day when we were in port on our Alaskan cruise. I wore mine on the plane to and from the cruise port in Seattle where we sailed from. They're the "duck" type boots. They kept me warm and dry and I was really happy I had brought them with me. I'd never travel to Alaskan again without them.:)

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I wear waterproof hiking shoes for all cruises. You never know when you will run into a rain shower. Mine are very comfortable and they double as my walking shoes. I usually wear them when traveling.

 

Shak

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  • 2 weeks later...
I just got back from a two week visit to London and Paris. No, it wasn't a cruise, but same idea. I had everything from casual sightseeing days to dinners and events requiring dressier clothing. (If I had a formal nights I would have included a long black poly skirt and some bling jewelry and a larger silk scarf to dress up one of the tops I had with me.) People seem to like my carry-on only packing lists, so I figured I'd share this one as well.

 

Grey wool skirt

Black slacks (Brushed cotton that could be dressed up or down)

Blue jeans

Black leggings (thick ones, not tights) (wore on plane)

Black cashmere mockneck

Fuscia wool blend top

Dark red silk knit top

Black silk knit top

Black cotton tunic style top (wore on plane)

Grey tunic style top

Black knit top

Black wool blend cardigan

Pink cotton jersey cardigan

 

2 pair black tights

3 pair black socks

1 pair of "fuzzy" socks to use as slippers

1 cotton camisole

4 pair underwear and bras (wore one of each on plane)

2 tanks to sleep in

2 sets of yoga gear (tops, bottoms, and sports bras)

1 silk bathrobe

 

2 silk scarves

2 pashminas

Wool coat, gloves, ear muffs

 

Pair of black ballet flats

Pair of black riding boots (Wore on plane)

 

Jewelry (a couple necklaces and a couple pair of earrings)

 

All of the tops much matched all of the bottoms which gave me a lot of choice each day. I wore everything I brought at least twice. I was glad I brought a combination of wool and cotton tops (all were long sleeved) as the temps ranged from low 40's with a frigid wind to mid-60's and very sunny where I ended up carrying my coat. There was nothing I wished I had brought but didn't. I would not bring both silk knit tops if I could change anything about the list.

 

All of this fit in my 20" rolling bag with room to spare.

 

We do a cruise to Alaska every year and are going on a 14 day cruise on HAL ship in August this year and I am going to do my best to pack like this. Always layer but take too many clothes. Since we can do laundry on this ship I can do with much less. Thanks for information.

 

Betty

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We do a cruise to Alaska every year and are going on a 14 day cruise on HAL ship in August this year and I am going to do my best to pack like this. Always layer but take too many clothes. Since we can do laundry on this ship I can do with much less. Thanks for information.

 

Betty

 

On our Star Princess cruise in 2012, the self-serve laundromats were closed while we were in Alaska waters, which was 4-5 days out of 7

. You might want to see if HAL has the same policy. I'm going to check if Princess still does.

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Your list is similar to my packing strategy. I only pack gray, black, purple, pink & orange when we travel. I wear 1 pair of jeans & boots on the plane. I pack flat sandals for formal night as well as a pair of walking shoes. Since we are coming from the US South to normally some place much cooler, we pack our coats in a checked bag. Instant space for souvenirs.

All 4 members of the family packed for 10 days in Turkey (with no laundry) in just carry-ons. It can be done & makes packing so much easier!

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That is a very good packing list. I am staring to think seriously about what to pack for our next cruise. We will start with 3 days on LA New Years day then join a 16day cruise through the panama canal to Miami where we transfer ships for a 43 night cruise around South America. The ship spends several days cruising the bottom of the world before heading across the pacific via Tahiti to New Zealand. A total of 62 nights in all. Fortunately the ship has a free self service laundry. Unfortunately there will be several Formal nights where dressy clothing is required. Looking at your list I shall just need to add a few warm/dressy items and I will still have enough. I find it is items such as medications, makeup etc which add extra weight for a longer time away.

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  • 3 months later...

I am astonished when I look at the list of clothes you fit into a carry-on!!! Maybe you are a much smaller person than I (my size 16s must take up more room than, say, a size6). We are going on a Viking River Cruise in southern France the second week in November, and are spending 6 days on our own in Paris before that. We will be taking the train from Paris to the ship's embarkation port in Chalon sur Saone, and everyone is urging me to only use a carry-on. I figure I need at least 4 pr of long pants (I'm not a skirt person)--black, grey, and navy, wearing jeans on the plane, and I thought a turtleneck, a button-down blouse, and a sweater to match each, all of which should be interchangeable with each other color-wise. November is rainy, so I need a lightweight raincoat as well as a warmer jacket, maybe one I can wear underneath? How about those "ultra-light" packable down (or pima-loft) jackets they sell? Would that be warm enough, do you think? (I looked at last year's temps in Paris: lows in the 30s, highs in the 50s). Then there is something a little nicer for the Captain's Dinner -- I figured black pants with a fancier top, but then I'll need a pair of pumps. And I was told to bring an extra pair of sturdy walking shoes -- and those take so much room! I can make due with 4 pair of underwear -- I am used to washing those out in the sink overnight. And of course, PJs, a couple of dressy scarves, and toiletries -- I don't even thing I could get those in a one-quart bag, despite having the GO-Tubes. I have not tried, but just looking at this list, I know it will not fit. How do you do it???

Edited by snookie1
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I am astonished when I look at the list of clothes you fit into a carry-on!!! Maybe you are a much smaller person than I (my size 16s must take up more room than, say, a size6). We are going on a Viking River Cruise in southern France the second week in November, and are spending 6 days on our own in Paris before that. We will be taking the train from Paris to the ship's embarkation port in Chalon sur Saone, and everyone is urging me to only use a carry-on. I figure I need at least 4 pr of long pants (I'm not a skirt person)--black, grey, and navy, wearing jeans on the plane, and I thought a turtleneck, a button-down blouse, and a sweater to match each, all of which should be interchangeable with each other color-wise. November is rainy, so I need a lightweight raincoat as well as a warmer jacket, maybe one I can wear underneath? How about those "ultra-light" packable down (or pima-loft) jackets they sell? Would that be warm enough, do you think? (I looked at last year's temps in Paris: lows in the 30s, highs in the 50s). Then there is something a little nicer for the Captain's Dinner -- I figured black pants with a fancier top, but then I'll need a pair of pumps. And I was told to bring an extra pair of sturdy walking shoes -- and those take so much room! I can make due with 4 pair of underwear -- I am used to washing those out in the sink overnight. And of course, PJs, a couple of dressy scarves, and toiletries -- I don't even thing I could get those in a one-quart bag, despite having the GO-Tubes. I have not tried, but just looking at this list, I know it will not fit. How do you do it???

 

 

Ditch the navy. Go with black and grey. You are adding in another color palette with navy. Jeans on the plane. Not so comfy to sleep in. I would wear something with some give that takes half the space of bulky jeans, unless you plan on wearing jeans on your trip.

 

A turtleneck, button down blouse and sweater for each? Crazy. How about four tops all mix and match and a single sweater. It won't be so cold that you need three layers plus a coat. You'll bake.

 

Pumps? Why? Bring a pair of black ballet flats that you can also wear during the day. Take no room to pack.

 

Not sure what go tubes are. What on earth are you hauling along for toiletries that you can't get three weeks worth in the quart bag? Buy toothpaste and hairspray there.

 

Forget the raincoat, bring a small collapsible umbrella.

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You don't need pumps on a river cruise. Will be very casual. If you have a slightly dressy top, trousers & ballet flats (or even walking shoes!) you will be fine every night at dinner.

 

I packed a black knee length merino dress on my Germany Christmas Markets river cruise last December. I wore it during the warmer days and for a few dinners, with boots or ballet flats, and there were maybe, MAYBE one or two other women on the entire boat wearing a dress or skirt. I just like dresses & skirts so I wear them - but totally not necessary to dress "up"!

 

I personally hate umbrellas (I rarely use them at home and never during travel, especially when I'll be in cities) so I would actually bring a water resistant coat. But I layer with base warmth layers and merino or cashmere sweaters, which would be fine under my mid-weight coat that is water resistant. A down coat would be way too hot for me in November unless there was a cold wave. And even then... :p

 

(go tubes are squishy silicone bottles for decanting toiletries -I like them but they actually are too bulky for me to use in my 311 bag - I only pack then when I check a bag)

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I don't think I'd take jeans, they get too heavy & soggy when wet & they're uncomfortable on a long flight. I'd travel in my waterproof, quilted, hooded, hip length jacket (ok, coat done), my walking shoes (ok, heaviest shoes done), merino or cashmere sweater, turtleneck (ok, two layers done), black yoga pants (comfort is key), cashmere socks & a big pashmina (doubles as a blanket on the plane too). Bring black pants with a bit of spandex stretch, no grey or navy. A couple of long sleeved silk tshirts in my best colors & another merino or cashmere sweater. Days are done. Evenings a sparkly top, maybe a sweater style & a pair of black slacks with black ballet flats. A couple of interesting scarves or statement necklaces, undies & silk long johns to sleep in (they double as another layer if it's cold), a couple pair of cashmere socks or sport wool socks. Makeup in my purse, 311 bag & iPad mini (remember charger). Done with room for souvenirs

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