PACKING can be a feat.
Especially when you’ve never traveled somewhere before and you’re a chronic overpacker who loves options. 🙂 I don’t think I’ve ever been more organized packing than for this trip…which was for 2 reasons. One because we would be in the car and moving locations frequently, and two because I wasn’t totally sure what to expect/what I would need. Not to mention, our entire adventure was 12 days, which is a decent amount of time.
We had laundry at most AirBnbs and at our friend’s, place so all of us ended up washing clothes and towels 2-3x. There were a few pieces I brought and never wore, and a few that I wore almost daily and were washed more than once. I wasn’t sure what to expect – July in Michigan (especially lately) has been HOT. As in 90+ degrees HOT. Which is definitely not what was happening in the Pacific Northwest. I think the warmest temperature we had was 78/80 – and that was the day we were white water rafting.
If you read my post detailing our trip, you saw we had a mixture of “city” days and “nature” days, as I called them, going between National Parks and spending a weekend in Seattle and Portland. Naturally I wanted somewhat stylish outfits for the city days, but also needed to keep my packing not extravagant.
If you’ve been following me at all the past few years you know how obnoxious my love for Athleta is. I was essentially a walking ad for them majority of the trip (sponsor me whenever guys). BUT many of the pieces I own are versatile + multi functional which is why I love them so much.
Before we dive in – let’s talk weather (a Midwest person’s favorite topic haha). The warmest day we had was white water rafting in Leavenworth and it was maybe 78-80. The coldest part of our trip was our last day at Mt. Rainier National Park where it was 42 and rainy (at some parts). But, the weather changes fast in the parks, especially at elevation, so layering was key!
My packing list:
Bottoms:
Elation 7/8 Tight
Elation laser cut 7/8 Tight
Aerie Mesh Legging
Athleta Stay Fly Pant
Tie Dye Pants (OLD)
Edwin Denim
AGOLDE Denim Shorts **(didn’t wear)
Old Navy Athletic Shorts (hangout and sleep in)
Stay Fly Short x2 **(didn’t wear)
It was nowhere near as warm as in the Midwest, so I wore leggings for every National Park adventure + hiking. While in the parks I don’t think the temperature ever got above the high 60s. I’d been sweating blazes in Michigan before we left, which is why I packed both the shorts and conscious crops from Athleta – but absolutely not necessary.
For our two main days in Seattle I opted for style + function. I paired the Athleta Aurora Rib Crop with my polka dot skirt, and kept it casual with white leather sneaks and my fanny pack. On Sunday I wore the Cosmic Flutter Romper from Athleta and brought along my denim jacket. I brought along a bright pink dress from Zara but definitely didn’t need it.
Dresses + Rompers + Skirts:
Athleta Cosmic Flutter Romper
Zara Pink Ruffled Dress **(didn’t wear) (OLD)
Green Polka Dot Maxi Skirt
The Renew Support top was awesome because it has a built in bra + is cute enough that I wore it hiking one day, washed it, and styled it with fun pants to meet up with Annie later on. I’ll admit, between COVID and summer I’ve really leaned into the casual side of myself…and I must say, I don’t hate it.
Tops + Bras:
Renew Support Top
Leopard Shanti Crop
Athleta Lightweight long sleeve (old)
Baseball tee (old)
Gray and Black ribbed tanks (I adore these from Target)
Black muscle tank
Athleta Aurora Crop Rib in 2 colors
Lululemon Free to be Wild x3
Athleta Suryana Bra (old)
Athleta Conscious Crop x2 **(didn’t wear)
Emerson Fry graphic tee **(didn’t wear)
In Portland I kept it VERY casual, as you can see above. I have been LOVING the waterproof birks – comfortable enough to walk miles in and *slightly* more stylish than my Chacos haha. On the left I’m wearing this cropped sweatshirt from Aerie which I ended up throwing on almost every single evening. This sustainable pair of denim from Edwin (from my April closet recap) is hands down my favorite and the only pair of jeans I’ve worn in the past 5 months.
Outerwear:
Uptempo Lightweight Cropped Hoodie (on sale!)
Zion Fleece Pullover (on sale!)
Athleta Rain Parka (OLD)
Aerie Sunday Soft cropped sweatshirt (on sale!)
Distressed Denim Jacket
The warmest jacket I brought was my rain parka – it is fully waterproof and I adore it. (It’s from Athleta 2016?). It was plenty layered over a long sleeve or the cropped hoodie when temps dropped into the 40s and 50s. It rained on us a bit while were gone but overall we had absolutely AMAZING weather. Our time frame was purely luck but I would 100% recommend traveling to the Pacific Northwest in late June – early July.
In terms of “accessories” I resisted the urge to bring a real purse and kept it functional. My fanny pack from Athleta and my tried and true Patagonia sling were perfect for hiking and exploring.
Lastly – footwear. Again I went with my better judgement and chose function over style. I brought 4 pairs of shoes – hiking boots, waterproof sandals, cute white leather sneaks and black Nikes. I only wore the Nikes once and could’ve easily done without them.
Bags:
Athleta Via Waistbag
Patagonia Atom 8L Sling
Socks + Shoes:
Tie Dye Pride Bombas
Darn Tough Hiking Socks
Merrell hiking boots
Waterproof Birks
Black Nikes **(wore once but would’ve been fine without)
White leather Sam Edelman sneaks
Extras:
Towel
Packable Down Blanket
Travel Pillow
**** since we spent one night in a treehouse we had to pack sleeping supplies. so this probably won’t apply to your trip 🙂
What I didn’t need to bring:
Shorts and crops for hiking. It just doesn’t get hot enough to really need them! The climate was unlike any I’d experienced, as most of my US travel has been between the Midwest + West Coast (but hotter/drier places).
When I was actually wearing real clothes, it wasn’t hot enough for shorts – so I wore my jeans a handful of times but never needed the jean shorts. Maybe if we had done more city + less nature? I brought my favorite graphic tee but ended up just wearing my black muscle tank multiple times instead!
The pink ruffled satin Zara dress was a real reach. Had COVID not been a thing I’m sure we would’ve gone to bars in Seattle and I could’ve worn it. But, in this current climate – I didn’t need it!
Shoes – since we were hiking I didn’t workout (other than once) and didn’t really need the Nikes.
And last, but not least. The two *MOST* beautiful outfits of the trip. You’re welcome, enjoy hahaha. Yes I actually traveled home in that tie-dye pant get up. #tootiredtocare
Thanks for stopping by today. Let me know if this was helpful!
xo, Maddy
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