Here’s something I do after every trip I take:
At the end of your trip after you’ve packed all of your essentials, make a note of what you used and what you wore, and what you didn’t.
You can do this a couple of times, and then do a little analysis of the information and the third time you pack for a trip, leave those non-essentials out.
From these packing trial and errors, I’ve learned the following:
- I don’t mind wearing the same thing twice if it isn’t sweaty/dirty already
- I don’t wear more than one “bottom” (pants), but I bring just in case pants
- I like to change my tops more than my bottoms
- I also don’t mind washing in the sink to dry for the next day
- I bring at least 5 of underwear and pairs of socks
Over time, you will find your own rules to packing lightly, because it’s a trial and error.
You may realize that you prefer wearing dresses, not skirts and tops (hey, it’s an all-in-one outfit!), or that you really don’t use all those 10 t-shirts you bring for a 5 day trip.
