How to pack very light

[TessTickle0]

We are going to Prague in a week for 4 nights,returning home tea time the fifth day.
We have hand luggage only(under seat bags)
There are four of us,my partner and two teens.
How do you all do it?do you pack outfits for both the day and night?
What about teens...my youngest is renowned for getting grubby so he will possibly need extras?
What about.shoes?and toiletries?
Will I need to.condense it right down? Ina way I'm looking forward to doing just that as I always take too many clothes and never wear them 🙃

each wear a comfortable pair of trainers. Travel in jeans and take a spare pair of trousers. A clean top for each day and a couple for the evening. A scarf can dress up a t-shirt. Wear your warm layer and waterproof to travel.

We went to Prague last year. I wore a dress each day (25c) and didn’t change for night time as it’s quite a casual vibe. For toiletries get solid deodorant sticks, bar soap etc and those take up no space, no weight and don’t need to go in your liquid allowance. There is an M&S and you can buy mini shampoo in the airport. Take good walking shoes as even using trams we covered 9 miles a day. For the trams download the app as if you get on without a validated ticket you will be fined, the app is PID Lítačka. You have validate 2 minute before actually getting on but you could just get 72 hour passes on it. It comes in English and works out the route and tram numbers for you.

enjoy I’m jealous!

Check the weather for Prague for next week (assuming by "in a week" you mean you're off on Tuesday/Wednesday). Nearly 30 degrees every day.

Wear and take very light clothes, trainers would be way too hot in my opinion. Cities are boiling anyway. No need to dress up at night. Hotels have shampoo and soap. Buy suncream airside. Hats a must!

Prague has cobblestone roads, comfortable shoes are a must.

I always try for tops you can layer or wear individually - so vest top, and a looseT, and a cotton cardi which can be worn on its own as a button up top. That way you have six possible combinations of layers to cater for most weather/locations/spills. do that twice it will get you through four days with ease.

Good deodorant so you don't need to stress about wearing things twice. thin cotton trousers packed, wear jeans to travel. I would possibly stress about not having room to pack a second pair of shoes in case I got soaked but a pair of daps would probably squeeze in for evenings/emergencies.

Men have it harder unless they're happy to rewear or can wash and dry tshirts in your room

if you travel with a coat with roomy pockets then that can provide a lot of spare luggage space but with some airlines the underseat bag dimensions are incredibly tiny now (and I used to be able to do a long weekend skiing hand luggage only so I can pack light!)

You will likely want to bring a couple of souvenirs back so if necessary just pay for a carry on between you?

Some suggestions that I hope will help ( for reference, I am a real super-light packer, did 6 weeks in the far east with under the seat small rucksack only). Slightly different with four, esp. teenagers who apparently "need?" all sorts of crap, and @AuntieDen makes a great suggestion to go back into your booking and get ONE 10kg cabin bag between you ALL to take on, you can still do this, and it is not "one suits all" with the budget airlines - you can just add one carry on bag for one person. My other tips would be 1) wear the shoes/trainers that you will be wearing most of the time, and make them work with your outfits 2) you do not hardly any toiletries, the hotels, even airbnbs supply them, although I always go with DEET type stuff - jungle formula type stuff (roll on is best - a little goes a long way, the aerosols just make you choke, strongest is best) long sleeves and trousers at night are the best defence 3) Suncream, travel pouch, factor X to suit the most "burny". You can buy deodorant from everywhere in Prague, usually cheaper than you can in the UK, but if you must, then travel with one between you under 100ml. I also take travel toothpaste just in case, but it is the same story. Always toothbrushes. 4) You do not need outfits for day and night, unless you are going to high end restaurants, Prague is very relaxed. Although if you are visiting churches they may ask that your arms / legs above knee are covered. Work out what you think you need, then half it. It's OK to wear the same clothes when you shower, unless you are particularly insta-concious 5) check the weather, it will be hot, you almost definitely will not need your coat, but a cardigan or light fleece is helpful. 6) Because I travel for such a long duration, I wash my socks and underwear through (nobody can surely takes 6 weeks worth ?) but this is not for everyone. 7) I don't wear a lot of make up, but I decant a small amount of foundation and good face cream into a small travel tub, travel mascara, perfume sample. 8) Finally - do not try and overcram the small bags you have been allowed to the max, they "may" make you put it in the measurement device, and it absolutely has to fit, you are often not allowed to transfer things between bags at the gate, they can be lax, they can be strict, backpacks are usually given more latitude unless they are clearly overloaded.

Hope this helps, have a great trip. xx

I have done 3-4 nights on Ryanair carry-on (which unless you are also flying with Ryanair is smaller than your bag @TessTickle0 – about the size of a shoebox. Here's what I do:
Wear trainers (or walking boots if needed)
Wear a hoody/cardi/coat
Wear any other big clothes I am taking eg jeans (I don't wear jeans but if you do); otherwise wear your nice summer lineny drawstring trousers
Waterproof if you must take one (ie if you are my husband)
Hat (again, not for me I hate hats but everyone else wore one)

Pack:
Flipflops (useful in hotel or if feet ache and very small to pack)
Tiny toiletries (I save these through the year) that you chuck when there; minimal makeup – mini mascara, tiny blusher/lip colour, sample perfumes
2 pairs light pjs
Dress
2 T shirts
Underwear
Book
Phones, chargers, adaptor socket

That lot plus meds will fit in tiny bag, Last year in Germany with Ryanair I even fitted my crossbody bag into my cabin bag.

A lot more information including trip reports here https://www.reddit.com/r/HerOneBag/

Toiletries don't need to be much at all. Travel sized shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, toothpaste, sun cream. All split between the parry is hardly any for anyone.

For four nights I'd travel in jeans, jumper and trainers. Pack 4 tops, 4 pants, 2 socks, sandals (hoping I'd only need to wear socks for maybe one day and on way home and otherwise sandals and one jersey dress that could scrunch up small with one more light cardigan.

If rain at all likely stick a raincoat on as well and doesnt count as baggage.

Check if your accommodation provides shampoo and shower gel, just use that.

Wear bulky trainers and take a pair of flip flops/sliders for a change in the evenings.

If it’s warm just shorts/a dress.We were away in Uk for 4 days recently and at 22 degrees in daytime only, still no need for jeans/joggers.

Wear a hoodie on plane. Packable waterproof if a risk of rain.

I have a series of very lightweight non crease tops perfect for travel.

For the grubby teen - squish in a few extra T-shirts, socks and pants. No whites if possible..,Dark shorts that show less dirt!

Iron everything before you pack and unpack as soon as you get to hotel.

It is easy to do!

Great tips for packing light, but depending on if you might want to bring stuff back/ how tricky you might find packing light would consider adding one suitcase (not 1 pp)?

I did 15 nights with an underseat bag. Buy toiletries in Prague to share when you get there. I took 5 short cotton dresses and a pair of leggings. Laundrettes are easy to use in most European countries. I wouldn’t travel in jeans, mind. Too much of a pain if it rains and they get wet. Loose linen trousers, a t shirt and one of those really thin stringy type cardis. Put a folding bag in your luggage, the decathlon 15l sling bag is great. Definitely trainers for the journey and walking round the city. It’s a great challenge! Enjoy!

It’s not an ‘outfit for day and night’ kind of trip. On city breaks we tend to stay out and eat while we’re still out. If you want to do that then you’ll need to pay for luggage.

2 pairs PJs?? Travelling light? Just sleep naked!

We went to Paris for 4 days and didn't bother with toiletries. We got them at a supermarket there

At the airport buy-sun block and a book

wear-
trousers, t-shirt,trainers, bra and jumper, sunnies and hat

take
one dress
one midis skirt
one pair shorts
one shirt/coverup
2 vests/ one pretty one
2 bras
6 pants
thin cotton bath robe
one pair sandals/ I’d take Birkenstocks or Texas for walking
nice pair of earrings
1 other top
PJs
small cross body bag
5 pairs of socks

Misc
shampoo/conditioner/bar soap Share with DH
deodorant
i save tiny sample stuff so have small versions of perfume and body lotion
face cream
ear plugs
charger
refillable water bottle
playing cards
mascara
concealer
blush
lip gloss
eye shadow quad
brow pencil

make sure everything matches everything else. Eh- the shorts, vest, shirt. The dress, the shirt. The top the skirt the jumper. Basically a capsule wardrobe. Earrings for the evening to dress up a bit small cos body bag

roll all the clothes and pack tightly into the bottom of your bag. Shove hard items into any spaces down sides. Put water bottle in side pocket. Put chargers and cards in front pocket. Squeeze sandkes into other side pocket. Keep toiletries in clear bag at tip for handy security access.

you will have space for spare!

*Tevas not Texas!

Check the temperature when you’re there and dress for the flight with items you can use whilst there. So linen/cotton trousers rather than jeans, lightweight jacket/top and potentially lightweight rain jacket if rain is forecast.

I buy a tube of the travel wash you get in Boots or Superdrug once you’re past security so I can hand wash things - always seem to get stains on my t shirts if I need to wear them more than once, and I like to shower during the day in hot weather and put on clean pants.

Another idea is that bum bags seem to be quite in these days ( they probably have another name!). So you could put wallet/phone/passport in there and as it’s on your body it shouldn’t count as a separate bag.

Grubby yeah-

TIDE PENS!

Are you staying in a hotel or Airbnb? I just did carry on only (admittedly with an overhead bin bag too) for 7 weeks in Europe, everything from Orkney to Istanbul--9 degrees and howling wind to 35!

I would take 3x tops 3x bottoms 1x nightshirt/pjs, 4x undies (unless you have travel undies), 1 sandal 1 warmer layer 1 trainers, hat, stick deodorant (mitchum is good) umbrella for everyone. Shared out between you 1x toothpaste, 1x sunscreen, 1x bar soap, 2 phone chargers and maybe a spare battery pack. If you need makeup, take one lipstick (use as blush too), one eyebrow pencil (doubles as eyeliner), 1 powder compact, 1-2 eyeshadows in a palette. Maybe a pouch with a couple of statement earrings? You will be wearing your warmer layer, (maybe add a scarf for decoration? and one of your bottoms and tops on the plane). Consider getting packing cells to compress things.

Grubby kid's clothes are washed at the end of the day, in a sink if no washer--roll them up in a towel and stand on it, then hang them up. They will be dry again by the time he needs them. Make him do it himself so he takes more care.

In terms of the bottoms and tops, for the blokes it can be one long 2 short, one shirt two tees. For you you might like long/short/skirt, and dressy top/2x casual.

Anyone with a phone doesn't need a book, download either the kindle app or the libby app--libby will connect to your local library. This should still leave you with room for souvenirs.

I’ve travelled for months at time with carry-on only - at 47 with multiple three + month-long trips as well three or four OS trips a year of shorter duration behind me I have never checked in a bag. This means I have to meet the domestic leg hand luggage weight restriction: 7 kilos.

Wear anything heavy - for me this is sneakers or hiking boots depending on where I am going. Minimal toiletries, take the small size ones.
I pack a nightie, a dress, a few tops, my swimmers, sandals or flip flops, two pairs of pants and as many undies as I can fit. Jumper or coat carried. If going somewhere cold I take thermals.

I always carry a book with me and simply swap it somewhere with someone else’s book where I’m staying once
I’ve finished. I have a kindle too.

Some great tips thanks so much.
Was going to take a book but your right can just connect to kindle on my phone!

Staying in airbnb.
Pretty sure it provides wash so not packing any.
Sharing a tube of toothpaste.
I'm just taking deodorant no perfume and decided on very minimal makeup(eyeliner,powder that can be used on eyelids too and mascara)
I'm actually preferring this to my.normal "add yet another top just in case' style packing

I’ve never travelled with such a small bag, I think I’d wear my lightweight trousers and carry a tiny cross body bag for phone and passport. I’m a dress person so I’d pack a couple of dresses, one or two tops to go with the travel trousers, one or two pairs of knickers and wash them each day. Also some mini toiletries, about 6 items of makeup and a mini hairbrush, a magazine/book and water bottle that I would probably stick in my pocket plus phone charger, mini purse and power bank.

The under seat bag size bag is so small I don’t think I could fit a lot more in.

We have just come back from Prague and were amazed to find a Tesco Express just around the corner from our hotel! There are several Tesco locations around the city.