How to Pack Light: The Ultimate Guide to Minimalist Packing for Chronic Overpackers

Do you stare at an empty suitcase the night before your trip, or struggle to zip one that's bursting at the seams? The chronic overpacker's dilemma is real, but there's a better way to prepare for your adventures.

After years of streamlining my packing process, I've developed six game-changing strategies that transform chaotic last-minute packing into an organized system anyone can master. Starting your packing process early with a comprehensive checklist prevents both overpacking and forgetting essentials. Understanding your destination's weather and planned activities helps you pack purposefully rather than "just in case."

The heart of my approach is the travel capsule wardrobe—a minimal collection of versatile pieces that create maximum outfit combinations. For my upcoming eight-day Iceland trip, I'm taking just three bottoms, three tops, two pairs of shoes, one jacket, and a multipurpose scarf. Everything mixes and matches, creating a week's worth of looks from surprisingly few items. My space-saving techniques include using packing cubes, rolling clothes instead of folding, and following the golden rule: never pack something you'll only wear or use once.

Whether you're preparing for a weekend getaway or extended journey, these minimalist packing principles deliver freedom from heavy luggage and packing stress. Ready to transform your travel experience? Download my free packing checklist from the show notes and discover how traveling lighter makes your adventures more enjoyable. Remember—nobody notices you're wearing the same sweater twice, but everyone notices when you're struggling with oversized luggage!

PACKING CHECKLIST:

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Chapters

• 0:00 Overpacking Dilemma and Introduction
• 2:04 Start Early with Packing Checklist
• 3:31 Weather Considerations and Activity Planning
• 4:36 Layout Strategy and Capsule Wardrobe
• 8:59 Packing Cubes and Space-saving Techniques
• 10:39 Additional Packing Resources and Tips

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Here, it is the night before your trip and your suitcase is empty, or, on the flip side, it is so packed you can't even zip it up. Are you a chronic overpacker or you just throw things in at the last minute and say, oh, just in case, well, I'm here to help you learn how to pack light. So if you're one of those chronic overpackers or you wait till last minute, I'm here to help. Welcome to Solo Travel Adventures. I'm Cheryl Esch, your host and minimalist packer. Here to the rescue. So which one are you? Do you pack light or do you overpack? Do you find yourself waiting till last minute? Well, these are some tips. I have six really good tips for you and some references to some past episodes, also related to any of your packing needs. So, also related to any of your packing needs. So listen in First things.

Speaker 1: 1:10

First, do not wait until the last minute. This is just a recipe for disaster, meaning you're going to overpack. First of all, is what usually happens. Or, secondly, you're likely going to forget something. Even though you've packed all this stuff that is probably 80% unnecessary, you're going to forget something essential. Now, certain things that are essential, that don't cost a whole lot of money. Maybe you forget your toothbrush, which happens a lot. That's pretty easy to purchase once you get to your destination, but, let's say, you forget to pack your swimsuit. Well, those aren't as easy to find one. Maybe, at least for me, that I like. That would fit me, um, ideally, so, um. Or maybe you have a fair, a favorite pair of shoes that you forgot to throw in. So make sure you do not wait till last minute. As a matter of fact, I recommend that at least a week before you start putting items aside and make sure you have a packing checklist. I know you think you don't need one, but you need one. Okay, I'm a checklist kind of person, but it also. It helps you not forget things that are essential, and it also helps you to not over pack. So start putting your stuff aside. And this is really crazy, but I'm one month away just about well, actually five weeks away from going to Iceland, and I've already, in my mind, started thinking about what I'm going to take, thinking about the weather and putting a few things aside. One reason is we are starting to get some warmer weather here and I don't necessarily want to pack away all my winter stuff yet, which I normally would do, because I will need some of it for my Iceland trip. So that is why I'm thinking ahead. And that's the other reason you want to start early. You don't want to wait, because what if there is something you need to get at the store or purchase that you need for your trip? All right, you can't be overnighting from Amazon, although you might be able to, but if you wait till last minute, there's less likely a chance that you're going to get that item that you need to purchase before you leave.

Speaker 1: 3:31

Okay, number two make sure you are checking the weather for where you're going and consider the activities you are doing, because that will help you determine what you need to pack. Okay, my example going to Iceland. I know the weather's going to be cold, it's April, but it's still cold. It's gonna be roughly, they say, between 35 degrees and 45 degrees Fahrenheit, so that's like two Celsius to seven Celsius, so that's still pretty chilly. So I'm gonna need some sweaters, right, I'm going to need layers, warmer clothes, um, and then for activities, I know that, for one thing, I'm going to the blue lagoon, so I am going to need a swimsuit, and then I will be doing some hiking, so I will need some hiking uh gears, definitely my hiking shoes. So check the weather to make sure. And is it going to be rainy? Make sure you pack that raincoat.

Speaker 1: 4:32

Okay, number three I like to lay out all my items. I lay them out on the bed, everything that I'm taking and my suitcase. I don't put it in the suitcase yet, but I lay everything out, all my items, so I can see them. And that leads into point number four. I lay it out because all my clothes should be able to mix and match. They call this sort of that capsule wardrobe idea and I use it when I pack and do trips. So every item that I'm taking shirts, bottoms, sweaters they're going to be able to mix and match with various items. You can pick a color palette that you want to stick with. Maybe you want to do like all blacks and grays, or maybe you want to do all neutral colors, or maybe you want to do all some bright colors, or just throw in some bright colors with your black, making sure everything does mix and match. Okay, and you do not need a new outfit for every day. You can wear things more than once. Trust me, nobody especially if you're traveling, nobody is noticing that you're wearing the same sweater you wore yesterday and I I tend to take. Okay, I'm going to give you an example. Okay, so this is my example.

Speaker 1: 5:53

I am going to be actually gone eight days from my Iceland trip. So here is for eight days, or a one week trip. Here's what I recommend. You basically will need three bottoms, whether that's two pairs of pants, a skirt, three bottoms, three tops, two pairs of shoes, meaning I'm wearing one pair of shoe and I'm packing another pair. Now I also, for this particular trip and some others that I've been on, I have also slid in really cheap flip-flops. Okay, this is, these are like at the dollar store kind of flip-flops, nothing fancy. I'm taking them on my Iceland trip because I am going to the lagoon and I will need some shoe like that.

Speaker 1: 6:40

Okay, otherwise, I always just take two shoes. I don't take more than that. I'm wearing a pair. I'm wearing my heaviest and biggest pair of shoes so that my lighter pair are packed. I'm wearing my heaviest and biggest pair of shoes so that my lighter pair are packed. Then I have usually a sweater or a sweatshirt or a jacket, something. Even if I'm going to warmer weather, I like to have some sort of whether it's a light jacket. Um, for example, when I went to Paris, I took a light leather jacket, right? Um, I take a large scarf always when I travel. It's a nice. I'll also make sure it matches everything that I'm taking so that it can be either worn fashionably and I say large scarf because then it could also be used as maybe an evening shawl. It could be wrapped around my waist after swimming. Okay, so that's a universal kind of use of the scarf.

Speaker 1: 7:35

I take pajamas. Uh, some people just sleep in their underwear or in their clothes. I'm not that person. I actually like to take some PJs so I'm comfortable overnight. Um, some PJs, so I'm comfortable overnight. I will take four pairs of socks. I do take. I will be taking the same number of days of underwear Now, when I'm extending a trip beyond a whole week, I take socks and underwear that are Murano wool that can be easily washed and re-worn while I'm traveling, all right.

Speaker 1: 8:09

So that's sort of an idea of my, uh, what I'm packing for my trip to Iceland for eight days. Um, I have a flight outfit, meaning that's an outfit I will fly to, cause I'm going to be in that outfit a whole day and I'm also going to use that same outfit to fly home in. Okay, it could be worn again, maybe while I'm on my trip. It doesn't have to be, but I get two wears out of that outfit as well. So that's an example of what I would pack. So, again, I can lay out my clothes. I'm going to look at them, make sure they all mix and match and then make sure I'm not taking excessive amounts of clothing. So my three tops, for example for Iceland um, are going to be like long sleeve or sweaters, something warmer, um, on my trip.

Speaker 1: 8:58

Number five, I recommend using packing cubes. Packing cubes are a great way to, uh, space save. There's some that compress even more, um, but it also, in my mind, also helps keep certain things organized in um, my suitcase or my backpack, depending on what I'm taking. You can also save space by rolling your clothes. Folding actually takes up more space in your suitcase and rolling also helps sort of prevent too many wrinkles from happening in your clothing. But I also recommend taking clothes that are not going to necessarily need an iron or an ironing board at the other end. So something to consider. And then I highly recommend that as you look at your clothes and stuff that is laid out on your bed, you know, prior to putting it in your suitcase, see if there's an item. This is number six. Do not pack an item that you will only use once or wear once.

Speaker 1: 9:58

We want to make sure, as I said, make sure your clothes can mix and match, even if you decide to take a dress, which I prefer. If I'm going to take a skirt, I'm going to do a skirt and a blouse so that I have more options. However, you can take a dress and know that you know could you layer it with a sweater, could you layer it with that jacket that you're taking, or use the scarf to dress it up. Make sure the dress is something that you know you will wear more than just on one occasion. So these are some tips for you as you're getting ready to pack for your next trip and if you are a chronic overpacker.

Speaker 1: 10:39

I hope this helps, but I have some other past episodes I'm going to reference. So if you need some additional help with your packing, episode 91, I talk about this is a good one to also, if you're flying, to check to see what in-flight packing essentials you might want to have handy, not in your suitcase, but more in your carry-on or accessible quickly in your carry-on. So check that episode out. Episode 80 is some four common packing mistakes. Some of them I highlighted here. Some of them I highlighted here. Episode 54 also talks about packing Episode 25. And then a highly listened to episode is really early on, my first year of doing this was how to pack with one carry-on. That was episode 16. That similar to what I said today, but today you could apply today to you know, obviously only have a carry-on to pack and to take with you.

Speaker 1: 11:47

Instead of checking a bag Now, do check what your airline you know. Limitations are as far as size of suitcases or carry-ons and every airline is going to be different, especially if you're going international. You want to check that Domestic or US flights. We tend to be more forgiving in the size of the suitcases that can fit in the overhead bins, but I have found that in some airplanes, in some countries, they are smaller. They're smaller. The bins overhead are much smaller and so your suitcase has to fit, your carry on has to fit in that space above. So things to consider. I really would love to see all my overpackers be reformed to more of your minimalist packing. There's very little that you need when you travel, and if you do forget something, just know it can be purchased typically wherever you're going. So, sisters, get out there and have that adventure and pack light. Oh, and pick up my packing checklist. It is a link in the show notes. Help you along the way, enjoy.