Packing too little

I think your packing list looks good. I also think that you will not regret taking a second pair of shoes if you decide to do so. I usually take two pairs of shoes, and sometimes I take my running shoes as well. I pack scarves too, but that is also a fun thing to buy while you are there and you will always remember your trip when you wear your scarf back home.

I pack light and I'm afraid that I have had to go out and buy something on many a trip! Often it's because I underestimated the weather or was sick of wearing clothes that were not as clean as I'd like (I don't know if my handwashing technique is at fault, but I just can't get clothes as clean as a washing machine does). It doesn't bother too much as I have never had to go out and buy anything expensive. It makes a nice souvenir!

As long as you have layers, you should be fine. And like Laura said, you can always buy more over there if you need to!

I realized how much I was overpacking when our luggage got lost one year. I made it comfortably through a week with 4 shirts, 2 pairs of pants, a pair of shorts (yes, shorts in Europe! The horror!), a jacket, and 2 pairs of shoes. I bring lightweight clothing that will dry overnight easily.

I pack light, but I don't think I have pared it down as much as I could. I seldom take a trip where I don't realize that I really could have brought less. I can't recall a single time that I wished I had brought something else. and as the previous poster pointed out, if you need something, you can buy it there!

Rose -

This is a discussion that my lovely wife and I have had several times while packing for our various European adventures. My position has changed over the years - on the first trip I argued long and hard over every item she packed and as you might guess I got nowhere.

On the last three trips what she brings is her business. My standard position is that she can bring whatever she likes - but I am not toting her bag anywhere. I mean it - I did not so much as touch her big bag on a three week trip - was she ever steamed! She now packs one small case just like me. In 2007 we traveled with two other couples who were frantic with questions - what to wear? what if I forget something? Our answer was always the same - "We are going to a First-World country. They wear clothes there. There are many stores. There are many pharmacies. We will be fine." Have fun.

As long as you have enough clothes so that you have time to wash and dry dirty ones, you should be ok. Last time I went to Europe, my carryon bag weighed about 16#, and I had more than enough clothes.

Try living out of your suitcase at home for a week or more. Look at the tour schedule. On long travel days you might not have time in the evening to wash clothes, so factor that in. On one night stands you might not have time for clothes to dry.

But, what is important to you? Are you going to Europe to see Europe, and just don't want to get arrested for vagrancy, or are you going to impress other tour members as to how well you dress?

We have been packing very light and our trips have always been 4 weeks, so we get really sick and tired of wearing the same things. Hand washing is okay for underwear and socks, but the rest of our clothing we tend to seek out a washer/dryer. They just don't feel or smell as good in my opinion, plus we get a nice feeling knowing that they were really washed and dried.

The plus to being bored with the same clothing for a month though is when we have to haul our suitcases around. We say a small prayer-like "thank you" to Rick for pounding that into all his travel shows and books.

Hi. I pack as much clothing as Maureen and do not have a problem. I also pack a number of silk like scarves and at least one pashmina scarf, so my plain black shirts look dressy and different with a scarf on (for the evening). The scarves are miniscule in weight to add to the carryon. They are also helpful to keep warm if the weather happens to cool off. I have been known to wear 2 or 3 scarves at the beginning of the day and peel them off and stick them into the backpack as it warms up. The larger pashmina can work as a hat when wrapped around the head. The pashmina is a must for me on the plane, sometimes I get really cold and if I get too warm, the scarf is easy to remove and stick back in my bag under the seat. I agree that you might pick up a piece of clothing if you really needed it. I usually purchase another scarf or 2 or ...(because a woman can never have enough scarves).

I don't think that your tourmates really care what you wear, only that you don't have BO!!!!!!! Happy Travels.

I have decided a woman cannot have too many black shirts. They go with everything and you always look great in photos! Scarves, a bright colored jacket, and different styles of blacks shirts work great. I have packed things I've never wore and each time the packing becomes less & Less. I have 3-4 favorite tops I always take (2 non black ones). I have purchased additional clothing because it was too hot including my favorite black tee in Baden Baden!

I think the trick to packing light if you want to still appear stylish is to stick to a basic palette of colours. If you take bright patterned items everyone will remember them and they won't mix well with other things. If you just take a capsule wardrobe in a few colours (e.g. black, white and taupe) you can wear the clothes in a multitude of ways for different occasions. I have a Parisian friend who only wears black and white clothes. She can go on holiday with a tiny capsule wardrobe and be clambering up a mountain one moment and dining in a fine restaurant the next and look right at home in both places. Mind you she is Parisian and we sadly are not!

BTW, I did once manage to go on holiday without packing any knickers at all!

I definitely agree with everyone re: scarves. They can brighten up a whole outfit and can also have lots of practical uses.

I prefer not to buy clothes while traveling. I plan to take/wear on the plane, 1 skirt, 1 pants,2 tees & 2 blouses, 1 cardigan, a rainjacket, & a shawl to use on the plane. I'm considering 1 pr shoes only, but wonder if I'll regret not taking a 2nd pr. I can bring xtra insoles so I can alternate. Since I'll be rooming with a stranger, I'm hesitant to clutter up the bathroom with too much laundry. Thanks to the posters, I'm thinking about taking at least 1 scarf. Also, I wear mostly black.

Always repeat always take two pair of shoes. Your feet will thank you. I agree purchasing scarves from your travels is a great souvenir and accessory.

I thought I might be paring down a little too much. I'll take a 2nd pr of shoes even tho Rick travels for weeks with only 1 pair. I don't wear scarves but think I'll look at them this trip (instead of the hats & purses I've been buying last few trips). So many of you wear them, I must be missing something.

I never ever thought I'd wear a scarf either, but that changed that for travel. What feels right at home is not the same as what feels right in another country. It's different--that's why you travel.

The question was -- can you pack too light? My answer would be yes. For a while I was on the super light kick and went on one trip with two changes of clothes with an extra shirt (now I do three with an extra shirt). Second night at an outdoor concert the pants I was wearing was damage to the point of unwearable. Lost half a day finding a replacement pants. Decided that being that light was not worth the hassle of finding a replacement.

Regarding the earlier 2nd shoe comment. I get by with one pair BUT carry an extra set of insoles that are changed everyday. That helps to keep the shoe dry and in good shape during hot weather.

Laura, Eli..I gave up sink washing a long time ago. Instead, I now pack a portable washing machine. It seems to get my clothes much cleaner. And very easy to use...

Put clothes in. Add detergent and water--just enough to cover the clothes (warm or cold). Let the clothes soak for awhile (30-60 minutes). Then, pick up the portable washing machine and shake it vigorously for a few minutes. This mimics the motion of a regular washing machine

Remove clothes and rinse under fresh water until all the soap is out. hang clothes to dry. Empty water from portable washing machine and let it air dry.

The name of the portable washing machine.....a 2 gallon ziplock bag.

Rose - you definitely need to try the scarf thing! Type "scarf tying" into google and you'll see all the ways you can wear them. If you are feeling a bit dishevelled after a day's travelling you can just instantly brighten your outfit up with a beautiful silk scarf.

They are also very practical for travelling. I like to have a scarf in my pocket incase I ever need to cover my head. I have a Kiwi friend who was on holiday in London and wandered past a Sikh temple which was having an open day to allow people to get the chance the see the architecture. She was able to cover her head with her trusty scarf and go inside!

Frank - I am definitely going to try that!

Frank, don't you find the spin cycle on your portable washing machine difficult?

His wash cycle is known as "The Twist."

I would suggest that if you have special considerations when shopping that you not count on buying in Europe. Foot problems (including being too big!) or being a larger than usual clothing size probably means you should bring that item from home. But I agree-scarves are one size fits all!

Frank from Centenial. Really good points. I think I'm pretty low now for 2 weeks, but doable. I was thinking of doing 1 pr shoes with a change of insoles to cut some of the weight. Interesting to hear that it works for you.

Rose, On a ETBD video Rick has a lady traveler educating us on packing light. She takes 2 pair of shoes. A good walking shoe and a lighter weight sandal which she also uses for evening wear.

It does rain here in Europe and so if you only have one pair of shoes and it pours down rain during the daytime, what will you wear that evening? There is nothing more fun then putting on a pair of sopping wet shoes. Even if it is just pair of sandals, do bring another pair.

I would never go anywhere with just one pair of shoes. As Jo says what will you do if it rains? I have waterproof gear, but have been out walking in rain so heavy and prolonged that I have still got wet through.

Several times I've been in Europe in shoulder seasons and wished I had more warm clothing. A sweater-vest was a purchase once. A generous sized French scarf saved the day in Paris. Those scarves are inexpensive and make nice gifts. I always take walking sandals in addition to my walking shoes. They give my feet a rest at the end of the day and serve as slippers around my hotel room.

Packing too light is when you forget something you really need. After a couple changes of clothes, my passport, credit card, debit card, some bath items, camera and any neccessary tickets or confirmations - it's all just extra stuff. Even the clothes can be easily replaced in a pinch.

My wife packs a lot more clothing than I do but argues that, as long as she can get it in one carry-on, she has packed light enough.

OK, I'm sold. 2 pr shoes it is & any shopping I do there will be for a scarf. Thanks all. I've read everything I could find on packing light, but no one talks about packing too little. Also, it's interesting that many posters on this thread assumed I was packing too much & didn't really address my question - have you packed too light?

Short answer is no, I've never forgotten anything I really needed. As light as I pack, I always find there are at least a couple things I could have done without but never come home thinking, "If only I would have packed _____."

Rose - yes, my husband used to pack too light. Our first trip together to Europe we both packed WAY too much. When we started traveling with our kids we got lighter and lighter. My husband, however, finally got too light for our traveling style. He had 1 pair pants, one shorts and, I think 3 shirts. Since our trips were always in the summer this posed a problem. He really did sweat quite a lot and would wear one shirt during the day, come back and change into another shirt for the evening. We were moving every 2-3 days and even with doing laundry 1x per week and washing some things in the sink, it was just too much.

So, our style now is not to pack as lightly as we can, but rather to pack so that we can still do carry-on on the way over (we tend to check on the way back because we've added heavy and bulky items like souvenir books, etc.), and also so that the suitcase is light enough so that we can easily carry it. We limit the number of bottoms (though I would take 3 not two) but we take MANY more shirts than some posters here - something like 5-7 (and I often take more). We'll do the same for a 1 week trip as for a 3 week trip and I plan laundry days/places. I do pack more items than my husband but my clothes are much smaller and lighter than his stuff so again it is not a problem.

I'm of the "delicate foot" variety so I too would NEVER go with only 1 pair but I'm wearing one and therefore only packing one other pair. Husband doesn't have this problem but still takes two pairs because he doesn't like walking in wet shoes and we've hit rain on almost all of our trips.

Bottom line is we pack more than many but we are still able to easily tote our own stuff.

On our first trip upon arriving home I saw my wife remove 6 items of clothing that she had never worn.Icarried those items up many stairs.I told her from now on she had to help carry. She got practical and now at age 71-72 after many trips we travel with only carryon.

Rose, Every trip I try to pack less than the one before, and I have yet to pack too little. I always come home with something I never wore. Now it's down to a t-shirt or two, which I don't think is too bad. But someday I'd like to take a trip where I don't pack one extra thing.

I will lightly challenge Brad's assertion that ....

....Even the clothes can be easily replaced in a pinch....

When I had to replace my pants it was more difficult than I thought it would be. And it was time consuming. Finding a place that sells clothes is not the problem. It is finding the type of clothes that you want and it was expensive. No Sam's club or sales. That is why I am back to carrying two pairs of pants.

I have been thinking about your question since you posted because I used to be a terrible under-packer. I was hoping someone else would have the definitive answer, but seeing none, here goes..

The biggest miscalculation I made was planning for one outfit per day. I ALWAYS change clothes for the evening when I was away from home whether visiting fammily, vacation, or business.

But, after consideration I realize the problem has never been packing too little, it was packing the wrong stuff. First, I'd pack clothes that were not appropropriate for travel because I liked them at home. (had too much stuff that wasn't versatile enough for my needs or wasn't clean when I needed it.)

Second, I didn't think through all the "little things" that make traveling convenient. The first question has been answered well here, (yeah, scarves..) the second question is easily solved by reading the graffiti wall, RS packing lists, and one-bag.com.

The only advice I would add regarding the first point (clothing) is temperature and weather should not be your only criteria-- think of style as well. What you wear on the west coast just doesn't feel right on the east coast. The colors you wear in San Francisco look really weird when you're in Hawaii--and you won't be comfortable wearing them. That will be amplified when traveling abroad. So, be mindful of this and you will be less likely to waste valuable luggage space on clothes you will never wear. I know it sounds like I'm talking about packing too much again, but you feel like you've underpacked when you don't have enough of what you need.

So, in short, packing too light really meant packing badly. Now that I know how to pack, I do not have that problem. With all the travel advice available to you on this board, I don't think you need to worry about packing badly.

Consider that you can always put an unwanted pair of shoes and a some dirty clothes in a box and mail them home half-way through your trip.

It is possible to underpack to the point of having nothing to wear to the laundromat because....you want to wash everything you have. I carry a very light silk shirt and shorts or capris for such occasions. I wear my coat over this outfit. If your host(ess) offers to do your laundry, same consideration, but it may be as long as a whole day before you get your duds back.

Nope, never wished for more clothes. I take black items, with one additional color, teal/turqoise, for bit of color. Then a scarf or two, and buy another couple scarves over there. And I admit to taking 3 pair of shoes...Easy Spirit Traveltime, Keen slides, Ecco sandals for a change and for evening. All shoes black, all comfortable and well broken in. Nothing worse than unhappy feet.
Your new RS friends won't even notice that you wear the same things over and over. If they are smart, they'll be doing the same.
Have a great trip!