Although I do practice what I preach now, I've made a lot of bad packing decisions in the past. I usually start thinking about what I'm going to pack too early (the weather forecast will inevitably change), and then I don't actually get down to packing until the last minute. Given some of the cringe-worthy things I've packed before, I can confirm that this strategy is not recommended. But I pride myself in being able to learn from my mistakes and figured I'd share them in case you can learn from them too.
Sure, we all know not to pack super-high heels, uncomfortable 100% cotton jeans, and bulky sweaters for trips, but much of what I've learned not to pack isn't quite so obvious. Accidentally ruining a favorite fashion item on a trip or being stuck with something that's made of a high-maintenance fabric or takes forever to get on or off can definitely take away from the fun and ease of a trip, so avoiding those offending random items is the best packing advice I can give. With that, keep scrolling to find out what those random items are and what I pack instead now that I've learned my lesson.