My parents were both in the Air Force. They were notorious for packing light. I remember going away for a long weekend – my three sisters, my brother and my parents. Mom would ask each of us to bring her what we wanted to wear, including pjs and underwear. She would take each of our items and roll them up and put them in the suitcase. She used one of those big old overnight cases for all the family toiletries and a garment bag for any dress clothes. Shoes went in a separate bag.
I am so glad she taught me how to pack light. . . and I STILL overpack. Take, for example, our trip to Puerto Rico. Here’s what I packed – in an overnight bag – for 5 nights/6 days:
- 4 dresses
- 1 bathing suit coverup
- 7 tops
- 1 denim skirt
- 3 pairs of shorts
- 1 pair of white jeans
- 1 fleece
- 2 bathing suits
- PJs
- underwear
- 2 hats
- Tote bag
- Clutch
- Rain coat
- socks
- 4 pairs of sandals including flip flops and sport/water sandals
- Bag of toiletries
Here’s how I did it.
Wait till you see what comes out of this bag!
When I travel, I like to pack a small clutch or purse. For beach trips I also include a tote bag (the orange one). The blue below that is my rain coat.
This is a stack of neatly folded tops.
Then roll them up
Everything. Unpacked. A lot, right?
For the record, you may not be able to pack this light if you’re traveling to a place that’s cold. Winter clothes are a lot bulkier so you might not be able to pack this light.
Please add your tips for packing light to the comments below.