New Zealand. The Land of the Long White Cloud. A country filled with literally every kind of landscape and climate you can think of — there are beaches in the north, snow-capped mountains in the south, glaciers descending into temperate rain forests in the west, and volcanoes in the middle.
So, needless to say, packing for a trip to New Zealand takes a bit of planning.
Here are my top 3 tips for packing for NZ:
- Pack layers — warmer than you think you’ll need, because the weather can change in an instant.
- Bring something waterproof — again, that weather is unpredictable.
- Good shoes are a must, especially if you plan to do any hiking — hiking in flip-flops is NOT going to cut it here.
What to pack for a trip to New Zealand
Here’s a look at my New Zealand packing list for a trip in November (which is late springtime there):
My backpack
I eschewed my usual backpack for this trip, and went with my Osprey Sojourn rolling baginstead. It’s a 60-liter bag with sturdy wheels and removable backpack straps. Knowing what traveling in New Zealand is like (i.e. no subways to climb in and out of, and mostly travel by bus or car), I decided to leave the backpack straps at home, since I knew I would have no problem rolling my bag everywhere I would be going.
I utilized my favorite Eagle Creek Packing cubes and and my Hoboroll and packed the following for my 5-week trip:
Clothing
- 3 pairs of stretchy jeans
- 1 pair of zip-off hiking pants
- 1 pair of shorts (mostly because I had a 3-day stopover in Tahiti on my way to NZ)
- 1 pair of long leggings
- 5 t-shirts
- 2 tank tops (again, mostly for Tahiti)
- 1 long-sleeved shirt
- 1 zip-up hoodie
- 1 layering shirt
- 2 long-sleeved sweaters
- 3 dresses
- 1 set of pajamas
- 5 pairs of socks
- 10 underwear (including my favorite ExOfficio quick-dry bikini briefs)
- 3 bras
- 1 swim suit
(Just a small selection pictured here)
Outerwear
- 1 long casual coat
- 1 heavier raincoat with hood by prAna
- 1 knit hat
- 1 infinity scarf
Shoes
- 1 pair of boots
- 1 pair of Merrell Moab waterproof hiking boots
- 1 pair of Crocs Adrina flats
- 1 pair of flip-flops (which I tossed after Tahiti)
Other
- 1 microfiber towel
- Shampoo and other toiletries (including sunscreen, which you REALLY need in New Zealand since it has basically no ozone layer)
- Travel hair dryer (this dual-voltage one is great!)
All of this easily fit into my bag with room to spare — I ended up coming home with a bunch of gifts for family and friends (we’re talking 5 t-shirts, 6 tea towels, some Manuka honey, and a bunch of magnets) and could still zip the bag up without issue. Not having the backpack straps installed meant that I had an extra pocket in the back for more storage
My STM Drifter bag
Before my trip, I was sent an STM Drifter bag to test out, and decided that New Zealand would be as good a test as any. The bag held up well (and the gray color ensured that it didn’t show any dirt or wear), and I love the “floating” pockets inside to hold laptops and/or tablets. It has plenty of other outer and inner pockets, too, including one on the side for a water bottle.
Inside this bag:
- My Macbook Air
- Kindle Paperwhite
- Electronics chargers, extra batteries/SD cards, etc.
- External hard drive
- Belkin power strip/surge protector
- Skross travel adapter
- A small make-up bag (with things like my toothbrush, jewelry, etc.)
- My glasses and extra contacts
- A travel umbrella
- Inflatable neck pillow
My purse
My trusty Donner bag by Overland Equipment got to visit yet another continent. I love this bag because it’s roomy, yet has a lot of pockets and space for a water bottle or two on the sides. It’s super practical and useful for a traveler like me, AND it’s not completely ugly. (Sadly it’s not sold any longer, but this Travelon Bucket Bag is really similar!)
In my purse (on travel days):
- Wallet
- Passport
- My Olympus camera
- Extra camera battery and lens cleaner
- GoPro with floaty GoPole stick
- Small zippered pouch with Dramamine, chapstick, Advil, etc.
- Tiny hair brush with attached mirror
- Business cards (because you never know who you’ll meet!)
Love this bag! (It even matches my pants here.)
What was I glad to have?
On this trip, there were a few things I was super glad to have. Namely:
My prAna rain jacket
I got a Sinta jacket from prAna right before my trip to New Zealand, and I ended up wearing it nearly every day while I was there. prAna is known for making yoga clothing, but they make a ton of other great stuff, too, including comfy pieces perfect for travel. Not only did I get lots of compliments on this jacket, but it also kept me dry exactly as promised.
My infinity scarf
I almost didn’t pack a scarf for this trip, but I’m SO glad I threw one in my bag before leaving the house. It got quite chilly in many places, and I was really happy to have something with me so I could cover my neck.
My hiking boots
I bought my Merrell Moab waterproof hiking boots specifically with this trip in mind, and was not disappointed at all. Not only do these boots do exactly what they promise (i.e. provide support and keep your feet dry), but they’re comfy and required very little breaking in.
Convertible hiking pants
I’m not really a huge fan of hiking, but I WAS very happy to have a pair of zip-off pants with me on this trip. The pair I took were Columbia hiking pants — very lightweight, yet water-resistent — though I also have another, heavier pair from prAna that I wished I had on some of those colder days.
Pants: converted
How did I do?
New Zealand was having a colder spring than usual, and so on quite a few days I was colder than I would have liked to be. Next time, I would probably swap out one of those sweaters for a zip-up fleece for a bit of extra warmth. And I would have packed a pair of light gloves, too — just in case.
I took too many tops (as always), but I like having a bit of variety to choose from. And I would have been fine with just 1 or 2 dresses instead of the 3 I packed. But, I think I will always be a bit of an over-packer for as long as I live. #sorrynotsorry
I also only used my microfiber towel twice on the trip (since I was mostly staying in hotels and B&Bs where towels were provided), but it takes up hardly any room, so I didn’t mind that I packed it anyway.
What else do I need?
It’s not a tangible item, but I also always recommend packing a good travel insurancepolicy! That way everything from lost luggage to a bad accident is covered – because you just never know! I recommend World Nomads for basic (and really affordable) travel insurance.
Amanda. (23rd January, 2015). What is in my backpack. Retrieved from http://www.dangerous-business.com/2015/01/backpack-packing-trip-new-zealand/