What’s in My Bag: Las Vegas, Arizona & the Grand Canyon
Originally posted October 2015
Welcome to the first of my new series: What's in my bag! Since I started traveling, my most Googled topic has been what to pack. I've always been curious to know what others pack for similar trips, and it's always fun to get new ideas, so I figured I'd share the wealth!
Trip Length: 6 Days
Destination: 3 days in Las Vegas, road trip to the Grand Canyon and Flagstaff AZ, and 2.5 days in Phoenix
Forecast: Vegas (59-79F / 15-26C) Grand Canyon (32-57F / 0-14C) Flagstaff (34-59F / 1-15C) Phoenix (61-86F /16-30C)
Agenda: Typical Las Vegas shenanigans will include laying by the pool, sightseeing the strip, going to a desert shooting range, a few nice dinners and shows. Since I'll be with family I won't be going to any nightclubs. The road trip will be lots of hours spent in a car and a light hike at the Grand Canyon. In Phoenix I'll be doing some house hunting, visiting family and attending a surprise birthday party.
Here’s what’s in my bag:
And yes, all this fits in a carry on sized suitcase, with room to spare! I tried to go for a mix of outfits that could be dressed up or down, keeping in mind the desert temperatures and the types of activities I’d be doing.
Tops and Bottoms:
3 v–neck t-shirts – basic cotton v-necks, I find myself wearing these all the time during the day in varying climates. Great for layering, and will do well in the range of temperatures I’ll experience
1 tank top
1 pair of jean shorts
1 skater skirt
1 pair of skinny jeans – these are super comfortable and stretchy, I wore them recently on a 24+ hour plane journey, so I know they’ll be great for the road trip as well as when the temperature cools down in Flagstaff
Dresses:
1 t-shirt dress – a favorite of mine for sightseeing during the day, comfortable, cute and perfect for hot weather
1 sun dress – great for when the weather is just too ridiculously hot, but mostly for hitting up the pool!
1 reversible dress – very easy to dress up or down with the addition of some jewelry. This dress is simple, flattering, and best of all it reverses to solid black! Can’t beat two looks in one!
Layers & Accessories:
Leather Jacket – great for nighttime in Las Vegas, it gives any outfit some edge and adds some warmth as the desert temperatures drop
1 cardigan – rolls up small enough to stuff in my day bag. Although it’s hot in Vegas during the day, the casinos jack up the A/C to the max, so having an extra layer will be nice
1 light fleece – great for the plane as well as the road trip and when the weather dips in Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. I can combine all three of these items to maximize the warmth!
1 day bag – a simple purse that can go cross body or over the shoulder. I’ll carry this on the plane along with my suit case. Perfect for carrying electronics and other plane necessities. I’ll use this for sightseeing and activities in the daytime
1 clutch – also has a strap to go cross body. Great for evening activities or when I don’t need to carry much
1 belt – to mix up my outfits
2 necklaces
Sun Hat – perfect for daytime activities and keeping the sun off my face. No one wants to be a lobster on vacation! The best part, it’s collapsible and can be packed in my suit case
Ankle booties – I’ll wear these on the plane, at the shooting range and hiking at the Grand Canyon. They are very well broken in and super comfortable
Wedges – Nice enough to dress up my outfits, plus they’re nude so they go with everything!
Sandals – quite possibly my favorite pair of shoes I own, these sandals are ridiculously comfortable and what I’ll wear most days. They can handle miles of walking all while keeping my feet happy. I’ve regretted every trip I didn’t take these bad boys with me!
Other:
Pajamas – tank top and yoga shorts
1 bikini
2 bras – one nude, one black, both go with all outfits
7 panties
1 pair of black tights – in case I need an extra layer, but can also go with the dresses and ankle booties
3 pairs of socks
Gadgets:
Headphones
iPod Shuffle + charger – I learned a long time ago not to waste my phone battery on music. This bad boy is the best, and great for workouts as well!
iPad Mini – loaded up with movies and books
iPhone – also to be used as my camera
iPad/iPhone charger – love that I only need one charger for both accessories!
Headphone splitter – two of us can watch a movie together
USB power adapter – 2 USB ports in one for the win!
Luckily I don’t work when I travel (for now), so I can keep my gadgets to a minimum!
In addition to the above, I of course had my toiletries bag, make up bag (which will definitely be more full than my usual travel make up, come on, it’s Vegas!) and a few other odds and ends like my neck pillow, eye mask, deck of cards and mini roll of duck tape… just in case.