NYC Packing
Adam and I are travelling a lot lately and before we took our trip to NYC, I tweeted and asked for packing/traveling tips. Diana, who is amazing, emailed me resources, advice and lists that were incredibly helpful. I took in her advice, customized it to my trips and hope to share what I pack for each after I return! Today I’m sharing what I packed for NYC (February, 4 nights/3 full days).
I’m Glad I Packed…
I decided to pack light, bring a carry-on and focus on basics. Here’s what I brought (1-12 are listed above but I packed some other things too):
- My Michael Kors lightweight down quilted jacket. It’s SO light, keeps me warm without making me sweat and the pockets are deep. I could sleep in this thing. I also love that when I zip it all the way up – it helps keep my neck warm.
- Donald J Pliner boots. The ones I have (pictured above) aren’t made anymore but I’m so glad I brought a quality pair of boots. You get what you pay for! My feet were never sore.
- I only brought 4 shirts. A Chambray, a long sleeve Everlane shirt and two knitted sweaters (black and grey). I never felt underdressed since I stuck with basics like these. I could add rings, a watch, a scarf or more makeup and change the look pretty quickly.
- My Kindle! Loaded with Les Miserables.
- A basic black scarf. NYC is cold in February!
- A knitted hat. I wore a hat everyday and it definitely came in handy when it rained all day Saturday.
- Instead of carrying a backpack or even a purse – I decided to just keep my black wristlet around my arm. I get grumpy when my back hurts so I wanted to avoid the weight.
- I love my NARS matte lipstick! I kept a tube in my coat pocket at all times.
- Earbuds. Subway rides can take a lot longer than you think when you’re a tourist. Plus it’s nice to be hands-free when you need to chat on the phone. When it rained, I could keep them under my hat.
- Obviously my iPhone. What did we do before smartphones?
- I carried my Canon A-1 and shot film the entire time. Less stressful than carrying around an expensive DSLR and it’s a bit more fun.
- I don’t like to bring a ton of liquids when I travel but I don’t skimp on my Clinique face wash. I brought that, some lip scrub and lotion but bought everything else I needed at a Duane Reade around the corner.
- Pants, obviously. I brought a dark blue pair and a black pair of Express jean leggings. They’re so comfortable but actually look like pants. I swear.
- My MacBook Pro. I needed to work from the city so it was inevitable. I managed to work exclusively from the condo though so I never had to lug around my laptop bag, cord + more.
- Jambox! I am so glad Adam bought one of these. It’s so fun to listen to music anywhere or connect it to your iPad and watch movies with quality sound.
I Shouldn’t Have Brought…
- My iPad mini. It’s only Wifi so it’s really pointless. I was usually on my computer when connected to Wifi but my iPhone when I could only get 4G. I suppose if I had pre-loaded movies, I could have used it for that reason but I don’t like watching videos in cars, trains, subway or plane (I get motion sick).
- Hair straightener. Between it raining + not wanting to do my hair – I ended up just booking a blowout mid-way through at Dry Bar and my hair lasted days!
- A pair of grey booties. I only wore my knee high boots so I didn’t even need a second pair.
- My Kindle! I got it for Christmas but I just didn’t read while I was in NYC (and I don’t read in moving vehicles since I get sick). Definitely will be bringing it to Hawaii for beach time but not a fast paced trip like NYC.
Next Time I’ll Bring…
- My gold watch. I would always look at the time while riding the subway but realized I had left my watch at home!
- One of those things that you can clip onto your iPhone and charge on the go. I was always running down my battery – especially when accessing the subway maps.
- Hand wipes. I always felt like my hands were sticky.
- More loaded movies on my iPhone or iPad.
So there you have it! Obviously some people choose to do different things in NYC that would require fancier clothing or more stuff but this worked out really well for me! I’m exhausted and happy to be home. Check back tomorrow for shots from my trip from my Canon A-1!
A Consideration
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Comments (23)
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It’s such a good idea. Instead of trying to be super colorful or unique, it almost works better to be timeless/simple.
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These are great tips for NYC, and other northern cities in the winter. I’m a firm believer less is more when you travel, though I always feel like I forgot something!
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I’m glad! I tend to veer the other way and always feel like I brought WAY too much. I even brought a carry on to Jamaica and I still felt like I packed too many clothes. Hope Hawaii packing goes better :)
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So glad you had a good time! Packing is so stressful, but I always find that I only usually wear a few key pieces that end up working. A hat is definitely a lifesaver here in the winter ;)
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It really is! It’s so easy when we just roadtrip too because there aren’t any restrictions but I felt like it made me simplify.
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Can’t wait to see your photos from your trip!
Also, for charging your phone on the go, you might also want to check out Everpurse. I’ve been wanting one for a while now and might splurge on one soon. :)
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Me neither! So excited to see them. Oh and thanks for telling me about Everpurse! Totally checking it out now!
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Yay! Looking forward to seeing how your film photos turned out. I completely forgot to pack my SLR, but it worked out since my bags were kind of heavy. I definitely overpacked for this trip.
See you soon. :)
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Me too :) I forgot how exciting it is to see how they turn out. Thanks for coming with to NYC, Jess! Loved having you there.
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Nice, good tips. I packed light for my LA trip. My mophie came in handy when my phone was about to die. Honestly, I could have used two battery backups mostly because my wife kept stealing mine :) I did have to wear my flannel shirt twice because it was colder than I expected, but I changed it up the second time and wore my mustache cardigan, which LA seemed to approve of. Thanks for sharing about your trip!
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I just bought the New Trent/iGeek charger. It has 2 ports so we can charge multiple devices at once. I hope it works out well!
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very excited to have stumbled upon your site. cant wait to stay tuned! xoxo
sincerely, whitneyn (= -
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This is an awesome list, I never thought of making a list of what not to pack! Also bummed that Kors jacket is out of stock. It’s so classic.
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I so love that Kors jacket. Bummed it’s out of stock! Yeah it was good for me to realize what I DON’T need even if it seems smart at the time.
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Great post! I haven’t been to NYC in entirely too long, but I hope to plan a couples’ weekend soon. I’ll be taking your advice!
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Susan
I think people often overpack.
I do what you did, plan the outfits out and go with a color scheme.
Glad you have fun. I love NYC.