Tell me your packing tips! Do you underpack or overpack for trips?

[CTyankee]

I just took a 2 week trip to Europe and took the advice from the underpack crowd, 3 pair of slacks and 5 tops and one extra sweater, 2 pairs of shoes. I felt badly dressed the entire trip. Also, by the middle of trip I felt my clothes were grungy, even tho I showered daily and didn't do anything more than walk a lot and visit museums and restaurants. I did a lot of laundering in hotel sinks (the hotels charge a LOT for running your clothes through a washer/dryer). In Rome, my hotel powered down their electricity at night so things didn't dry so well in the cold bathroom.

How many changes of outfits do you take? Do you take old clothes to wear and then just throw them out in your hotel, to make room for new stuff you bought?

Do you roll or fold your clothes? Are there sprays you can use to "freshen" your clothes?

Any advice you have is welcome!

[NewWaveChick1981]

1. I have a tendency to overpack.

I'd always rather have something and not need it than to really need something and not have it. Washing things in hotel sinks is a far cry from a washer and dryer, so I know exactly what you mean. :(

I've been to Europe twice. The first time, I was in Italy for three weeks (in 1977), and I washed things out in the hotel sink. That worked OK because we were in the hotel more than a day and things had a chance to dry. I was in the UK in 2000 for ten days, and I took enough changes of underwear and socks for the whole trip, plus an extra pair of each. Fortunately, it was October and it was cold, so I could layer sweaters over other shirts. I took enough shirts that I could wear them twice without having to wash them. I packed three pairs of jeans to rotate, so that I didn't wear a pair more than three times (including the one I wore on the trip over). I took an extra pair of walking shoes, one skirt, and one pair of dress shoes. I used those "space saver" ziploc bags, which helped a lot.

[CTyankee]

2. What about bags? I took one large duffle on wheels.

My friend took a medium size suitcase and a soft sided medium sized carry on. She threw out 3 shirts she brought because they were old. I've heard of other people doing that, too. But then you're stuck wearing your crappy clothes and I don't want to look any crappier than I felt I did!

[Omphaloskepsis]

3. I underpack..

On my last trip to Europe my bag was seven pounds. The girl I went with had 31 pounds with her. She ended up mailing a ton of things back from Paris. I ended up cutting my towel in quarters and threw three quarters of it away to lighten my load. We did a lot of walking so having a heavy bag was silly.

[SharonRB]

5. That would never work for me

My make-up probably weighs 7 pounds by itself. Then the hair dryer (I'm always afraid the hotel dryer won't work.), the other toiletries, etc. The guy who invented suitcases on wheels should get some kind of medal -- I don't know how we managed before those were around.

[SharonRB]

4. I usually tend to overpack

I'd much rather have things with me that I wind up not wearing than not have something -- and I like to have some choices, depending on my mood once I get where I'm going. It's hard for me to make hard and fast decisions when I pack.

I try to figure out what I'll be doing, but don't always know ahead of time. The spring and fall are the most difficult times of the year to pack for, since the weather can go either way and I like to be prepared. Winter and summer aren't as difficult, although winter clothes take up a lot more space than summer.

My husband always gives me a hard time about it. I also wind up taking too many pairs of shoes.

I wish I could be in the underpack crowd, but then I feel like I didn't bring the right stuff all the time.

[fudge stripe cookays]

6. I wear a lot of black slacks and white Tshirts anyway.

On trips, this philosophy works VERY well. Black slacks that are cottony microfiber fight wrinkles, and you CAN wear them again at least another day. I let them air out overnight.

I take accessories like brightly colored cardigans and scarves to dress them up so I don't have to take as much bulk.

Word to the wise: I had a pair of black riding boots with me in Italy-- I wondered about taking them at first, but they were INVALUABLE upon our return because I bought a couple of little perfume bottles and blown glass figures. Stuffed inside socks, they made the trip back just fine.

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

7. Febreeze is your friend. My brother call it the laundrmat for college kids