With one simple rule, you can enjoy a dream family trip without over-packing
The more you travel, the less you bring. Packing is its own art, but so is knowing what not to pack.
Even if you only travel every so often, such as the occasional out-of-town family visit or a vacation far from home, you can update your packing routine to bring less, so you can enjoy your trip more.
Even better? We’ll break down what anyone in your family can leave home or pack less of, and we’ll offer suggestions on how to cut down on your over-packing by the style of trip you’re planning. And we’ll sum everything up with a simple, easy-to-remember rule that will help you enjoy family trips without over-packing ever again.
Advice from family of four that travels the world full time
Whether visiting Japan for 3 weeks with a toddler or traveling the world full time with backpacks and a couple of suitcases, our family of four has to pack light.
As of 2025, we’ve traveled to 26 of the 50 US states, driven a motorhome from Washington state to Florida, and we’ve traveled to over a dozen countries, from Malaysia to Mexico to Morocco. We’ve been traveling full time since 2022. Plus, our mama of the group, Jodie, is an amputee who uses a prosthetic leg for her mobility.
For us, over-packing isn’t an option. We’ve learned to balance needs, wants, what’s okay to leave behind, and what it’s good for the kids to carry in their own bags. Yet we’ve found that by packing less, we enjoy our travels more. We literally don’t have as much to weigh us down.
We’ve been improving our packing for as long as we’ve been traveling. Now, in our approachable, light-hearted, and (we hope) lightweight guide, we want to help you too find the joy of the art of what not to pack.
What not to pack: Your foundational mindset for success
At its most basic levels, reducing over-packing isn’t just about putting less stuff in fewer bags. It’s about mindset. Once you adjust your mindset, it becomes easier to avoid the trap of packing too much.
The basics
Learning the art of what not to pack isn’t about just stuff. It’s also about mindset, people, and the trips you’re packing for. We’re going to approach this in two principal ways:
What not to pack, by person: Whether men, women, or kids, it’s easy for any of us to over-pack for ourselves. It’s even easier to over-pack for another member of the family, especially children.
What not to pack, by the type of trip: Vacation? Wedding? Gap year? While we pack differently for each trip and specific seasons and climates, there are basics that help us pack better for any trip. We can also consider anything from a week-long road trip to a global gap year.
Even better? Packing less isn’t about deprivation. It’s about liberation.
When you travel, you deserve to take what you need and what you want. If you’re weighed down with multiple heavy bags though, it’s hard to get around. Travel days become stressful. Stuffing bags in a taxi trunk or train rack fills you with dread and anxiety.
Even worse? When you get home, you realize that a lot of what you packed never even got used.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
Attitudes not to pack
What not to pack also comes with an attitude component.
Often when we travel, it’s easy to pack some mental and emotional things we don’t need either. Do any of the things on the following list have a way of showing up not in your bag, but in your head?
- Rigid expectations about how the trip has to go in order for it to be a success
- Intense pressure to keep everyone and everything on task and on schedule
- Managing (or micro-managing) everyone else’s needs while neglecting to take care of your own, or giving others the freedom and agency to handle things their way, even if it’s different from how you would, while still working for them
- So many planned activities that you don’t know how you’re going to manage the day, especially if anything gets knocked off track
- Assumptions about where you’re going, the people who live there, or the overall way of life that’s different from your own
- Catastrophizing every possible scenario: Especially if you’re traveling to a different country, going on a big trip for the first time, or traveling with kids, it’s easy to let worries spiral into anxieties that have you stuffing extra things into additional bags. Yes, things can go wrong on a trip. But they’re not typically going to be solved by anything you could pack. It’s okay to wonder what could go wrong, discuss that, and see if there are some contingencies you need to plan around. For everything you imagine going wrong though, also take a moment and wonder what you would do if that situation doesn’t happen, or if it all worked out fine. How would that affect your packing?
Hint: If traveling with kids, your trip can be an ideal opportunity for them to practice more agency and independence, with appropriate rules and prudent cautions discussed between you and your kids, of course. While staying around the corner from a small local park in Osaka, Japan, we let our 8-year-old daughter go to and from the playground on her own. During a trans-Pacific cruise, our 12-year-old son got to practice minding and remembering his first hand-me-down cell phone. He misplaced it twice. Both times he took care of doing the work to recover it, and ever since has been responsible with his devices.
One of the hardest things to pack is an open mind
Even harder, especially for many folks today, is to pack an open schedule.
The more rigid our expectations, the harder it is for anyone to enjoy the trip—including you.
The more we schedule, the more stress we put on ourselves. We also put lots of pressure on those traveling with us. Instead of enjoying the trip, we often wind up drained and irritated.
Sometimes when we travel, we might go to places where people do things differently. You might look different from the locals, or you live your lives in different ways. It can be easy to pack assumptions about different peoples and cultures.
Fortunately, it’s easier than you think to leave all that at home.
Avoid the “just in case” trap
Over-packing comes from anxiety.
Imagine: The suitcases are splayed open on the bed. Half your closet is on the floor behind you. Your kids have brought in what you’re pretty sure is every book, toy, and cozy friend they own.
Since the trip is tomorrow, you’re feeling stressed as it is.
A “what if” mentality takes over. What if it rains? Or what if you get invited somewhere fancy? What if the kids get bored?
Might as well grab another bag and throw in more stuff.
Just in case.
Packing less is hard to do if your mindset stays centered in anxiety instead of confidence.
When we recognize that we’re anxious, we can put the brakes on those concerns. We can address them with thoughtfulness.
If it rains, you can buy umbrellas.
If you receive an invitation, you’ll meet it, without having to pack lots of very real extra stuff for a hypothetical possibility.
The kids can pack a few things, and they’ll be just fine.
So will you.
“Just in case” rarely comes to pass. It doesn’t justify itself.
When we’re packed things “just in case,” they become the first things we realize that we shouldn’t pack ever again.
Leaving behind the just in case mentality takes some mental work, but it’s far less effort than the very real burden and exertion of trudging along under the weight of too much literal baggage.
Hint: If it’s hard to prevent over-packing, we suggest following advice from long-time travel expert Rick Steves. His tours only allow guests to “bring one carry-on bag, plus a small day pack.”
Yes, you can get it there
Fortunately, the “just in case” packing mentality has a simple and effective antidote.
Whenever you consider packing something “just in case,” say this to yourself:
“If we really need it, we can get it there.”
Remember: “just in case” packing isn’t the same as packing essentials. When you pack what matters, you are packing what you really need, especially something that may be distinctive or special. For example, Jodie packs an extra liner for her prosthetic leg. That’s a medical item tailored for her leg, not something she can just pick up at any pharmacy.
Whether painkillers, diapers, snacks, menstrual supplies, or first aid, most destinations are going to offer something either the same or similar to what you use at home. If it works fine for the folks there, odds are it’ll be fine for you too.
If there’s something specific, especially in the dietary or medical need realm, you’ll be doing due diligence research so you know what to bring and what’s available there.
Hint: Major retailers and app-based services such as Grab can make it much easier to order what you need—with delivery. We’re writing this from Malaysia right now, and regularly use the Grab app for deliveries, from groceries to prepared meals. While our kids are long past their diaper days, if we were traveling with infants nowadays, we’d use delivered app orders to make our lives much easier. You can do the same.
Instead of packing it, rent it when you need it
Our travels bring us so many amazing opportunities. If you’ll be snorkeling once or twice though, do you really need to pack your own snorkel gear? Or would it be easier to rent snorkel gear when you need it, then return it when done?
That’s a minor example, but you can follow the thread. If there’s a piece of gear you need once, then you are probably better off seeing what the options are to rent or borrow it there. After all, if you pack it, you’ve still got to lug it there, then haul it home.
What not to pack, by traveler
When figuring out what not to pack, some items are universal. Others are more specific. Let’s look at each.
Anyone
Whatever your sex or age, some things just are unnecessary, no matter what. Here are some common examples:
Excessive shoes
Most people need one pair. A second pair comes into play for a special occasion (such as a need for formal wear) or a hobby (such as climbing shoes or water shoes). If you need another pair… odds are you don’t.
In our family, the shoes on our feet are the shoes we pack. Jodie packs a pair of slippers, so she can more comfortably and safely get around our accommodation, such as the slippery tiles floors we’ve encountered in many apartments.
Full-size toiletries
People around the world wash and condition their hair, brush their teeth, and shave. Unless you have a truly specialty need, odds are you can travel with smaller toiletries and replace with whatever’s available locally.
Duplicate chargers
Pack what’s needed so everyone can charge their devices, but nothing more. If a charger or cable breaks or goes missing, you can find a replacement.
In our family, we have a micro-USB cord for charging devices such as our e-readers, the unique charger for our fitness watches, lightning cords for our Apple devices, and the charging cables and bricks for our laptops. We used to pack extra “just in case cables.” Pruning those freed up a surprising amount of room.
Extra outfits
Packing extra clothes can seem so simple. But the bulk of clothes stacks up quickly, no matter how many vacuum-sealed packing cubes you pack.
Typically, a family can pack 5-7 outfits, such as 5 tops and 2-4 bottoms. Plan to do laundry. It’s much easier to run a load or two of laundry than haul around bulky bags of clothes that you wind up not even wearing.
Reading material you won’t read
Whether a few titles you scraped off the top of your “to read” stacks or the magazines you dusted off before tucking in your bag, nothing in travel is more aspirational than reading material.
All those books and magazines? You won’t read them.
If you truly feel compelled, bring a book and a magazine. It’ll give you a good option for downtime and travel time. Extra points if you can leave the copy when you’re done and don’t have to pack it for the return trip.
Hint: Reading on a phone, tablet, or e-reader can change your travels for the better in so many ways. Each member of our bookworm family has a Kindle Paperwhite, and each one of those devices has its own veritable library of ebooks for anytime reading. If you don’t want a dedicated device, free apps from Amazon Kindle, Kobo, and Apple Books can go on your phone or tablet instead. Physical books and magazines are wonderful, but they add a lot of weight and bulk to your packing. Going digital, at least when traveling, can be a space-saving alternative.
You’ll probably wind up far more tucked into other activities. Sure, you’ll read some, but less than you’re thinking.
Even better, download ebooks and digital periodicals. At least then you can stuff your device with as many of those as you want, and have no guilt (or back pain) from over-packing.
Snacks
The entire world snacks.
Wherever you’re traveling, odds are you can get snacks there.
And before you even consider saying “but this is the only thing for me/my spouse/my kid,” fear not.
Hint: Especially when traveling with kids, a snack challenge can be a fun way to try new things. For example, at Thai markets or Japanese convenience stores, we give the kids a set amount of money, and they can try whatever they want up to that amount. It’s an easy way to encourage picky eaters to step some toes out of their comfort zones, or turn a task like picking up some food into a game.
Sure, bring a few. Something familiar can help with the discomfort of the unfamiliar that accompanies travel. But your kid won’t starve. They’ll find something to eat that they like, and you will too.
Hypothetical business scenarios
Planners, client dossiers, a headset, that extra monitor, maybe an office chair or two…
Okay, that last one is being especially silly. But you get the point. We all pride ourselves on being prepared, especially for our profession. We take care of our people, after all, and we are always at the ready.
However, unless it’s a business trip, odds are there is not much in the way of a hypothetical business scenario that you need to pack for. If there is something you need to keep in mind or close at hand, see if you can keep a digital copy on your device, or confirm a plan with your workplace to get something to you if needed.
Especially if this is a family vacation though, you work hard responding to real business scenarios. You don’t have to pack your bag, or your brain, for hypothetical scenarios that can wait until you’re back.
Men & Women
Jodie once talked with someone who said they needed a full-size suitcase just for their toiletries.
Men and women alike can be prone to over-packing. For some people it’s shoes and toiletries. Or watch pretty much any video where a guy talks about all the tools, parts, and supplies he brings for his RV, “just in case.” By the time they finish listing it all out, you’ll expect them to say that, just to be on the safe side, they pack an extra RV too.
No one has to over-pack. Here are a few items that can stop finding their way into your bag.
Tech and gadgets
Special tools or nifty tech things glitzed up in a magazine are so cool, but that doesn’t mean they deserve precious space in your bag. That’s especially the case for any specialty or one-use gadgets.
Before you pack it, take stock of what its real purpose is and if you have a firm idea of how you’ll use it enough on your trip. Will it be useful enough to earn its presence?
Multiple belts
Typically, the only belt you need is the one you wear.
Two belts could come in handy, such as one brown and one black, depending on your typical outfits and any occasions.
More than two belts? Probably not.
As you pack, check what you’re wearing. If one belt works with everything, go with that. If not, pack a spare, but only if it’s definitely getting worn.
Hint: If you’re concerned about your belt buckle setting off alarms when going through airport security, consider wearing a non-metallic belt on travel day, and pack your favorite belt to wear at your destination.
Multiple pairs of shoes for different occasions
Does your itinerary have a definite formal occasion where you’ll need dress shoes, because you’re also wearing a dressier, more formal outfit? If so, fair enough: shine and pack those schnazzy shoes, and wear them with pride and confidence.
If you don’t need a formal outfit, you don’t need formal shoes. Speaking of…
One or two pairs of shoes—not as backups, but total—will do you fine for most trips. Unless there is a solid occasion in your plans that needs a particular type of shoe, you don’t need to pack additional footwear beyond the pair you wear, and maybe one speciality pair.
“Emergency” formal wear
No matter what spy movies or travel comedies suggest, your typical family vacation does not randomly result in a need for emergency, just-in-case formal wear.
And if it does, odds are you can find something to rent, or at least snag a serviceable yet affordable blazer to sort you out.
Formal wear takes up more room, bulk, and weight than you expect. It’s also a pain to carry, especially if it’s just getting slung around in a zip-up garment bag.
If a formal occasion is on the schedule, then pack the tux.
Otherwise, usually guys are fine packing a dressier long-sleeve or short-sleeve button-down for an occasion where you want to snaz up but stay in vacation mode.
Extra toiletries, beauty products, and “just in case” makeup
Whether thinking ahead about different occasions, wondering what effect a different climate might have on you, or being concerned you won’t find the right products for how you want to look and feel, packing extra toiletries or beauty products can seem like such a good idea.
But… how often have those extra items gone unused?
Bring the essentials. If it’s helpful or gives peace of mind, see what brands or stores are available where you’re going. Odds are you can get what you need there. It may even be an opportunity to try new products and see if there’s something you like more.
Clothes and outfit combos
Your trip might offer activities and opportunities, some planned and others serendipitous. Naturally, you want to think through the right outfits and combos to cover that range of possibilities.
Instead of packing lots of clothes, get more out of your packing and have less to carry if you plan out a few outfits and accessories that work well together. Travel capsule wardrobes offer a balance of flexibility and practicality: You select a few pieces that can be combined, or refreshed with different accessories.
Hair styling tools
On the days when you want to keep your hair simple, what do you do? And when there is a particular style you want to nail for an occasion, what do you need for that?
Packing what you need for those styles, along with versatile accessories to vary your look, can be a sweet spot for the style you want while you’re away.
We adults can do a lot to manage our packing. For how our kids pack, or how we pack for them, it’s hard to prevent just-in-case packing, but it can be done.
Babies & toddlers
Sometimes it seems like the smaller the child, the more we need to pack for them.
We don’t.
Even babies and toddlers need less than we think, especially when it’s our first kid. Typically, babies and toddlers need less than you think, and they’ll be just fine.
Excessive diapers and diaper supplies
All cultures have babies, and all babies need toileting cleanup. Disposable diapers are typically easily available in pharmacies and supermarkets.
Having a diaper stash for your travel day, plus enough diapers for at least one additional full day, can be a good rule of thumb. From there, you can arrange an online order with delivery to your accommodation, or work a diaper run into a shopping excursion.
If you use cloth diapers for your baby, assessing how you want to handle that while traveling is its own consideration. We cloth diapered both of our children at home, but we used disposables when we traveled. Disposables saved us time since we didn’t need to tend to the additional heavy-duty laundry that comes with cloth diapering.
Wipes and other baby supplies are typically available wherever you can buy diapers.
Hint: Bring a fresh diaper with you to the store to match it up with what’s for sale or to show a staff member so they can help. Between having a practical example, and using your translation app on your phone, you can get the help you need and buy the right supplies. That’s especially useful when traveling in a country with a language different from your own.
Too many outfit changes
Just as we adults can be prone to pack too many clothes, it’s even easier to do so with kids.
After all, messes happen, or an outfit gets torn up while playing or roughhousing. The last thing you want is to realize that your kid suddenly has no clean clothes.
Kids need a couple of spare outfits for your travel day (as we found the first time flying with our son when he was a baby: Let’s just say he annihilated two outfits before the plane reached cruising altitude, and we were most grateful we’d packed a third in our diaper bag).
A good rule of thumb for kids? Pack one full outfit per day (top, bottom, underclothes), up to a week’s worth of outfits. Plan to do some laundry. And remember: If there’s a major situation and they really need another outfit beyond what you’ve got, you can get something there.
Bulky toys instead of versatile ones
No parent wants a bored child, and that concern makes it even more understandable when you’re tempted to pack half a toy store.
Typically, a few appropriately sized toys are sufficient for babies and toddlers.
Many “toys” are serendipitous, happen along the way, and don’t need packing. For example, when we flew with our 15-month-old son from the USA to Japan in 2013, he spent many happy hours with a paper cup, an in-flight magazine, and a soda can.
Other basics are compact, such as a notebook and some markers or pencils. A few activities and items can go a long way.
Hint: Friends and family parenting mentors taught us this secret to smoothing travel days, and we want to pass it to you: Unleash the power of the snack pack. When traveling during our son and daughter’s toddler and small child days, any flight, train ride, or road trip included our stash of “snack packs.” These were usually small sandwich or snack plastic bags, filled with small snacks appropriate for that child (e.g., cheerios and dried fruit, or veggie sticks and nuts; vary depending on what’s right for your kid). Pretty much every hour or two, when a kid expressed hunger, we’d pass them a snack pack. They could eat it independently, it helped them reset, and our travel day passed that much more smoothly.
Children
As with infants and toddlers, we want our kids to have meaningful activities for their enrichment and entertainment. Travel is innately its own enrichment and entertainment. When packing for your kids, you can leave more home than you might think.
Too many toys and entertainment options
As with babies and toddlers, it is so, so easy to fall into a trap of feeling like you have to take a lot of stuff so the kids don’t get bored.
You don’t. You really, really don’t.
In a new environment, kids innately seek activities. They’ll come up with their own play. If anything, we adults often just need to get out of their way.
A few toys, games, or books might come in handy, especially ones small enough for a child to carry in their own bag or backpack. It gives them agency and control, especially if they take the lead on picking and packing things themselves.
Excessive snacks
We mentioned snacks before, but it helps to circle back to it when talking about how we pack for kids when we travel.
A few snacks for your travel day? Spot on. That travel day is typically the highest-stress time for any trip. A good snack stash is an easy win for preventing problems.
Beyond the travel day though, you’ll do yourself far more good if you rely on the food that’s available where you are, and that includes snacks. Everyone snacks. Stores around the world sell an array of snacks.
And we’ll say it again: Your kid won’t starve because you didn’t pack the foods they’re familiar with.
Local foods are a chance to try new things. They become not just satisfying a bodily need, but part of the travel experience. Your kids will eat, and you’ll find snacks that work for you and your family.
Multiple pairs of shoes
You know what? We’ve mentioned footwear before, and there’s a reason for that: Over-packing footwear can be such a universal problem.
After all, it’s just another pair of shoes. But that’s the problem: Shoes are bulky and quickly take up precious room, even at kid sizes. Those extra shoes probably never get worn, so the extra bulk, additional baggage, and, if flying, potential extra checked bag fees, add up to a toll not only on your wallet and your physical fatigue, but your enjoyment of your trip.
Kids need the pair of shoes they’re wearing, and possibly one extra pair as a backup or for a specialty activity. Any other footwear can stay home.
An attitude where you need to entertain your kids constantly
This last one isn’t something you pack, but an attitude that can take up far too much brain space for us parents:
It’s easy to convince ourselves that on a trip, we have a responsibility to entertain our kids all the time.
We don’t.
Kids are great at figuring out things to do. And no, that doesn’t automatically mean those ways to play will be destructive or problematic.
Give kids some space to figure things out for themselves. Build in a little time to play with them, even for five minutes. Often, that’s like warming up their imagination engines. Then they can rev away happily on their own.
If they get bored, it’s okay. Boredom is often just the first stage of creativity.
Again, pack a few toys, activity supplies, and some reading material (physical or digital). Most of the time, your kids will figure out their own activities, and you can focus on yours.
Tweens & teens
On the plus side, your teen or tween can pack and carry their own stuff (with whatever supervision or oversight you need to give, to make sure what needs to be packed gets packed, and what needs to be left home, stays home). On the challenging side, the growing perspective and varying emotions of teens and tweens can lead them to fall into the over-packing trap too.
Excessive electronics and chargers
Just like adults, kids can struggle to balance devices and accessories to bring on a trip, and which need to stay home. It’s useful to set some boundaries as a family around anything that’s staying home (e.g., maybe they can bring their tablet or e-reader, but not the gaming console—or maybe they bring the gaming console, but the tablet or phone stay behind).
Too many clothing options
Aim for the overall rule of thumb for packing an outfit per day, for up to 5-7 days’ worth of outfits. Fewer bottoms such as pants, skirts, shorts, is fine too. Clothing can be mixed and matched to freshen up outfits.
Or, if your kids are like our kids, they wind up wearing the same thing for two or three days in a row, anyway.
Multiple hair tools
I will not flashback to blow-drying my hair for 45 minutes during 8th grade. I will not…
Your tween or teen may feel self-conscious or anxious about their appearance being just right while away from home. That often ties in more with concerns about going somewhere different.
There’s a balance: What is their most basic hairstyle, and what do they need for that? And, what is a style they want to sport on the trip, and what will they need for that? Pack for those scenarios, and leave the rest home.
Full cosmetics collection
Just as an adult doesn’t need their full make-up and toiletry setup when traveling, your teen or tween doesn’t either. If they can home in on their overall look, and include items for any special occasions, they’ll be good to go.
For both hair and cosmetics, if something comes up, you can find supplies aplenty at local stores. Pharmacies can be especially handy, as they often stock extensive makeup, toiletry, and beauty sections.
Attitude: Doing too much for them
This isn’t an attitude call-out for the teen or tween, but for the parent. They are growing their autonomy and opinions. You’ll have smoother travels when you as the parent work to balance respect for their choices with practical realities for the trip.
Teens and tweens are also old enough to handle consequences: If there is something they insist on packing, even if you don’t think it’s needed, then they can also be in charge of it, right down to packing it in their own bag.
What not to pack by trip type
The people aren’t the only factor in packing. How you pack also depends on the type of trip you’re taking, how long you’re going for, the season, and how you’re traveling.
Short trips (14 nights or fewer)
When you’re away 14 nights or fewer, brief trips are the epitome of dialing back your “just in case” packing.
- Packing light makes it all the easier to enjoy a shorter trip without the hassle of too much stuff.
- There’s no need for a backup of everything. You’re gone for a short enough time for it not to matter, or you’ll be able to find a replacement.
- You can wear things multiple times, and plan to do a load or two of laundry .
- There’s no need to pack for imaginary scenarios. You’ll manage anything that comes up during your time away, but you can focus your packing on the realities of your trip, not hypothetical scenarios.
- No need for a weather contingency overkill. Check the typical weather and climate conditions for the area and time of year, and pack accordingly.
Extended trips (2 weeks to 3 months)
On extended trips of 2 weeks to 3 months, you might be surprised not by how much more you pack, but how little your packing changes.
When packing for a longer time away, you don’t actually need more outfits. Vacation rentals often have a washer (US rentals will probably have a clothes dryer too, and other destinations have racks and lines for air drying), as do many hotels and motels. Whether laundry service or a laundromat, you’ll be able to build laundry into time outside of sightseeing and activities.
You still won’t need a dedicated “just in case special occasion” outfit either. As long as you have something that you can easily pair or accessorize for a touch of formality or elegance, you’re good to go. Many women swear by a simple black dress, and many guys do just fine with one button-down shirt.
The best thing you can do on an extended trip is pack for overall success while trusting your ability to adapt to situations or opportunities. Your advanced thinking doesn’t have to account for or control for every scenario or variable.
Long-term travel and gap years (3+ months)
When traveling away from home for even longer, there are a few other things that might come into play. However, you still can balance having what you want and need, without going overboard on over-packing.
Longer trips mean packing less, not more
If anything, packing for extensive time away is actually an encouragement to pack less, not more. When you may move around more, over-packing for a gap year means setting yourself up for travel day misery.
You can get it there
Trust that while you’re away, you’ll be able to get what you need. That’s especially the case for anything disposable. From contact lens solution to menstrual products, diapers to snacks, if you rely on it at home, odds are you’ll find a perfectly usable version elsewhere.
Consider season or weather changes, but don’t over-pack for the sake of them
If you have a good sense of where you’re going and during what time of year, you can pack some in advance for different weather. Unless you’re traveling extensively in cold climates, such as winter or snowy climates, you might prefer to get warm layers when you need them. Cold-weather clothing is bulky. If you’re spending most of your time in warmer weather, it may make more sense to find affordable warm layers at your destination, instead of lugging them around just for a limited-time use.
Heavy and/or bulky things weigh down your motivation as much as your bags
Heavy or bulky items quickly lose their allure when you are lugging them around more than you use them. Books, momentos from home, or keepsakes are lovely. If there’s something that absolutely improves your trip, or that motivates or soothes you, that can be enough reason to justify its place in your bag.
More often than not however, you’ll find those bulky items stop being necessary, especially when it’s time to pack them up, and you ask yourself why you bothered bringing the darn thing.
The best thing you pack can be an attitude of embracing the unfamiliar and trusting your ability to adapt
It’s okay to embrace unfamiliar or new-to-you places. Home comforts are wonderful at home, but when we’re away, often our memories and stories of home serve us better than physical keepsakes.
Seasonal and destination considerations
When you know your plans, it can be easier to balance in advance what to pack and what to rent or buy at your destination. Here are a few suggestions to guide you:
Warm-weather layers are bulky. Don’t over-pack layers for cold destinations, especially if cold weather isn’t a definite but only a just-in-case scenario.
For any trip with water recreation involved, no one needs over two swimsuits, and often one swimsuit per person is sufficient.
You don’t need rain gear for every possible rainy-day scenario. If the climate and time of year are rainy and cool (such as the US Pacific Northwest), a rain jacket can be handy. However, if it’s wet and hot (such as Singapore or Thailand during their wet season, that rain jacket will feel like a steamer basket, and an umbrella is of more use).
We’ve packed umbrellas yet rarely found them useful. Our accommodation usually had house umbrellas for guest use (especially in Japan and Malaysia). If you really need some, umbrellas are usually affordable and easy to find. You can decide later if they’re worth keeping.
Check your accommodation’s amenities before assuming you need to pack it. Beach destinations may include beach or pool towels; from hotels to vacation rentals, odds are there’s a hair dryer (in fact, one apartment in Kuala Lumpur had a hair dryer in each room). Rental hosts and hotel front desks might have complementary toiletries or other items. If not, they can point you in the right direction.
Travel style and mode
How you’re traveling and your particular travel style are a major influence on your packing too:
Budget airlines can be ruthless about enforcing their weight limits for cabin and checked baggage. Be just as ruthless about how you pack, so you don’t have excess baggage fees or discover at check-in that your carryon is far too big to, indeed, carry on.
For road trips, yes, you’re in a car. Yes, it’s even more tempting to pack out said car, simply because you have the space. But you know what? It really sucks to have an over-packed trunk or cargo hatch—and that’s before you do any shopping along the way.
Just because you have space, resist the urge to fill that space just for the heck of it. It’s okay to have extra space.
When flying, consider if it’s worth checking a bag, or if you want to go carry-on only. We’ve traveled both ways. For our full-time world travels, we have two carry-on size rolling suitcases, but we check them. Our backpacks, and a slender duffel bag for Jodie’s prosthesis supplies, go with us into the cabin.
When traveling with anything related to medical conditions, check the typical terms for that airline or country. Typically, items such as medical supplies and supplies for infants can be brought on board, or gate-checked for free.
If you’re an anxious traveler, especially for just-in-case packing, please take a breath. Destinations around the world have the same or similar items that you do at home. It’s just as good. That’s especially the case for first-aid. Having a few items is fine, especially depending on your family’s typical conditions or ailments, from headache relief to a few bandages for cuts and scratches. You don’t have to pack half a pharmacy though. Odds are you won’t need it, and if you do, you’ll be able to find it at your destination.
You can learn the art of what not to pack
Over-packing is a habit you can break. Trust yourself, understand the realities of the trip ahead, and leave the hypothetical scenarios—not to mention all the just-in-case stuff—at home.
When you
The secret of packing well is learning the art of what not to pack
It’s so easy to over-pack. We’ve done it plenty ourselves. But we kicked the habit, and we have every confidence that you can too.
When you stop over-packing, you lower your travel stress and physical fatigue, not to mention your bill for baggage fees.
Just-right packing is a skill you learn from experience and from trusting that it’s okay to pack less.
And it is: The more people travel, the less they pack, because they learn they need less than they thought. If there’s something they do need, they can get it there.
You have the judgment and confidence to pack less.
You’ll enjoy your trip more, stress less about having too much stuff, and experience less regret coming home with a bunch of stuff you took the trouble to bring yet never actually used.
You can pack for the trip you’re taking, not for hypothetical scenarios.
Just-right packing balances what you need and want for your trip, with leaving other stuff home. That frees up more room in your bag and in your heart for the trip you’re going to take. And when you come back, you’ll go through what you packed and what you didn’t pack, and realize you’ve learned, like so many others, that you need less than you think.
How to pack for a family trip with kids: How many bags should you pack?
We’ve gone through some guidelines, tips, and mindset adjustments to help you pack better for your trips. Now, let’s get more practical, and put those tips to work. It’s one thing to talk about packing less, but how many bags should your family pack?
Find out soon in our forthcoming packing guide!
