Traveling is both fun and challenging as an endeavor to take. The fun part is getting to see all these beautiful sights and getting to do a lot of interesting activities. The challenging part is the commute and planning to make your travel as smooth as possible.
One of the biggest struggles that people have when it comes to traveling is how to pack without overpacking.
Overpacking tendencies happen to a lot of people, which is why a lot of us struggle with bulky or heavy bags whenever we travel. With that said, below are some simple hacks that you can use to break your overpacking tendencies and have a lighter load to carry while you’re traveling.
1. Opt for a smaller bag
What people often do when it comes to choosing the baggage that they bring with them is that they choose a big bag to be able to bring a lot of their items. However, doing this can make people want to pack more than they need.
That’s because they think that the extra space can be used to bring in more items that they think they might need but actually don’t.
Choosing the right type of luggage, preferably something small but durable, will help restrict the number of items that you bring with it.
2. Create a checklist
The reason a lot of people overpack is that they’re paranoid about the fact that they might leave behind actually important items. One way to circumvent this problem is simply by creating the checklist filled with only the essential items that you need.
You can check each item off once they’re in the bag. It’s a simple solution but it works.
Of course, the rule is that you only list down the truly essential items so that you aren’t paranoid about leaving behind anything crucial.
3. Leave some space
The common tenancy between people when they find that their luggage still has space is that they want to fill it with something. This is because they feel like it’s a waste of space and it can be used for other things that they might need.
However, instead of packing in your baggage with everything that you can, you should instead leave some space for your bag. This is for many reasons, one of which is that you can use that extra space to bring home some souvenirs.
4. Remember, you can do laundry
The reason why bags are very heavy when we travel is because of all of the clothes and shoes that we bring with us. However, this does not have to be the case at all.
All you need to do is make sure that the place you’re staying in has the option for you to do your laundry.
Even if your accommodations don’t provide a washing machine or a dryer you can always go to a laundromat to get your clothes cleaned and washed and dried so you can reduce the number of clothes you bring.
5. Bring multi-use cosmetics
Toiletries are another bundle of items that we bring with us whenever we travel that can be quite bulky if we tend to bring a lot of items with us. One way to reduce the number of items that we bring with us is by making sure that each item doesn’t only have one purpose.
For example, if you bring your skincare with you then you should look into some screens that are also moisturizers.
Having multi-use cosmetics ensures that you don’t have to bring a lot of items would do when one item can have a number of uses anyway.
6. Stick to travel-sized toiletries
Speaking of packing your toiletries, you should also make sure that you repackage your toiletries and put them in smaller containers that are travel appropriate. That way you don’t have to bring in bulky bottles of shampoo, conditioner, soap, et cetera with you.
There are even toiletries that don’t have packaging with them like soap or shampoo bars.
To truly be able to save space why don’t you consider buying your toiletries at your destination instead of bringing some with you unless you have very special needs?
7. Leave “just in case” stuff
People overpack because they think that they might need the items that they bring with them and then they end up not using it at all.
Instead of packing everything you think you might need you should just leave these “just in case items.” As long as you know your itinerary then you should know all the items that you really need for the trip.
By breaking your overpacking tendencies, you will have an easier time traveling because you don’t have to lug around a heavy load filled with items that you probably aren’t going to use during your trip anyway. Hopefully, these hacks listed above will help you overcome these tendencies and let you enjoy your trip without fussing over bringing items that you don’t need.
