Autumn Weekends in the Southwest

What to Pack for Leaf Peeping in the Colorado Rockies

Info

We go on a leaf peeping trip every year. Our packed bags are less utilitarian since we take our car instead of a flight. For clothing, we pack a capsule wardrobe, which also extends to the day-of outfit we wear at the start of the trip. Since we go to the mountains, our outfits include a technical fleece and a jacket. Bringing a light rain jacket may also be useful. The photos are an example of how one of us packs.

Bag Breakdown

Organizing Clothing, Gear, & Leisure Items

We take extra bags when traveling by car for extra comfort. This section will go over how we packed intentionally using the following bag types: a large backpack, a hip pack, a tote, and a mini duffel bag. The bag brands that are mentioned are just examples. They are recommended because their materials, stitching, and build feel like superior quality.

Large Backpack (Fjallraven)

Fjallraven’s Kanken bag is a great size for a minimalist weekender bag. It’s great for holding stacks of clothing and small rectangular bags for organizing, such as toiletry bags.

Tip: You can find Fjallraven bags at Sierra retail stores for a super discounted price. Check multiple stores for different colors.

Fjallraven Kanken (Classic)

  • 38 x 27 x 13 CM

Items

In the bag itself, we packed a stack of clothes (capsule wardrobe), a toiletry bag, and Bedrock sandals/swimwear in their own bags (for the hot springs).

We kept the following items in the outer pockets for ease of access:

  • Deodorant, tampons, vitamins, medication, Advil, ginger chews, hand sanitizer, mask, hair ties, and additional socks/underwear.

Clothing

We used a capsule wardrobe, meaning all the clothing articles match with each other. We also extended this capsule wardrobe to our day-of outfits at the start of the trip. We prioritized certain fabrics (synthetic fabric and merino wool) over cotton because they wick moisture and resist odors.

This clothing list includes the unpacked outfit worn at the start of the trip.

  • 3 tank tops

  • 3 yoga pants

  • 2 pairs of shorts

    • 1 lounge

    • 1 casual

  • 1 technical fleece

  • 3 jackets

    • 1 rain jacket

    • 1 denim jacket or similar

    • 1 light puffer jacket

  • 2 swimsuits

  • 1 swimsuit cover up

  • 1 beanie

  • 2 sports bras

  • Underwear & socks

  • 1 sunshirt (a light long sleeve shirt or a very light hoodie)

Hip Pack (Cotopaxi)

Cotopaxi’s Kapai 1.5L Hip Pack is a personal favorite. Currently we have four of them. It holds large phones and still has a bit of room. Cotopaxi does offer a larger size of this type of bag as a 3L.

Their Kapai style is made of recycled fabric, and the designs are unique from one another. The company uses fabric that is left over from other companies’ production runs.

Their company website also states:

“This product is produced in the Philippines by our principal pack maker, a factory committed to fair labor and environmentally sound practices.”

Cotopaxi Kapai 1.5L Hip Pack

  • 7 x 4 x 4 in (18 x 10 x 10 cm)

Cotopaxi Kapai 3L Hip Pack

  • 9 x 5.5 x 3 in (23 x 14 x 8 cm)

Why we use hip packs

We wear hip packs (cross-body style) almost every day, whether we’re abroad or not. We like the hands-free freedom it provides. If you’re a forgetful person, it’s also great because if the bag is strapped to you, so you can’t accidentally leave it somewhere.

We use these bags for exploring, day trips, and going out in the evening. They’re lightweight and can surprisingly hold a lot, including your phone, a small wallet, keys, etc.

Strategy

You can keep the same organization system within every hip pack you use by separating items into mini bags. Here is a list of things that can fit into this hip pack size.

  • Phone

  • Mini pill holder

  • Glasses cleaner

  • Compact comb

  • Tiny mirror or compact

  • Small bag for cash & cards

  • Travel size deodorant, chapstick, & foundation in a small bag

  • Meds & small items

  • Hair ties

  • Keys

Mini Duffel Bag (Topo)

Topo makes a mini duffel bag that is perfect for the aspiring photographer. It’s big enough to hold a small camera, lenses, cords, batteries, and other camera accessories. The thick materials provide some nice padding, and we find that separating items in small fabric bags also adds padding.

This duffel bag is just a great way to carry hobby items, such as art supplies, tarot cards, books/eReaders, games, small puzzles, etc.

Topo Classic Duffel Mini 4.6L

  • 10"W x 6"H x 6"D

Knit Tote (Standard Products)

For the tote, we are using a knit bag from Standard Products, which is a brand typically sold in Japan, however you can find some items at Daiso stores in the US. Not all Daiso stores sell Standard Products. The tote will just hold extra items, including activity items such as books, art supplies, games, etc. Any tote will work so pick your favorite one.

List of items packed in the tote:

  • Raincoat

  • Mini water color set

  • Art paper (watercolor)

  • Game book (Murdle)

  • Small bag with journal & pens

  • Shorts

  • Beanie

  • Bag of bras, socks, & underwear

Additional Items to Consider

Our Favorite Items

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Collapsible Water Bottle

Having a collapsible bottle that you can hook on your backpack is super useful; I use the Hydrapak brand. Many places all over the world don’t have access to clean water. In places where travelers should avoid tap water, a water bottle like this is vital.

Tip: If you are staying in a place where you can’t drink tap water, don’t even use tap water to brush your teeth. To save on drinking water, use mouthwash to wet the brush and brush/rinse with that instead.

Rakuten Kobo eReader (Clara)

If you have down time during your trip, we do recommend bringing an eReader. We’ve used this before going to sleep or when we got sick and had to stay in the hotel room. Once there was a wild storm in Iceland that required us to shelter in place, so reading in our hotel room was something to do.

We recommend the Rakuten Kobo eReader. It’s an investment, but they’re super packable and we enjoy the features. You can look up word definitions while reading; it stores the words you look up so that you can review them later and improve your vocabulary.

Tip: Add an adhesive fabric hook on the back for ease of holding.

Sea to Summit Packable Backpack

This is a perfect, lightweight bag we use for grocery shopping abroad. If we have the ability to cook at our stay (meaning we have a kitchen and fridge), we take this bag to the market. We also use it for packing picnic items or collecting souvenirs when we explore. Always bring a small, packable bag with you.

Sea to Summit Packable Stuff Sack

This stuff sack is perfect for storing almost anything. It’s especially useful when we have to pack quickly to make a flight or train. It’s also nice for storing dirty laundry separately from my clean clothes.

Tip: Remember to prioritize doing laundry at your stay so that most of your clothes are clean when you head to your next destination.

Melin Packable Hat

Melin is a high-quality brand and we genuinely love the style and comfort of their hats. We wear them abroad and in the States. This style packs pretty small, so it’s great to travel with. Definitely bring a hat with you for sun protection.

Tip: Hats and facial sunscreen are recommended for sun protection on your face. For your body, opt for reef-safe sunscreen if you plan to be in any natural body of water. You can also wear what’s called a “sun shirt”, which is a very thin long sleeve shirt that is often sold by athletic brands. We wear these to avoid feeling greasy from sunscreen.

Skincare (Sunscreen & Moisturizers)

Everyone has different skincare preferences. If you’re going to be in a dry climate, Andalou Naturals has great moisturizers. They’re generally lightweight, so they are great to use in humid areas as well, such as the Caribbean and Central America. We recommend the following moisturizers: Probiotic + C Renewal Cream (day cream) and Brightening Purple Carrot + C Luminous Night Cream (night cream). The Andalou Naturals SPF 18 Ultra Sheer Daily Defense Facial Lotion is a great facial sunscreen. As for other sunscreen, make sure it’s reef safe if you’re swimming in any natural body of water. SunBum and Supergoop offer reef safe options, but always make sure you check the packaging and specific product line to make sure. Be a responsible traveler.

We recently learned that contact lens containers are great for holding creams and liquids in tiny containers. We use tiny containers to save space, and unfortunately we have found that many dry the product out once we reach out destination. Contact lens containers have not failed us yet.

Please note that one of the photos below shows a generic container we previously used, so we still recommend contact lens containers over that type.

Travel Clothesline

You never know when you will need to suddenly dry your clothes. Many stays don’t offer dryers, and if they do, those dryers can break down or be occupied by someone else’s clothes. Just bring a clothesline.

Toto Washlet Travel Bidet - $244

If you have disposable income, the Travel Washlet by Toto is worth the expense. On trips where you may feel extra dirty from traveling so much, feeling clean with a travel bidet can increase your overall well-being while on a trip.