On my trip now…10 days. I wore my one pair of sneakers on the plane. I have a pair of sandals that I’ll use a little. And my Bomba slippers. That’s it.
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We tell friends who are coming to spend a week at our cabin to just wear their tennies and a light jacket on the plane and pack a pair of flip flops, three pair of shorts, one pair of jeans, a tee-shirt for each day, and any skincare must-haves as our guest quarters are fully stocked with sundries, robes, umbrellas, walking sticks, hair-dryer, and extras. If they have more than a small roller bag, they’ve overpacked. Seriously, how many outfits do you need to sit on the porch feeding chipmunks or walk along the lake licking an ice cream cone? 
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I have given a lot of thought to why people – (especiallythe one Im married to) overpack. Part of it is indecision and poor planning, for sure. Red shirt or blue shirt? Both! Part of it is imagining that somehow, a different place will make them a different person. For example, while they would rarely wear a jacket out at home, being in Paris or Rome might might inspire it. In realty, it just doesn’t work that way. And lastly, there’s a bit of fear - that something essential will be left behind.
I have encouraged – at the end of a trip - recording what was taken and how often it was used - as a guide for another trip. If a raincoat wasn’t used because the weather was great, terrific! But if a second pair of shoes weren’t used - skip them the next time.
Also, hats off to all of you who give guidance to guests. Letting them know that there’s nowhere to wear dressy clothes, that it gets cool in the evening, etc. eliminates a lot of stress over situations. I often remind folks that if they don’t care how they look, I’m happy to dress them from my closet.
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+1000 to this.
Corollary: No one cares what you look like in the woods anyway.
Actually, no one cares what you look like anywhere. There is freedom in the anonymity of travel. The people in the new location don’t know you, have never met you, aren’t paying a whit of attention to you, and won’t remember you. You can let your hair go wild and just wear the same, increasingly dirty, outfit every single day. No one will notice. There! Just pack one outfit and lots of clean underwear. You’re now a light packing pro. You’re welcome.
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I like to look neat and clean on vacation, because I enjoy looking at the pictures afterwards. I get my hair dyed right before, so I don’t have to look at my grey roots in my vacation photos. But I like to visit cities (no woods, mountains, or beaches for me).
My tip is to create a packing list on a spreadsheet or document. I have been doing this for me, my daughter, and husband, forever. When we are planning a new trip, I copy the past list for the most similar type of trip (for example, summer vs winter, car vs plane, 1, 2, or all 3 of us, etc.) and adjust the count of each type of thing I am packing based upon the length of the trip.
I am usually starting with a good list and then just changing the number of pairs of underwear, socks, etc. My list includes which bag each item goes in (carryon vs checked bag). I adjust as things change and reevaluate after each trip. For example, when we purchased air tags, I added them to my packing list.
When I actually pack, I cross out each item on the list as it goes in my suitcase. I never forget to pack anything with this method.
Yes, this may seem a little OCD, but it really works well for my family.
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This! Honestly…I think when I’m on vacation, I could wear the same clothes everyday and no one would care!
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My “spreadsheet” is the bed in our daughter’s former bedroom. I just spread my options on the bed, and choose what I want to take from there. I just leave the rest until I get home (to actually put away).
My toiletry bag is already packed except for medications.
I realized a while ago that this system works for me…and it takes me maybe 30 minutes to pack it all in my one carryon bag. My personal item takes longer…because it has the electronics I use day to day.
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Me too. Put on the bed what I’d like to take and then get real and put at least half of it back.
Carry on only.
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My husband and I share a closet, so when we travel, we can share a suitcase - or two. 
No his or her bags except for personal items as defined by the airlines (a tote for me and a backpack for Mr. B). All shirts and dresses in plastic bags on hangers go into the roller carryon garment bag together with some shoes etc., the rest goes into the carryon suitcase.
I do a combination of @kiddie ‘s spreadsheet and @gouf78 ‘s putting things back.
I start with the spreadsheet ( on my laptop) and adjust for the type of trip ( season/ weather/activities).
I then take out my “ potential “ items. I have an extra guest room upstairs and that’s my packing room. I try everything on and create combinations with different tops/ bottoms. Anything that doesn’t go with At Least two others ( preferably three) goes back in the closet. I also try various shoes with the outfits. Usually about half goes back.
When I have my final edit, I check things off of the spreadsheet as I pack.
I usually do very well with this method, but admit I way overpacked for my last trip.
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Going along with this, I advocate to pack for YOU not for your husband or your travel mates or the waiter at the restaurant or the people on the street - pack for YOUR tastes and comfort. I think taking some of those expectations away can literally and figuratively lighten the load.
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So, I’ve now tried 4 different bags and I think I’m going to use the Swiss Gear I already own - it’s been a workhorse on several international and domestic trips.
Of course I still have plenty of time should something even better present itself.
https://www.target.com/p/swissgear-zurich-wheeled-48l-duffel-bag-black/-/A-92105807#lnk=sametab
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That would work for many. But for me, having a variety of shoes can be helpful on the chance that foot/PF issues reappear. I can easily buy an extra sweatshirt of jacket - good, comfy shoes are harder.
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@Colorado_mom -same here. My feet are narrow and it’s difficult for me to find shoes that fit. “ There are stores everywhere “ does not work for me if I need shoes.
I know I have told the story here but one of the very few times my bag was lost was several years ago when we attended a family wedding in rural Illinois. My dress and shoes were in that bag. Thankfully, I did get the bag in time as no one in the family is near my size on either and there is literally no where there to buy a nice dress or a pair of narrow heels.
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Unfortunately the Vessi and some other waterproof sneakers don’t come in wide widths. i have unfortunate feet with bunions that break through the regular width sneakers.
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With hard sided luggage, I know it will get scuffed when checked. For those that have hard sided luggage, do the lighter colors look worst than the darker? I don’t want black, and like the beige colors, but thinking there might be more chance of black scuffs than white, although I have seen both while in the airport. I know, it is just a piece of luggage, but would like it to look decent over time. 
Do I go with what looks good new, or over time?
My oldest has the beige colored Away hard sided luggage and it looks great after 6 years of hard use (Europe, Africa, Asia). They do include a scuff removing pad and it basically looks like new still.
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There are many luggage covers available on Amazon.https://a.co/d/03Sa08cC
A friend of mine uses them regularly, and I asked what happens if TSA needs to inspect her bag—would they remove the cover? She said it’s never happened to her, even after many trips using them.
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Because I’ve seen Quince luggage mentioned on this thread, this carry on is an extra $30 off today - $139.90
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Nice… and many colors to choose from (all on sale)/