How low can YOU go ??

[PaminMaine]

I have done my personal best packing my carry on this year!
Considering that I only wear 'real' clothes at night to go out I have cut way back.
For 10 days I am bringing -
3 shirts
3 shorts
2 bathing suits
2 cover ups
Flip flops
1 night shirt
and 4 pair underwear


How about you ?

[loverotties]

Wow that is impressive ! When we go for 10 days I bring along :

3 shorts
4 tops
6 bathing suits
4 cover-ups
5 dresses
1 pj's
3 flip flops
9 undies
1 strapless bra

[mindehankins]

Good job! We go for 8 days and I bring a couple of bathing suits (cause that's all I had), four sun dresses, and underwear. I can hand-wash and dry the dresses if need be. I was SHOCKED when I saw that my daughter had packed light for our trip in January. I was fully expecting a full suitcase, but she only had 2 pair of shorts, 2 tank tops, 2 swimsuits and 1 sun dress. We're wearing the same clothes over and over in our photos. To those who don't know, it looks like we had 2 really great days, looking at the photos
I'll be up to 4 swimsuits this trip. I finally bit the bullet and bought a couple of new ones They don't take up much room, though!

[shoemak38]

I have done my personal best packing my carry on this year!
Considering that I only wear 'real' clothes at night to go out I have cut way back.
For 10 days I am bringing -
3 shirts
3 shorts
2 bathing suits
2 cover ups
Flip flops
1 night shirt
and 4 pair underwear


How about you ?

you can come train my wife in a year in how to pack lite, and then go shop the outlets

[dreamshark]

Minde, I like that you bring sundresses instead of shorts. Me too. I brought one pair of shorts last year and the only time I used them was for the hike to Drunk Bay. I like something between the furniture and the backs of my legs in hot weather.

I hope all you people are also bringing hats. And a pair of socks if you're planning to hike in anything more substantial than flip-flops. A pair of liner socks can also be a godsend if you rent flippers and they don't fit quite perfectly.

The hardest thing for me is convincing myself that I'm not going to need a long-sleeve shirt.

[AquaGirl]

Wow - your list is REALLY low and quite impressive. I have various other items - hats, socks and shoes for hiking and the trip home, dive skin, etc. I like taking sundresses and coverups in place of shorts too. I will use your list as a model and see if I can achieve your LOW

Dreamshark - I always bring a long sleeved shirt, and almost always have used it. Sometimes the evenings are just a bit cool and I need my long sleeves. But I'm the type that gets cold easily, so I wouldn't leave home without it.

[needmesomesun]

I think last trip was the least packing we've ever done. And we brought a dog, and all her essentials, as well as a soft sided cooler. We just don't need very much anymore. Next trip will be two dogs. Pretty sure I'll take even less!

[Need2GetAway]

It depends if you have a washing machine or not. We always do, but I still get by with:

3 bikinis
1 bathing suit cover-up
1 shorts
1 pants (worn on plane)
1 top (worn on plane)
1 very light sweater or fleece (worn on plane)
2 tank tops
1 sundress
flip flops
1 pair flat but cute sandals (ok to wear with the dress)
underwear
running stuff - 1 gym shorts, 1 top, 3 socks, shoes
snorkel stuff

[dreamshark]

Wow - your list is REALLY low and quite impressive. I have various other items - hats, socks and shoes for hiking and the trip home, dive skin, etc. I like taking sundresses and coverups in place of shorts too. I will use your list as a model and see if I can achieve your LOW

Dreamshark - I always bring a long sleeved shirt, and almost always have used it. Sometimes the evenings are just a bit cool and I need my long sleeves. But I'm the type that gets cold easily, so I wouldn't leave home without it.

Do you count what you wear on the plane? (It's not packed, after all). I get cold on long plane rides, so I always dress in layers: t-shirt, long-sleeved shirt, two silk scarves, loose pants (calf-length or longer), closed-toe walking sandals with warm socks underneath. So I always have one long-sleeved shirt, but I usually can't resist bringing one more. I don't think I've ever used either one except for traveling.

What about raingear? A raincoat seems like overkill, but I usually bring at least a windbreaker. I'm not sure I've ever used that either. Should I leave it home next time?

I'm trying to get down to carry-on only, but also moving up to bringing all our own snorkel gear instead of renting. It would be easy with the 22" roll-on suitcase, but with people over-stuffing the overhead bins these days it's just too hard to find a place for that big roll-on so I usually check it now. I'd like to get it down to a backpack and small duffel each and leave the roll-on at home.

[PaminMaine]

Wow.. some of you are really even less.. Maybe I should try to cut down again.. hmmm

Dreamshark- 2 years ago we were there during a rainy week in May. We never used anything as it was so light , EXCEPT one day when we went to Wharfside to shop. It rained pretty hard, but it was very warm, and we were in our bating suits anyhow !!

[LynnieGirl]

You guys are really inspiring me to be the best minimalist I can possibly be (or have ever been for that matter). My husband will never let me live down the small (very small) suitcase of shoes I took on our first cruise and wore one pair out of it. He won't have a problem with only a carry on because he has become an the King of rolling everything in his suitcase. I think, no I know I can do this!

Dreamshark, looks like we will be on island at the same time. We land on 7/16 and leave on 7/25.

[mindehankins]

Noooooo....not counting what I wear on the way down! I wear LOTS of layers, and put a sundress in my backpack, to change into just prior to landing. And I bring a fleece blanket. Seriously. I don't like to be cold! But I didn't put that on the list cause I thought the list was of clothes only.
For rain, I bring a few of those cheapo rain ponchos from the outdoor section at Walmart. They're folded very, very small, and are just big enough to keep you from getting soaked on departure day. I say a few and not a couple because they are very cheaply made and I plan ahead for a wardrobe malfunction

[PaminMaine]

Oh, I didn't count the clothes that I wear on the plane! I will have capris, short sleeve shirt, keens and a light jacket.
I also have brought the Walmart rain ponchos Minde.. and I have also used a trash bag with arms poked out in an emergency!

[Bigcheeze]

After 10 trips we now have it down to 3 carry ons for 2 adults and and 2 teenage kids. A few back packs and a carry on for snorkle stuff. Underwear?? what's that?...LOL

And we still will kid that we brought too much.

Pack 1/2 as much and bring 2x the money is the drill.