“Do I absolutely need this?”

There are thousands of fun activities associated with traveling. Exploring a new place, trying new things, eating exotic food, I could go on.

These incentives are necessary to overcome the hassle of actually getting there. And lets not forget the worst part of every trip, the act that symbolizes beginning and end: the dreaded duty of packing and unpacking.

thank goodness for the "expand" zipper - *note the scarves

I addressed the problem of packing a few weeks ago, but looking back realized I never gave a solution. I did say, however, that I was an awful packer despite my constant state of travel. So, to help you (and myself) out I did some research and came up with a few suggestions to pack more efficiently.

No matter how many times I try to remind myself I cant seem to bring the chargers for each of my electronics, and the ones I do bring are a huge hassle of tangled wires. A universal charger is a great solution. Initially a bit costly (It could run from about $30) with each adapter piece (these are much cheaper, usually under $10), but it might be a good investment. Another solution, buy devices that work on the same plug adapters.

Due to limited space and the need to carry everything on our backs, a big debate on my trip to Ecuador was the classic roll or fold conundrum. That is, to save space, should we be folding our clothes or rolling them? I can’t say we ever decided on one over the other as a group, but most of the sites I found favor the rolling technique.

If you are visiting someplace chilly, winter coats and other gear to keep you warm can be bulky when trying to pack. Leave the clunky, awkward gear home and opt for a thermal and leggings or long underwear. They each do a lot more than you might think and take up a fraction of the room a coat would.

If you need that coat, though, wear it on the plane or in the car so you don’t have to pack it. The same goes for shoes. Always wear the largest pair of shoes while you travel to avoid packing them. In my pack in Ecuador, my hiking boots were always the biggest waste of space. It was hard to fit anything around them

The bag I packed, bursting at the seams

either.

Another thing to consider in the shoe department is that you should only bring two or three pairs, tops; and they should match many outfits. A very popular methodology in packing is to stick with neutral color schemes. That way bottom matches every top and you can get the most outfits out of minimal items. A great tip is to dress these neutrals up with accessories, like a scarf, which takes up very little room.

The last tip would be to think minimally. “Do I absolutely need this?” check yourself while packing, and then once packed, check again.

I know I could use all the help I can get when it comes to packing, and maybe you could too. Hopefully these tips will be a good start, time will tell.