Comments on: How to Avoid Overpacking

on 5/29/2009 Great article on not overpacking 5*

on 5/29/2009 Great tips on not overpacking 5*

on 5/22/2009 I really need this article. I finally packed just right and it wasn't so bad to do! Narrowing choices is hard for me. 5* Thanks!

on 5/22/2009 These are great tips! I am one of those people who tend to always over pack. I like the idea of packing neutrals.

on 5/22/2009 Thanks for the information. I just order new luggage for a trip. Cheers

on 5/22/2009 Congrats on being top dog! When packing w/o alot of stuff it is so much easier to pack going home...ZPlus is your stuff worth 60$ r/t. Also think - how many people would not work it everyone took carry on?

on 5/22/2009 Very helpful tips for avoiding overpacking!5*

on 5/22/2009 It will be summer before we know it - thank you for this timely article.

on 5/22/2009 5 Stars! Congratulations on making E-How of the day! I have some new articles if you get a chance to check them out. Thanks!

on 5/22/2009 overpacking is a weakness of mine, i admit! great info to help avoid overpacking. 5 stars!

on 8/28/2008 absolutely disgusting...turn your underwear inside out...no wonder the airports, trains etc stink. If you can afford a trip you can afford the space for a few pairs of CLEAN underwear and socks. Bring your oldest, clean undies and socks that you can wear once and throw away rather than wash, and then you won't have to smell and you will have room to pack your souvenirs.

on 8/8/2006 Before you go, buy some small plastic bottles, (available in bigger chemists & some supermarkets) and decant your shampoo, conditioner, shower-gel, cleanser etc into them. This drastically reduces both the size and weight of your toiletries. You could also look in advance for mini size versions of your usual brands and take these instead. Look well in advance though. Don't leave it until the last minute as not everything comes in a mini version and you may need to do some decanting after all.

on 8/8/2006 Buy a big bottle of Suave - or some other cheap and gentle shampoo - and use it as shampoo and shower gel. Cheap and effective. When I go on weekend trips, I put some in a much smaller bottle.

on 6/30/2006 I used to buy clothing or something breakable, and had the problem of packing it in a full suitcase to get it home. Now I buy a piece of jewelry and wear it home. Even if you have to pack it, it doesn't take up much room. And I've got some beautiful silver jewelry from my trips.

on 2/2/2006 If you really want to save space, don't bring any luggage. You'll never lose anything in the airport and your arms will never tire from the weight. Just wear multiple layers of many different types of clothing. For the legs, a 12-day trip for me comprises 6 pairs of undies - you can flip each one over once - under bathing suit bottoms, under miniskirt, under kimono, under sweat pants, under dress pant, under cargo pants, under ski pants, under extra-large windbreaker pants. For the top, three bras - each one size larger than the last - under two tank tops - one black, one white - under bathing suit top, under a T-shirt, under a polo shirt, under a V-neck sweater, under a vest, under a woolen pullover (for warmth), under a large windbreaker. You may wish to carry your money in the windbreaker pocket. This helps you avoid carrying a purse and you won't have as hard a time retrieving it as if you had stuffed it in your bra. Shoes are a little more difficult, but I have perfected the tactic: pantyhose under four pair of toe socks, under a pair of flip flops, under slippers, under running shoes (I prefer to wear my husband's as his are much larger than my own), under winter boots.

Also, if you get too warm, you can pull out a lightweight grocery bag and start pulling off layers. This tends not to be too heavy to drag around as suitcases are totally inefficient in this manner.

I hope it works for you as it has for me for so many years. Bon Voyage!