Not packing your backpack or luggage to capacity is something we’ve talked about before, but the 80% rule isn’t only prudent for long-term travelers or large backpacks. Even on short trips there are many benefits to only packing your bags to 80% of their capacity – not least of which is saving you considerable time each time you open or shut your luggage.
Don’t Use Closet Mentality
Often when packing, we try to turn our bags into mini versions of our own closets. While variety in your fashion is sensible, don’t try to pack for every-single-possible-surprise-gala-that-won’t-happen. Your luggage should carry the clothes you’ll wear – don’t turn it into your closet – which probably has a few shirts or pants you haven’t worn in ages. Instinctively when putting your luggage together you likely have a sense of what’s needed. If you’re continually staring at your leopard-print pants undecided…well, best to leave them at home.
One trick is to count in sequences of 4 days. I tend to run just about everyday so that’s the interval I need before doing a full backpack’s worth of laundry. I select what goes in my bag with four days in mind.
Remember, traveling for a longer period of time doesn’t mean a heavier bag! Packing for 2 weeks is no different than packing for 2 months.
Beat The Airlines In A Battle They’re Hoping You’ll Lose
The airlines are well acquainted with heavy suitcases and bags – gleefully charging people for exceeding modest limits. They know for the most part that travelers are a like gases – they’ll expand to fill up the empty spaces of any luggage. Except you, of course, since you’re using the 80% rule. Visually chop off the top 20% of your bag which will not only make any bags you check lighter – but also make most carry on luggage look smaller. That can help you avoid the scrutiny of an airline clerk who wants to weigh your bags.
Your clothes may betray you here but it’s your laptop that could get you caught paying a baggage fee; so best to give all of your bags a slim look. If you still get caught in a bind, you can use the Internet and 3,000 year old Chinese philosophy against the airlines, fees and all.
Build Laziness Into Everyday
Laziness is an intangible that isn’t easily quantified but a valuable benefit of the 80% rule. One of the best reasons to stick to 80% capacity is that after the first time you pack, it’s generally all downhill from there. You’ll be less efficient packing in tight hostel rooms, under the influence of jet lag, or on days you have to use the precision of a surgeon to fit your leopard pants into your bags.
The 20% wiggle room you give yourself allows for less-than-perfect packing, or the well-known “I woke up late for my flight and have to stuff my bags” approach.
The additional room you give yourself also forgives your faulty memory (for example if you forget a pair of shorts) or when you simply might want to pick up a few souvenirs from, say, Iceland.
Reduce Stress – Including Yours
Packing your bags to or beyond capacity can stress your backpack, suitcase, or any other type of luggage wearing down seams and corners before their time. You also aren’t doing your back, legs, or arms any favors and as you age those aren’t as easy to replace. Walking out the door with your bags filled 100% gives you no room for error and sets you up to spend time packing and unpacking things you don’t even need to be carrying.
[photos by: Miikka Skaffari (number 80), dolmasaxlil (closet doors), HeartLover1717 (hot air balloon from below), brotherlywalks (stuffed bags)]
Hi Anil, One of the things I did on a recent trip was to pack only 1 extra shirt. That left lots of space in the bag and forced me to shop local and keep it as a souvenir. Packing can get annoyingly inefficient (like a hostel situation you mentioned) plus there is always some purchases, or your towel can’t be tightly packed because it needs to dry, etc. I’ve also noticed that my stuff magically expands when you are packing for a return journey. It’s always a mystery to me!
I’ve noticed that too, it’s like backpack chaos theory!
It’s true that you really need much less than you think you will. I actually loved the freedom of having limited clothes to wear. I never wondered what I would wear on a day…wear what’s clean(est)! Cheers!
Smell test for the win!
Its so easy to pack to much stuff, on my last trip I did my best to only bring what I thought was necessary. But after a few week, I once again realised I brought to much clothing with me that I wasnt going to wear. I think next time I will try to only bring half of what I thint that I need 🙂
That’s a good rule to follow – if you feel like you’re missing something you can always buy it!
Great way of looking at it–especially as I prepare to move to Australia for a year with one suitcase! Thanks for sharing!
It will be tough but sure you can fit in the wiggle room there 🙂
I love being lazy. In fact, this is a lazy comment…
haha, yes it is!
i’ll be packing up my bag again and i learned my lesson last time i travelled, aside from avoiding the check in fee, i also dont want to carry a heavy bag anymore.. 🙂
It’s really rough on the back after a while – not worth the aches!
Hey Anil, I am the laziest when it comes to packing as well. We will be leaving in 30 minutes to catch a bus and I will pack 5 minutes before we have to go. I wouldn’t be able to do this if my pack was full. Get out what you think you need, then cut it in half.
haha, I love finding someone else who leverages laziness to accommodate their last minute-ness as well!
Especially if you’re going on a RTW trip! I took way too much stuff with me, I don’t even know where to put it haha. Live n learn!
Any one main culprit?
Hi Anil,
Great advice! I used to have lots of trouble with this (being a rather vain girl), but what ended up working best for me was to take as little as possible clothes and using up the spare room for other confort items (a small pillow, foot massage cream for after hikes, nail manicure kit, portable tie-dye atelier). All this still fits the 15kg limit I set for myself!
Not very productively lazy though…
🙂
Hmmm, maybe you can increase your lazy quota some other way – but all in 15 kilos sounds like a pretty good packing job to me 🙂
We live in Florida and went to China last year in November. We don’t have cold weather clothing and so decided to go to our local Good Will store to shop for shirts and tops that were warmer than what we had. Once we got to each destination, we just left behind the items we knew we would no longer wear once we got home. We did pack light and the load got even lighter after 2 weeks away. Actually had room for souvenirs.