6 Easy Ways to Pack Lighter
I’ll just put it straight- I am a broke college student who suffers from chronic illness, and my greatest passion is traveling.
In other words, I travel as much as I possibly can while making it dirt-cheap and hassle-free.
I buy the cheapest plane tickets money can buy, and often this means I don’t get a checked bag or even a carry-on, just whatever I can stow away under the seat in front of me.
Money aside, I have found that packing lighter and bringing minimal bags makes traveling way easier for me. There’s no waiting in line to check my bag, waiting at baggage claim, stressing over potentially lost luggage, or having to lug a suitcase into the overhead bins.
Packing lighter usually means you packed with more intention, which makes your life way easier when it comes to getting dressed once you are at your destination.
In this post, I am going to give you six easy tips to help you pack lighter.
Whether you’re trying to dodge the carry-on fee some airlines make you pay, you have limited space, or you just want to try packing lighter, these tips are guaranteed to help you.
1. Use Packing Cubes
Packing cubes are your friend, whether you’re trying to pack lighter or just fit all your clothes into a smaller space.
Throughout my backpack-only travels, I have learned that packing all the clothes you need in a backpack is the easy part.
The hard part is when you’re trying to find that one specific shirt that you might’ve shoved at the bottom, but it feels the same as every other shirt you brought. You end up with your arm inside of your backpack making a mess of all your clothes until you get frustrated and dump the whole thing out, leaving you having to pack up the whole thing again.
How to avoid this? Use packing cubes!
They make it super easy to keep everything organized. Put your shirts in the red one, pants in the blue one, underwear in the green one, etc.
The best part? You don’t have to worry about keeping everything folded in order for everything to fit. You can just shove your clothes into the correct packing cubes, and they’re guaranteed to squeeze back into your suitcase or backpack.
I personally prefer these, since they have a drawstring rather than a zipper. You don’t ever have to worry about them being able to zip, just stuff them to the rim and tighten the drawstring. The shape is perfect for a backpack.
However, I have also heard great things about these packing cubes. These are actual cubes rather than a bag like the ones I use, and they fit nicely inside of a suitcase.
2. Don’t Bring Clothes You Don’t Normally Wear
You know that one shirt you really want to like, but every time you put it on you end up looking in the mirror and taking it right off?
Yeah, don’t bring it on your trip.
We all have those clothes we never wear, but we hold onto them in case the right occasion comes up.
Odds are, that day is not going to be on your vacation. When you’re traveling, you wear what you already know you’ll be comfortable in. If you’re walking around all day, you’re going to wear the shoes you know don’t hurt your feet. If you’re taking pictures or going to a nice dinner, you’re going to wear what makes you feel good.
Don’t be afraid to bring only your favorites. You want to feel happy, comfortable, and confident on your vacation. Bring clothes that reflect that!
3. Fewer Pants, More Shirts
Pants are usually bulkier and take up more space than shirts.
They are also generally more neutral and let’s be honest, they’re way more acceptable to wear multiple days in a row.
For destinations on the colder side, I’ll generally bring one pair of black leggings, one pair of jeans, one pair of fun pants, and a pair of comfy shorts or sweatpants to sleep in.
Since shorts and warmer weather clothes are a little smaller, when I travel to warmer destinations, I can get away with bringing a little bit more without taking up more space. I generally bring one pair of dark-wash/black jean shorts, one pair of light-wash jean shorts, one skirt, and one or two pairs of comfy athletic shorts to hike or sleep in.
This way, I have a pair of pants for every situation, and they’re all neutral enough that I can re-wear them with different tops and have a brand new outfit on.
4. Bring Clothes You Can Mix and Match
You know those pants that are super cute and fit really well, but they only go with that one top?
Don’t bring those either.
Bring the jeans you’d be happy to wear three days in a row. Bring that black cardigan you can throw over any outfit.
When packing your shirts and tops, choose ones that go with every pair of pants you bring. This way, everything will match, and picking out your outfits won’t be a hassle. You’ll be able to re-wear clothes without having to repeat outfits.
This is also great because it forces you to get creative. You never know, you might start mixing and matching and accidentally come up with your next favorite outfit.
5. Don’t Be Afraid to Re-Wear Clothes
This is basically just re-iterating the last two, but really, don’t be afraid to re-wear clothes.
Unless you spilled pasta sauce down the front or completely stunk it up, it really is okay to wear your clothes multiple times before washing them.
Odds are, you’re in a foreign place where you don’t know anyone, so no one will even know.
Plus, it really and truly doesn’t matter. Remind yourself that you are there to experience a new place and create memories. When you look back on your trip you won’t even remember what you wore.
And of course, it saves you space as well.
6. Less Shoes
Shoes take up the most space in your luggage. They’re bulky and there’s no way to roll them up or make them smaller.
The fewer shoes you bring, the better.
Unless you’re doing multiple activities that require different types of shoes, it’s not necessary to bring a bunch of different ones.
If it’s possible, try just bringing one pair.
Personally, I have one pair of Birkenstocks that I wear almost every day. I am a strong believer that Birkenstocks are made for every activity, go with any outfit, and are the most comfortable shoes to exist.
When I travel I only bring these. This way, there are no shoes taking up space in my luggage, security is a breeze, and I don’t waste any time picking out my shoes.
One pair of shoes isn’t possible for every person and every type of trip, but try to bring as few as possible.
That’s it! If you’re someone who chronically overpacks, I know it can feel intimidating to bring less, but I promise it is way easier than it seems.
Wherever you’re off to, I wish you safe travels and extra light luggage;)
Have a long plane ride ahead of you? Here’s some entertainment I recommend:
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