Travel Easier and Better by Learning How NOT to Overpack

Overpacking causes headache. It can even cost you a lot of money at the airport if you apparently exceeded the weight limit of your stuff. Traveling is a stressful endeavor.

How not to overpack in travel

Don’t make it even more painful for you by bringing stuff you end up not using, or those you actually don’t need. Learning to ease your travel by not overpacking may take time to learn, but I reckon it’s a valuable life skill.

First and foremost, create a packing list!

If you don’t know where to start, there are a lot of packing list out there that you can download and customize according to your very own needs.

Creating a list helps prevent you from forgetting stuff in the last moment. Take a look at your packing list before you go. All you have to do is look at your list to make sure that you’re not forgetting anything.

Coordinate all of your outfits

There are many things to factor such as the weather—but after you have an idea you can work with, start coordinating your travel outfits! Don’t just stuff anything you see in your wardrobe just because you think you will wear them.

Clothes that ended up not worn is usually the biggest culprit in overpacking. This is why it’s important to think of the clothes you’re bringing as a set of a comprehensive look.

Don’t just bring that sweater but you don’t know where or when you’re going to wear it during your travel. You can go the extra mile by planning your outfits throughout your travel. This way, you’ll be ensured that you will not bring outfits that you won’t wear.

Neutrals are the way to go

If you’re already wearing neutrals most of the time, good! Neutral colors go with everything, and you won’t have to worry whether a piece is going to fit well with another. Neutrals are also elegant, timeless color that won’t go out of date.

Start selecting your neutral outfits as early as possible. Packing neutrals is almost a sure way to get all of your outfits match with each other.

Get a smaller bag

How to bring less items? Get a smaller bag! It’s almost an instant way to prevent you from overpacking because it forces you to fit everything you need into that bag. When we have a bigger bag and there’s that extra room, our instinct would tend to say “you can still fit more item”. While in reality, you don’t need to fit in more items into your bag.

It’s a gradual process

Remember that you can’t become a minimalist packer overnight. Packing is intimately related to your very own lifestyle.

If you’re used to bringing a huge bag filled with all sorts of accessories, it may be more difficult to pack lighter whenever you travel. It’s basically a habit. But the most surefire way not to overpack anytime you travel is of course, by changing that very habit. It takes time and it takes effort.

But don’t worry and don’t let yourself get frustrated. The key is to start. And start small. Work your way up to lighter and lighter packing. You’ll get there!