Packing Light - Tips, tricks, and strategies for deciding what to bring on a trip.

[Brandrea]

We travel frequently and just got back from a 7 day trip to Vancouver.

What works best for me is the following:

1. Always have your toiletry bag fully stocked and ready to grab and go. That means when I get back, I restock it right away.
2. Resist the temptation to over pack. It’s taken me years to master this. Put up your hand if you were like me and packed too many tees, or pants and shirts only to get home and realize you didn’t wear half of it lol.

For me on 7 day, that means one pair of denim, one pair of chinos, one pair of shorts, 3 tees, one sweater, one shirt. Underwear etc is one pair for each day (you can always reverse them if needed lol).
3. Pack one jacket, in my case always a lightweight puffer that will pack down.
4. We are the opposite to the advice above and we like to ship our luggage to its final destination. Nothing worse (to us) than slogging luggage through the airport, train etc., or checking it and having it go missing.
5. I always wear a travel back pack (about 20l size) to carry my electronics, and travel papers etc.
6. Last is footwear, a huge space sucker upper … I wear Birks pretty much for everything and I pack one pair of dressier walking shoes.

[Graeme]

I haven't heard of the 54321 packing scheme, but I often use a similar one, which is:

7 sets of socks and underwear
4 t-shirts
2 mid-layers
2 pairs of trousers

I don't take a second pair of shoes, which frees up a bit of space in the bag.

In Australia the biggest constraint on travelling with hand-luggage only is weight. I took a trip up the East Coast of Australia in April, and though I could fit everything into my trusty Defy Verbockel, my bag weighed 12 kg (about 26 lbs), against a limit of 10 kg (22 lbs). Admittedly I was carrying two laptops and a few other things for work, and that pushed me over. Plus my Verbockel weighs half a tonne empty.

[pechelman]

one more note on shoes, I don't always bring extra ones either. If I do, I try to stuff them full of things like socks, chargers, cables, etc so they their space is used a little more efficiently. Then snug up the laces so they're as compression straps to further reduce bulk. I've also found voile straps to be immensely useful to strap two shoes together to further reduce their bulk as well. These straps are handy around the house too.

[mclaincausey]

I pack usually some sort of vulcanized sneaker I can use for leisurely endeavors or working out (vans, soccer shoes, etc—low packable profile), and wear something more robust (boot or something).

[68degreesorless]

Ever since I bought the 21 oz carryall, I take a lot less stuff on trips. Consider getting a smaller bag that you love and want to use. You might be surprised what you are capable of.

[louisbosco]

I ride with a backpack for short trips. 3-4days kinda trip. being on a naked without panniers, I have to pack light or suffer.

comfy shoes for riding, walking and the jeans I wear out. what I'll pack are jocks and sock and few tees. in a tropical climate, plenty of tees and jocks are a necessity. the rest I can live without..

[Brian]

I’m going to impart some of this onto the wife
Last trip we took was to a cabin at the beach for 5 nights I’m sure she took enough things for a slow trek up Everest

I can usually get away with a pair of socks and boxers for the number of days/ nights
A pair of jeans, 1 over layer ( jumper sweater )
Couple of shirts and T-shirts

I have found over the years the way things are folded / rolled plays a big part in the available space in luggage as to the amount that can be taken on a trip

[Giles]

@Brian said in Packing Light - Tips, tricks, and strategies for deciding what to bring on a trip.:

I’m sure she took enough things for a slow trek up Everest

Welcome to my world.....

When I go away on my own, it is usually to a relatively remote place to fish. I'll pack all the essential fishing tech, and then any space that is left once that is done, I squeeze clothing in. If I am away for 7 nights, and I can only fit enough clothes in for a couple of days, I have to deal with it and do some washing.

I can go hiking for a week in the Alps and only take hand luggage, this is something Paula simply can't comprehend....

[Brian]

@Giles
Must be a female thing
How she will cope with the boat I do wish you the best you may only have room for hanging the undies off the mast

[Giles]

Luckily there is stacks of space on the boat......

[moto]

I tend to use a Patagonia black hole MLC bag exclusively these days for trips under 2 weeks in length. If I’m on business, I’ll add my Filson briefcase but lately I’ve tried to fit it all in the MLC, being hands free with a single backpack makes transit so efficient and pleasant. The unstructured nature of the MLC allows it to be crammed full or packed light and loose, and always fits in the overhead as opposed to some more structured or hard sided luggage. Wait, this wasn’t a luggage conversation was it?

[Anesthetist]

My advice would mirror that of @goosehd. I used to pack a lot of my IH but it is bulky and heavy. I have a love/hate affair with synthetics but have found them to be light, comfortable, and versatile. Wool is amazing and I love Patagonia & Proof merino tees bc I sweat bc they wick moisture and dont ever stink.

I try to minimize shirting but maximize outfits…. shirts I can wear with a suit jacket or shorts, lightweight polos, and well fitting Patagonia sweaters. The khaki & olive IH easy shorts are perfect for dressing up or down and will be new warm weather travel staples. I can fit a week’s worth of clothing in my 40L dyneema duffle and Evergoods Phoenix. However we usually still end up packing our Rimowa sport trunk bc the ladies in my life.

[SKT]

This is a great thread and I’m enjoying this whole discussion. Picking up loads of tips so thanks people! The challenge for me is when the kids and wife are included in any of the packing and they almost always are.

@Anesthetist love my Evergoods CPL 24

[Anesthetist]

@SKT I want their mountain sling bag too, they make some great bags

[Aetas]

For a long time I use parts of the Eagle Creek packing system .

Most used is the Pack-It Reveal Garment.

In here is everything what I need for a two weeks trip and it slips easy into a 40l backpack.

My 140l Ortlieb is totally in use by the rest of the family .

[Anesthetist]

@Aetas if you dont mind sharing, what does your pack list look like for 2 weeks?

This is a great thread!

[Aetas]

@Anesthetist

Short summer pack list for the last weeks on the Baleares:

• Three T’s (one IHT 7.5oz and an indigo dyed Triple Works)
• two white Polo’s
• some underwear
• lightweight linen pant
• cycling trousers+shirts
• beloved summer wheigt shirring IHSH-121

But I’ve to admit, that shorts/swim and sportswear is permanently based in the apartment and a washing machine is available .

[seawolf]

Travel Update: I got back from 12 days in Scotland, and have some lessons learned.

1. I knew this wasn't the best move, but I did it anyway. I wore my Johnny Cash for the first few days of the trip, but it started getting to be too fussy, and it ended up moving permanently to my suitcase, likely taking up too much space. I primarily wore a tee shirt and a long sleeve merino top (I have an Icebreaker 260 top that I've had for over 20 years that won't quit. I wore it basically every day on this trip) with jeans every single day. And when I needed a layer, my Arc'teryx Atom LT was absolutely perfect. I did a lot of research before deciding on a travel jacket, and the Atom LT lived up to the hype. We were very lucky that we didn't see much rain, but on the couple of occasions there was a slight drizzle, the Atom LT shed it easily, and blocked the wind quite well.

2. Brought a Patagonia Black Hole duffel with me, and so glad that I did. Between me and my wife, we brought back 4 bottles of gin and 4 bottles of whisky, and it all made it back safe and sound. We also got a bunch of gifts for others, so the extra duffel bag was a crucial piece of kit.

3. Merino wool saved me a few times. We were able to do laundry halfway through our trip, and for the most part, I didn't run out of anything, but there were a couple of times I had to wear something a second time out of convenience, and the merino wool did its job by not retaining odors. One of my particular favorites lately are these 100% merino wool undershirts from Wool & Prince. https://woolandprince.com/products/natural-white-v-neck-undershirt

4. My primary footwear was a pair of boots, and I was so sick of them by the end of the trip. And the thought of wearing them for 24 hours of travel back to California sounded miserable to me, but I had no more room in my luggage, so I couldn't switch to my more comfortable Birks for the flights. Boots were a solid choice for the majority of the trip, but lacing them up just right every day was a pain, and even though they're not super heavy boots, by the end of the trip they felt so clunky and uncomfortable. I had no idea that I needed so much variety in my footwear every day.

5. The only things I didn't use at all were a bathing suit and my down vest. Neither took up a lot of space, and I was glad to have them.

6. I need to bring more OTC meds for next time. If you ever start feeling unwell on a trip, it's not always super easy to find the right OTC meds you want in a timely manner, and it's so much easier to bring some along with you. I'm going to put together a little pocket pharmacy to avoid any issues in the future.

7. Lastly, my wife got a sinus infection while we were there, and I want to give a huge shoutout to the NHS who treated her expeditiously, gave her antibiotics, and sent us on our way without charging us a penny. The United States has a lot to learn about taking care of its citizens.

[SKT]

@seawolf Great information here! And sounds like you guys had a wonderful trip (minus the sinus infection).

[Anesthetist]

@seawolf I agree about the Atom LT, it is an excellent jacket and is very comfortable in a wide variety of temps. It also packs down well and as you mentioned does a decent job of shedding light drops.

Shoes provide me with a lot of anxiety when traveling and I always bring too many (unless warm climate, I live in Bedrocks!). What boots and Birks did you bring?