We're at the halfway point of the summer and it's almost time for me to shake off the dust of this town and fly off to parts unknown. I love traveling. In fact, I love it so much that I've often got my luggage out and open and waiting days before the actual packing needs to be done. But, as much as I love packing, I hate having a lot of luggage. Even in the days before baggage check fees, I rarely checked luggage. Here are my best tips on how to pack lightly and still look good when you get there.
• You do not need to wear something different everyday, you do need to be comfortable and appropriate: With that in mind, I use a packing formula: 3 bottoms for 1 week, 3 tops per bottom, 5 bottoms for 2 weeks, deduct 1 top and 1 bottom for each dress. True, that is not a lot of clothes but unless I am attending fashion week in Paris (hasn't happened yet), I can wear the same thing a few times.
• If you are going sightseeing or to a city, always, even in the heat of the summer, bring a cardigan (women) or a dinner jacket (men). I too vividly remember, as a child, my mother being asked to leave the Duomo in Milan because her arms were bare. Plus it comes in handy on a chilly plane. On that same trip, my brother had to borrow a dinner jacket at a restaurant. Not every place in the world is as informal as the States. On that same note, I always pack one thing I can dress up.
• Unless you are going to Antarctica or camping, there will be stores where you are going and you can always get what you need or forgot there. Apart from contact lenses or prescription medicine, you will be able to buy it at your destination. And, if you're in a foreign country, the replacement product will likely be more interesting than what you're used to.
• Forget the pack flat or roll debate. Bundling is best: I used to roll my clothes until Gregory discovered this method. Not only is it a space saver, it is genius at keeping your clothes from wrinkling.
• Pack one space saver bag: Just in case you buy a lot while you're away, the space bag may help you avoid having to buy an extra piece of luggage to bring it all back in.
Image: David Masters, from his Flickr, with a Creative Commons License, some rights reserved.
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Good tips - but guys don't need a Dinner Jacket unless they're wearing Black Tie.
A blazer or sportsjacket will do just fine.
Other things I always do:
I stuff my shoes with socks and rolled up underwear to help keep them in shape and conserve space - and I use shoe bags to keep them separated from my clothing.
I also take the plastic laundry bags from hotels and use/reuse them to pack my worn underwear home in (that which won't fit in my shoes)
I also rely on the toiletries in the hotels where I'm staying and bring the leftovers home with me to remind me of the nice vacation I just enjoyed.
Yeah those are really good things to keep in mind. I like to roll up all my clothes. It makes my clothes less wrinkly and makes things smaller.
I simply pack less and don't need a special folding technique to get it all in my bag.
I make everything do double or triple duty by packing a color theme for mix-and-match ensembles. Some people say "just pack all black and white." The concept applies if you happen like blue and brown together, or what-have-you. Add a splash of contrast with light weight accessories like jewelry, scarf, tie, etc.
Interesting...but 9 tops for one week seems like overpacking to me unless I am going to be sweating a lot and want to change tops midday.
Bundling packing sucks when you stay at different places and cant afford to unpack everything out of your luggage. You have to dig and hunt for clothes.
Oh, to attend fashion week in Paris...... Though I think I wouldn't need to bring too much with me. Just lots of stuff home!
A space saver bag is a great idea. I always limit my purchases because I don't have enough room in my suitcase. The tip about packing black and white is brilliant for business trips.
I'm also suprised by the total of 9 tops per week in that equation - when would you have to wear something twice, other than the bottoms?
I'm going to be gone for two weeks this summer (15 days) on a road trip and I'm trying to figure out what to pack. I want to bring a clean shirt for each day (plus an extra or two), and I'm planning on 5 bottoms (jeans, cotton pants/jeans, shorts/capris, and two skirts).
The thing I have a problem with is PJs. I'm usually cold at night in hotels, so skimpy PJs don't work, put PJ pants and a big t-shirt take up way too much room.
As someone who travels a LOT, you are suggesting WAY too many items of clothing. For two weeks, I typically pack two pants and one skirt/dress. If it's a warm place, replace pants with shorts or skirts. 2-3 short sleeved tops, a sweater for the plane, and you're done. Maybe a second sweater and long sleeved top if it's cold where i'm going.
Pashmina-type shawls are an essential for me. They're light, warm, chic, and roll up small.
I'm a fan of rolling. We are 2 adults and 3 kids and ended up having to pack just carry on for a 2 week summer vacation after a ticket mess-up (my fault). So I made a list (which I never normally do), ironed everything to get rid of air and lumps, rolled things small, stuffed shoes and every bit of space in each bag (all on wheels so the kids could drag their own most of the time - youngest is 2 and a half but loves to pull her case!) Everyone wore their bulkiest items on the plane (boots, jackets, etc) and we bought toiletries when we got off the plane. It worked like a charm. No fuss, no waiting for the carousel and the holiday was much more practical cos we had less crap all over the place. I'm now a packing light convert!
I got thoroughly raked over the coals when this same post was put up last year and I admitted that I throw clothes out as I go. Yup, I save up old (but still presentable) clothing, wear them for the vacation and throw everything out at the end. I only do this for airplane trips, though. I wear something crappy on the plane, throw it out when I arrive (because right there you're starting your trip with dirty laundry). Then, for a week's trip, its 2 tops,2 pants and 2 pairs of socks/undies. I wash out in the sink everynight (takes a few seconds to fill and soak) and then for the plane trip home I only have what's on my back. I've been travelling this way for years and laugh at people hauling the kitchen sink and I've just got a backpack. Of course you have to be pretty "low maintenance" to do this.
I like to list the activities I'll be doing - travelling, sightseeing, hiking, dinner in restaurants etc- and I make sure I have an outfit for each activity and that all the pieces go together so I can mix and match. I add a cardigan and an extra top or two, and that's it. It ends up being less than listed above.
It all rolls up nicely into a carry-on (I've tried bundling, but prefer rolling). I find shoes the hardest because I have difficult feet and love cute shoes. Blisters can ruin a trip, though, so I only allow myself 3 pairs of comfortable, broken-in shoes - even if they aren't my favorite, cutest shoes.
I pack small stuff like underwear and tights into various sizes of those mesh laundry bags. They take up no room, you can use one for dirty clothes and it can go straight into a washer with all the clothes inside.
I buy toiletries at my destination - it's always fun to try something new - and I toss them when I leave.
I once went to the UK for 2 weeks, but ended up staying 6 months. I had a carry-on with 2 pairs of pants(black and grey), a black skirt, two fleece vests (it was winter in a house that wasn't centrally heated) a couple of cashmere sweaters, a jacket, a dress, several white tops and a lined trenchcoat. There was never a time when I felt inappropriately dressed, although I was beyond thoroughly sick of everything by the end.
Summer traveling is lots easier to pack for than winter IMO. And while I dont toss clothes, I always pack several less than I need with the full intention of buying while on vacation (and it's part of my vacation budget). So I leave plenty of suitcase room to come home with more than I left with.
If you are always cold in your room, bring silk undies - very warm and very light.
The suggested amount to pack is insane. There should be a discussion of technical fibers that let you wash and dry things, but which don't look like clothes to wear camping.
9 tops for a week? that's not packing "light" LOL
@Taureg: Almost anything can dry overnight if you roll it in a towel before hanging it up. I carry three sets of clothing no matter how long I'll be on the road. As long as I have a few tubes of Rei in der Tube (German vacation detergent in a tube no bigger than a toothpaste tube), I have clean clothes every day. The third set is for days when you're in transit and can't wash things. Lole, Smartwool, Icebreakers, and REI have some things that don't look out of place on a business trip. I have plain black cotton tshirts that can be dressed up, and have plenty of scarves for color. In winter, having two cashmere sweaters (bought on sale at the end of the season), silk undershirts, wool tights (from SockDreams), a blazer, and one wool coat kept me warm, even in Scandinavia. I bring along zipped plastic bags. Put clothes in (especially dirty socks and underwear), zip up until the last centimeter or so, and sit on the bag (on a cushion works well to get more air out). Viola! Cheap space-saving bags.
Yeah, that seems like a crazy amount of clothes for a week...maybe they meant 3 tops that go with each bottom...with there being some overlap? That way you end up with at least 9 different outfits.
I try to never bring a checked bag anymore now that most airlines charge for them. So unless I'm on Southwest, I'm all carryon. And since I prefer to not struggle with huge bags, I've learned to pack light enough to manage with one medium sized carryon and a small to medium sized purse.
When I'm away for a weekend, I just pack normally, but if it's for a week, I bundle. That helps me fit everything into the baggage to which I've restricted myself.
I find that planning ahead (anticipating clothing combinations) allows me to pack more efficiently. I also always bring a plastic garbage bag from my own home which I put dirty clothes in (if the hotel has one I use theirs, but I've found I can't count on every hotel to have one). I only need 9 tops for a week if you factor in running gear, and even then, 9 is a lot. Mostly, I like visiting places where I know I can wash my laundry.
And I always wear my heavy coat and boots on the plane. Keeps me warm on the flight and my baggage light.
In my 39 years I've never been anyplace that required a dinner jacket. I don't even own one, nor do I own a blazer or sports jacket.
Oh, and I never wear jewelry when flying. If I remember, I'm definitely wearing socks - not flip flops (sometimes I forget in the summer) - so my bare feet don't have to touch the nasty airport floor when I'm going through the body scanners.
Just got back from a 4 day trip and the hubby and I shared a small suitcase. 2 pairs of jeans each, 3 tops each, socks, etc... it all fit in a little suitcase. I roll everything, but I do sometimes do a modified bundle roll where I take say, three teeshirts and lay them out overlapping and then roll them up into one big teeshirt roll. Seems to save space and prevent wrinkling as well. Two pairs of shoes each (one comfy walking and one dressier but still comfortable for walking). Longer trips I do wash things in the hotel sink so less packing overall.
I always figure that we could buy anything forgotten, and use every little bit of space in there (inside shoes, stuff the non spillable toiletries into nooks and crannies, etc.)
I also use a gallon zip baggie for my spillable stuff like lotions and toothpaste.
I love this formula! I always way over pack or under pack.
My friend almost got kicked out of the Duomo in Milan for wearing Leggings, a dress (turtleneck), and a cardigan.. because her dress was too short! Yet another girl we were with got let in wearing leggings as pants.
The "bundling" method presumes that you will be able to completely unpack when you arrive (I rarely do), because what if the first thing you need is right in the middle of the bundle?
I like tip #3 the best. I always try to bring an almost-used-up tube of toothpaste so that I can buy some foreign type while I'm in whatever country, and have it sitting on my sink as a travel 'souvenir' once I'm home!
I also use the 'disposable wardrobe' technique on casual trips. I pack and wear my most worn-out stuff (usually thrift shop stuff to being with) and leave it behind after it's worn, so that my load becomes progressively lighter as I travel (and/or I have more room for acquiring stuff).
Plus, it negates the need to wash clothes and/or bring home dirty laundry.
I like the "disposable wardrobe" idea in theory, but I've pared down my wardrobe such that I don't have any disposable pieces!
I always pack light, in a canvas duffle that can fit in the seat in front of me if there's no overhead room. I don't want to do laundry when I'm on vacation, so I pack enough underwear to last the trip. But I'll wear pants or dresses twice or thrice, I pack small camisoles so that I can re-wear cardigans or other knits, and I never pack anything that wrinkles. Oh, and I almost never travel with jeans: they're just too bulky and heavy.
I rarely pack an extra pair of shoes: one pair of black ballet flats is appropriate almost everywhere. On the rare occasion when I'm doing something active (e.g., hiking), I'll wear appropriate footwear on the plane and pack those black flats.
I almost never shop when I'm on vacation. We pick up one wine bottle stopper as a souvenir, take lots of photos with digital cameras, and that's it.
I take a PackMate bag with me when I travel and put all my dirty laundry in it, since I don't care if my dirty stuff gets wrinkly on the trip home. Definitely helps free up suitcase space for souvenirs!
bepsf, you're right, i meant sports coat or blazer!
9 tops may feel like a lot but that includes everything that you'd wear on top. if it's winter and you're doing a layering thing -- a camisole, a long sheeve t and a cardigan with jeans, that's three tops right there. Even so, I've never had to use anything bigger than a small pilot case.