Everyone has been there, you’re packing for a trip. This trip could be a vacation or maybe even a weekend getaway. While packing, you notice that maybe you’re trying to pack a little too much. It’s happened to the best of us but this can cause a packing disaster. So, what exactly is a packing disaster? It’s when you manage to pack your suitcase in a way that will make it impossible to close. 

Sometimes it happens because you’ve overpacked, or because the items were too heavy and bulky, or because you just didn’t know how to do it properly. Whatever the cause, when this happens, the only thing left for you is the contents of your suitcase spilling out all over the place.

How can you avoid a packing disaster? Here’s how!

Packing Disaster #1 – Packing Your Luggage with Too Many Shoes

Unless you’re Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City, there’s no need to pack so many shoes. If you only have one suitcase you can bring with you, such as a carry-on, your best bet is to narrow it down. This could be wearing a pair of tennis for the trip itself but packing a small pair such as flip-flops or sandals in your luggage. That way, you have two options for shoes.

Packing Disaster #2 – Can’t Figure Out What to Wear

This is something that everyone has dealt with at one point or another. You have so many clothes, but nothing to wear, nothing that you’re in the mood to wear. It’s extremely common and one way to combat this is with a capsule wardrobe. But what about packing clothes for travel.

How can you balance out not overpacking while still managing to have clothes you want to wear? There is a nice middle ground to this. A lot of women in the travel community will intentionally lookout for clothes that are versatile. Meaning that they will have multiple functions. So you could buy modest skirts and wear them both as a skirt but as a dress too (just as an example). But having versatile pieces means you know what you’ll wear and each piece of clothing gives you multiple options.

Packing Disaster #3 – Packing too Many Unnecessary Items

While travel can inspire you to do good, it can also inspire you to believe there are things that you need (that you usually don’t need). This can include items such as travel pillows, travel blankets, or basically anything meant for traveling. Sure, some items such as portable chargers are a massive help during travel. But not every single travel-related item that is out on the market would be something that you would need.

In general, packing disasters are completely normal. They happen from time to time but the more packing you do, and the more self-control you have, the less stress this becomes. Some avid travelers are able to manage traveling for weeks with items that are only in their little backpack. Just give yourself some time, you’ll eventually become better at all of this packing business.