Pack with Me: One Week In a Backpack

It's been a while since I did a pack with me post. Earlier this month, I flew to Las Vegas for the Travel Goods Show and I packed everything I needed in a backpack, because I'm a short, weak person, and I don't like to struggle to get my bag into the overhead on the plane. Now, I also brought a roller bag with me, because I knew that I would be bringing quite a bit of stuff back, but it literally only had a rain jacket in it. 

I posted this video on my IG and had people asking me how I do it, so I decided to do a whole post on it. I know a lot of people struggle with packing light, so I'm here to show you how I pack when I travel alone. This backpack fits under the seat and has a lot of organization. In fact, the bag I took (similar) is bigger than the one I am packing the same items in in this post. 

Here are some of my outfit of the day pics, because I like to see what I wore and what I didn't, but also I like to show you how to use your small wardrobe to mix and match options. As I said in my IG post, I packed more than I usually do on this trip, because I had a fancy dinner planned, but I also wasn't sure of the weather or what I might end up doing last minute, so I definitely didn't need a dress or one of my extra pairs of pants. I debated not bringing a rain jacket, but I'm glad I took it, because it rained 2 of the 5 days I was there and it barely took up any room. 

So, I brought 2 pair of pants and wore one. I am showing you all the tops I have (I substituted a 3/4 sleeve striped shirt for my Barbie/Harry Potter shirt here, because it goes with more and is something I normally take with me.

Here is everything with the jeans and then my miscellaneous items: a dress that looks like two pieces, a lightweight hoody, and an athletic jacket that looks good with everything. You should always bring along a few pieces that can layer, because sometimes the weather is colder than you expect. My jacket could go over all my tops and even my dress, but I could even layer a tee over the dress to give it a different look.

 

Here is my pajama set and then my plane outfit: jeans, 3/4 sleeve shirt, hoody, and not pictured is the athletic jacket that I left out in case the plane was chilly.

I only had two pairs of shoes with me and they went with everything. I wore the sneakers on the plane and the flats were easy to shove in any open space in my bag. Now, let's talk actual packing:

I'm a big user of packing cubes and I really love compression ones. There are a lot with breathable mesh sides, which are fine, but I don't think they do as great of a job as ones without the mesh. If you're just looking to be more organized, then any cube will work for you if it's the right size. I bought this set, because it came with a ton of pieces, but also a range of sizes. You never know what might work and these were cheap, but surprisingly well made, and had a fun design. Start with your packing cube completely expanded before your start packing it.

Then roll each item and do a layer of the bigger pieces on the bottom, the smaller ones on a second layer, remembering to use all the available space, and then I just folded my pajamas and laid them on top. You don't need to do that part if you don't want. These would have made my layers uneven, so I just wanted to keep it even. Also, nobody cares if my pajamas are wrinkly, especially since I was traveling alone.

Now, the exciting part: zipping it up and then zipping the compression part. You end up with a nice brick of clothing that's easier to manage and much easier to pack (passport for scale). 

I had a second, smaller, packing cube for my underwear, socks (including a pair of compression socks), and I put my makeup mirror on top before zipping it all up.

Here's what I ended up with for clothes and the smaller bag above them is for my charging cords. 

Here's a small sampling of my toiletries. This is my entire makeup palette though. Everything else in the bag is haircare, toothpaste/brush, contact solution, glasses, and shower needs. This Nomatic one that I picked up at the show is actually bigger than the Travelon one I took with me, so it takes up more space in a smaller bag. And now we move on to actually packing our backpack:

This backpack has a lot of fun pockets. I used them to organize all the things I usually take with me: a power bank and cord for use in the airport or on the plane, a pair of sunglasses, my Flint lint roller, and my mini flat iron.

Here I've placed the bigger packing cube in the bottom lengthwise, then the smaller on standing up, so then I've made a space for my shoes. My toiletry bag goes on top of the big cube, then I added my electronics bag on top and a spare tote in case I need more room to bring things back with me.

Last, but not least, I put snacks in the outer front pocket, my laptop in the laptop compartment in the back, and then I used the removable straps on the bag to cinch down my rain jacket (because I normally wouldn't bring a second, totally empty, carry on with me. My everyday essentials go in a small handbag. I like this Travelon convertible bag, because it can be worn 3 ways: a crossbody, a shoulder bag, or a belt bag. My reusable water bottle goes in the side pocket and I'm ready to go.

That's it. I was able to take everything I needed, plus some extra pieces, and kept all my belongings with me from home, to car, to airport, to plane, to destination. My bag (minus the water bottle, which I put in the seat pocket, because I had a smaller leg space in the aisle) fit under the seat in front of me and I was able to easily get off the plane once we arrived. 

on my way home

I'll be doing another post soon on just toiletries and a whole review of this backpack and the toiletry bag. So, if you want to learn how to pare down your cosmetics and other essentials, it's coming in the next couple of weeks. And if you're looking for a new bag, this might be the one for you. I've also packed small for two people in a similar sized roller bag and personal item. If you can't carry a backpack for whatever reason, go check out that post.

What challenges do you face when trying to pack lighter?

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Creative Ways to Save Money for Travel

Did a moth just fly out of your wallet when you opened it? Believe me, I've been there. A lot. Most of us travel on a budget, because we have to. We aren't independently wealthy (if only!), so we can't just spend a bunch of money we don't have. 

When you don't have a big budget, you learn to be creative, but you find there are small things you can do that can really add up, too. Here are some ideas to help you pack your piggy bank so you can afford that next trip you're planning:

Cancel memberships - I bet you've signed up for things and then immediately got distracted and, worse, you forgot to cancel them. So, now you're paying for a thing you don't even use. Cancel those memberships and instead pay yourself that money. Make it easy and sign up for Rocket Money and they'll find those monthly fees you're paying unnecessarily.

Watch concerts/theater at home - Yes, going to concerts and live theater is fun, but they can easily add up quickly. I'm not saying to skip those must-see shows, but for most other ones, stream them. BroadwayHD has Broadway shows that you can stream for much less than going in person. The Globe also streams Shakespeare plays, with some big name actors, for a fraction of the cost of a live performance. Disney+ has started streaming concerts of popular artists like The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, and Ed Sheeran. 

Make it extra fun and invite some friends over, dress up, mix up some drinks, and have a mini concert in your living room. Take the money you would have spent on a costly concert, and save it instead. Boom! You just saved service fees. Or buy the tickets and get a trip out of it.

Find free things at home - I always suggest finding free things to do on vacation, so your dollars stretch further. Usually there are fun things that cost absolutely nothing and are easy to fit into your itinerary. The same can be said for the city where you live: free music, Shakespeare In the Park, free museum days...

Buy previously owned items/clothing - Some people like to make use of the Free sections on Nextdoor and Facebook. I like to use sites/apps like Poshmark to buy clothes at a fraction of retail. Many times pieces are brand new.

Save your pennies - Yes, we all have a change jar, but I also like using an app that will hook up to my bank account and credit cards, so every time I make a purchase (or pay a bill) it rounds up to the nearest dollar - or more - and moves that difference into a savings account for you. 

I use Qapital, where I can set up goals and also attach "rules" to each one. I have 5% of any deposit over $500 automatically transfer over and I round up to the nearest $3, so if something is $2.95, $2.05 gets deposited in my Qapital account. You can have more than one goal at a time and one or more rules for each one. Use my code and get $25 after your first transfer: rt7pa62x

Before you know it, you'll have a good little travel fund going. Yay! Now, start saving to go somewhere amazing.

What are your tried and true ways to save for vacation?

Beautiful Art of Downtown Las Vegas

Every time I'm in Las Vegas, I marvel at the wonderful art there is around the city. There's almost nowhere as packed with the variety of art, be it wall murals, sculptures, signs, there is in the downtown area of Las Vegas. They have a designated arts district and you can see some of the most diverse and interesting artwork wherever you walk. 

You've probably seen some of my other art posts about Las Vegas*, and though I didn't get to spend a ton of time in the city this time, I did get to see quite a few different pieces. I had half a free day after the Travel Goods Show that I wanted to spend downtown, and I did, but mostly inside, because it was cold and rainy, which is not really conducive to doing a street art walk.

The Plaza has had this mural for quite some time and it really captures the feel of the city. It's called Tribute to Cassius Marcellus and is a collab of two Brooklyn-based artists that go by Faile. This is their largest piece. 

I caught this fun mural outside of a toy store from the shuttle going to the show. It was painted by an artist that goes by @jacselah (I think this is actually their name) and they have a better picture of it on their Instagram. I loved the bright colors. It's very eye-catching and perfect for a toy store. Rogue II specializes in vintage toys and is the second Rogue Toys store, hence the name.

These two pieces can be found on the Fremont Street Parking Garage, also known as the Red Garage, and the one on the left done by the artist named Raul Oprea, who goes by Saddo. He's a Romanian  artist. The one of the right was done by Greek street artist that just goes by "b.".

The Circa Hotels is one of my favorites in the downtown area. It's 21+ and is really beautiful. They have an awesome food selection and they never changed the name of the garage, so it's still the Garage Mahal, which I find amusing. The mural behind it is on another side of the Plaza Hotel and is called Cultivate Harmony, done by Shephard Fairey.

Not every piece of art is an intentional work of traditional art. I dined at Park on Fremont - just steps from the Fremont Street Experience - and was pulled in by the colors of this bike with the restaurant sign and the textures of the wall. 

Speaking of Fremont Street Experience, you can watch the canopy come to life all day/night long with fun LED displays and music videos (these start at 6pm) that are made especially for it by a handful of artists you've heard of, like Imagine Dragons, Chainsmokers, Katy Perry, and Shakira.

I loved this wall. So vibrant, even in the dreary weather. I couldn't find any info on who painted it, but it did give me Agostino Iacurci vibes, who has done several other murals in downtown Las Vegas. They are an Italian artist that uses these same colors and palm tree design in their work, so maybe it's them.

Behind Park On Fremont are some other great businesses and even the alley behind them got an art glow up. This piece, and the electrical boxes, is by Pretty Done, who has a lot of other pieces in downtown, and is on the back wall of the nightclub Octopussy.

Here's another piece by Pretty Done. It was along the whole wall around the back garden of the ENGLiSH Hotel, where I met some friends to do dinner at Pepper Club, the on-site restaurant. If you see it, you should listen and go inside. The food was delicious.

I'll never pass by a set of wings without taking a picture :)

Obviously, this is just a sample of what you can find downtown. Each year, new art is added as part of the Life Is Beautiful art and Music Festival and some pieces come from past Burning Man festivals. I love that, because it allows me to get some of the best parts of Burning Man without having to endure the rest of it that I would neither like, nor could I afford. 

Tell me your favorite city for street art? 

*Free Art in Las Vegas | Meow Wolf's Area 15 in Las Vegas