Have you ever dreaded packing so much that you were actually physically unable to begin the process of packing?!
My friend, Erica, reached out to me a few weeks ago in a bit of a panic. She was needing to pack for her return to living overseas for the next year and felt like she had both forgotten how to pack and how to get started. Erica has a strong connection with her clothes and bases her ability to pack awesomely on how much she can cram into a suitcase.
Only this time she didn’t want to overpack and go way over the weight restrictions.
Where. to. start?
For a situation like this, I recommend the Whittle Down Method.
Instead of sitting on the bed, staring at a full closet, mentally trying to pick out bits and pieces for the suitcase — toss it all in a bag.
That’s right! Pull out anything and everything that you think you WANT to pack for a trip. Take it out of the closet, and out of your drawers, so you can have a better look at it.
This is the point where you may realize you have packed too much. Now, you begin to whittle down your packing list.
Whittling down the items in your luggage, I find, is much easier when done out of the overwhelming confines of a closet. Instead of looking at every top you own, you can now evaluate the 5 or 10 that you pulled out.
It’s not easy, but do know that I use this method to pack for just about every trip I take.
Choose the tops, the bottoms, the extra layers and so on that you value LEAST — either in terms of fashion or trip syle. Put those back in the closet and drawers. Keep going until you have your suitcase down to a reasonable level.
By the end of the process, you will both have a lighter bag AND be taking only the items that you value and love the most. No more carrying around extra weight.
Ultimately this means less wasted luggage space, and you know how we feel about that at Her Packing List!
And always pack the outfits or the clothing that make you feel good about you. Even something you look hot in can still be uncomfy and make you feel out of place. So always remember to pack the good stuff that makes you feel great. Also, grab things that can go with something else. A pair of shoes that can go with 2 or more outfits instead of just one. Or a pair of jeans that can go with multiple tops (shirts are always easier to pack than pants.) Those few little tricks help me pack when I’m headed out on my travels. Good article!