Does anyone have advice on how to pack for a trip?
Hi everyone. I am not a good packer. I need to get down to one suitcase so I can save the other one for the things we are bringing including a office chair from I K E A. Maybe my suitcases are small, but this is not working well. I would appreciate any suggestions. Thank you. (Sorry to ask such a silly question).
5 Answers
Find your favorite clothes in your closet that are all black (they won't show dirt). You know the items that are so comfortable and flattering that you could wear them every day. Pack those and you won't mind wearing them every day.
You absolutely do not need to show people you are visiting that you have a new outfit every day. At the most, you need two completely different outfits. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
Pack one pair of comfortable flat shoes and one pair of heels (IF you need to dress up -- otherwise, pack only the comfortable shoes). Heck, if you wear them onto the plane, you won't have to pack shoes at all.
It is most important to have clothing that can be layered depending upon the climate. You don't want to be too cold or too hot. Scarves can help you in this regard, too. Having a couple of colorful scarves can perk up your outfits and help you if you start to get bored of wearing all of that black.
If you live near a Chico's, they have a line of clothing that is very comfortable and completely wrinkle-proof for traveling. Well worth the investment.
I recommend only packing two pairs of socks and two pairs of underwear and rinsing out one pair of each every night. If you wear one of each, you are only packing one of each. This will save you space.
It helps to think like a backpacker and look at the clothing you want to pack with respect to weight and how much space it takes up. Backpackers spend good money on super-light clothing that packs down to nothing. It might be worth your while to look at some of this type of clothing. I have a short black (down-like) outdoor jacket that retailed for $90 but I bought it on sale off season for $10. I can pack this jacket into a shoe and it has saved my life plenty of times when I got cold while traveling. Click here to see a current jacket made by the same company that made my jacket.
Those are my ideas. Enjoy your trip!
Wow Sandy,an office chair? 
I would love to see how you pack that in a suitcase. It would help to know the airlines baggage restrictions-size and weight, also how many carry on items can you take. On our dive trips all the important things go in the carry on luggage which is usually one bag per person and a personal bag like laptop case, camera bag, etc. The check in baggage has been limited to 60# each and now only one per person. We max it out but I think with 2 people (Sue and I) it is easier because you can spread things out a bit. Lighten up on the clothing, you can always wash things there. You know you can email or Skype me. Good luck and have a good trip.
Hi Sandy
EASY
Just put everything you own into as many cases as it takes and "Hey Presto!"
It's sorted 
PS I hope you have a fantastic time even if you do forget something.
Office chair? - what about a kitchen sink while you are at it.
You could fill it up with wine bottles and then just buy some clothes at wherever you are going.
I think you should PM Dogwood. As I understand from his posts, he travels a lot to Latin America as a volunteer so I think he can give you the best advice.
