The One Rule to Stop You from Overpacking on Your Next Trip

A new Reddit thread has surfaced a compelling solution to the age-old problem.

Luggage fees are a real pain, and if you belong to the vast majority of travelers (a.k.a. those who do not want to give airlines additional money), you might also belong to one big subgroup of that. Anxious overpackers, I am talking to you all.

As a proud member of the community, I know what it means to have a weight limit and still think "well, just in case" when stuffing the tenth shirt in the carry-on you're bringing on a weekend trip. You just can't help it. You blame airlines, your closet, the weather, and, at times, even the trip itself for the stressful situation you're currently in, and more times than you care to admit it, you still end up bringing way too much stuff.

But since Reddit is the unofficial well of wisdom by the people for the people, some desperate overpackers decided to get on their metaphorical knees and ask for advice once and for all. Sometimes, Reddit posts are useless screams into the void, but other times they're a real treasure trove. I am pleased to announce that, in this case, we're in the latter scenario.

With a simple, yet effective subject line, one Redditor was able to get the r/TravelHacks subreddit's attention. "Please give me advice on how to travel with less luggage!" reads the title in bold, which is followed by a detailed explanation of the poster's "condition," that of the "chronic overpacker," as they define themselves: "For my next trip in 3 weeks, I'm committed to only doing carryon so I don't have to pay extra to check bags," they say. "Please give me any advice you have! I'm determined to make this work and cure my overpacking!"

The post is flooded by a myriad of responses offering their own take on the subject, but one stands out among the masses. "Is this the golden rule?" I ask myself. According to the almost 400 upvotes it got (which made it the top comment on the post), it apparently is.

"I have a 20/20 rule," explains user @hobohobbies. "If something costs less than $20 and I can get it in 20 minutes, I don't pack it. So if I think 'I MIGHT need this' I ask if it falls in the 20/20 category. That is how I stopped over packing. Also, if I find I am buying that item more frequently it goes into the 'I always pack this' category."

However you try and bend it, it is hard to argue against this rule and easy to see its merits. It is defined enough that it leaves no space for useless doubts, but is also relatively loose so that you have a certain degree of agency on what to pack. For example, depending on the place you're traveling to, the 20/20 rule might change—if you're in the middle of the Amazon forest it is going to get a little harder than NYC to get, say, a pack of Band-Aids.

Some users, though, added some caveats to the 20/20 rule, and noted that some things you should always plan on bringing particularly on international trips, as they occupy little to no space and might be unavailable outside of the US. "[And get] some headache meds," points out one user. "Need to get it behind the counter at a pharmacy with govt hours. Better to carry a small container then suck it for a weekend with a migraine." Other Redditors highlighted the importance of having some form of Pepto Bismol or Tums on you, as they are much more popular and accessible in the US than other parts of the world. "Pepto chews are awesome for packing," notes one user.

If you feel like your chronic overpacker self cannot be cured by one simple rule, there is so much more advice that you can follow. You can, for example, head over to the r/onebag subreddit for ample tips, as one Redditor suggests—feel free to check it out right here, and good luck as a recovering overpacker.

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Serena Tara is a Staff Writer on the News team at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.