Styled for Adventure with Base Girl Clair Marie

Travel and adventure are two things that fill my life with so much joy and happiness. And packing properly is the one thing that can truly make a trip one for the record books or one you want to end as quickly as possible.

Being a woman addicted to adventure and travel I have had my fair share of interesting and one of a kind experiences - positive and negative experiences - that I hope will one day help inspire and prepare others for their adventures. There is almost nothing as frustrating then arriving in a remote location, unpacking and realizing you forgot a critical component to making your adventure comfortable! 

Ok, maybe you do need one more bikini... ;)

Even the smallest of things can make the biggest impact on a trip. It truly can be the little things in life that make the biggest difference… like bug spray*.

When traveling anywhere it is a good idea to educate yourself on where you will be going, what the surroundings are, climate that time of year as well as what potential dangers you might face. All of these will dictate what you need to have stocked in your arsenal of personal belongings.

Each time I travel I make a list of the things I need to bring. I break my list down into different categories such as:

Personal care, Specialized equipment, camping gear, clothing/footwear/swimwear, electronic devices and accessories, Environmental protection… like bug spray*, First Aid equipment, food and last but not least sunscreen because let’s face it, unless you are going in a cave or traveling where the sun rarely comes out then you will want sunscreen!

No one category is more important than another. Each can be equally as valuable at different times and in different situations, it’s just about shaping your list to be as practical as possible for where your travels may be taking you. For example, don’t take camping gear if you have already made hotel reservations... ;) just kidding. But you know what I mean.

It can be just as easy to over prepare and over pack then it can be to forget or find yourself under prepared. Most people teeter on the edge of overweight bags yet not enough underwear… I mean, come on... do you really need to bring that extra bikini? Ok, yes you do, but definitely get rid of that extra pair of shoes you know you won't wear!

Now even with my amazing check list that I go over about 10 times before leaving, regardless of how prepared I think I am I always, without fail, forget to pack my toothbrush… Every time!!! which usually leaves me scrambling to buy one in airports or at convenience stores before going off the grid.

The jump!

Packing for travel is the single most important thing, besides buying your plane tickets and remembering your passport. So always remember to pack with enough time to make sure you have everything (just kidding, I always pack last minute) and to always, always bring bug spray.*

XOXO,
BASE Girl Clair Marie

*Over countless adventures and thousands of bug bites I have finally come to the realization that bug spray is sooo important. It can be the difference between a blissfully beautiful trip and a horrendous and utterly uncomfortable nightmare that you wish would just end. Unless of course you are one of the fortunate ones who mosquitoes don’t enjoy, in which case you are my enemy and I don’t want to travel with you! Itch cream is only second to remembering to bring bug spray! During my travels through south East Asia I was like a walking can of bug spray and itch cream and I can say those two things were the only things that kept me sane on that trip!!!