Holiday packing is always tricky - you never know how much to bring and you want to cover every eventuality. So, you might bring a different outfit to change into every evening, a ion of swimwear, jumpers in case it gets cold and lighter clothes for when it's hot and humid. But, do you ever actually use and wear all these clothes?

Most people only ever get through a fraction of the clothes they bring away with them on holiday but they never seem to learn. When it's time to pack up the suitcase for the holiday the following year, they do exactly the same thing: pack the case until it's bursting and bring a whole load of unsuitable outfits with them. They then spend half the holiday complaining that they have brought too much and will never get around to wearing all the clothes. Not to mention the hassle of carrying all those heavy suitcases and possibly being charged for excess baggage.

When it comes to packing a wash bag, it's a different story. It's far easier to work out exactly what you're going to need in the bathroom department. You know the products you use every day and you'll still need to use them when you're on holiday so there's no need to pack anything extra, or pack things that you're not even going to open while you're away. You know you need shower gel to wash, shampoo for cleaning your hair and toothpaste. If you use teeth whitening gel, then you'll obviously need to pack that as well. In addition, of course, if you're going somewhere hot then the essential item is sun cream. If, like many people, you tend to stay out in the sun a bit longer than you should then after sun or a good moisturiser is another must-have for your wash bag.

If only packing the main suitcase was as easy and straightforward as packing your wash bag. But maybe you should use your wash bag as a guide for the rest of your packing. If you start with the essentials like underwear and a couple of beach outfits, then add a few nicer outfits for evening meals, which should be your basic suitcase. There's no need to take something different to wear every night - you can double up or mix and match existing clothes to make new outfits. If you can keep your suitcase to a manageable size and weight, that will take some of the stress out of your holiday.

Once you have arrived at your holiday destination, you'll be pleased that you ditched some of the clothes and kept things simple. This is especially true if you have to go up flights of stairs to your room or apartment, or you have to carry your bags to a transfer bus in the midday sun. It's no fun dragging a heavy bag around in eighty degrees of heat, not matter how many changes of clothes you've managed to bring with you.