I just left Kyrgyzstan for Uzbekistan and I am about to continue on my second leg of this journey here.
Horse riding in Kyrgyzstan
I am returning to Uzbekistan for the second time and in this ocassion, I have plenty of time in each city to see it all, visit and stay at various hotels, check out and eat at different restaurants, etc.
It's going to be a wonderful trip, and as usual, it will also include many women business owners, entrepreneurs and experts who will open the doors of their world to us.
Now, on to this week's travel tip: How many panties should you pack on a long trip. This is specially timely because I just got a blister on my thumb from washing about 10 socks in the sink of my hotel room.
How many panties to pack
โ
Before you go away running wondering if I have lost my mind, this is not such an obvious and easy question to answer.
In fact, I had this very same consideration when I was packing for my 27-day long trip and someone had posted this in the group no long ago about the same thing.
The post unraveled a long discussion with so many useful tips an comments, it made this newsletter worth it.
If you trip is not long and suitcase space isn't an issue, the easiest thing to do is to pack as many as you need.
The question starts to be more difficult to answer when you are traveling longer term or you are going carry on and wanting to save space, as is the case on my trip right now.
I cannot pack 27 pairs of underwear and 27 pairs of socks, especially because I need to wear socks daily (I can't wear sandals) and it will be quite cold on some days, so I need thick socks.
Here are some suggestions from members of the community and myself:
Hand washing in the sink is a no brainer, it is what I did and usually do. Once washed, to speed up the drying, you can roll the panties in a towel before hanging them up to absorb extra moisture means faster drying.
Buy quick dry underwear that you can wash every few days when you are spending more days at the same hotel, or even if you only spend one night, and that dry by the morning. They are made precisely for this.
Merino wool underwear is moisture wicking, odour-free and quick dry. It is expensive, but it will last you a long time. I have several leggings and tshirts that I use in cold weather than have been washed multiple times and are still in good shape. Plus, contrary to what you may think, merino wool unlike regular wool, works even in hot climate. The only downside? It is expensive, but it is an investment that will eventually pay off.
If you are going to stay somewhere with laundry services, you can obviously use it for your underwear and clothing in general. However, some places may not wash underwear, like for example some safari camps where clothes are hand washed.
โExOfficio give-n-go underwear is recommended by many as quick dry option that is designed specifically for that. Some members said that they dry in 1 hour.
I personally don't like to wash underwear or any clothes if I can avoid it so I try to pack as many as I will need even up to 20 pairs :) I pack the smallest underwear I have for a trip, some thongs and other small and thin mesh kind of material that dries very quickly so if I have to wash it, it is dry in the morning. And yes, I have an entire drawer full of panties, so I can def pack 20, I could probably pack 100 pairs ๐ but I try to travel as close to carry on as possible.
Our 2026 / 2027 calendar of tours
See the full list of our future trips below.
The kiss, a collage of photos forming a kiss in Barcelona
โ = Trip is confirmed
โ๏ธ = SOLD OUT
๐ = I or Meg will co-host these trips
๐ธ = Photographer accompanying the group
Available 2026 trips:
Only 2 trips have available spots this year
โ๐ฎ Oaxaca: โ๏ธ 11 to 17 Oct || โ 29 Dec 2026 to 4 Jan 2027 [2 SPOTS LEFT] >> Book hereโ
๐ Xmas markets: โ 21 to 29 Nov [2 SPOTS LEFT] || โ 5 to 13 Dec [2 SPOTS LEFT] >> Book hereโ
2027 trips:
๐ด Caribbean island hopping: ๐ธ ๐ธ ๐ ๐ โ 13 to 20 Feb, 2027 [Photographers onboard, both Meg and I will host this trip] >> Book hereโ
๐ฅ Barcelona & Beyond: ๐ธ 29 May to 6 Jun >> Book hereโ
๐๏ธ Kilimanjaro: โ 12 to 22 Jun >> Book hereโ
๐งโโ๏ธ Bali: ๐ธ 4 to 12 Sep || โ 2 to 10 Oct >> Book hereโ
โ๏ธ Swedish Arctic: โ 20 to 26 Mar [1 SPOT LEFT] >> Book here
๐ฌ Ecuador & The Galapagos:โ๏ธ 13 to 25 May >> Book hereโ
โ