I know people who haul two full fifty pound suitcases with different clothing ensembles for every day of the week on their vacation. While it may be impressive, it is also very impractical and unwieldy. Understandable if you are going to a destination wedding or have specific events in mind to dress for, but you can go a long way with neutral clothes and scarves to dress up or down. Having portaged our luggage many places including up and down several flights of stairs and into numerous overhead bins, I can tell you that less is more.

So. the old adage of pack once, then get rid of half of it certainly applies here.

We usually take three pairs of shoes max, none of them bulky unless we are doing a great deal of rough terrain hiking. If you dress predominately in one color, it’s boring but perfectly acceptable in foreign countries and packing friendly. Mom and I also wear the same size so can switch up clothes if desired.

Laundry can be expensive at hotels, but you can usually find a way less expensive place within walking distance of your hotel or take your own laundry sheets.

Yes, winter gear can be bulky but it doesn’t have to be. For a trip to Chile’s Cape Horn, I wore a lightweight lined winter jacket augmented with a windproof, waterproof lightweight pull over, plus hat, lightweight muffler and gloves. I wore regular slacks with tights underneath. I was plenty warm without a huge bulky selection of winter coats.  

A good rule of thumb is to pack “nice to haves” based on what your luggage weighs BEFORE packing them, taking into consideration the weight of any souvenirs you may want to buy.

Tip: If you are buying wine or liquor, it’s heavy! Certainly, don’t deprive yourself, but do take into consideration that you may have to transport your suitcase on your own in some cases.