Twice the $: Half the Clothes

I'm always amazed at how people pack for travel. 

The people that get me are those that don't understand that generally you can't fit a 48"+ rollerboard in an overhead compartment. Clearly they don't have a clue how to pack particularly if you're lugging that on an overseas flight where you get one free bag with most airlines.  OK, maybe they don't want to wait for their luggage but seriously... get a clue!

We travel a lot for work and pleasure in our house. And we travel for long stretches of time, like up to two weeks and we manage to get it all in one bag per person + carry ons, which I have to say we keep to a minimum. Sometimes this includes our scuba gear. So here are my rules for packing bags:

Rule one: find out if you have laundry facilities where you're going.  

Granted if your on a "If this is Tuesday, This must be Belgium" type of vacation, then probably not.  But if you're like us and typically go somewhere and stay in the same 'home base' for the trip, see if they have washer/dryer OR laundry service before you go.
[Hint: Most European hotels will get your laundry done for really cheap!]

Rule two: Pack mix & match. 

It kills me that the women I work with have to have matchy-matchy clothes, shoes, jewelry, hair accessories etc. for every single day! Really??? Makes me think of Mrs. Roper on Three's Company. Take stuff that you can wear more than once  like black bottoms or shoes and go with more than one thing.
[Hint: spot remover pens are a good thing to carry with you]

Rule three: Roll your clothes when you pack. 

You get a LOT more in your suitcase if you do this. Maybe it seems counter-intuitive but you can really make a lot of extra space using this over 'flat packing'.

Rule four: Pack things that don't need to be ironed. 

[OK, if you're going to a special event you get a #freepass] But do you really want to spend time on vacation ironing?

Rule five: If you are on the fence about something, don't bother you probably won't need it.

Golden rule: Take twice the $$$ and half the clothes.