Soft Luxe Travels: What's in My Backpack for Vigan

 

I love this backpack! 

I’m a tote girl at heart, but for long road trips and vacations, I switch to a roomy white backpack—hands-free, tons of compartments, and it fits my entire soft-luxe survival kit. Here’s everything I actually packed for Vigan and how I keep it all neat.

Look at all those compartments

Tech & Work Corner

• Tablets (2) + slim cases — one is my son's. The green one is mine. I bring a tablet for blogging and work. 
• Logitech Bluetooth keyboard — turns the tablet into a mini laptop when I need to write.
• Mini clear zipper pods (3) — hold cables and chargers
• Powerbank in other photo

Organization Heroes

• Collapsible crates (green & lilac) — fold flat, then pop open in the hotel to sort snacks or toiletries. Total game-changer for keeping a small room calm.
• Folding cloth organizer — For organizing my toiletries

Hygiene & Comfort

• Evian Facial Spray — instant refresh after hours on the road.
• Disposable tableware kit — for quick car snacks or hotel picnics (no dishwashing = conserved energy). Group meals are cheaper when you have food delivered, but they don't come with plates and utensils. I bring these, so we can eat comfortably.
• Body warmers — I brought these in case my son gets a stomachache or my husband needs them for his frozen shoulder.
• Pink cloth bag for body warmers
• Shoe cleansing wipes

Mini First-Aid & Essentials

• Compact first-aid pouch — bandages & basics.

• KoolFever sheets & tissues/wipes — for heat or headaches.  

 💡Mom Tip: Did you know that applying KoolFever strips to your child's nape will help prevent or alleviate car sickness? 

• Nasal spray  — My sister was having asthma attacks and my son usually gets a dry nose, so I brought a nasal spray. 
• Pill case - contains vitamin C gummies. We don't normally take supplements at home, but I make sure to pack some when we go on trips.
• Lucas Papaw Ointment — lips, cuticles, random dry patches = solved. It's a good thing I brought this because I got an insect bite and my husband cut his finger. 
• Tissue

Stationery & Planning

• Kraft notebooks  — I love writing down ideas when I'm on a trip. I have 2 because the other notebook is almost full. I didn't want to start a new one without filling it up first. 
• Cute notepad from Stars and Roses - I brought the notepad because I wrote notes for housekeeping. I left little gifts like this in our room for them to find. I brought 4 of these bags, and yes, they went into the backpack, too!  

• Slim pen case — I brought a few markers. I find that I write better and faster when I use markers. My penmanship also improves when I use these. 
• Foldable totes - For shopping, of course! I also use them for things that don't fit in my backpack or luggage. 
• Coin pouch - I bring a ton of coins when I travel. It's great for paying small things plus the sellers appreciate it so that they have change. 

Toiletries and Personal Items

• Orange pouch - contains bath lilies, toothbrushes and toothpaste, a small bottle of alcohol
• Hello Kitty ziplock - shower toiletries
• Floral pouch - lotions and deos
• White jewelry box - Check out what's inside in this post

Why a Backpack?

It keeps my weight evenly distributed (hello, happy shoulders) and opens wide so I can see everything. When it's just my son and I, I need both hands free to hold him with one hand and pull the luggage with another. A backpack is very useful to hold items that I might need while we're in the bus or car. With crates for structure and pouches for categories, I can unpack and repack in minutes—and that’s the real soft-luxe flex.

Next up: Day 1 — The Journey to Vigan  😉