Rather than hijack the thread about Wheeled Luggage, I'm wondering if any of you, ahem, us, in the OA group have any tips about how you have overcome overpacking. Every time we go away (two of us), doesn't matter where, even for one week, we have four pieces of checked baggage, plus I have a carry-on and husband has a small tote. Are there others out there who need intervention as well??

"Hello...My name is Mrs Kal and I'm an OA."

"Hello Mrs Kal"....

Just how many shoes DO you need on Kauai? Still hanging in there for that fancy, black tie dinner party on Kauai I guess? :-"

Here's a fool-proof method..

Travel solo one trip to Europe. Pack way too much. Transfer flights several times. Take train trips often, walk to the train station on cobblestone streets with your luggage, be a little bit late so you have to run down the platform to catch the train. Stay on the 4th floor at hotels with no elevators. You will quickly see the light (so to speak).

KAL -

There's nothing wrong with lot of luggage. If that's how you enjoy travleing - and can afford the appropriate types of hotels, transportation and help/bearers - go for it.

(I always do on longer business trips - not that I have any choice really.)

Mrs. Budman is a proud member of OA. Budman is the valet for the kitchen sink. Why would she want to "overcome"?

Well LOL my late husband explained it to me and the children. Whatever you take you carry!!

That sure got our attention.

So two month trips to Italy consisted of one suitcase and one small carryon each.

And since he was great about helping out I have found since I travel on my own I even want to have less. Need to replace my 26" suitcase with I guess a 22" suitcase.

Think that suze explained it well.

Just Say No. Dump half of it out the window and head for the airport. The worst that could happen is you could be fined for littering.

I know this affliction is rare, but I have the opposite problem. I pack only the bare necessities, but that means doing laundry every 3 to 4 days. On a few trips I have bought extra T-shirts I didn't really need just for the sake of having clean clothes. But I hit a new low on my trip to Ireland when I resorted to borrowing shirts from my husband.

Underpacking is an illness, just like overpacking. I need help. There must be a happy medium between us under- and over-packers. If only I could travel with an overpacker that's my same size, then I could wear their clothes and between us we would have exactly the right amount of stuff.

PM, that is funny! Well I am almost getting to the point of being an underpacker. But what about this, if we run short of clean clothes we can buy what we need? Just a thought!

My recovery from OA started on a trip much like the one Suze so well described. Imagine twentysomething girl travellers, this one with a 26" wheeled suitcase plus large carryon that can only be described as akin to a 36" duffle bag...travelling by train from Rome to Sorrento and on to Florence and back to Rome. And those bags of mine were packed to the gills...I was way overprepared for any eventuality on that trip...but learned quickly that a 22" (purchased upon my return) and a small backpack or tote type carryon is more than enough.

We're all planners here...my suggestion. Make a pack list, lay out all the stuff you think you're taking. Then pack it into your suitcase. Zip it up (no forcing should be involved) wheel it around your house, carry it up a full flight of steps. Then unpack it all, re-evaluate and pare down your selections. You'll be happier on the trip.

Unless of course you're only staying at one hotel for the whole time. Then all bets are off OA lives!

Mrs. Kal knows that in Kauai you can never have too many pairs of sandals!

My overpacking is so bad I literally weigh the suitcases before loading into the car so I know that I am within weight limits. The Thanksgiving trip had me rearranging two suitcases before I could leave the house because one was overweight. And the packing starts about one week prior to departure, and then the justification routine starts during the week--well this shirt is really light, how much space can "this" take? I do end up mid-week pulling things out, but not enough things to make a difference. Add in the food, god knows we might starve! Now I am even packing my Hot Shot for hot tea water--this one I won't not give up because I can't stand tea that tastes like coffee, and I like the convenience of having it in the room. Sounds like maybe Mrs. Budman might be my long lost sister

I cram it in. Sit on it. Squeeze it. Zip it and go. Only one problem with that. The zipper on my Samsonite could not stand the strain and popped like a fat person's girdle after a Hardee's Thickburger -- you know one of those 1700 calorie dudes with two slabs of fatty meat and 3 slices of even fattier cheese. And I watched some guy eat 2 of them without getting up. After seeing him in an upright position I understood why he minimized rising out of his chair.

So I bought a bigger model with an expandable zipper. I pack tight, then rather than squeeze, I call in the reserves.

Just get a bigger case. One friend of mine goes to France for the summer every year and he totes two 70 pounders.
He does weight training to keep up his strength for the summer grunt and groan sessions.

I am a proud member of OA. I can't help it, I'm a "mood" packer. I never know exactly what mood I'll be in, so I need a variety of outfits and shoes to match. Since I have *many* moods, this can create a problem.

I must say, however, that I am a very good packer. I also weigh my suitcase and only got burned once when my scale was *off* by 5 pounds. I have had to make some quick adjustments at the airport - this is when my family begins to move away from me and pretend not to know me. That's okay. It comes with the OA territory. I'm sure some of you can relate.

The other members of my family, are not members of OA and can live for two weeks with only a couple of pairs of pants and a few shirts. If they travel with me, that is just not acceptable. They throw up their hands and give me some control of their packing as well.

I guess when it comes to packing I am a *little* compulsive/obsessive. I always say I'm going *to change*, but as of this date, I haven't. I believe it is a little too late for help. Thank goodness someone invented luggage with wheels. Oh well.

Poor Mrs. Kal!

We don't mean to, but we need,pristine spa sneakers, walking sneakers, hiking shoes, walking sandals, flip flop beachsandals, sexy sandals,casual sandals in black, beige, reef shoes, and stilletos for Kal and mules. No not the donkey you j'ass!!!

Hi everyone, my name is gyppielou and I'm a Overpackingshoeaholic...........

You all make me think that overpacking is the way to go back to until I remember that I am the one that will have to deal with it, LOL. Too funny!

Never will forget my friend. Her husband had a convention in Reno. She and my DH & I drove up to spend 3 days with him after his convention was over. My friend had (I kid you not) 4 suitcases and 2 carryon bags. Though my DH was going to have a heart attack.

So we have the overpackers and the underpackers. Is there truly any middle ground? I wonder. Anyone?

No middle ground - I went to Ireland for almost 2 weeks several years ago with a small wheeled suitcase that would have counted as a carry-on. When we went to Egypt I packed as if we were heading off to the wilderness for a year. We had half a suitcase filled with snack food "in case the kids don't find anything there they can eat" - peanut butter, instant coffee, etc. What was I thinking? Ended up bartering most of the junk for stupid trinkets we didn't want either. Enough "covered up" clothing that I would have saved space if I just bought a burka.

I find the only way not to overpack is to take boring clothes - the Ireland trick was to bring a pair of black pants, black walking shorts, black skirts, etc. and assorted tops. Saved on shoes.

Hello, my name is Lisa, and I'm a recovering overpacker...

I'm the "packer" and DH is the "schlepper"... he's so good to me... no complaining.

I have come back from 2 week trips to Hawaii and written down everything I wore as I unpack and do laundry... it's amazing how many things are clean and were never worn... my little, and I mean LITTLE, list helps me be pack more "sparingly" for the next trip.

I also am a "mood" dresser, and have a hard time w/o a few choices. Forget all that black... I like color!

Also, I can't be w/o my little computer speakers and discman, just love my music... oh, and candles, too!

That's all.

I am a reformed overpacker ever since my trip to Costa Rica. Before the trip, my girlfriend (a proud JAP--Jewish American Princess--to those unaware)and I were informed there was a strict weight limit on the intercity flight we were taking. Omigosh, you would've thought the world was going to end in the way we both reacted. (You see I am also a card carrying JAP even if my friend is the president of the club). What were we going to to do? I forget what the weight limit was but let me assure you, it was next to nothing. You should've seen us trying to figure out how to look fashionable and obey the airline rules--eventually, we headed off to find the lightest suitcase or duffle bag on the planet just so we could take all the things we wanted. We each bought some canvas duffle and then proceeded to pack it w/all our cute rain forest-worthy outfits and then plopped it on the bathroom scale. Our bags were still waay over! Karen, my cohort, then came up with a good idea. That flight wasn't til the end of the trip so she suggested we bring some older clothes that we were willing to part with and discard them along the way. And that's exactly what we did! (That and cutting back a little bit.)

(I jsut hope the maid wasn't offended and we hope that someone took our clothes and put them to good use.)

I realized on that trip that it's ok to pack less and have been doing it ever since. I am now a great packer and my back and arms are thankful ;-)

Well, it's the shoes! If you go someplace where you only need flip-flops - no problem! But usually, there's this whole layer of shoes along the bottom of the suitcase.

Then there's all the jars. I don't spend all this time and money on my face so I can go away and use the tiny little body moisurizer they leave in the bathroom!

And the tray of hot rollers. Curling iron, presents, bottle of champagne, couple thick magazines and books. Thank goodness at least now we stay in hotels with bathrobes and hair dryers! And God-forbid it's a ski trip...

I actually bring very little clothing on trips - but my bagS are filled to the brim. Yes, I admit it, I'm OA.

Pack what you think you need. Then, remove 1/3 of the stuff. Don't bring things you "think you might" want. Unless going to Tibet, you can buy "emergency" stuff when you get there.