On Imgriff.com I read about a truly interesting website, solely dedicated to the Optimality of packing lightly for travel: http://www.onebag.com
An excerpt:
I have always travelled a great deal, for both business and pleasure, and — like other seasoned travellers — soon found that the lighter my burden, the more pleasant my journey. Consequently (and unsurprisingly, given my background as both an engineer and scientist), I have thought a lot about the subject, read extensively on the issues, even attended seminars on packing techniques. Most important, though, is that I’ve actually tried all this stuff out, experimenting with a variety of solutions in many cases. This Web site affords me an opportunity to share the resulting opinions…
As such, it fits right in what I am striving for, optimizing the world around me. Traveling is a small, but important part. Every time I travelled in the past I have been striving to pack more efficiently. Whenever possible I only bring a carry-on. But that is very difficult; and oh so pleasant when accomplished.