Help me pack please

[magentastardust]

Okay I am one of those people that take waaaayyy too much on holiday and am determined to cut down this year.

We are going for just under a fortnight- pool/beach/sight see during day and tend to eat out or go out for drinks/walk/ice cream most evenings whilst we are away. So I do tend to take quite a few outfits.
I never come home with a load of stuff I haven't worn but at the same time if I only wear it all as its there!

I love those articles in magazine about capsule wardrobes but they seem to always contain 2 vest tops, a pair of linen trousers,a shirt that you apparently wear as a beach cover up and to eat out in of an evening, a v expensive bikini, a cardigan, a straw trilby, sunglasses , a pair of sandals and a wrap!

Only ever pack for a week. Even if trip is two weeks/ six weeks or whatever.

Rinse underwear each day as it's changed. 14 pairs of dirty pants to take home is disgusting anyway.

Same as above make everything cordinate so every cardigan can be worn with every dress/ trouser etc

My capsule is roughly:
3 casual dresses
1 smart dress
1 pair shorts
1 light trousers
5 tops/ vest/ tshirts of various arm length/ style
1 cardigan
Underwear

To travel in I wear pair of trousers, top, blazer. Another cardigan in hand luggage. Wear heavier shoes pack flip flops

Same in winter really except add tights, and dresses/ trousers of winter weight/ longer sleeve etc

Oh and I mean I would take about 5 changes of underwear, not 1 like it sounds reading back!

I take mainly dresses that can be worn at night but also during the day over a bikini or for sightseeing. A dress means you always coordinate and it can be jazzed up with jewellery and heels.

I have taken stuff to the launderette while on a fortnights holiday. I paid for a service wash & came back at the end of the day with my suitcase & nobody in the hotel noticed. Much easier & economical than paying for extra luggage at the airport and I end up buying clothes while away anyway. So I just pack for a week but take the largest trolley case I have got.

This is going to sound very, very sad but I make a list of every day of the holiday on it with a box for day and evening and details of what we are likely to be doing if I know.

I then add an outfit to each box so, if I know that I'll probably wear a dress for three evenings it goes as 'purple dress' in the boxes for days 1, 6 and 9. Day 2 might have 'white shorts, black top' and day 8 has '(same) white shorts, pink top'. If you need specific underwear e.g. a strapless bra that goes on the list.

Fill every box and than pack only what is on the list. You can always change stuff around but it stops me from packing lots of contingency clothes that never get worn.

I still probably take too much but it's way less than it used to be!

Think about the space that everything takes in your case, and how heavy it is. Swimwear and underwear - no space, weighs nothing (and anyone who has put on a post-Travel Wash pair of pants without flinching is a better man than I am); footwear (esp wedges) - heavy and bulky.
For a fortnight, I work on a basis of
5 swimwear
3-4 beach cover ups (chiffon - real or synthetic v light and rolls up for packing)
4 evening outfits (mostly dresses, but might include a pair of white trousers with two or three tops)
2 or 3 trousers/shorts/skirts for daywear, plus T shirts - all interchangeable
3 pairs evening shoes
3 pairs flat sandals/ flip flops which will take up no space in suitcase
plenty of underwear!
a couple of scarves/wraps for evenings
lots of nice (as in attractive, not expensive) jewellery
2 jersey maxi dresses which can be worn anywhere (beach/sightseeing/bar) with a change of shoes/accessories.

I too make obsessive lists for packing!

Don't forget to pack your beauty and daily essentials like sunscreen, moisturizer, facial wipes, hand sanitizer, hair detangler, hair brush, shave, toothbrush, shampoo, beach towel and your make up kit. You'll never know when you need it. I always bring my tumbler in the beach/pool to keep my body hydrated.

Mother - why 5 swim wear? Seems a lot seeing as worn in water, and rinsed when your in shower before and after swim. So hardly sweat coated. 2 max here. One with straps, one without

Why not? On the space/weight principle, one might as well.

I suppose for me that's actually a lot extra. Ie I travelled last week 10 days with x2 toddlers and myself, just one medium case. If I took x5 swim wear each that's actually 15 pairs in case which would take a fair amount of space. As it was we just took 3 (one each).
If I took 10 pairs of pants each that's 30 pairs. The medium case would be just full Of just pants and swim wear.

I don't want more than 1 piece if luggage as I need to hold one hand or carry youngest if asleep after long flight, drag case and get 4 year old to hold case other side. Plus navigate them and luggage through cities/ airports/ transport etc as we rarely stay in one place the whole time.

Fair enough - but op was asking about cutting down, not going minimalist! I get everything into a medium wheeled case.

Medium case between our family of 4 is 'cutting down'. A rucksack only would be minimalist hence that's what I recommend to op

We did 6 weeks in Vietnam with 8 week old and 16 month old at start of vacation. Took x2 baby slings, x2 regular rucksacks. That was def minimalist :)