Ok, now that we’ve covered the big stuff in “Packing Part One…” we can move on to the fun part: clothing, accessories, toiletries, and other stuff! Clothing is mainly divided into two categories: warm weather and cold weather. Now remember- I live in Southern California! I am not experienced with extreme cold weather and I will be the first to admit it BUT I am a wimp and I have been FREEZING on camping trips so let me tell you how I avoid it. Always check the weather on where you’re going ahead of time. Being prepared is the number one thing you can do! I ALWAYS bring a big chunky scarf in my pack no matter what. If you are going into super cold climate invest in a down jacket- they are pricey but totally worth it! Look into Patagonia for a down jacket. They roll up into a pouch and zip up for easy packing. You don’t need several jackets for one camping trip. Pack one jacket and if you must, bring a second for rain. If the weatherman foresees rain at all be prepared! I bring a thin water-repellant jacket for easy packing that I can throw over a sweatshirt if its wet outside! Tall, over-the-knee socks are a must for cold weather! I bring UGG boots for extra warmth and throw hand warmers into my boots. If you haven’t used hand warmers before then you will be stoked! They are a buck each (or cheaper in bigger quantities) and last up to 10 hours. Layering is also important! Thermals make a world of a difference and if you don’t like long johns try leggings. I use leggings under my jeans to keep warm and cut the bulkiness down. Speaking of jeans- I wear skinny jeans or bootcut when its cold out. You are usually wearing boots and both types tuck neatly into your boot. Flare jeans get dirty and smashing the bottom of them to fit into your boot just looks bad! Avoid jeans with holes in the knees. I have a favorite pair I wear camping and it has a hole in the knee. I always forget to not wear them when its cold and the wind goes right through that sucker! Beanies are amazing and keep your beautiful head nice and toasty! Lastly, bring gloves! You may think fingerless gloves are more practical but the tips of your fingers get frozen! You will be wishing you had extra fabric and a needle and thread to add those fingers back! Just remember, what you pack is what you carry so don’t bring your whole winter wardrobe! Be practical but be prepared!

Now let’s talk warm weather. It depends on how hot is hot and if you’re dealing with bugs! I would love to wear shorts and a tank top at times but at night mosquitoes tend to like me a lot so I have to change it up! Wear light weight fabrics with light colors. I wear a long sleeve white tee with thin sweats when outside at night but change into shorts and a tank when I go to bed in my closed off tent. During the day it depends on what you are doing when deciding what you wear. If you are in the sun and want to avoid a sunburn, wear a light, long sleeve tee or my favorite- a tank top with a thin cardigan- it keeps the sun from burning you, the combo is light weight, and you look super cute! When in shaded areas, rock that tank and those daisy duke shorts for everything you’ve got! Its hot outside for crying out loud! Bring a hat for extra shade. It will keep you cool, get the sun out of your eyes, and tame you locks! You can have so many different hair styles while wearing a hat and the best part is you don’t have to wash your hair! If you are near a river, bring a bathing suit! You might as well get your tan on while the sun is just right! Just make sure to lather on the sunscreen! Now, let’s talk shoes! I wear sandals if I’m not hiking around. You may want to wear walking shoes or hiking boots too. Bring ankle socks- no one like a sock tan line! Even when its hot outside, I always bring a hoody. I get cold very easily and I always like to be prepared!

Toiletries: a girl’s best friend! I like to keep my nightly routine up so this is my list: tooth brush, tooth paste, floss, face cleanser wipes. I’m pretty easy! I find that if you stick to your routine, even in the wild, you’ll feel that much better! I always bring sunglasses (designate a pair just for camping so you don’t ruin your Chanel’s), tweezers (handy for splinters), a nail file (better to file down than pick at it), deodorant- duh, hair ties, bobby pins, sunscreen and toilet paper. Even if you are going to a campground that has public toilets, ALWAYS bring a whole roll of toilet paper! They do run out and how would it feel not having toilet paper??!! Now lets talk feminine products for a second. I have a story to share with you. A few months ago, we took a trip to the great outdoors when I was out of my monthly cycle. I was packing my bag and when it came time to pack the tampons I said to myself, “There is NO WAY I can get it this early” so I dismissed my products and kept on packing. The morning we were leaving I woke up with horrible cramps and low and behold there she was- Mother Nature! What was I going to do??!! Embarrassed and awkward, I told my boyfriend what was going on and hid in my tent. He came back 5 minutes later holding a few tampons that he managed to get from some female hikers- MY Hero!! Lucky for me, my boyfriend thinks fast in horrible situations and my time-of-the-month started when we were leaving, not when we got there! BUT… moral of the story- ALWAYS pack feminine back up!!! Please! I’m begging you!

Now for makeup I wanted to do a little side note. I am anti bringing the whole makeup kit but if you must, bring lite, natural make up. Only a few times have I wanted to put on make up but my list is foundation, mascara, and lip gloss. Everyone looks more beautiful au natural anyways! If you are going with a bunch of guys, I don’t think they would be too amped on girls worrying about their makeup! They loved girls who can rough it- I even asked my brother, who is quite the ladies man, and he said it’s way sexier for a girl to have a natural face than one caked with makeup!

Now for the other stuff… Always bring a First-Aid kit! They are small enough to pack but have all the essentials when you are in a bad situation! Bring a camera to capture all those fun memories! Card games are a must- my personal fav is Phase Ten! Its amazing! A handy notebook to write down notes and experiences always makes the trip better! And again, remember what you pack is what you carry! I once heard from a wise man to pack your backpack only 75% full- it’s easier to pack up when the trip is over and you won’t use everything you pack anyways

Happy Packing! 🙂