How do you pack for a five-week trip to Europe that involves everything from high intensity sports to business meetings, with no guarantee of a laundromat along the road? You fill your suitcase with merino wool of course. Four pieces from the Icebreaker merino wool collection built the foundation of my packing list that would stay the course for weeks on end.
My trip began wearing the Bliss Wrap , perfect for the plane, as it is warm, comfortable, and stylish. With numerous ways of wearing the merino wool piece, you can modify your look depending on the situation. A shoulder button lets you wrap one side across your neck for more coverage or warmth, or you can tie the straps behind you for a more fitted, open look.
For business meetings, I paired the Bliss Wrap with the Icebreaker Villa Dress and added some colorful accessories. The Villa Dress on it's own is great for warm days walking around town or to even throw on over your swimsuit when hiking or biking to the lake to swim.
For high intensity outdoor activities, I brought two pieces from the current Icebreaker GT Run collection, the Rush V top and the Swift Jacket . Hiking, climbing, trail running, and biking in the lower elevations of both France and Germany was hot and humid work, where the merino wool was light and vented enough to keep me from overheating. The Rush V features a nice feminine neckline and cuffs, adding a little flare to your standard outdoor ensemble.
For early mornings, higher elevations, or when the wind picked up when climbing, I threw on the Swift Jacket. I even wore the classic looking merino wool jacket around town in the evenings.
Keep in mind that the Rush V top is made from Icebreaker's 150 weight merino wool, so the material can be a bit see-through, especially the yellow color. Not that it matters much, but whatever you wear underneath is likely to show through. I had a similar issue when wearing the Villa Dress on its own.
I was able to do one small load of laundry in Chamonix where I washed the Rush V top, but other than that, all my merino wool pieces endured through all the sweat, miles on the trail, vertical elevation gains and losses, dinners, meetings, and trade shows of my trip. A similar synthetic based wardrobe would have been harder to pull off for 5 weeks without regular access to laundry. My travel mates would not have been happy.
I fly back home sometime this weekend (fingers crossed), where five weeks later, I plan to throw on my Bliss Wrap without the fear of offending my seatmate, all while looking stylish in the process.
Bottom Line: Icebreaker merino wool makes a great packing foundation for extended (or even short) trips that include a variety of activities for both play and work.
You can take advantage of the huge end of season sale going on at Icebreaker right now!
