Packing for a 2-Week, Semi-Planned Ireland Trip

So, I will admit that Scott and I are not light packers. I think the reason is that we (1) always anticipate going places that need different outfits/shoes/etc. and (2) we have enough travel experience to know that it is better to pack extra and not need it, then to not pack enough. The issue with Ireland was that we were planning on visiting places throughout the country, so that meant packing nicer for city centers like Dublin and Belfast, but still with comfortable shoes (which for me was a compromise in itself), and then rougher for when we wanted to go hiking. There was also the weather - we were visiting in March, which, if you live anywhere with seasons, you know that March is the most inconsistent month in the calendar when it comes to predicting weather! So, that meant we had to plan for rain, cold, wind, but also potentially sunny and perfect all in the same suitcase.

We are not fans of paying extra for luggage, so that also meant that our 2-week trip needed to fit into two checked bags, two carry on items, and two personal items. AND we had to anticipate bringing things BACK that we purchased (namely, we had to plan on my husband bringing back empty bottles...side note: we like microbreweries and Scott collects different beer bottles, so I knew an entire carry on bag coming back home would be filled with empty bottles).

So, what this turned into was numerous nicer outfits with layers that fit with one pair of nicer shoes and numerous outdoor outfits with layers that fit with one pair of hiking shoes. "Couple Travel Tip" of the post: We decided that Scott would have his own suitcase limited at 50 lbs and I had my own suitcase limited at 50 lbs, this way one person was not "hogging" too much of a checked bag (yes, this has definitely been an issue in the past because apparently I pack too many shoes). Anyway, by using this system if your suitcase was over, something came out and it was your own decision. Oh, and let me shout out the best purchase ever - REI Digital Luggage Scale! I can pack to 50 lbs like a champ!

Overall, we did not end up packing everything and the carry on and personal items actually turned into "extra bags" for later. We literally packed two empty carry on bags simply to not stress over bringing extra things back and not pay an extra check-bag fee. Scott brought a personal backpack with our bulky sweatshirts and rain jackets and I brought a satchel with my nice camera + lenses. This ended up BEING THE BEST IDEA because we packed the two extra carry-on bags FULL while we were there...

 My husband has said this to me more than a few times... 

What can I say, I like options?