How many clothes to pack for 7 days

Are you going on a one-week holiday and you’re wondering how many clothes to pack for 7 days?

I’m here to help!

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, simply don’t know what to pack for 7 days or you’re trying to pack light and it’s not going to plan, don’t worry!

I’m going to simplify this process and show you how many clothes to pack for 7 days…

How many clothes to pack for 7 days

Break your clothes down into clothing categories
Plan a rough itinerary
Plan your outfits
Write a list
Pack what you can ASAP
Pack the rest the evening before you leave

1. Break your clothes down into categories

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the thought of packing for your 7 day trip then this first tip can really help.

I like to break my packing list down into categories. I then pack each of these categories into their own individual packing cube or pouch.

Nightwear
Underwear
Activewear (if I’ll be working out while I’m away)
Swimwear
Day time outfits (including accessories)
Night time outfits (including accessories)
Shoes
Tech
Toiletries
Travel related accessories (towels etc)

Using this list of categories, it’s much easier to write a packing list. Here’s what my packing list for a 7 day trip would be:

7 day packing list

Nightwear

1 x Pyjamas

Underwear

10 x knickers
4 x bras
7 x socks

Make sure you choose underwear that goes with your outfits. There’s nothing worse than realising you can’t wear that dress because you don’t have a bra to go with it!

I pack my underwear and nightwear into a packing cube together.

Activewear (if I’ll be working out while I’m away)

1 x shorts
1 x sports bra
2 x tops
1 x cap

Swimwear

1 x bikini
1 x swimsuit

Day time outfits (including accessories)

2 x beach outfits
3 x casual daytime outfits
1 x fancier daytime outfit
1 x travel outfit

Night time outfits (including accessories)

4 x fancy outfits
2 x casual night time outfits (possible crossover with daytime outfits)

Only you will know if you’re happy to wear the same outfit for the day and the night. It will also depend on your destination and what you’ll be doing during the day.

Shoes

Running trainers
Sandals
Heels for evenings

Tech

Phone
iPad
Camera + SD card
Headphones
Kindle
Chargers

Toiletries

Shampoo
Conditioner
Bodywash
Moisturiser
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Hair brush
Hair straighteners
Sun lotion
Menstrual products
Hair spray
Dry shampoo
Face wash
Bobbles

Travel related accessories

Passport!
Microfibre towels
Sun hat
Portable speaker
Water bottle
Plug adaptor

2. Plan a rough itinerary

The best way to know how many clothes to pack for 7 days is to plan a rough itinerary for your trip.

When you know what you’ll be doing each day you’ll know what you want to wear.

Here’s an example:

Day 1: Travel day + Dinner at hotel
Day 2: Relax by pool + dinner at the beach
Day 3: Hiking day
Day 4: Boat trip + dinner in city
Day 5: Pool day + big night out
Day 6: Beach club
Day 7: Travel day

When you plan a rough itinerary like this you’ll see what outfits you’ll need.

For example, this itinerary only includes 4 fancy dinners and 4 pool/beach days but without an itinerary you might think you need a fancy evening outfit for every night you’re away.

3. Plan your outfits

Now you know roughly what you’ll be doing each day, you can plan what you’ll wear.

This is what will really help you establish how many clothes to pack for 7 days.

Plan each outfit from head to toe, including underwear, accessories and shoes.

Don’t forget you can wear the same thing twice and mix and match items.

If you want to pack light then I’d either recommend a capsule wardrobe where lots of the items you’re packing can be mixed and matched. Or opt for lightweight fabrics that fold down small, avoiding bulky items like chunky knits and bulky jeans.

4. Write a list

Using the clothing categories I listed above, write yourself a good old fashioned packing list.

I recommend doing this at least a week before you start packing for your 7 day trip so you’ve got time to buy anything you need or get anything washed or dig it out from wherever it’s been hiding since your last holiday!

A list will stop you overpacking and will help it feel more manageable.

5. Pack what you can ASAP (but don’t try and pack everything too early)

I don’t recommend packing your entire case too soon because you’re only going to end up digging things back out of it that you’ll inevitably need prior to your trip.

But there are certain things you won’t need, so start packing those things.

I’ll usually: