Ha, I see your point. What I meant was stuff I had already laid out to pack!

SeaUrchin, in a perfect world my husband would know how to pack a suitcase using every available inch of suitcase space----waste not, want not---when it comes to him packing it's not a "perfect world". I do the packing, perfectly ;;) Deborah

To avoid this problem, I buy almost all of my husband's clothes--first, he has no interest in shopping, and second, no interest in fashion so he's happy to let me do it.

Hmmm, my late husband was the one that was the perfect packer. I was almost in tears the first time I had to pack my suitcase by myself.

With two people travelling together putting half of each persons clothing in one suitcase and the other half in the other suitcase is a good idea in case one suitcase doesn't arrive at your destination and decides to take a trip around the world.

My theory is the less taken the easier the trip is. And anything needed can be purchased after arrival.

Grown men "should" be able to pick out what they are going to take on a trip just as they decide what to wear at home but if a fellow doesn't have a clue then a loving wife's help would be appreciated I would think. Well maybe not! But paris, a baseball cap and a duck hunting style hat with earflaps..OH NO!
But you have to love a guy that has his own fashion style, lol. Enjoy your time in Paris!

Just had a thought, the person who does the trip planning is the one that has the most knowledge about where you are going, what you will be doing and what clothing will be required-weather and activities all taken into account. That's why my husband has less of an idea what to pack, he has no clue what is in store for him ;;) But he has complete faith in ME. Deborah

My wife has the "good hands". She can fold a shirt and it looks neat. I fold the same shirt, and it looks like I had slept in it, wadded it up, and slung it in the suitcase.

I try to pack, but my hands just don't work too well.

After watching me fume and fuss, she takes pity on cloddish mate and "helps" me pack. I do pack my own carryon because there is not very much in it to mess up.

No don't take those old garments. There is one good reason for that:
They shout AMERICAN VICTIM to every pickpocket within miles.

Those guys are well organized and telephone ahead to their partners to be on the alert some old geezer wearing earflaps. Check him out, he looks like an easy mark.

They don't call that walk along the Tuilleries Garden the Credit Americaine for nothing!! Beware of sexy girl bearing newspaper or map. She isn't the one to rob you; she is the one that sets you up for her partner who is probably coming from the opposite way.

Or the old ploy of pretending to read a map while bumping into you. That is the distraction. The guy behind you helps you up while he picks your pocket.

You may be obviously foreign, but don't look like an easy mark.

He packs or he goes naked.

The kids (aged 12 and 14) have been picking out their clothes to pack for years. They lay them out and I or DH give them the once-over. Once approved (maybe bring another pair of underwear or where are your socks?), they pack them up.

And if he doesn't shop for them first, he goes naked.