Many tourists continue to take unnecessary items on their trips, turning their vacation into a constant struggle with heavy luggage. Experienced travelers assure that comfort on the road depends not on the amount of things but on the ability to refuse the unnecessary.
These things should not be taken on a trip: tourists make the same mistake
Less stuff means more freedom. Learn to pack your suitcase for travel like a professional. Experienced travelers know that comfort on a trip depends not on the amount of things but on their absence. Some items that seem "essential" only take up space, spoil your mood at customs, or lead to extra baggage fees.
RBC-Ukraine discusses the anti-rating of items that are better left at home so that your vacation does not turn into a weightlifting session.
The Entire Wardrobe "For Going Out"
The biggest mistake is taking a separate outfit for each evening. In 90% of cases, you wake up, put on your favorite comfortable jeans and t-shirt, and go for a walk.
What to leave at home: stiletto heels (if you are not planning a visit to the opera), heavy evening dresses, and clothes that wrinkle easily.
What to replace with: one versatile pair of shoes that goes with both pants and dresses, and items that easily mix and match. But don’t take new shoes, only ones you have already worn.
Clothes for Any Weather
Of course, predicting the weather is very difficult, and there is a risk of freezing due to a sudden cold snap with only t-shirts available, or on the contrary — sweating in sweaters due to a sudden warm-up.
What to take: check the weather forecast for your vacation and leave one warm sweater, warm socks, and a t-shirt in your suitcase. For rain, take a regular raincoat instead of an umbrella. And in most countries, they can be bought in any store.
Items Exclusively for Photos
Do you see yourself in vacation photos in a beautiful sundress, a hat, with a bunch of beads around your neck? And for this, you are dragging half a suitcase of items that you need only for photos. It’s not worth it because they will be needed for half an hour and take up a lot of space.
Full-Sized Cosmetics and "Home" Hair Dryer
500 ml shampoos, huge jars of hair masks, and a professional hair dryer take up a third of the suitcase.
Why this is unnecessary: almost every hotel or apartment has a hair dryer, shampoo, and soap.
Tip: if you only use specific products, pour them into travel bottles of 100 ml. This will save space for souvenirs.
Paper Books (Even Very Interesting Ones)
Reading under the sound of waves or during a flight is romantic, but dragging three thick hardcovers adds 2-5 kg to your luggage weight.
What to take: an e-reader or smartphone with audiobooks. This is hundreds of works in your pocket and no extra weight.
A Bunch of Gadgets
Extra chargers, a large camera, a tablet, an e-reader, several headphones. Most often, many of these incredibly useful things lie in the suitcase the entire vacation, while you take photos with an ordinary phone.
Jewelry and Expensive Watches
Traveling always carries risks: theft at airports, forgotten items in hotels, or accidental loss while swimming.
Why to leave at home: expensive items make you unnecessarily anxious. Vacation is about relaxation, not constant checking of the safe.
Towels (Even the Fluffiest Ones)
They take up an incredible amount of space and take a long time to dry. Hotels always provide them, and for the beach, it’s better to buy a thin mat on-site.
Tips for the Perfect Suitcase:
The 5-4-3-2-1 rule: 5 pairs of socks and underwear, 4 tops (t-shirts/shirts), 3 bottoms (shorts/skirts/jeans), 2 pairs of shoes, and 1 headwear.
Luggage Scale: check the weight at home to avoid repacking your suitcase in front of the entire line at the airport.
First Aid Kit is Sacred: this is the one thing you cannot skimp on space. Take only the necessary minimum: a band-aid, pain reliever, antiseptic, your specific medications, and medicine for stomach upset.
Repack once more. When the suitcase is packed, close it and go relax — for example, have a cup of tea. Then review everything you plan to take with you one more time. Set aside a third of them. Close the suitcase.
A well-packed suitcase is a balance between the necessary minimum and convenience. Refusing unnecessary clothes, gadgets, and bulky items helps save money, time, and nerves. The lighter the luggage, the freer and more pleasant the journey itself — this is what truly makes a vacation comfortable, writes bb.lv.
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