This Week's Kit | Packing For Scotland

Trips away and holidays always sneak-up on me. Without fail, if I book something in for a couple of month’s time, it’s always the day before that I’m frantically rushing around, checking the weather, throwing random clothes together, and searching for a case big enough to fit them in. Mat’s much more of a planner, and for any trips he’s always prepared. Camera in one hand, packet of mints in the other - it’s the uniform of the modern day explorer. So, I thought, who better to ask than Mat for advice on an upcoming trip?

It’s Scotland again for me - that not-so-far-away land that until last year, I’d hardly visited, and have since been more times than I can remember. Although it’s relatively close, we’re going to be doing a lot of travelling; adding up the trains, planes, and automobiles, it’s going to be pushing 20 hours on the ‘road’. I’ll need a distraction, Rapha’s new Mondial magazine is just the thing.

Of course, writing for Buckets, my work is never done. Mat’s keen for some snaps of Scotland - as if he doesn’t have enough already - so is bullying me into buying a new camera. His choice is the Lumix GX7. I’ve used it and it’s an ace camera, but I might have to see what the bank balance is looking like after payday.

Then we have the clothes. A difficult time of year, September. It could be hot, cold, or anywhere in-between. Mat’s suggesting the Budgie Jacket from Universal Works. It’ll travel well and has plenty of pockets for my phone, wallet, giant hotel room key (honestly, at the last place the key fob weighed a tonne), and those mints.

My choice now and these Nike Internationalist have been on the wish list for a couple of weeks. Very tempted to visit the guys at Albam and pick up a pair, as well as ordering myself some decent socks to go with them. Everyone heard of Form & Thread? Mat highly recommends them.

Finally, I’m going to need a lightweight case to throw it all in. This one by hardshell case by American Tourister is just the ticket. Turns out Tesco do a really wide range of travel accessories these days, and I won’t even have to leave home to get it. Score!

As for that beer, Mat makes a good point - when you're in the middle of nowhere good beer can be hard to find. A couple of cans from Camden Town Brewery and America’s own Flying Dog ought to do the trick. And I’m done! Bag packed, boarding pass downloaded, all that’s left is to wave goodbye to Heathrow and say hello to Aberdeen...

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