Overpacking usually starts before the suitcase even comes out.
It starts when I begin packing for every possible version of the trip instead of the trip I’m actually taking.
What if it gets cold? What if we decide to dress up? What if I need another pair of shoes? What if I spill something? What if I suddenly become the kind of person who needs three different jackets on a four-day trip?
That thinking is how a perfectly reasonable suitcase turns into something I can barely lift.
I already wrote about the things I finally stopped packing. This time, I want to talk about the rule that helps me decide what gets packed in the first place.
My Simple Rule: Pack for the Trip You Planned
This is the rule I keep coming back to:
Pack for the trip you actually planned, not every trip that could possibly happen.
That sounds obvious, but it changes everything.
If I’m going to Florida for four days and I know we’re doing casual dinners, I do not need multiple dressy outfits “just in case.”
If I’m driving somewhere and the forecast is warm, I do not need to pack like a surprise cold front is definitely coming.
And if I already know I’m wearing sneakers most of the trip, I probably do not need four other pairs of shoes.
Yes, a backup, but not a backup for the backup for the backup.
Start With the Itinerary, Not the Closet
The easiest way for me to overpack is to stand in front of my closet and start pulling things out.
Suddenly everything looks useful.
A better approach is to look at the trip first.
How many days am I gone?
What am I actually doing?
Do I need anything dressier than normal?
Will I be outside most of the day?
Am I changing hotels?
Am I flying, driving, or both?
Once I know that, the packing list gets much smaller.
And this may be old school, but I make a list of exactly what I need: how many outfits, what I’m doing each day, where I’ll be, and what type of attire I’ll need.
Pack Outfits, Not Random Clothes
This is one of the biggest changes I’ve made.
Random clothes create imaginary options.
Actual outfits create a plan.
Instead of tossing in five tops, three pairs of shorts, two pairs of pants, and hoping it all works together, I’d rather know what I’m wearing.
That doesn’t mean every day has to be planned down to the minute. It just means the pieces in the suitcase should actually work together.
If a shirt only works with one pair of pants and one specific pair of shoes, it has to earn its spot.
I usually pack denim shorts that I know can go with several tops. Yes, denim shorts are heavier and take up more room, but one pair of shorts is better than five pairs of shorts. You know?
Pack clothes and outfits that can work for more than one occasion and can be mixed and matched with other things you’ve packed. That makes everything in your suitcase go further.
Shoes Are Where Things Get Out of Hand
Shoes take up a ridiculous amount of room, and somehow they all start feeling necessary once the suitcase is open.
For most trips, I try to think in categories instead of possibilities.
One comfortable everyday pair.
One second pair if the trip actually requires it.
Maybe one nicer option if there is a real reason for it.
Not three versions of the same job.
A second pair of shoes for the trip is okay, because stuff happens and I hate wet shoes. But four different pairs of shoes in different colors and styles is a bit of overkill.
Give Yourself One “Just in Case” Item
I don’t think the answer is to pack with zero flexibility.
Trips change. Weather changes. Things happen.
But there’s a difference between one backup and packing for six emergencies.
So I like the idea of giving myself one reasonable “just in case” choice instead of a suitcase full of them.
One lightweight layer.
One backup outfit.
One small extra that makes sense for the trip.
Then stop.
I always toss a sweatshirt in. Always. I know I run cold. Yes, I may be going to Florida in June, so do I absolutely need it?
But then there was that one trip when I didn’t toss one in.
You guessed it. It got colder in the evening, and I needed that extra layer.
Now I am the proud owner of a Disney Spirit Jersey.
If that’s your plan, sure, go ahead. Underpack by all means!
Use the Bag as the Limit
Sometimes the best packing rule is physical.
If it doesn’t fit comfortably in the bag I chose, I need to rethink it.
Not sit on the suitcase.
Not unzip the expansion panel before I’ve even left home.
Not move half of it into another bag.
Rethink it.
A smaller bag forces better decisions.
Over the years, I’ve even found that my suitcase has gotten smaller. And now, if it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t go.
And I love that it’s a smaller bag. I can lug it around myself and don’t have to ask hubby to do it for me because I’ve packed everything I could possibly need in there.
Do One Final Removal Pass
Once everything is packed, I like the idea of taking one more look and asking:
What is in here because I need it, and what is in here because I got nervous?
That second category is usually where the extras are hiding.
An extra sweater.
Another pair of shoes.
A backup for the backup.
Something I have never once used on a trip but keep packing anyway.
Taking even two or three of those things back out makes the bag easier to manage.
My big thing is sliding a book in there. Will I actually read it? My Kindle is already in my tech bag, so why is the book there?
Overpacking Is Usually About Anxiety, Not Clothes
I think this is the part nobody talks about enough.
A lot of overpacking is really about wanting to feel prepared.
If I have every possible thing with me, then nothing can go wrong.
Except that isn’t how travel works.
Things still go wrong. Weather still changes. Plans still shift.
And most of the time, if I truly forgot something important, I can buy it.
That realization has made packing much easier for me.
I don’t have to prepare for every possible problem before I leave home.
I just need to prepare reasonably well for the trip I’m actually taking.
At this stage of my life, I travel alone a lot. I go from Texas to Florida to visit my mom. I don’t need all that. I don’t want to haul around all that.
It turns out to be more of a stressor than it would be if I just left it at home.
The Goal Is Not to Pack Perfectly
I am probably never going to become one of those people who travels for two weeks with a tiny backpack and somehow has exactly what they need.
That is not the goal.
The goal is to stop carrying things I never use.
To stop packing because I’m worried instead of because something is useful.
And to arrive with a suitcase I can actually manage without wondering why I brought half my closet.
For me, it comes back to one rule:
Pack for the trip you planned.
Everything else has to earn its place.
I may still overpack. But I do not pack what I used to. I’ve come to know myself much better and what I actually need.
And one thing I never leave home without? Benadryl and steroid cream, but that is a whole different blog post!