How many clothes to pack for a trip: the formula for any length

The question is not how many clothes you have. It is how many days you can go before you wash. The right count for a trip is a number you can work out in ten seconds.

This guide shows how many clothes to pack for a trip of any length. Counts are a starting point, so adjust them for your plans and the weather.

The formula

Tops: days divided by 2, plus 1. Bottoms: days divided by 4, plus 1. Underwear and socks: days, plus 1.

Worked example for 8 days (round numbers):

• Tops: 8 ÷ 2 = 4, plus 1 = 5
• Bottoms: 8 ÷ 4 = 2, plus 1 = 3
• Underwear and socks: 8 plus 1 = 9, or 5 if you wash once
• Shoes: 2 pairs
• One extra layer

Ruling: the "plus 1" covers a spill or a wet day. It is not a licence for "plus 5".

Per-trip-length table

Counts are a starting point.

After about ten days, the bag does not grow. You wash instead.

Change the counts when

• It is hot. Add one top per two days. You will sweat through them.
• It is cold. Add a layer, not a top. A warm middle layer replaces a whole outfit.
• It is a formal event. Add one outfit for the event, not one per day.
• You hike or exercise. Add one quick-dry top and one extra pair of socks.

What goes on your body

On the travel day, wear the bulkiest things: shoes, jacket, thickest trousers. They count as part of your outfit count, not extras.

Leave at home

• A different outfit for each day
• A top you will wear only once
• "Just in case" trousers
• Three pairs of the same shoe

If you still pack too much

Lay everything out on the bed. Put back the third pair of shoes and any top that does not match two other things. If the bag still will not close, read why overpacking is a fear problem. To see these counts in a real list, open the weekend trip packing list or the carry-on only packing list for 10 days.