First proper carry-on trip and my list has come down to two t-shirts, one button-down and a fleece for twelve days. Every time I look at it my brain says that's disgusting and I should add two more shirts. People who have done this a lot: does two actually work, and what's the thing that makes it work or not work?
Honestly the first two days feel weird and then you stop thinking about it. Nobody you meet on a trip sees you twice.
Right up until you have dinner with the same people three nights running, which is why the button-down earns its place. One collared thing that looks intentional covers every situation where you'd otherwise feel scruffy.
That's the exact reason I kept it on the list, good to know it wasn't paranoia.
Two works, three is comfortable, four is a habit rather than a need. The thing that makes it work is having something clean to wear while one is drying, so the real number is one on you, one drying, and that's it. If you can only wash every third day because of your schedule, then yes, add a shirt.
That framing helps. I'll be in shared dorms half the time so washing daily is realistic.
It works far better with wool or a wool blend than with cotton. A cotton tee is done after one warm day and it takes forever to dry, so if you're set on two shirts, make at least one of them merino. Socks and underwear are where I'd never go below three, since those are cheap, tiny and unpleasant to get wrong.
@gel_phase_gina · 11mo ago
Add a small bar of unscented soap and hang things overnight rather than stuffing them back in the bag damp. Smell in worn clothes is bacteria doing their thing in moisture, so airing a shirt on a hanger overnight buys you a whole extra wear. That single habit did more for me than any fabric.
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