Selecting what to pack for our trip was a pain stricken decision. It is worse than going to the dentist! Deciding how much to take of each thing was another challenge. Where do we start? We begin by defining the amount of days of our trip, season of the year and destinations.
Despite traveling during the summertime, not needing over coats, scarfs or heavy socks, our bags were still stacked with clothes. Why? Summer means warm weather and sweating. A shirt used today would not be used again, unless we really wanted people to stay away from us. That’s why we always inquire at our hotels on laundry alternatives. When making reservations is good to inquire on this. This is one way of packing clothes for a week, use the laundry and your set for up to 2 or 3 weeks.
On the other hand, when traveling during the fall season, we carry a light coat or jacket that matches with our wardrobe. Experiencing cooler temperatures allows us to repeat the clothing a few times. This equates to less packing. In the case of blouses, using light clothing is best. These can be rolled to occupy less space in our bags.
How do we pack? Easy, we use plastic bags with zippers (Zip-Locks are good). Let’s say we place 9 pair of socks in a plastic bag. We close the zipper, leaving a small opening and then squeeze all the air out of the bag, like a vaccum. The socks are compacted inside the plastic bag. This is a hit!
In our recent trip to Spain we discovered another trick, throw the used clothing away. Faded “polos” / T-shirts, under garments that had seen better days and worn out socks where some of the items we left behind. In doing this, we freed up space in our bags for the things we bought during the trip.
Anyway, the more important decision had been taken. Let’s travel! Anything else could be squeezed in.