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!😩

For all those that keep suggesting it- OP is staying in an Airbnb, so no toiletries or hairdryer in the hotel.

OP, I honestly think that you are either capable of packing light or you're not. I am quite good at it, my best friend is constantly in awe that I can take a cabin suitcase for a full week away- but she simply has a lot of clothes and loves to have lots of options. She wouldn't want to pack light even if she could, she's just not that person.

It's too late now I know but your mistake was ever thinking you'd be able to be that person. In future, just accept this about yourself, book the check in luggage and plan your trains accordingly!

For now, packing cubes are definitely my secret- I can pack about twice as much with them than without them- I know you say they don't work for you, can I ask how you're using them? Are you rolling everything up tightly?

For the compression ones I've been folding & then compressing, will roll and not compress.

To be honest the issue comes from my mum, who used to pack 4 suitcases for a family of 4 for a two week holiday 🤣

Mooncup.

Figure out what you can buy there.

Wear multiple layers of clothes on the plane and ones with lots of pockets.

Put on all the jewel you're taking.

Cameras and books you can carry arent included.

Only take the shoes you wear on the plane.

OP, you've spawned a new Mumsnet phenomenon: the competitive underpacking thread!

Oops 🙊

Honestly I'm just hopeless and I wish I understood how you can it off without having spare pants or a spare t-shirt - what if you spill?🤣🤣

With BA, the additional item you can take is pretty large.

I have one of these and, as long as you don't ram it completely full, it fits the additional item size.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CTH5NG89?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

You can get enough in there alone for a trip, never mind with the cabin bag you're also taking!

I only read through OP's posts so I apologise if this ha been covered by others.
@NeedSomeAnswersPlease you are going for 4 days and are staying in AirBnB (which will 100% have a washing machine for emergencies as well as a hairdryer). The weather is variable and you need to prepare for both sunny/hot and rainy cooler days. You are taking a pair of comfy shoes and want a change for the evening. You will be wearing team shirts for at least two days of the holiday but want a change of clothes for the evening. Did I get it all right?
So, you need:
Day 1. Team shirt + bottoms + comfy shoes
Evening 1. An outfit you can dress up or down depending on evening activities + alternative shoes
Day and Evening 2 as above
Day 3 an outfit for day activities
Evening 3 as E1
Day and Evening 4 as above

Therefore, you need 2 team t-shirts, 2 pairs of bottoms, 2-3 evening outfits, 2 daytime outfits. 3 pairs of shoes (comfy, cool weather, hot weather). A cardigan and a waterproof.
So this could be: 2 t-shirts, 4 pairs of bottoms, 2 casual tops, 2 fancy tops
Or
2 t-shirts, 4 bottoms, 2 casual tops, 3 dresses

As a minimal traveler I could do that trip with 2 team shirts, two pairs of shorts, a dress, two tops to go with the bottoms, a pair of flat sandals and pumps for an evening out and a cardigan. I would travel in a pair of nice jeans, trainers, a nice shirt and waterproof jacket. I can do it in a Ryanair shitty baggage allowance and still have space to pack my ipad and toiletries.

ETA: obviously I left out 4 sets of underwear and socks, assuming it is given.

I should have added, last trip I used that backpack for was a trip to the Isle of Man TT for a couple of nights and that's all I took.

It easily fitted a couple of days of outfits and essentials and I could also use it during the day for our trips to the races.

This sounds like a totally legit packing list and I really think that will fit fine in an overhead carry on case?

@Ineffable23 you'd think so but it just doesn't! I don’t know where I go wrong but the case is always rammed full 😩

I agree @NeedSomeAnswersPlease that list is fine tho I’d lose the spare trainers, you don’t need them.

If you do that, what is stopping it fitting?

@clary I wish I bloody knew - did the same length trip away this weekend and ended up stuffing things in my handbag on the way home! Not sure if it's the jumper I took or what but it's a pain in the arse

Why do you need spare trainers for a three-night trip?

Cos I'm just aware if we go out putting the same sweaty trainers from the day at the race will be gross

We went on a family holiday to Florida for a fortnight with hand luggage only. A 10kg cabin case each held a change of T-shirt, underwear and socks per person for a week, plus a change of footwear and one or two spare trousers and jumpers/sweatshirts. The accommodation had a washing machine so we shoved all the T-shirts, underwear and socks in halfway through the trip.

In addition, we each took a small rucksack as the "personal item". This held books, electronics, cuddly toys, games, raincoat, liquids bag (for ease of access as it had to come out at security). A 25 litre rucksack generally fits fine under the seat. It might eat into your legroom a bit, if you have long legs and usually park your feet under the seat in front, but this shouldn't be too much of a problem on the short flight to the Netherlands and it there's room in the overhead lockers then nobody will mind if you put the rucksack up there too. If you want to take a small handbag, put it in the backpack so it won't count as your personal item.

Also remember to choose your bulkiest outfit to wear on the plane: wear trainers and put sandals in your case; wear your thickest jumper and a jacket if you're taking one; wear your jeans and pack your shorts, and so on. Roll clothes up rather than folding them. Choose garments that don't crease too badly.

If your case is rammed full, that isn't a failure. In fact, I'd usually add an extra T-shirt or something if there was room for it, Just In Case!

So the way I would manage this in my case would be:

1. Books, liquids, anything with a battery goes in my "personal item" bag. If I want a small bag for when I am there, that goes in too. Generally so does a jumper and I usually suck up wearing my coat through the airport.
2. Then I aim to fit clothes in half my case. I have 3 packing cubes which take up one half of the case. The big one is about 2/3 the case in size (i.e 1/3 of the total), and that would easily fit 4-5 dresses plus a nightie or two and a couple of pairs of shorts. So from your list that would be 2x shorts (assuming you'll wear trousers on the plane in case of bad weather), 4x tops and a dress. I don't roll this cube, I fold as wide and flat as possible, exactly matching the size of the cube.
3. Then my smallest cube takes pants and socks, all as crammed in as humanly possible, rolled up, that takes up about 1/9 of the case (1/18th total).
4. Then the last cube (medium size, takes the last 1/6 ish of the case) takes excess pants and socks, leggings if I want them, PJs, swimming cozzie etc - so for you this could take the least crumpleable things from the biggest. This is rolled or folded depending on the stuff.
5. Then the other half of the case will have spare glasses, goggles, spare shoes 2x, an entire washbag full of meds, anything like that.

My case is often totally crammed by the time I have finished packing but that's a sign I have packed efficiently, not a failure!

Someone already mentioned the 'additional item' bag you can take, and the possibility of taking a good size backpack for that. You can fit tons in those without exceeding the size!

What are you taking as an 'additional item'?

Get that right and you'll have loads and loads of extra room, plus a useful backpack to use at the event.

@SofiaSoFar really not sure - not allowed backpacks in the Grand Prix so was going to take my longchamp bag and just put liquids, electronics & a book in there

Wear your jumper, don’t pack it! I once wore a waterproof home (no it wasn’t raining at all) in order to fit a mug I’d bought into my bag.

Extra trainers not needed, I wore the same pair for six days in Paris this week and it was v hot, they were fine.

Hmmm, ok. I think you're maybe missing a trick with that, unless it's a small Longchamp?

If it's a large one you could get a lot more that those few bits in it? If it's a small one I'd pack the Longchamp bag inside your carry on, if you want it for day use at the circuit, and still take a backpack that just fits the personal item size so you have more space.

DH has a backpack in similar size to the one linked above and a few weeks ago he went to a sport event for a weekend taking extra jeans, underwear, 3 tops for evening, 4 x t-shirts, fleeces, waterproofs, spare trainers, iPad, chargers, toiletries, etc, etc, just in that. It was on easyJet so I know it was 'small item' size as he didn't pay for a larger bag.

@SofiaSoFar it's a large one, if I need to pop other things in there I will but also don't want to overpack

Regretting ever thinking I'd be able to do hand luggage only to be honest 😩

Cos I'm just aware if we go out putting the same sweaty trainers from the day at the race will be gross

Then wear the sandals.

See, aiming for perfection is how people end up with heavy crammed luggage.

Expecting to have the same options and optimal selections as at home is unrealistic. You have to compromise and make do.

At home I would not rewear jeans; while traveling I do. That sort of thing.

If you're wearing socks with your trainers the shoes won't get gross.

Packing cubes have really helped me. I tend to do them one of 2 ways:
Categories - knickers in 1, socks and bras in another, tops (rolled) in another and trousers laid out on top;
Outfits: a full days outfit each in 2, and then the other 2 being the extra tops/knickers/socks for 1 combo of trousers in 1 and the extras for my other trousers combo in the second.

Wear my walking shoes, jewellery in a pouch (and chains in individual packs inside that to avoid tangles) sitting inside my other pair of shoes. Possibly also my toothbrush (in plastic holder) and hairbrush stuck into other shoe.

Clear zipped pouch for my liquids - from Boots (middle size of set of 3) years ago - and small sizes of the things I need. I keep toothpaste samples from dentist, gift sized toiletries from larger purchases, and use a mix of 30/50/100ml bottles from Muji for shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, etc. But all is ready To easily pull out for airport security.

Smallest pouch of that set holds my travel makeup brushes (short handle set), powders (for after foundation, blush, eyeshadow); powder exfoliator, small facial sponge, plastic shower cap, couple of hair clips, cotton buds, toothfloss sticks, nail file etc. Shouldn't be asked for it, but if they do, everything is visible. (I have a couple of very small ziploc in there, both from Muji, to hold my makeup brushes and the other small bits like cotton buds, couple of cotton pads, toothflosser, nail file, tweezers etc).

I tend to wear 1 trousers that has at least 2 tops to go with it. And pack a second trousers (or 2 pairs of shorts perhaps) which also has 2 sets of tops. Usually bring 1 dress. Throw a lightweight hoodie into my handbag or over my shoulders. There's a scarf that can go with a couple of the outfits (for cooler evenings/days but also inc as I need to cover head or shoulders for some reason). 1 pair pj tops but usually 2 bottoms (I sweat at night).

If I am going a long time (more than 4-5 days), I add a bottle of handwash or use the hotel shower gel to give some clothes a quick wash in sink and hang to dry in bathroom to reuse - or sometimes there will be a washing machine in the hotel/accommodation that can be used. And if it will be a long one, I will use the hotel shower gel or go buy one locally on arrival.

I have just come on a 9 day trip and all my things fitted into my carryon.

And yes, use your carryon on the flight to bring things.

DH and I did 2 days in Paris this week with a (not full) 28l backpack as our bag, and a 15l backpack for the bits. We left a lot of the "bits" in the hotel room while we went to the Olympics event with the smaller bag - taking water, raincoats, tissues, sunglasses and suncream in that.

Take off shoes when in hotel to let them dry out from sweaty feet and bring spare socks to change later.

You might want to buy a T-shirt at the GP as a souvenir and could wear that another day too.

The fashion on the Continent this summer is definitely trainers under dresses so if your second pair are cool looking, I would ditch the sandals.