Stories from the cutting edge of packing

I am preparing for another one of our epic family vacations.  The key to this vacation (as it, really, to all of my vacations) is packing light.

So, what are your packing stories?

What’s your smartest idea for packing light?

What was the greatest packing mistake you’ve ever made?

What’s your advice for the savvy traveler?

For now, my favorite “aren’t I clever?” story is the fact that I figured out that I could be ultra wicking sports wear (shirts, underwear, shorts, etc.) from Target at a quarter the price of more expensive ultra wicking travel wear at various travel and outdoor adventure stores.  There are some limitations:  the shirts don’t have button-up collars and the shorts lack lots of pockets but all this stuff packs light, washes easily, and dries quickly.  I’ll also have saved lots of money and all the things I bought are clothes that my family members will happily wear on our home turf too.