Pack Light: How to Avoid Overpacking so You can Enjoy Your Vacation

Time and time again, we’ve been faced with the burden of packing efficiently every time we go out for a vacation.

Where do we start? What items should be under the luggage? What else should I bring? Did I miss anything?

These are just some of the questions that bug us, usually hours before our flight. Not addressing the questions correctly may result in overpacking, and that’s the least we want for our vacation.

Overpacking can be avoided if you just know how to make use of your luggage properly and efficiently.

To save you the trouble of finding ways on how to pack for your trip without going over, we’ve come up with tips on how you can start packing light from now on.

Make a list

If you think making a list is uncool, well, think again. This could be your saving grace when beating time, and you’re close to running late from your flight.

But if you’re the obsessive-compulsive type who can’t go a day without making lists, then this habit of yours would really be helpful when it comes to packing for a vacation. It will help you identify which stuff to bring and which items to leave behind.

Take note of the important stuff like clothes, toiletries, first aid, electronics, and, most importantly, your travel documents.

Plan Your Outfits Ahead of Time

Planning your outfits ahead of time doesn’t make you vain. It’s part of the plan in making sure that you don’t overpack. As much as we understand that it’s tempting to bring extra pieces of clothing for those ‘just in case’ moments, it’s almost not helpful in terms of packing.

So to save yourself from having to worry about over baggage, you can plan the clothes that you will wear during the entire trip. Let’s say, for example, for day one, you match your tank top with a skirt and then for day two, you wear your summer dress. That way, you would spend lesser time thinking about putting together your outfit once you’re there already.

You can pile them according to days, or you can even roll them up according to categories. If it’s a skirt, it goes with all the bottoms. If it’s a shirt, then it should be with the tops. And so on and so forth.

Be creative about it, just like how you will be creative, mixing, and matching your outfits.

Use a Smaller Suitcase

The benefit of using a smaller suitcase is that it will restrict you from bringing everything that you think can still fit inside.

Before you decide on what suitcase to bring, keep in mind how long your vacation will be, and that’s when you’ll understand what type or what size of luggage to bring during the trip. It’s not very realistic if you bring a small suitcase for a 20-day vacation, thousands of miles away from your hometown, right? So be sensible about this.

Roll Your Clothes

Another trick that we’d like to share is to roll your clothes when you put them inside your luggage. It’s a space-saving trick that we’ve learned through years of traveling, and I think most people would agree.

Roll them tightly to compress the air, thus making more room for other important items. It will also keep your clothes from getting wrinkled.

Use Packing Cubes

A packing cube is one of the greatest gifts ever given to the traveling mankind. It makes the inside of your suitcase look neat and tidy.

When you use packing cubes, you also save time in finding the items that you need, especially if they are all labeled properly. You can now kiss the chaotic randomness inside your luggage, which also equals less stress.

Limit Cosmetics and Toiletries

While we support the idea of skincare routines as a self-care method, it should be limited when it comes to traveling. If you really can’t let go of some of the items on your 10-step routine, you can try to transfer your staple products instead of on smaller bottles that are considered to be travel-friendly.

What you can also do is to pick 2-in-1 products. That is if you don’t have sensitive skin. Sometimes, trying out different products can do more damage to your skin than saving it.

Pack Versatile Clothing

We mentioned earlier that the great purpose of planning your wardrobe ahead of time is to control yourself into bringing extra pieces of clothing just in case unplanned events or activities come up during the trip.

This time, we recommend you to pack versatile clothing items. It should go well with the unpredictable weather that happens most of the time, anywhere in the world. You can always bring a scarf to wrap around your skin when it gets cold or to give you some shade when it’s scorching hot outside.

Be Selective With Electronics

You don’t have to bring any gadgets you own with you. It’s a vacation, after all.

That said, you might want to take a break from screens and game consoles. Besides, you’re meant to explore and discover new stuff and not stay glued on your devices, just like when you’re at home.

It’s time to live a little without the use of electronic gadgets. Add to that the fact that you have to charge the battery of each and every gadget you bring. That’s a party pooper, and you wouldn’t want that stressing you out during the trip, especially if the power outlet is very limited.

Avoid Last Minute Packing

This is the most important tip among all the items in this list.

Packing at the very last minute is not a good sign. It could mean overpacking or worse, leaving something important behind. It’s a nightmare we wouldn’t want any of you to experience, so please pack ahead of time!

We’ve experienced that one time, and it’s not a nice feeling. Imagine you’re sitting in the car, on your way to the airport and realizing that you don’t have your wallet with you. It’s definitely a stressful moment to be in, so avoid it at all costs.