Do you pack too much when you travel? Extra t-shirts just in case? Twice as much underwear as you’ll ever need? A nice dress just in case, even though you’re going camping? How about enough toiletries to take care of the whole hotel?
This is cluttered packing and you don’t have to keep doing it!
I’ve been traveling and packing my own suitcase since I was 9 years old when my dad moved to Florida and I began visiting him multiple times a year. I thought I had packing down to a science. It turned out, just like a house or purse, organizing clutter is still clutter and I traveled with a lot of it.
30 years later I began my decluttering and minimalizing journey and realized it was insane how much I traveled with and something had to change. The first time I really tested this was when we traveled to Scandinavia and were going to be taking the train between cities and countries. I did not want to be lugging a huge, heavy suitcase around.
We were going to be gone for 2 weeks so I planned accordingly with the plan to handwash clothes when needed. It was also going to be chilly there so I wasn’t exactly packing the smallest, lightest clothes.
Here’s what I packed:
1 dress
3 pairs of shoes
3 pairs of pants
4 long-sleeved shirts
3 short-sleeved shirts
1 leather jacket
1 light jacket
2 air travel day outfits of leggings and a short-sleeved shirt
1 scarf
I had a tiny bottle of liquid laundry detergent and washed clothes upon our arrival at our second and third stops so they would have time to dry before the next move. I always had enough clothing and I realized how much I loved a few of the pieces I brought with me as I wore them over and over.
Think Multipurpose
The mistake I always made before this was to think in outfits, and to pack too much “just in case” stuff. I’d have a separate outfit for every night and 6 pairs of shoes for day and evening.
20 years ago we went to Hawaii with my in-laws, and my mother-in-law saw I had packed no less than 7 pairs of shoes. She laughed and said there was no way I’d wear them all. Challenge accepted! I did wear each pair, but most of them I only wore once. Was that worth dragging them all the way to Hawaii? I shake my head at my younger self.
I have since learned that washing my clothes is an option, that dresses are the best multipurpose article of clothing ever invented and that no one needs that many shoes on vacation.
Yes, you can wear the same outfit every day. You can wear the same shoes every day. It’s okay.
One pair of jeans makes as many outfits as you have tops. Jeans are pretty hardy and can be worn numerous days before they need washing. Leggings are similar and they dry a lot faster than jeans. Skirts and shorts follow the same rule. I have one skirt I love beyond reason and can wear it every day on vacation for my evening-wear and be perfectly happy.
Dresses might seem like impractical options, at least that’s what I thought when I was researching minimalist packing, but they’re really the best thing you can pack.
A dress can be day to evening based on shoes jewelry and cover-up. Sneakers or sandals in the day, heels or ballet flats at night. Light hoodie in the day, dressy cardigan at night. I have worn dresses walking around ruins, museums, and foreign cities. I’ve also worn them for lunch on the beach, or as a coverup for my bathing suit. Versatile, easy and a top and bottom all in one.
For the love of all that is holy do not pack more than three pairs of shoes per vacation. Depending on your location or plans those shoes will change, but three is enough. Two will often suffice. Day, evening. Walking, lounging. Warm weather, cool weather. Socks, no socks.
You will not see most of these people ever again, who cares what you’re wearing!
Condensing and Organizing
First of all, roll those clothes, do not fold them. I had been hearing this one since I was at least 12. I nay-sayed it for a good 30 years. That’s commitment to a belief! And I was wrong.
The trick, though, is not simply the rolling of the clothes it is the manner in which you pack them. This is when I discovered packing cubes and travel changed forever. Packing cubes are soft sided, zippered boxes that come in various sizes you can use to turn your suitcase into a game of packing Tetris.
Not only can I roll my clothes up and they stay put in the cubes, but I can also gather them in categories. Tops in one, bottoms in another, underthings in one, shoes in their own to protect the clothes from them. This was a moment when the heavens opened up for a moment and I saw the god of packing smiling down on me.
Rolling your clothes and packing them into the packing cubes also makes using a smaller bag more possible as all of the space gets used more efficiently.
Toiletries
Skincare and hair products have been the downfall of many a traveler. My rule is to go minimalist in my routines and makeup as well as my clothing. I even started getting my eyebrows and eyelashes tinted so I don’t need to bother with eyebrow pencil or mascara.
You may be a minimalist in this area already, and, if so, well done. Others of you are peacocks of a different feather and have a complex hair, skin and cosmetics system that might be a little frightening to leave at home. For the sake of lighter travel, I’m going to ask you to consider reducing, not tossing out, just simplifying your system. Clear the clutter.
Can you go a week without every toner and serum? Stick to the basics of facewash and moisturizer? Possibly using your face cream for your undereye? How about 1 eyeliner, and 2 or 3 shadows for day to evening transitions?
Those of us with curly hair can be pretty particular about our haircare. But even we can find a simplified version of our system. I did once forget my creams and oils for a weekend away and the only solution was to wear my hair up all weekend. At least it was a solution!
And, of course, there is taking the time to transfer creams and liquids into the little bottles you can get at any store including a dollar store. Remember the TSA 3-1-1 Rule for carry-on baggage: 3.4oz containers in 1 clear quart sized bag and only 1 bag per person. Don’t be like me and put all of your essential oils in a non-see-through bag so the very suspicious Heathrow TSA agent can dismantle your whole bag. Or there’s the story of the butter knife I accidentally tried to sneak through the Dublin TSA…
TIP: Be prepared for your luggage to take a different vacation than you.
I recently took a vacation at the beginning of which I think my luggage took my desire to get away from it all way too seriously and decided not to get on the plane with us. Murphy’s Law being what it is, this was the one time I had not packed clothes in my carry on as my computer was taking up too much room. Never again! We got our clothes the next night and all was well, but we really got a lesson in what you need and what you don’t in that 24 hours.
Always pack some of your stuff into your carry-on bag. If I’m going somewhere warm, I pack flip-flops, 1 pair of underwear, one bra, shorts, tank top and a bathing suit in my carry-on. Cooler locations I at least pack the bra, underwear, an extra pair of socks and a shirt (usually my leggings or jeans that I travel in suffice).
Planful and Intentional
The moral of the story is: for a less complicated travel experience you can be planful and intentional in a manner that allows you to enjoy your vacation without all of the hassle of packing half of the house in your bags. It’s vacation. Get away from it all! Well, don’t be like me and get away from your luggage, too, that may be a little too minimalist.
Even something as seemingly simple as packing a suitcase can be overwhelming and a one-on-one lesson can be a sanity-saver. Together we can sort out your luggage and the other clutter that’s hanging about!