6 items of clothing challenge

Could you live one week with only six items of clothing?  Perhaps to be more specific could you live for the WYD week on only six outer garments?

Over the coming weeks we will look at a number of travel tips for the WYD pilgrimage.  Whilst we will look at a number of travel tips it is important to begin with one important point:

You can't take your entire wardrobe with you on pilgrimage.

So when thinking of packing for Madrid, can you reduce the number of items you would wear?  Can you think of six outer garments that could last you a week?  here are three tips for last one week on six outer garments:

1. Wear and tear:  will the six outer garments stand up to the wear and tear of WYD week?  Will the six items survive a week of sitting on the ground?  Will the six items hide the dirt and sweat stains?  Will the six items cope with being wore for 10 hours at a time?
2. Multi purpose: When we are at home we have some clothing items that have a specific purpose.  However whilst on pilgrimage the six items have to be used for visiting a church, walking through a museum, eating out, sitting on the street and being in the sun for hours at a time.  Are your six items the most multi purpose clothing possible?
3. Wash ability - when we are at home we can wash and iron our clothes every day.  What will your six outer garments look like after a week with no washing machine and no iron?  Some nights you might wash the six items in the sink of a bathroom, how will they cope?

Whilst you might be reading this thinking that "I will take more than six outer garments" how many items do you really need?  How big is the suitcase you are planning to carry?  Before you answer these questions, try spending one week using six items of clothing and see if you or anyone else really notices. Whilst you might need seven items to survive the week it is a lot less than the 14-20 items that you would normally wear whilst you are at home.