What to Pack?

We fly out in 1 week! Packing has commenced in earnest.

So, what do you bring on a 95 day trip – with the caveat that this is being done in history clothes?

Esther’s packing list:
– 3 pairs of stockings, two wool and one cotton
– 2 shifts, with a third as a project to work on
– 1 set of stays
– 1 pair of pockets
– 3 petticoats, one wool underpetticoat, one wool petticoat, and one linen petticoat for when it gets hot this summer
– 2 French 1750s style jackets, one in brown wool and one in blue linen
– 1 short cloak with hood
– 2 caps
– Possibly 1 chip hat, TBD
– 2 pairs of mitts, one wool and one linen
– 2 pairs of modern bike shorts, because “thick thighs save lives”
– 5 pairs of underwear – 3 regular and 2 pairs of period undies (because ain’t nobody got time to change tampons/cups/deal with historical wadding)
– 2 pairs of shoes – one pair of modern Merrel hiking shoes, and one pair of history shoes with insoles. I’ll be wearing the modern shoes most of the time because I want my feet to be happy.
– a sewing kit and patch fabric for clothing repairs
– 4 handkerchiefs, one white and three with woven boarders. French and Savoyard images show lower class women with a handkerchief tied around their cap and with one at their neckline.
– 1 pinner apron
– tin cup
– First aid kit with bandages, blister care, medicine, and electrolytes
-Toiletries, including a 90-day supply of contacts, back-up glasses, sunscreen, laundry detergent sheets, tooth brush and tooth paste, a 3-in-1 shampoo/conditioner/body wash bar, and a 90-day supply of vitamins. Oh, and my inhaler. Can’t forget that.
– Power adapter, phone charger, and extra battery pack
– 1 large sketchbook, 1 small pocket-sized book, 3 micron pens, and 1 pencil

-Oh, and passports. Those are key.

I’ll be wearing 1 pair of stockings, 1 shift, the stays, the pockets, 2 petticoats, 1 jackets, the cloak, 1 pair of mitts, 1 pair of bike shorts, 1 pair of undies, 1 pair of shoes, 2 handkerchiefs, 1 cap, and the apron every day, so thankfully that isn’t all going in my pack basket! The hope is that once we get to Italy in late June, we’ll be able to send our wool garments home since we won’t need them anymore.

I know this might be more than what a typical pilgrim brings, but considering that we are representing Savoyards who have left their home and are traveling to a new life, it seems appropriate to bring what an 18th century person might have brought with them.