Was reading LearnVest daily newsletter, and today was about luggage packing. That kind of inspired me to share my packing tips for travelling in New Zealand. Everyone has their unique packing style, so there are no right or wrong or ideal.
Have shared some of my personal travel tips last year on ‘How to Spend Less and See More‘, ‘How to Pack Smart and Travel Light‘ and ‘How to Travel Smart and Look Good‘. These are my girly girl opinions, take it with a pinch of salt.
In the case if it is your first time to New Zealand, it is good to take note of these 10 things. In my opinion, I think New Zealand is a fantastic place for backpacking. But then again, I carry my backpack whenever I travel.
Personally, I like compartmentalising my items using washable cloth bags, and ziplock bags for toiletries. Of course it is handy to carry a few plastic bags, to put dirty clothes and wet socks or something. Bundle packing is a good idea, but I am quite particular with the smell on my clothes, and don’t like them to smell like supermarket plastic bags.
If I have to keep to the 3 must-have items in to pack in luggage for New Zealand, I will say sweatshirt/hoody, trekking shoes and quick dry pants (probably jeans). Having said that, the other must-have items for all travel are obviously included, i.e. undergarments, toiletries, camera, etc. Obviously thermals and warm clothing are necessity for temperate countries too.
When I was travelling in NZ, especially South Island, I wore my hoody on most days, especially from evening onwards and sometimes even to bed. A good hoody makes all the difference.
For all my 2-week trips, I wore my waterproof trekking shoes almost every day. Track shoes are not cut out for New Zealand travelling, but they are okay too. They are for back-up in case the trekking shoes are wet, after crossing a river during day trek (my personal account).
Quick dry pants are great for outdoors. The odds of getting wet is quite high considering New Zealand can have 4 seasons in a day. I wore mine for trekking and glacier walks (Mount Cook tracks and Franz Josef), and also comfy for wearing in backpackers. It is not comfy to wear jeans, and legs can get a little cold for shorts.
Good luck with your packing for the big New Zealand trip. Since it is nearing winter, do remember to invest in good thermals, for they really make all the difference! A good set of thermals under hoody and quick dry pants can be ultra comfy for various activities.
