I just read a study conducted by a travel insurance site, embedded below, which revealed that “female travelers overpack by nearly double, taking 60 clothing items for a week-long trip despite needing only 34.”
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Of course, not everyone will agree with this but I do know that my wife Natalie would have fallen into this category about 20 years ago. When we first started dating, she showed up for a weekend trip with what was essentially a trunk. But after I convinced her of the benefits of packing light and traveling with carry-on only, she quickly beat me at my own game and is now the best packer I know.
I know most travel sites will tell you what to pack before you take a trip but we’re going to do the opposite. Ready to pack smarter? Here are 10 things you don’t need to pack and should leave at home to make your suitcase lighter and more manageable.
1. Expensive jewelry
Even if you’re going on a five-star cruise, leave your expensive jewelry, including watches, at home. Don’t flaunt flashy stuff. In fact, I even recommend that women turn their engagement rings around, when traveling through local markets and train stations, so that the stones of the ring are facing their palm. If you do insist on bringing expensive jewelry for a special occasion like a fancy wedding, then carry it on the plane with you; don’t check it! And don’t wear it out on the town every day. I would suggest leaving your valuables in a safety deposit box at the front desk of a hotel or cruise ship, or in a safe.
2. Travel iron
No one likes wrinkled clothes but chances are that wherever you’re going, they’ll have an iron. And if they don’t, like on a cruise ship, where irons are a fire hazard, there are other ways to get wrinkles out of your clothing. My favorite trick: Hang your clothes in the bathroom when you’re taking a hot shower. The heat will usually steam the wrinkles out. I’m also a fan of packing wrinkle-free clothing so I don’t even need to worry about ironing. You can also pack a small, travel-sized bottle of anti-wrinkle spray, which is far smaller and lighter than an iron.
3. All of your tech gadgets
These days, most people have a smartphone, a laptop, a tablet, an e-reader…but do you really need all of them when you travel? Try to pare your tech collection down to the essentials and leave the others at home. For instance, if you can download the Kindle app on your iPad, you can leave your Kindle at home and just read your books on your iPad. That way, you can also leave their respective chargers at home, too. To keep your tech gadgets and chargers in order, a tech organizer like this one is a traveler’s best friend.
4. Shampoo, conditioner and body lotion
We all like the products we like but when you travel, why take up all that space with your shampoo, conditioner and lotions? Unless you are going camping or staying in a hostel, wherever you go will have it all. If you don’t think you will like the hotel’s brand of amenities, then you can always go to a local pharmacy or grocery store and buy some. If you must have your favorite shampoo, then be sure it’s in the proper size container if you are doing carry-on only and if you’re checking it, decant some into containers that are smaller than the original. These travel bottles for toiletries will do the trick.
5. Hair dryer
Some people may not agree with me on this one but I’m always surprised by travelers bringing their own hair dryer. However, a study did reveal that hair dryers are the dirtiest thing in a hotel room, so, I suppose some people would rather just bring their own. You could sanitize the hotel’s hair dryer or, if you use a few different styling tools, you might want to consider this Revlon hair dryer brush, which combines a hair dryer with a brush and flat iron. My wife swears by it!
6. Paper guidebooks
Gone are the days when travelers had to stock their suitcases or carry-on bags with thick and heavy guidebooks. Don’t get me wrong – I love guidebooks but this is the 21st century and you can find all the information you need online or download it on to your smartphone or tablet. Before you leave on any trip, download the apps of any hotels, airlines, car rental companies, tours and attractions you’re using or visiting and save them all to one folder for easy location when you need them.
7. Too many clothes
There’s an old saying: Pack half the clothes and twice the money. Those are words to live by. As you’re preparing for a trip, lay out all the clothes you plan to bring. Then only pack half of it. Like so many people, I used to over pack and then I got wise. My wife used to travel with a suitcase the size of steam trunk, but once she saw all the advantages to packing light, she started using a suitcase that was smaller than mine and from then on, it was carry-on only for her. These days, with two kids, carry-on only is impossible but it’s more important than ever to pack smart.
8. Designer luggage
Speaking of luggage, don’t bring expensive designer luggage as it only draws the attention of thieves. If you’re a thief, who are you going to rob: someone who has a designer bag or someone who’s got a generic suitcase? Case closed.
9. Shoes
I once had a girlfriend who had to bring seven pairs of shoes with her on every trip because she needed them to match all of her outfits. That relationship didn’t last long. When I travel, I bring one comfortable pair of walking/running shoes and one pair of dress shoes. Since women tend to have smaller feet, they can usually fit a few options. My wife recommends one pair of heels, one pair of running shoes and flip flops or ballet flats (and of course, you’ll be wearing one of these pairs for travel.) My wife recommends the Adidas Ultraboost as the most comfortable running shoes she’s ever worn and are perfect for travel since they’re slip-ons so you don’t have to fuss with laces.
10. Sudafed and other over-the-counter drugs
A lot of Americans don’t realize that it is illegal to bring some over-the-counter medicines commonly used in the United States into some foreign countries. In some countries, these drugs include inhalers and some allergy and sinus medications. Specifically, many products that contain stimulants (medicines that contain pseudoephedrine such as Actifed, Sudafed, and Vicks inhalers), or codeine are prohibited. It’s best to look up country’s U.S. embassy for specific details. Here’s Japan’s as an example.
As you can see, most of the things I’ve listed will save you space in your suitcase but some can also save you jail time!
What things do YOU leave at home? What would you add to this list? Leave a comment and share your thoughts!
KEEP READING
- Why These Are a Packing Essential
- How to Save Money With a Secret Third Carry-On
- How to Use Your Wireless Headphones to Watch In-Flight Movies
- 10 Airport Security Hacks Every Traveler Should Know
- How to Get the Best Coach Seat on the Plane
- The Sleep Hack Every Traveler Needs to Know
- Never Get Your Valuables Stolen on the Beach
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This post was originally written in 2014 but since has been updated.
As an airline pilot spending half of EVERY month in a hotel room, I am stunned you think the hotel hair dryer is ok. Have you ever looked at the hair/skin cells/dust trapped on a hotel hair dryer? How disgusting an object to then put up next to your face and blast that debris into your eyes, nose and face! Shame on you Johnny Jet
Good article. I pack only carry and my greatest achievement was to get two SO women in my life to pack with only carry on ?. However, I have to disagree with you about downloading the kindle app for iPhone/Pad. If you are a big reader, you know the kindle has no glare as you can read it outdoors. This makes for a better reading experience.
Great tips! I suggest that you dress like a local when you travel so you don’t stand out as a tourist. Wear one set of jewelry, necklace, earrings, ring… nothing you would want to lose. Pack a few coordinating colors with layers. Wear a small crossbody bag with a good strap and utilize pants with zipper pockets. Bring a sarong on beach vacations. Roll your clothes. I have always overpacked for trips but I’m learning to do better!
11. Checked luggage.
The last time I checked luggage with clothes in it was when I went to Rio de Janeiro for a month. I checked luggage because my friend who is a seasoned world traveler told me I should bring more stuff so I did. In hindsight I should not have listen to her. Before that I had went to England and Italy for a couple of weeks. No checked luggage which made it easy to take the train.
I have learned that with a hand bag and a carry-on luggage, that’s all one will ever need.
“Travelin’ light” is my motto.
But it’s not 100% avoidable. On the way to Hong Kong from Japan, I was able to carry on luggage.
The return flight to Japan, the carry-on size is smaller than US standards. I learned the hard way and they forced me to check my “carry-on” luggage. Oh, and there was one other time I checked luggage which was last August. I was on my way back home from Seattle to Kona Hawaii where I live. Amazon has free shipping on the mainland but they no longer ships what I wanted to Hawaii. So I had Amazon ship the 55 pound bag of Caputo 00 flour to my sister’s house which I repacked and checked at the airport on my return flight to Kona. Pizza in Paradise!
Very nice post. I like it very much
Travel with T-shirts etc made from 100% merino wool. The good brands are not scratchy (New Zealand’s Icebreaker is tops) and can be worn quite a few times before needing to be washed.
Good quality merino also doesn’t wrinkle or if it does it shakes out and drapes nicely shortly after putting on.
Icebreaker is expensive but lasts for many years and can be washed in warm water in your washing machine along with other garments, no special care.
yay google is my queen aided me to find this great site! .
On my first trip to Europe, I was told that most hotels do not furnish wash cloths. A trip to Walmart and purchased a package of 18 washcloths for $4.00. Washed and placed in suitcase. After use I put wash cloth in trash.
As for everything else you said, I mostly agree, with one small caveat. I generally bring two pairs of shoes, BOTH of which are comfortable, with one that can pass as a dressy shoe. The reason I like both to be comfortable was perfectly illustrated by a trip to Scotland this summer. We went kind of off the beaten path to see if we could travel through time through some standing stones by taking an illegal shortcut through a field that turned out to be boggy. Our shoes were COMPLETELY soaked through, thoroughly drenched. So I switched to my other comfortable shoes until the first ones were dry, which actually took more than a day. There is nothing more miserable than wet or aching feet.
Oh wow! Can you believe the Ohio State vs Penn State game?? Big Ten East here we commmmeee! I cannot get enough of college football! :]
Sorry, I meant for this to be for white socks and underwear when you’re wearing tennis shoes and such.
A friend taught me about socks and underwear. They are so inexpensive at Walmart, buy what you think you need. After wearing, throw them away. This will leave more room in your bag for stuff you buy. Need more, find an inexpensive store where you’re going!