To ask how on earth people pack light?!

[NeedSomeAnswersPlease]

Travelling to the Netherlands for the Dutch Grand Prix in ten days or so

We (stupidly) booked to travel hand luggage only and I just don't understand how it's possible! The amount of things you need, I'll be due on my period that weekend too so need to take extra bits for that as well. I know everyone's answer will be "just take less clothes" but it all seems to accumulate - shorts, t-shirts, a dress or two for if we want to go out in the evening, it's not possible!😩

Ferrari!

Was at Silverstone this year and froze!! I imagine it'll be worse on the North Sea too, it's just the fact the jumpers are SO expensive 😩

We don't. We always do self catering with washing machine inside so I take the whole wardrobe :)

Yay! It should be so exciting.
Have a great weekend

This is my mum's strategy 🤣

For a week k only take a cabin case, I wouldn't know what to take to fill a big one

This feels like the teeny tiny salad of packing ;-)

I would hate to just pack boring and functional clothes for holiday. That wouldn’t work for me 😳

Nor would I

I mean I agree with you 😀

I think backpacking calls for slightly different clothes compared to a trip to somewhere nice where you will be going out for dinner etc. There is no way I would wear a fleece in the evening on holiday! Backpacking fine!

I also hate the kind of hotel dryers where you have to dry your hair with one of those stupid wall-mounted hairdryers where you have to keep your finger pressed on the switch. I want to sit on a chair in front of a mirror in comfort thanks ;-)

Last time I used one of those it burst into flames!!!

I just pack really thin, floaty clothes, wear my bulkiest heaviest stuff to travel in and buy toiletries when I arrive on holiday

We find going on a summer hot break is easy. Toiletries and shoes are the weight killers, but as long as we gave a hairdryer in our accommodation, find it quite easy. It is easy to quickly wash clothes in the washbasin and they dry quickly. If the place we are going is cooler, then it is more difficult, with thicker clothes and no chance of drying them quickly.

This is the issue, it's set to be rainy from what I can tell (although it is changing by the day) and that means all the clothes need to be thicker

Take advantage of a largish handbag. Use it for spare shoes, cardigan, fold up waterproof jacket, book if taking, as well as your usual handbag stuff.

Probably too late for this trip, but future planning, lightweight travel trousers instead of jeans - Craghopper, Rohan etc. Coats that pack into their own pockets.

See, this is the thing - I'd rather deal with a 10% chance that I have to wash my clothes/buy something when I'm out there than a 100% chance that I'll have a heavy bag to carry that's got loads of stuff I don't use in it. I actually really enjoy packing light and agree with the person who said it's fun to challenge themself - but that's probably either something you enjoy or you don't, and you can't force it if you don't feel it.

For some people, the desire to have multiple outfits/accessories/all the bells and whistles outweighs the inconvenience of packing heavier, for others (me!) they get actively annoyed by the sight of things they've packed and didn't use. As long as I've got my passport and money, I can wing it!

Not really. I had a pair of black silk trousers and a nice blouse that I could wear for going somewhere smart.

My other set of clothes was probably more what you are imagining. - lightweight cargos and a shirt.

i’m saddened my comments
are being dismissed. My friend who is a glamour girl and a big traveller always considers traveling when she buys clothes. She is always looking to buy lightweight dresses that don’t need ironing’. She works on. Similar principles and likes going to Venice.

I travel very light but am low maintenance/ scruffy. No make up,no hair dryer or tongs. Take a bar of soap and a shampoo bar. Wear heaviest clothes to travel...jumper/ coat / boots or shoes. Sleep in knickers and tshirt so dont need pjs. Stuff knickers and socks into second pair of shoes if taking secod pair. Clothes can be worn more than once unless v hot weather. Thin tshirts roll up. Shorts for day wear. One dress/skirt.
Job done.

This is me ... I truly admire those who can pack this light but to me it always = drab outfits when I'm on holiday and want to look my best.

Disclaimer / there are of course some clever folks who can do carry on packing and look fab such as Alyssa Beltempo. She rocks

We've just got back from holiday staying in a small village in Sicily where the only place to get the deo I'd forgotten to buy was in a pharmacy where a can of Nivea cost me €7 .

I find the sun creams are weighty

I need a lot and would rather over pack as they are often more expensive abroad

I always decant toiletries

I also can't pack light! But the last few trips I did manage to pack smarter. I bought a scrubba - and did a few essentials every other day. So underwear, pyjamas and T-shirts. This helped a lot space wise.

Also check if there's a laundry collect and drop off service that is local and reliable. We did that for one trip. Half way through sent a huge load and was picked and dropped off all ironed and fresh.

Shoes are a big space waster - so get dressier sandals that's for day and night use, use trainers to fly with, and just 1/2 other as an option. We like to shop as well wherever we travel so I make sure to leave space for that.

This is the thing it's all so expensive to then leave behind 😩 this is a painful life lesson 🤣

God yes €14 euros for a bottle that would cost a fiver at home! Why is sun cream often so expensive in Europe I wonder?!

@tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz I'm going to guess it's because they don't tend to use it and it's mainly sold to tourists, and/or they import certain brands for tourists to use