Packing Underwear for a Fortnight Away
Underwear is the part of packing that gets left until last and then handled badly. Either far too much goes in, on the theory that it takes no space, or far too little, on the theory that there will be a washing machine. Both create problems. A fortnight abroad, or a long trip at home, has a fairly predictable answer once you decide how often you intend to do laundry.
Decide the laundry plan first
Everything follows from this. If there is a machine, pack for five or six days. If there is a sink and a warm room, pack for a week. If there is neither, you are packing for the whole trip and the bag will be heavier. Guessing is what produces both failure modes.
How many bras
Three is the right number for almost any trip: one worn, one in the bag, one that can be washed and dried. A wire-free option is the most useful of the three because it doubles for the flight, the train and sleeping. If the trip involves walking or a gym, one of the three should be a sports bra matched to the activity, chosen from a proper band and cup range rather than a generic four-letter scale like the ones at https://just-my-size.com/ list.
Packing them without wrecking the shape
Moulded cups should be nested the same way round, not folded into each other, with soft items tucked inside to stop them collapsing. Place them along one side of the case rather than under heavy things. Wire-free and soft bras can be rolled without harm, which is one more reason to travel with at least one.
Pants and the multipack advantage
Briefs take almost no room, dry fast and are the one item where over-packing is genuinely cheap. Take one pair per day plus two, in a single familiar style rather than a mixture. Cotton dries slowly in humid weather; a blend with some synthetic will be dry by morning.
- Three bras, one of them wire-free, one sports if relevant.
- One pair of pants per day plus two spares.
- A small mesh bag for worn items so they do not mix with clean ones.
- A travel-sized detergent for sink washing.
- A folding hanger or a length of cord for drying in a bathroom.
Washing on the road
Hand wash in cool water with a small amount of mild detergent, press the water out in a towel rather than wringing, and hang over the shower rail. Wringing a bra twists the band and creases the cups permanently. Nothing goes in a hotel dryer if it contains elastane.
The flight itself
Long journeys in a firm underwired bra are uncomfortable for most people, and the seam pressure of sitting still for hours does the rest. A soft, wide-band wire-free bra makes a real difference on a long flight or coach journey. Wear it, do not pack it.
What to leave at home
Do not take the bra you are unsure about, the one bought in the sale that has never quite worked, or a new purchase that has not been worn for a full day yet. A trip is the worst place to discover a fit problem. Take only garments you have already tested through a normal day.