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Practical Wanderlust

Off-Beat Couple's Travel Blog

Travel Tips

25 Essentials for Cold Weather Travel: Winter Travel Packing List

Last Updated:   October 25, 2019

Stumped on what to pack for your winter vacation? Here are 25 tried & true essentials for cold weather travel and the perfect winter packing list.
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Living in California makes us antsy for winter. We crave snow and cold weather and yearn for hot mulled cider and a crackling fire. The good news is that living in the San Francisco Bay Area means snow is only a few hours away from us, so we’ve developed a habit of taking weekend getaways to explore snowy destinations in California like Yosemite and Lake Tahoe. And every year around Christmas, we jet off somewhere cold, like Europe or Canada.

We love frolicking in the snow just as much as some folks love laying on a beach, but we’ve learned to pack carefully to prepare our coastal California bodies for for legitimate cold (which, to us, is anything under 50 degrees). In this post we’re laying out all of our favorite, field-tested essentials for winter travel, from gear to clothing. If you’ve ever read any of our guides before, we’re REAL persnickety about stuff, so please excuse us if we nerd out and like, wax poetic about the scientific properties of merino wool or whatever. We live for that sh*t. Spoilers: you’re gonna learn a lot about merino wool in this post.

Table of Contents

  • How to Pack Winter Clothes into a Carry-On
  • Winter Travel Essentials
  • Clothing to Pack for Winter Travel
    • Underneath Your Clothes
    • How to Keep Your Feet Warm
    • From the Waist Up
    • From the Waist Down
    • Cold Weather Accessories

Wondering where to take a snowy winter trip this year? Here are some of our favorite destinations. You can also read all of our posts about traveling in the winter (you get bonus points for binge reading, y’all) 

  • 12 Charming Things to Do in Copenhagen in Winter
  • 12 Epic Things to do in Banff in Winter: The Ultimate Banff Winter Guide
  • The 4 Best Salt Lake City Ski Resorts for a Weekend Getaway

Hey, need a handy dandy checklist to help you pack? We’ve got a printable version of this post that includes EVERYTHING you’ll need for your trip. Sign up in the box below and we’ll deliver it right to your inbox. Just call us the fairy godmother of packing lists!

Printable Winter Packing List

Winter packing list

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Lia and Jeremy in Leavenworth, Washington.

Bundled up in Leavenworth, Washington!

How to Pack Winter Clothes into a Carry-On

Before I started traveling regularly to snowy destinations to get my winter fix on, I wasn’t sure if it was actually possible to pack light for winter travel. I mean, isn’t everything insanely bulky?!

Well, after backpacking through Europe in December and January with nothing but a backpack, we learned that yes, it IS possible – and you can absolutely pack all your winter clothes in a carry on! (Psst: read all of the posts we’ve written about visiting Europe in the winter.)

Here’s the trick: wear all of your heaviest stuff on your travel days – like your bulky jacket, that scarf that’s as big as a blanket, and so on. Other than your bulky stuff, everything else you pack should be soft, lightweight, and travel friendly – and you want your clothes to pull double duty so you don’t need as many of them overall.

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We’ll talk more about this below, but in order to achieve the difficult goal of packing light for winter travel we get REAL nerdy about textiles. And no, it’s not just because Lia has a degree in fashion design. Well OK, that does help a lot, actually. Like, a merino wool sweater will keep you roughly 86252526x as warm as an acrylic sweater, meaning you have fewer layers overall that you need to bring.

The beauty of winter travel is that 99% of the time, all anyone is going to see is the very outer layer of your clothing. So as long as you’ve got clothes that can withstand being worn over and over again, you really don’t actually need to bring very many items. Our typical cold weather packing list looks something like this (we’ll get into specifics in a minute).

  • Two pairs of pants. We both bring our favorite pair of travel jeans. I brings a pair of warm leggings, and Jeremy brings a pair of chinos to spice things up.
  • 2-3 Sweaters. We look for a few neutral colored sweaters that are made from at LEAST 20% merino wool and aren’t bulky.
  • 2-3 Collared Shirts. These get layered under the sweaters for a variety of spiffy sweater/collared shirt looks. I dress mine up with statement necklaces and Jeremy dresses his up with scarves and a well groomed ginger beard. You’d hardly even know we were backpackers! ... Except for the fact that we’re carrying backpacks. And sleeping in hostels. Still, though.
  • 1-2 T-Shirts. These get layered underneath our other clothing as needed and worn to bed. I also bring a cardigan so that I can mix things up from the whole sweater/collared shirt situation on those warm, balmy 40 degree days. My favorite t-shirts to wear in cold weather are made of hemp, which is naturally insulating and anti-bacterial, just like wool.
  • 1 Skirt: To switch things up from the ol’ sweater routine, I bring a cute skirt that I can wear with my t-shirts, button-down shirts, or sweaters. I wear leggings or tights underneath to keep my legs warm, and a little belt to dress it up. Bam: that’s like, TRIPLE the outfit options.
  • 1-2 Scarves. You’ll be wearing these every day and they’ll be in every picture. So if there’s one accessory you’re really going to be extra about, make it your scarves! I have a scarf collection that spans every color, so I usually match her scarves to her sweaters when deciding which to bring. Jeremy … has one scarf. It is a good scarf. It is dark grey.
  • 1-2 Hats. Jeremy brings a gray beanie that goes with everything, and I bring a couple of hats in different colors. You know, for accessorizing.
  • 2 Jackets: We each wear our bulky outer jacket, and bring another jacket that squishes down really small and weighs almost nothing.
  • 1 Pair of Shoes: Yep, really, just one. We’ve found the PERFECT pair of boots for cold weather and they’re all we need to bring. Plus we wear them every day so we don’t even have to bother packing them in our bags. 
  • Toiletries/Makeup/Gear/Yadda Yadda. We try to keep this bit as lightweight as possible – Lia has mastered the art of packing travel makeup and we’ve managed to get all of our gear to fit into one single packing cube.

Whoop, there it is: one carry-on bag each.

Er, plus our camera bag. Annnnnnd a day bag. We wear those in front. So like … two carry-on bags each. STILL COUNTS, EUROPEAN BUDGET AIRLINES.

Snowboarding in Banff, Canada in the winter.

Whether you’re skiing, snowboarding, snow-shoeing, or just snow-watching from inside a cozy cabin, it’s important to dress appropriately! Jeremy here is modeling appropriate snowboarding gear in Banff, Canada at the same time as balancing on a snowboard. How does he do that?!

Winter Travel Essentials

From guarding against horrifyingly dry air to what to carry all your stuff around in, here are a few of our travel essentials for your next cold weather vacation.

  • Winter Sports Gear: Between the two of us, Jeremy snowboards a few times a year and I’ve been snowshoeing exactly 3 times. So we’re not like, extreme athletes or anything. But if you’re planning to try a few winter sports on your trip, bringing a few things can easily be packed in your suitcase will save you cash on rentals. Jeremy recommends these goggles and these gloves. If the snow is hard enough, these travel-friendly crampons that go over your regular hiking boots are all you need for snowshoeing. For clothing – which is also perfect for snowshoeing or other outdoor sporting adventures – he wears his rain pants over his hiking pants (over his wool under-layer when it’s super cold out). On top, he layers a wool long sleeve shirt with his rain jacket, plus his packable down jacket when he needs an extra warm layer. Here are the femme equivalents of all of those items: rain pants, hiking pants, wool leggings, wool shirt, rain jacket, packable down jacket.
  • Chapstick & Moisturizer: The air in winter is dry as a bone. You’d think like, snow might help, but no. Spend a few days adventuring in the winter and you’re gonna end up with chapped lips and thirsty, parched skin! So I highly recommend carrying some good quality chapstick with you during your trip. I love these handmade, all-natural lip balms from Etsy that come in compostable packaging! I also recommend using a heavy moisturizer like this one on your face every night. I also recommend taking alone something you can use for chapped skin elsewhere, like your elbows, feet, and hands. I’m obsessed with this Burt’s Bees salve; Jeremy and I slather it on ourselves religiously during the winter. Don’t forget to bring some intensive moisturizer like this for your hair, too!
  • Travel Insurance: At this point in our lives, we never travel anywhere without travel insurance. We’re way too accident prone to risk it! We’ve filed several claims with World Nomads, so at this point, our insurance policies have all paid for themselves. Not sure if that’s like, a good thing, or just a sign that we should probably lock ourselves indoors and barricade the room with pillows…
  • Bra Pocket or Money Belt: So, confession: I can’t stand purses. It’s not just because they’re easily snatched and stolen. They’re also just a giant hassle. From leaving them behind to aching shoulders to getting tangled up in coat sleeves, purses and I just do not get along. But putting your money in your pocket in an easy-to-snatch wallet is a terrible idea, so my travel solution is a handy little Bra Pocket. It snaps onto my bra and hangs out inconspicuously between the girls, ready the moment I need to take out a card. Nothing got lost or stolen, especially since it’s buried underneath 18 layers of scarves and sweaters. I highly recommend one. I’ll never go back to purses & wallets! As for dudes or anyone else living that bra-free life, Jeremy wears a money belt.
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  • Day Bag: You’ll want a bag with you to store things like extra layers, your camera, a phone charger, snacks, and whatever trinkets you pick up while you’re out exploring – you know, the essentials. I carried this super cute day bag with me every single day packed with my packable down jacket, an extra pair of gloves, and anything else I needed for the day. We also have this theft-resistant camera bag specifically for our camera gear, because we’re extra AF professional bloggers or whatever. If you don’t have like … camera gear, you probably don’t need it, but if you do, it’s REALLY nice.
  • Carry-On Luggage: We recommend packing everything into carry-on luggage so you’re able to take advantage of the crazy deals offered by Ryanair, Norwegian, and Wow. Also, because it’s way easier than schlepping around a giant suitcase! We already covered our tips for packing light for winter travel above, but there’s one last thing you’ll need: a carry-on bag. If you’re partial to backpacks, this PacSafe bag is comfortable, roomy, and as theft deterrent as it gets – it’s our go-to backpack for carry-on travel. It’s also perfect for tossing comfortably on your back and navigating through icy cobblestone streets, running through train stations and airports, or carrying up to a wintry cabin.  But if you prefer rolling luggage, the Away suitcase is as beautiful as it is high-tech, with a built-in portable charger, an incredible durable exterior, tons of space, and a built-in dirty laundry compressor (whaaaaat, game changing).
  • Travel Friendly Camera: Although our camera of choice is a hefty, professional level Sony A7R II, you don’t need all that to get great photos of your vacation. All you need is a the travel friendly pocket-sized Canon Powershot, which appears deceptively cheap and old-fashioned to potential thieves but actually takes AMAZING photos. This is what we used before we eventually upgraded to our pricey DSLR. If you’ll be going snowboarding or taking sweeping landscape shots, a GoPro is a great choice.
Lia Garcia in Prague, Czech Republic.

I love dressing for winter travel! ‘Tis the season of layers, chunky scarves, and hats, and I am HERE FOR IT.

Clothing to Pack for Winter Travel

Here are our recommendations for clothing that’s both functional AND super cute to wear on winter trips! These are our tried and tested essentials. No vague suggestions here, just the actual pieces of clothing that make it into our suitcases for every single winter trip we take.

Underneath Your Clothes

THERE’S AN ENDLESS STORY … THERE’S THE MAN I CHOSE, THERE’S MY TERRITORY! Sorry, that’s going to be stuck in your head for the rest of the day. But Shakira is a queen, so.

ANYWAY, back to things that are actually useful: what to wear underneath your clothes (see, you just sang that, didn’t you) to help regulate your body temperature. The goal isn’t just to keep heat in, but also to prevent you from overheating when you walk inside a 70 degree building after running around in 30 degree weather outside. You know that feeling – the “oh god I’m so hot is this what hypothermia feels like because I need all these layers off of me RIGHT NOW” feeling. It’s usually followed shortly thereafter with the “how am I so sweaty it’s 30 degrees outside” feeling. Ick. No thank you.

We cannot stress enough how amazing merino wool is at preventing you from having to use the word moist to describe yourself. Ugh, did anyone else just audibly shudder? Merino wool is a travel miracle fabric. It keeps you warm when it’s cold out, but it keeps you cool when it’s hot out – and it wicks and regulates moisture too, so that even if you do get a lil’ sweaty inside, you’ll dry quickly and still be nice and warm when you step back outside into the cold.

Merino wool is also naturally antibacterial, meaning even if you wear it for 2 weeks straight every single day, it won’t smell. Er, yes, we’ve tested that… for science, you know. Also, fun fact: it’s flame retardant, too, so ya know. Handy. I guess now we know why sheep are so dumb: all of their intelligence is in their extremely high tech, super engineered fluffy coats.

By the way, if you’re allergic to wool, or adverse to wearing it, hemp is another fabric that is temperature regulating as well as sustainable.

We recommend stocking up on a full merino wool base layer, so you’ve got wool from head to toe. Depending on which country you’re in or how cold it is that day, you can layer up underneath any of your other outfits to instantly add extra insulating warmth to any outfit. We also wear our merino base layers to sleep at night, because they are cozy and warm and wonderful and never smell and they’re just magical.

  • Merino Wool Base Layer Leggings: These super comfy 100% wool leggings function just like long underwear. Except they’re made of soft, super-luxurious wool instead of cheap polyester, and make your legs feel like they’re being hugged by an extremely soft sheep. I wore a pair of these under my pants on extra-cold days and they kept me toasty warm (without being too hot)! Jeremy has this pair. Bonus: they also double as the world’s coziest lounge leggings or even sleepwear!
  • Merino Wool Undershirt: Laying is crucial when it’s this cold. My favorite way to make sure I stay warm all day is to put a warm layer of wool on before everything else. This is the wool cami I wear, and this is the wool undershirt Jeremy wears.
  • Merino Wool Undies: You gotta keep those buns warm! I wear these undies (psst: buy a size up) and this travel-friendly bra, and Jeremy wears these.
Lia and Jeremy from Practical Wanderlust wearing the best winter boots for travel.

We only have ine pair of weatherproof boots we wear when we travel, and we’ve tested them everywhere from snowy Canada to the literal Arctic. Here’s mine & Jeremy’s!

How to Keep Your Feet Warm

We here at Practical Wanderlust would like to personally help you avoid getting cold feet – especially if you’re getting married in the winter. GET IT? GET IT!? We’ll see ourselves out. Anyway, keep those toes toasty warm! Nothing will cut a day of exploration short like freezing cold toes.

  • Weatherproof Boots: There’s only ONE pair of shoes on our cold weather packing list, and they are hands down the best boots for winter travel. These boots are amazing. They’re cute, they’re insanely comfortable (perfect for long hours of walking and exploring), they’re nearly-waterproof leather and lined with shearling to keep your toes toasty warm, and they’re extremely lightweight and foldable so you can stuff them in your bag. Oh, and they have thin and flexible soles that let your feet function as if you were walking around completely barefoot!  Note: you might find yourself in need of some calf strengthening if you’re not used to barefoot-style soles. We can’t recommend these boots enough. They’re made to last – we’ve had ours for 3 years now – and they’re worth every cent. We wear them on every winter trip. We’ve even gone snowshoeing in them! Plus, they’re cute AF! Here are my boots and Jeremy’s boots. You can read more about them in our guide to the best travel shoes for women and travel shoes for men. N
    • Note: on slushy days, we recommend wearing waterproof socks over your wool socks, particularly with the men’s boots. The only time we’ve ever gotten cold or wet feet in these shoes was one day when we walked through ankle-deep slush for several hours. Otherwise, they’ve been flawless everywhere from the Canadian rockies to the Arctic tundra.
  • Warm Wool Socks: Warm boots aren’t the only thing you’ll need to keep your feet toasty warm. Don’t forget to bring warm socks! Make sure you don’t just have run-of-the-mill acrylic socks – they won’t keep your feet warm while you’re traveling in the winter. Make sure you get socks that are primarily made of soft, heat-regulating wool, like these or these. We recommend wearing exactly 2 pairs – any more and you’ll be doing more harm than good, any less and you’ll risk chilly feet. On very wet days when snow is melting into icy, miserable slush, we bring along a pair of waterproof socks just in case.

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Lia wearing some of her favorite cold weather outfits.

Rare footage of me in the cold without 18 layers of outwear one, sporting some of my favorite travel pieces. Left to right: travel jeans, winter boots, flannel shirt, travel scarf, leggings with pockets, and long sleeve shirt.

From the Waist Up

From shirts and sweaters to our favorite jackets, here’s what we bring to keep us warm (and lookin’ good, but only if we’re inside somewhere warm) from the waist up.

  • Flannel Shirt: I’m in LOVE with the MerinoLux flannel button-downs from Royal Robbins. They’re stretchy, they’re cozy, they’re blended with merino wool  (yassss) and most importantly, they’re warm AF. But not so warm that you’ll get all sweaty running around and exploring, because they’re also super breathable. They’re also wrinkle-resistant, odor-resistant, and moisture-wicking, and have a hidden zip pocket – so basically everything you could ever ask for in a flannel shirt. I’ve been searching for the perfect flannel for YEARS (you know, one that didn’t give me button-down boob gap and allowed me to actually cross my arms) and this is The One. I love it! Here’s mine and Jeremy’s.
  • Sweaters: We wear a LOT of sweaters when we travel in the winter. We dress them up by layering them over our collared shirts or adding scarves. But we wear them just about every day! Again, your best bet is a merino wool sweater for maximum warmth and minimal smell. Jeremy and I each have a Smartwool merino wool crew neck base-layer that we wear constantly (this is his, this is mine). But if you’re looking for something with more pizzazz, you can actually find some REALLY cute options at Banana Republic (like this one or this one) or Men’s Wearhouse for dudes.
  • Long Sleeve Crew: A staple of our winter wardrobe is a thin, stretchy long sleeve crew. They’re perfect for layering under vests – and keeping you from overheating if it’s not THAT cold out.
Lia frolicking in the snow in Banff in the winter.

It’s important to dress appropriately for snow frolicking, so that you can frolic freely without worrying about, like, how much snow you’re going to get down your shirt (yikes). Practice safe frolicking, y’all! Here are the jackets I’m wearing in these photos: left, right. And the pants: left, right.

  • Packable Down Jacket: We each bring two jackets on a winter trip: our heavy wool one for extra-cold days, and a lightweight, travel-friendly packable goose down jacket. It’s perfect for those days when I just want the freedom of not wearing a big coat, but it’s also a fantastic added layer. We keep our jackets stuffed in our daypacks in case we need an extra layer of warmth on super cold days. Here’s my jacket and Jeremy’s jacket.  If you’ll be in sub-zero temperatures, we recommend a higher fill, like 850 fill down – that just means there’s more feathers in your jacket, which means you’ll be warmer! This is the jacket I wore for -30 degree adventures in the Norwegian Arctic.
  • Warm Coat: Your jacket is arguably the most important thing you’ll bring on your winter vacation other than your shoes. It has a big job – namely, keeping you warm but not sweaty, allowing you to actually move your arms, and letting you explore for hours without feeling heavy or restrictive. Plus, it’s gonna be in almost all of your photos. I recommend splurging on a coat made with real wool – no synthetic material comes close to the warmth of real wool! I have a beautiful camel-colored A-line wool coat like this one that keeps me incredibly warm and looks amazing in all of my pictures. Jeremy wears a wool-blend coat similar to this one and this one. A great wool alternative is a thermal, insulated jacket that’s lined on the inside, like this one. I wore mine in Canada and Norway in January and it performed excellently.
Exploring snowy France.

Lazy girl winter travel tip: 99% of your photos will just be of your outerwear. So pick a cute coat and some adorable accessories and then wear whatever you want underneath. Muahaha!

From the Waist Down

Not all pants are created equally, and we’re REALLY persnickety about our pants. They have to be comfortable, stretchy, made to last, and – most importantly of all – have pockets! Extra room to layer with merino wool leggings underneath is also crucial for really cold destinations.

If you want to know a LOT more about the pants we’re obsessed with, we’ve got entire posts dedicated to our favorite women’s travel pants and men’s travel pants.

  • Travel Jeans: Unlike regular jeans, travel jeans are designed specifically to solve travel-related woes. One of my personal woes is the lack of pockets on women’s jeans. My favorite travel jeans, made by Aviator USA, have 6 HUGE POCKETS. And 2 of them are zipped and hidden inside other pockets, for extra pickpocket protection – crucial in any European country. Jeremy and I each have several pairs of Aviator USA jeans. They’re super stretchy and buttery soft, dry quickly in the rain or when wet, and keep our legs warm when it’s cold out. They’re cozy enough to wear on a plane, stretchy enough to accommodate 2-3 extra layers of clothing (and that 5 extra pounds of holiday weight I always seem to bring back home with me), and they’re super cute! We’re both obsessed. You can get a pair of men’s or women’s jeans on the Aviator USA website.
  • Water-Resistant Pants: As a solid size 14 Amazonian sized woman, I have yet to find snow pants that actually fit. So instead, I layer up with these super cute water-resistant pants on top of a pair of lined leggings and my wool base layer. These pants are made of the same material as my hiking pants, except they’re cute enough to wear every day without looking like I’m going hiking. They dry off in a few minutes, even after spending hours falling over repeatedly in waist-deep snow (I speak from clumsy experience) and will keep you warm and dry when properly layered.
  • Warm Lined Leggings: I throw a pair of these on over my base layer pants whenever I need an extra layer of cold, like in the Arctic tundra or when temperatures are hovering around 0. I have two pairs: cozy fleece-lined leggings and insulating merino wool leggings. Sometimes I wear these over my base layer leggings and call it a day, because I love wearing leggings as pants. If I’m doing winter sports or other outdoor adventures, I also layer water-resistant pants on over top and stay warm and dry all day!
  • Warm Leggings (with pockets!): Although Jeremy and I both bring our wool base-layer leggings to layer under our pants, I also bring a pair of regular leggings – you know, for when it’s a balmy 40 degrees in the sun. I love these pants because they actually look like pants, not leggings – and they have ZIPPERED POCKETS!!!! Not those stupid pockets that can fit like, a chapstick and 3 dimes – you can actually zip a phone in there. BLESS. These are another one of my favorite women’s travel pants.
  • Cute Skirt: Just to add variety to my very minimal clothing options, I bring a cute skirt (this one) that I can wear with my t-shirts, button-down shirts, or sweaters. I wear leggings or lined tights underneath to keep my legs warm, and a little belt to dress it up. Then I layer wool socks and my Gobi Boots on top and feel freakin’ adorable all day long.
  • Warm Lounge Pants: Our need for cozy, warm comfort in the cold extends to relaxing in a hostel lounge and even sleeping. So we each bring a cozy pair of warm sweatpants made from – you guessed it – merino wool!
 
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Lia in Leavenworth, Washington with the snowy Cascades and Christmas decorations in the background.

Warm and cozy in Leavenworth, Washington during their adorable holiday festival!

Cold Weather Accessories

  • Warm Hat: A warm hat is an absolute necessity for winter travel. It also doubles as a super cute accessory – I usually pack a few colors. You know, for the ‘gram.  You want a hat that will stay on your head even in blustery gusts of wind and keep your ears nice and warm, so stay away from those brimmed ~travel girl types of hats and stick with reliable beanies instead. Personally I’m a fan of the ones with poofs on top, like this or this. Jeremy is more of a purist, and likes to wear beanies like this one, which is made from earth-friendly recycled wool and nylon. To keep your head AND your face warm (and also ensure that nobody will ever talk to you) get this Cthulu Hat. And then send me pictures of you wearing it, please.
  • Scarves: I LOVE a chunky scarf. They’re my favorite accessory! And you will absolutely need a good scarf for your winter vacation. I love this super soft scarf from Royal Robbins, which is blended with wool and turns into a cute shawl or infinity scarf with a few well-placed buttons. I’m also a big fan of scarves that are big enough to double as blankets, like this one or this one.
  • Gloves: I get cold hands just sitting inside on the couch I love these merino wool gloves that work with touchscreens, because let’s face it, I have a hard enough time using my phone without wearing gloves. On extra cold adventures – or days that I’ll be playing in the snow – I layer my wool base layer gloves with this pair of leather and wool gloves.
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Hey, what questions do you have about packing for winter travel? Drop us a comment below!

Looking for more helpful travel tips? Here are a few of our most useful posts:

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  • The 4 Best Women’s Travel Shoes: Lightweight, Field-Tested, & Cute
  • Travel Safety Tips: How to Protect Yourself and Prevent Theft while Traveling

Hey, need a handy dandy checklist to help you pack? We’ve got a printable version of this post that includes EVERYTHING you’ll need for your trip. Sign up in the box below and we’ll deliver it right to your inbox. Just call us the fairy godmother of packing lists!

Printable Winter Packing List

Winter packing list

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Stumped on what to pack for your winter vacation? Here are 25 tried & true essentials for cold weather travel. The perfect winter packing list. #wintertravel #packinglist Stumped on what to pack for your winter vacation? Here are 25 tried & true essentials for cold weather travel.

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What to Pack Winter Winter Travel
by Lia Garcia 
2 Comments

About Lia Garcia

Hey, I'm Lia! I'm a Kentucky native living in Oakland, CA. I'm extremely practical and also entirely addicted to travel, which I'm forever trying to reconcile. If I had a patronus, it would a spreadsheet. Or a llama. Possibly a llama creating a spreadsheet. I'm married to Jeremy and I'm obsessed with him and it's super gross, unless you're us, in which case it's the best.

View all posts by Lia Garcia

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previous: 6 Super Practical Gifts for Coffee Snobs who Travel
next: 42 Backpacking & Travel Essentials for Hot Climates

Comments

  1. Liv Smith says: March 12, 2019 at 11:25 am

    I’m so glad that you talked about packing travel jeans that are jeans that are comfortable and have pockets to carry things on. My husband and I are planning on going on a trip to Europe next winter and we’re really excited but we weren’t sure what to take with us since we’ve never been there, especially during the winter. So I’m glad I found this article on what to pack to make sure we have the essentials, thank you for the tips!

    Reply
  2. wanderer Tourism says: November 8, 2019 at 9:40 pm

    I’m happy to the point that you discussed pressing travel pants that are pants that are agreeable and have pockets to convey things on. My friends and I are anticipating going out traveling to Europe the following winter and we’re truly energized however we didn’t know what to take with us since we’ve never been there, particularly throughout the winter. So I’m happy I discovered this article on what to pack to ensure we have the fundamentals, thank you for the tips!

    Reply

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Lia and Jeremy are the married couple behind the Practical Wanderlust travel blog!

Meet Lia & Jeremy

3 years ago we quit our jobs, put our stuff in storage, and took off on a (disastrous) year-long honeymoon. Today, we share down-to-earth travel tips from our many (mis)adventures on our blog and podcast! Low key stalk us here and on social media.

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  • Walking into Lake Tahoe like "man I really hope we don't get trapped by a massive snowstorm and have to eat all of my loved ones just to survive!" (Donner Party, anybody? Still one of our all-time favorite travel disaster stories from the Pioneer days, and if you have no clue what I'm talking about, please google it and prepare to feel weird for the rest of the day.)⁠
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Anyway, other than our weird fascination with gruesome historical tales, we love Lake Tahoe! We've spent a winter weekend in Lake Tahoe every year for the past 5 years, plus a few pre-Liaremy trips that don't count because time essentially did not exist before our relationship began. JK, but does anyone else get like a "that was a weird time" feeling when they think back on their pre-spouse life? Just me? No??⁠
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Spending a winter weekend in Lake Tahoe is a Bay Area tradition, and the best way to do it on the cheap is to rent a huge cabin and fill it up with all of your favorite people! We round up a bunch of our friends, pile various snow gear into several cars, and caravan along with the rest of the Bay Area out to Lake Tahoe - stopping at the UC Davis In N Out on the way, as is Bay Area Road Trip Tradition - and spend the weekend hot tubbing, snowboarding, sledding, and hiking! It's one of our favorite weekends of the year. This year, I plan to take a ski lesson so I'm able to do snow things on the mountain instead of sitting in the cabin and reading about the Donner Party and working like a dweeb.⁠
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This year we're being extra ambitious and hoping to plan 2 Tahoe trips, so we can bring even more friends and also because Jeremy bought a ski pass on sale on the very last weekend of the season last year and we need more excuses to use it. It's not uncommon for Bay Area ski bums to drive out to Lake Tahoe in the morning, ski all day, and drive back in the evening, which is a 7 hour round trip and absolutely insane. Jeremy's done it before and I'm not a fan, so: 2 trips!⁠
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Have you visited Lake Tahoe? If not, we've got a massive guide to planning a budget-friendly winter trip - link in bio!⁠
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Do you and your loved ones have an annual trip tradition? Tell us in the comments!
  • [FLASHBACK] Copenhagen, 2016: 4 months into our year-long honeymoon. #ad Reeling from the disastrous end of our adventures in South America, we graciously accepted tickets home for Thanksgiving. We missed our families. We  were exhausted. And we were, for some reason, FIENDING for Cinnamon Toast Crunch. We needed a break, but we fully intended to return to South America and pick up where we left off.⁠
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Instead, we booked a cheap flight to Copenhagen. (Because there is always a cheap flight to Copenhagen, from either coast.)⁠
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2 weeks after leaving summery Santiago, Chile we disembarked into the cold 3PM twilight of Copenhagen, Denmark. Christmas Market season had just begun, and the city was decked in holiday cheer and Hygge. We slipped and slid down icy cobblestone streets with steaming mugs of gluhwein clutched in our gloved hands (logistics spoilers: we stocked up on cold-weather gear on Black Friday. Hayyy!).⁠
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Over the next week, we fell head over heels in love with Copenhagen, with its castles, its canals, its tiny mermaid statue, its Theme Park in the center of the city (the 2nd oldest in the world!), its ridiculously good coffee, its fancy open-faced sandwiches (smørbrød is the OG avo toast, don't @ me), its somewhat random self-governed anarchist commune, even the hordes of Danes on bikes whizzing past us. The culture shock revived our waning excitement for long-term travel, and we've had a deep love for Copenhagen ever since.⁠
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Although we haven't had a chance to return (except for a few connections through the airport, which is always a treat because it is the BEST airport), we're forever eyeing flights to Copenhagen, waiting for the right time to come back. And now that we've got a copy of the @MoonGuides Copenhagen & Beyond book, we've got everything we need to plan our next trip! The guide includes a detailed local's guide to Copenhagen, plus several chapters on day trips from Copenhagen, including our favorite: the fairytale castle that served as the setting for Shakespeare's Hamlet.
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Is Copenhagen on your bucket list? (Ahem: IT SHOULD BE) If not, tell us about a trip that was exactly what you needed in the comments below. #travelwithmoon
  • Imagine that someone offered you an incredible opportunity. What would make you turn it down? How would you feel saying no?
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Since starting this blog and embarking on the ridiculous, amazing journey of traveling and writing for a living (forever pinching myself), a lot of incredible opportunities have come my way. Opportunities that just about anyone would (and should) jump at headfirst. (I was going to list off a few of the ones I still feel pangs of longing about, but couldn't find a way to not make it sound like a list of self-congratulatory, obnoxious bragging, so y'all get the vague version instead. Sorry! DM me if you're nosy 🧐)
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But I don't take them all. I can't.
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Here are a few reasons I've turned trips (it's usually trips) and opportunities down:
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😓 The dates overlap with precious time I'd otherwise be spending with loved ones, like Thanksgiving, or our annual friends weekend in Lake Tahoe.
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😓 The dates overlap with our wedding anniversary. This one has come up several years in a row - turns out we got married in the middle of conference season 😂
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😓 The trip is too close to a long stretch of travel, which would push me to my mental and physical limits. I have learned this lesson the hard way so many times (still learning/not listening, tbh...)
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I've had to learn how to say no with gratitude and forgiveness (the gratitude for the opportunity offered, the forgiveness is for myself for turning it down). I feel guilt and regret, of course, but I also feel proud of myself for boundary-setting, listening to my body, and prioritizing time with my loved ones - because all the opportunity in the world means nothing to me if I have nobody to celebrate it with.
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My cup is so full. I'm so full of gratitude and joy. And I'm doing my best to stay humble and grounded with the people who have cheered me along on this path.
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Have you ever turned down an opportunity that like, physically hurt to say no to?? Tell me about it in the comments!
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#alwaysthankful #gratefuleveryday #stayhumble #sanfranciscolove #findyouradventure #wandermore #travelblogging
  • There's nothing that a good hair day, some bright red lipstick, and a cold beer can't fix, amiright?? OK - maybe not, but they certainly don't HURT.⁠ Bright lipstick is my go-to confidence improving trick - AND it works even on bad hair days 💄⁠
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But can we talk about the good hair day I'm having in this photo though?! For the first time in my entire life, I've finally figured out how to have Good Hair. Until this year, I was insecure AF about my superfine, extremely thin hair. It wasn't straight and it wasn't curly - it was just like a frizzy, thin, halfhearted flyaway thing with no real shape. When I straighten it you can tell how incredibly thin my hair is - like, the end of my braid is about the width of a pencil, y'all.⁠
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And then I discovered the Curly Girl Method, and everything changed. Turns out that frizz is just a thirsty curl, and with the right combination of products & application technique (and a little bit of magic ... and some science), you can turn frizzy, wavy hair into luscious, bouncy CURLS! Now I have shiny, fabulously curly hair, and it feels like my hair finally matches my personality in a way it hasn't since it was 1/2 pink (college Lia was perfectly suited for pink hair). I no longer feel like I need to wear clip-in extensions to have a good hair day, like I used to. Sure, I now tote around a bunch of hair supplies like a silicon diffuser and a tiny blow-drier and a hair towel and like 3 back-up containers of gel, but LOOK AT MY HAIR. Look at it! It's so worth it.⁠
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I'm still learning about what my hair likes & doesn't like and I don't really understand all the science behind curly hair just yet. But if you're curious, I use lightweight DevaCurl shampoo & conditioner, plus this bright blue LA Looks sport gel that's hella cheap from CVS or Walgreens and looks like the kind of gel a middle schooler in the 90's would use to spike their hair. You'll find all kinds of information by googling the Curly Girl Method or reading "Curly Girl: The Handbook." (This post is in no way sponsored, I just really wanted an excuse to brag about my good hair day.)⁠
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Do you have go-to moves to boost your confidence?
  • "Wait, Salt Lake City has BEER?" #ad We've heard this question from pretty much everyone we told about our trip to Salt Lake City to cover their beer scene, and we're here to say: y'all. YES. 🍻While it's true that the laws surrounding beer in Utah used to be quite restrictive, they've recently changed and given way to a blossoming craft brewery scene full of innovative thinkers who are paving the way for beer in Utah!⁠
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We spent the weekend drinking our way through 11 craft breweries, exploring this stunning city ringed by mountains, and learning all about Salt Lake City's fascinating Pioneer history. In total, we tasted 32 beers (and 1 beer-tini). It was a LOT of fun, even though my body straight gave up around brewery 9 and we had to make a pit-stop at a juice place for a wheatgrass shot. (Yes, it's all in our story highlights, and yes, I realize that's one of the most Californian things I've ever done). But although I tapped out in the last stretch, Jeremy picked up the slack and we finished strong! 💪Well, you know ... as strong as you can be after spending 2 days straight tasting beer.⁠
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Now we're hard at work sorting through all the photos we took and working on a brewery guide to Salt Lake City, with a few suggestions from friends (thanks to @wayfaringviews, who has a fantastic SLC beer guide on her blog, and resident SLC blogger @culturetrekking). This marks our 2nd visit to Salt Lake City (we covered their amazing ski resorts last year) so now we're officially SLC fangirls - can't wait to come back for visit 3!⁠
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Drop us a comment and tell us about a place that surprised you the way Salt Lake City's beer scene surprised us!⁠
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Our trip was sponsored by @visitsaltlake⁠
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#visitsaltlake #saltlakecityutah #beautahful #exploreutah #travelislove #globecouples #streetartaddicted #streetartistry #craftbeerlife #beeroftheday #beertasting #seeyououtthere #couplesofig
  • 🎵Whooo is that girl I seeee, staaaaaring straight, baaaaack at me? When will my REFLECTTION SHOOWWWWW, WHOOO III AMMMMM
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🎵INSIIIIIIIIIDE!!!!🎵
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Welp now that we're all singing Mulan at the top of our lungs and I have your attention... I'm gonna talk about sustainability. (HA! Gotcha.) One of the ways Jeremy and I try to make a positive impact – along with things like carbon offsetting our flights and working towards a zero-waste household – is through conscientious consumerism. Cuz yes, y’all: we tree-hugging granola-eating flower children love shopping, too. We try to vote with our wallets and support businesses who have the same priorities as we do. Businesses who care about the world and the people in it, who are working to fight climate change, who pay their employees a fair living wage, who are aligned with our values, and who agree that Mulan is the best Disney movie of all time (DO NOT @ ME).
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So when @REI asked us to create a sponsored sustainable gift guide, we were thrilled! REI is one of our absolute favorite earth-friendly, responsible, and sustainable companies. They truly walk the talk, with a plethora of impactful business practices that prioritize everything from wilderness conservation, to making the outdoors more accessible and diverse, to developing products with sustainable materials, to reducing waste in their stores and supply chain. (#ad but also like, we genuinely love them and have been members for yearsss!) You can even filter REI’s online search results by sustainability. It’s one of their regular menu filters, like color/price/sizing. Isn’t that rad?
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The eco-friendly gift guide we created is not only full of sustainable products, but they're sold by a sustainable retailer. So you can truly feel good about treating your loved ones (ahem: or yourself) this holiday season. Or just like, whenever. Check it out in the link in our bio, but fast because the Gear Up Get Out sale ends on MONDAY along with up to 30% off!
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Who's your favorite sustainable company or retailer and why do you love them? We love discovering new ones! (Sustainability shoutout to @prana, whose outfit I'm rocking in this pic - we love them too!)
  • What's your relationship like with your body? Does someone close to you feel differently about their own body? How does that affect you?⁠
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Jeremy and I have two very different relationships with our bodies and ourselves, which can be difficult to navigate - especially when one of us feels more confident and comfortable than the other. Over the years, things have evolved and shifted, so we've done our best to be a constant source of love and stability to each other no matter what may be happening internally. But amazing and supportive loved ones can't always affect your relationship with yourself - that's a personal journey that only you and yourself are on. Y'all in that together.⁠
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What we've learned is that communication and empathy between us is key. Our relationships with ourselves are as important to foster, nurture, develop and grow as our relationship with each other. And its just as important to treat ourselves with love, kindess and support as it is with one another. On the days when one of us feels more confident than the other, we strive to lift up those positive feelings and try not to let them affect us negatively - not always the easiest thing to do, but so, so important!⁠
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Do you struggle with your relationship with yourself? Or is there somebody in your life who feels differently about themselves than you do about yourself? How do you navigate that?⁠
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Psst: Lia is rocking an organic cotton dress (with POCKETS) gifted to us by @wearpact, one of our favorite Fair Trade Certified & sustainable clothing companies! They make super comfy and affordable organic cotton clothes ethically and responsibly, and we love them.⁠
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#responsiblefashion #consciousconsumer #shopethical #plusisequal #allbodiesaregoodbodies #autumnishere #fallingforfall #sanfranciscolove #bayareablogger #effyourbeautystandards #bodypositive #globecouples #sustainabletravel #staycurious #couplesofig #travelislove #marriedtomybestfriend #lovegoals #couplestravel #seeyououtthere
  • It rained a LOT during our trip to New Orleans. But I actually didn't mind at all, because California has turned me into the kind of person who gets REALLY excited about rain. Rain in California means fire season is over and winter has begun. It's my favorite sound to listen to while falling asleep. Y'all, is there a song that's the exact opposite of "I Can't Stand the Rain?" Because that would be my song!.⁠
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I also didn't mind the rain because I was exploring a beautiful city with 2 of my best friends (@witchieriche and @cass.love.creativity) and our partners, and that's a rare luxury that overshadows any kind of discomfort. (Even though we all definitely got cranky from time to time because it is literally impossible to spend 4 days traveling and NOT get cranky at some point, and that's just facts.⁠)⁠
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To capture this photo, I dragged my beloved friend Richie and his darling, patient husband @lucasmeyerstyle to City Park to visit the NoLa Art Museum, which is called NoMa. We made fun of historic art for like 2 hours (like, we appreciated it too, but we definitely made fun of it as much as we appreciated it) and then spent another 2 hours wandering around a giant, lush statue garden in the pouring rain looking for this exact bridge (for the 'gram). We kept crossing over not-as-good bridges and being like "is this it??" but I was like NO IT HAS TO BE THE ONE WITH THE REFLECTION because I am definitely that screechy, extra AF friend.⁠
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We were all about ready to give up on our search when we stumbled by complete chance upon a Cafe Du Monde, somewhat randomly sitting in the middle of this gorgeous rainy park. And then, while enjoying 3 fluffy, powdery beignets (each) we finally found The Bridge - hidden in the trees right next to the cafe!⁠
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If that's not the most New Orleans thing you've ever heard, just wait until I tell you about the rest of our trip, because it involves everything from Voodoo Rituals to Jazz Funerals to a Pirate themed absinthe bar.⁠
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And, by the way, I am sorry I haven't yet posted my stories from that trip - I was too busy savoring the time with my beloved friend muffins. My heart is so, so full.⁠
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Do you love the rain too?

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