Tips on Packing Super Light

[Anonymous]

Taking a 10 day trip with husband and infant and need to pack super crazy light. Have any tips/tricks?

[Anonymous]

crazy light like only a carryon?

[Anonymous]

Will you be able to buy necessary items (like diapers or baby food) at your destination? You can take (or buy there) a sample/small container of laundry detergent and plan to do laundry once or twice, even if it's just in the hotel bathtub.

[Anonymous]

Travel wear!!

REI and other outfitter stores have underwear for men and women that are super quick-dry Also bras, and camis/T-shirt.

So when we have to travel super light ... we take 1 or 2 pr of underwear, max, and like 2 T-shirts apiece. You just keep rinsing them out before bed, and they're dry in the morning. And they don't stink, so it's not as gross as that sounds, so long as you use a drop of soap in the sink.

Here's an example of the undies I describe (and this website in general is awesome for what you need to do)

http://www.travelsmith.com/jump.jsp?itemID=7326&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C250%2C1839&iProductID=7326&sortBy=0

[Anonymous]

It's easy--leave the husband and infant at home!

[Anonymous]

where r u going to? if you going for a ski trip the technique is different from packing for beach...

[Anonymous]

We're going to Europe. Planes/trains/checking bags.

[Anonymous]

Blacks and other neutrals. Don't pack outfits -- make sure everything goes with everything else and wear items a couple times. Wear your bulky stuff on the plane. Bring a little laundry detergent and a couple ziploc bags -- you can wash things in the sink and put them in the baggie if they're not completely dry before you have to repack. Go easy on the toiletries -- everyone can use the same lotion and your baby can make do with plain water baths for a week.

[Anonymous]

Cotton/lycra dresses. They pack small, are a whole outfit, and can work day and evening. Simplify shoes. I take one pair of comfortable shoes and one pair of sandals that are comfortable enough to walk in but also can work for dressier. I've gone the Europe a couple of times on week long business trips with only a carry on so it's doable.

[Anonymous]

Depends on where you're going. I'm headed to Belgium this week and it is COOL even in mid-June. If you go with dresses only be sure to wear at least a light jacket for evenings and rainy days.

[Anonymous]

My family laughs at how light I travel! I make sure every single piece of clothing I pack matches into at least 3-4 other outfits. I might pack 10 pieces total for a week, and then I work the hell out of each piece. I also wear my bulky thing (depends on the season what it is) on my travel days. I make sure to have a single pair of shoes that works for everything I'd wear. A low heel or sandal in summer.

As for space, I work every inch of my suitcase too. Socks go inside shoes. I know how to fold the precision way that retail display folds, so my stuff lays really flat. I don't pack things I can buy there.

But it's going to be hard with a baby. God bless you for even making the trip! I'd say you'll need to aim for the mix and match thing again for baby, but double the # of articles of clothing to allow for accidents and 2 changes of clothes per day. Take enough diapers to get through 2 days, and buy the smallest package you can find as you need them. You'll need a healthy dose of chill and ability to wing it too.

Have fun - - sounds like an adventure!

[Anonymous]

You can pack light for adults. You cannot pack light for infant. But then, their clothes are small so maybe you can. I packed light for first child for our first trip and hated it - I ended up drying his only warm PJs with hairdryer at night because he had accidents, threw up, leaked, and it was colder then I thought. We travel a lot but I always carry extra for our little kids. We usually travel with two suitcases for 4 people for 10 days plus so you can do it. Definitely buy bulky stuff there - creams, diapers, etc. Bring medicines, clothes, pacis, stuff that you want to be sure works for your kids. You dont want to spend your vacation running around european stores looking for the correct size (in cm of course) clothes for your kid ...
Enjoy!

[Anonymous]

Roll your clothes! It really helps. I second the rei clothes they dry Super quick

[Anonymous]

Pack in advance. Packing light is definitely doable, but you really need to think through everything you're bringing. I'm normally a last minute packer, so wind up with more than I need because I don't have the time to deal - but for our honeymoon, DH and I did a 6 week trip to Europe and only had 1 overnight size backpack (not a full size one) and one regular book backpack - with room to spare for souvenirs, so even an over packer like me can go light if I focus.

The PPs have covered most of what I'd suggest - clothes that mix and match really well, easy wash and hang to dry items, at MOST 2 pairs of shoes each, etc. Minimize cotton as it doesn't dry as quick and wrinkles.

As for the infant - how old is your child? You can probably ditch a stroller if you have a carrier for them, which is probably easier to manage in planes/trains/etc anyway.

[Anonymous]

Bring a small spray bottle of Febreeze to spruce up your laundry between washings. This lets you bring fewer items and wear them a little bit longer.