Or take a thin shawl or pareo, which can cut the cold and be used many ways, from a trendy summer scarf to beach cover-up. "I have a very light cashmere shawl I carry everywhere," says von Furstenberg, who travels often.

SOULFUL SACRIFICE

While it may be painful to leave some beloved shoes behind, experts suggest wearing your heaviest pair while traveling and packing no more than two others. ShoeMall.com merchandiser Rachel Funk says shoes that make the cut should serve at least two functions, like sightseeing and going to lunch.

ShoeMall.com says a pair of women's dress or casual shoes generally weighs 1.5 pounds. The site has choices that come in at or below the 1-pound mark.

"Watch out for heavy, wooden stacked heels, and anything with a platform will weigh more," Funk says. "The less material the better."

LIMIT THE EXTRAS

Carry a tote bag that can double as a beach bag, and bring a clutch or small shoulder bag for sightseeing, Stephenson says. Take one necklace in coral or turquoise or chandelier earrings to dress up your outfits. Pack a crushable sun hat.

As for toiletries, packing expert Susan Foster says don't bother with the government-approved 3 ounces for a carryon. A 1-ounce bottle of shampoo lasted her during a three-week trip. She also had three pairs of microfiber underwear that she washed and were dry in the morning.

Belts and shoes, especially men's, also pack on pounds, says Alan Krantzler, vice president of merchandising for luggage brand Tumi. He suggests one neutral color palette for apparel — black, navy or gray, perhaps — and then one set of leather accessories that will complement everything.

There's definitely a push in the luggage industry to make lightweight bags, Krantzler says, but travelers are the ones who can effect the biggest change.

"People are looking to save one or two pounds on the bag, but they're not thinking about what they're putting in," he says.

DENIM DOS

If you can't do without denim, wear your jeans while traveling because they're probably the heaviest thing you're taking, Foster says. And consider a summer-weight pair: 7 For All Mankind's lightest pair, for example, is a straight-leg jean in the Bridgeport wash.

It's made from 8.5-ounce denim (a square yard weighs that much), as opposed to the 12-ounce denim used in the brand's heaviest jeans.

PACKING AS ART

Packing can be stressful, but people who do it often have their method down. Von Furstenberg boasts of being the "lightest packer you have ever met."

The clothes she designs are incredibly light, she says, and many of her dresses can fit in a tiny bag.

"I always joke, if you can figure out your suitcase, you can figure out your life," says von Furstenberg, who says she rarely sleeps in the same place for more than three or four nights. "I pack like no one. I always have the smallest bag."