I have to admit that I give myself a little pat on the back every time I manage to pack so many outfits and "just in case" things and still manage to stay under the weight limit for my luggage.
I also admit that I also consistently come home with items that I haven't worn or used and occasionally new items that I had to buy along the way because I didn't pack properly.
For the upcoming 3-week holiday overseas, I've realized that I need to be more strategic.
For previous long holidays, we have attempted other, less successful strategies such as ...
- packing a ton of laundry detergent and washing/drying every few days (packing up still-not-dry clothing to your next location doesn't work (or smell) very well when the weather is hot)
- allowing for on-location shopping to fill in along the way (only works for casual wear - formal wear from a small-town mall is not that formal, or able to do alterations)
- FedEx-ing the formal wear to the hotel ahead of time (depending on who labels the box - and what the receiving country deems the package to be - can result in a hefty duty charge - and receiving hotels do not like to be your financier.)
Out of the 3 weeks, essentially I am spending most of my time with only my husband seeing me every day. If he is okay seeing me in the same outfits more than once or even several times, I shouldn't have any problems cutting back on what I pack.
The business part of the trip has the most specific dress requirements. Including a formal gala and a handful of business casual events, there are also many more times that we will be dressed casually for this holiday.
Nice change, but now I am worried...
I'm not exactly a casual girl and I honestly only own 2 pairs of jeans but I have been getting better with not over-dressing for the occasion so I'm sure that I have a good list of things started.
Or do I?
So here are the priories for the Packing Plan!
- Currently I have approximately 6 LIVE-streaming Facebook events planned throughout the 3 week period. Since these live streams videos are also going to be on Facebook forever and ever and used for other promotions, having different outfits for each of these is pretty important.
- I also have the 1 formal event.
- I count 4 "business casual" events that will need separate outfits. (I know that NEED is a pretty strong word, but I can allow myself to wear different outfits since I will have options left over from the other legs of the trip.)
- When I tally up all of the times throughout the corporate week that I will require casual wear, I am estimating (maybe over-estimating) about 10 outfits.
- I can't forget other things like jackets/outerwear, a wrap or dress coat, bathing suit, shoes and accessories. (Shoes might be a problem - again!)
I am also going to have a full-size carry-on for this trip since our luggage has to remain at the 20kg weight limit for the smaller plane rides. Since most of my flights will be one-way, missing luggage or delayed luggage will be a bit of a headache if I don't plan accordingly.
The carry-on is going to be my backup plan and will allow me to pack for a full three days so I won't need to go into my suitcase very often until it is time to repack for the following three days.
If this works, the list above will be the ONLY outfits I will bring along to the other parts of my trip. Each business casual outfit will be fine for dinners out with casual wear rotated for day wear.
I know that some of you 'only-travel-with-a-carryon' travellers out there are probably thinking...
"I think you can still cut back a bit more."
I think I can too...but with all of the fun of dressing up on holidays...Do I WANT to?
Have any handy tips or suggestions for me to make packing even easier?
Leave your ideas in the comments section below and I will let you know how it worked out!
