I gotta say, it was really nice travelling again. The whole trip was a whirlwind from start to finish, and there wasn’t a moment that went by that I wished I booked more than a week. I figured it’s been a bit of time stewing on how my list performed, so I’d go over what worked and what didn't.
The eternal struggle of getting a good photo at Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse.
First off, a quick overview. We were between a number of accommodations - An air mattress at a friend’s place, my parent’s cottage in Nova Scotia, a sofa at another friend’s place, and finally a hotel room in Halifax. Most of our time was spent either with friends and family, or at restaurants and bars. The weather was cool most days, with a lot of humidity and rain on a number of days. I had adjusted the previously posted packing list to include an ultralight down puffer jacket from Uniqlo and I also dropped the Bellroy classic pouch in favor of just stuffing my charger and cables into the tech pouch built into the Bellroy Transit.
What Worked?
For clothing, I was very happy with my choices and my minimal color palette. Choosing clothing for the day was as simple as grab and go. I don’t think I packed too much here. I ended up washing underwear daily, and the spare pair really came in handy for days where transit was a thing. My tees also sink washed nicely, that being said I only needed to sink wash one, and that was because I ended up grilling while wearing it and the smoke smells wouldn’t fade entirely.
The two wool pieces were absolute standouts! Not only did the Wool and Prince button down look and fit great, it also worked as almost a light jacket. Wrinkles from the bag fell out of it with body heat and it generally looked rather sharp. The All Saints hoodie really did regulate body heat quite well and looked fantastic doing so. I may grab another in black or dark grey if I can find it.
Finally for clothing, the Vessi shoes came through clutch. With a lot of rain, dry feet was a godsend. Although the outer fabric would be wet to the touch, my feet stayed nice and dry the entire time. Usually the shoes would be dry on the outsides by morning. Top it off with walking comfort and we were A-OK.
For toiletries, I was generally happy with what I brought. No comments overall, everything worked as expected and worked well. The Matador bags were probably the standout, they really do dry through like magic.
For electronics, my full camera kit was great for walking around everywhere and having a very performant camera in a very small package. The iPad Pro was awesome for downtime/reading/editing photos.
The Bellroy Transit overall made it really easy to organize and go place to place. Not once did I feel the bag was hindering me. Very happy with it overall.
What Could Improve?
For clothing, I was happy with what I packed, but if I was to do it again I’d likely pack another pair of underwear. The Maritimes is infamous for having fewer climate controlled homes, and with it being as humid as it was I occasionally had issues drying overnight. Since I had a spare pair it wasn’t so bad, but it was a bit tight some days. I would have also liked to pack a pair of longer socks for the colder days. The SmartWool no shows worked great, but a longer, thicker pair of socks would have been nice for chilly evenings. Finally for what I wish I had packed, a casual long sleeve shirt. I don’t actually have a long sleeve in any technical fabrics, but I do have a Seagale henley on the way. Something a bit longer sleeved would have been nicer for layering some of the days, and broke up the plain t-shirt monotony.
For toiletries, I really wish I tried to find some smaller deodorant and sunblocks. I liked the all solids, but these took up a good chunk of space. I’m also happy with the Lush but a scent free version would have been great. I’ve been trying “The Unscented Soap Company” bar shampoo and conditioner and they’ve been awesome.
There’s a couple things I didn’t use too - My GorillaPod could have stayed home, along with the buff and surprisingly the ultralight down. My hoodie and rain jacket provided enough layering on most days to stay comfortable. These didn’t take up a lot of space though so I’m not too ripped up about it.
Overall, I’m happy with my first solid packing list and how my gear performed. I’m looking forward to the next trip, and will be taking what I learned during this one and applying it! Expect a new packing list in a month or so.