Packing light sounds simple until you start thinking about everything you might need.

An extra pair of shoes, a jacket in case it gets cold, a few toiletries, something for that one activity you may or may not do… Before you know it, your suitcase is full.

The trick to packing light isn’t taking as little as possible. It’s being more selective about what you take and making sure the things you pack are actually useful for the trip you’re taking.

Here are the rules I use to pack lighter without leaving the essentials behind.

For a typical two-week trip, this is a useful stStart with your actual itinerary, not every possible version of your holiday.

Think about:

• Where are you going?
• What’s the weather likely to be?
• What activities have you planned?
• Will you be walking a lot?
• Are you going somewhere where you’ll need smarter clothes?
• Will you have access to laundry?

This sounds obvious, but it’s one of the easiest ways to cut down your luggage. If you’re spending a week exploring a city, you probably don’t need hiking gear, three evening outfits and enough clothes for every possible weather condition.

And try not to pack for your fantasy holiday self either. If you never wear heels at home, you probably aren’t suddenly going to wear them every night on holiday. If you don’t normally run, you may not need running shoes just because your hotel has a gym.

Pack for the trip you’re actually taking and the person you actually are.

Before putting something in your suitcase, ask yourself: Will I definitely use this?

If the answer is maybe, ask a few more questions:

• Can I use it more than once?
• Does it work with several outfits?
• Does it serve more than one purpose?
• Could I easily buy it at my destination if I really needed it?

This is particularly useful for those “just in case” items. A tiny first-aid kit makes sense. A completely different outfit for a hypothetical dinner you haven’t planned probably doesn’t.

The same applies to things you could easily replace while travelling. You don’t need to pack a full supply of everything simply because you might run out.

The goal isn’t to predict every possible situation. It’s to take the things that are genuinely useful.

Clothes usually take up most of the space in a suitcase, so this is where you can make the biggest difference. Instead of planning one completely different outfit for every day, choose pieces that work together. A few simple rules help:

Choose versatile pieces.

Look for clothes that can be worn in several combinations and for different occasions.

Repeat outfits.

Nobody is keeping track of what you wore on Tuesday.

Keep shoes to a minimum.

Shoes are heavy and take up a surprising amount of space. Ideally, choose pairs that can cover several activities.

Wear your bulkiest items while travelling.

If you need a coat, chunky trainers or a heavier jumper, wearing them on the journey can free up valuable luggage space.

Choose lightweight fabrics where practical.

This becomes particularly useful for longer trips, when even a few extra items can quickly add weight.

Use laundry to your advantage.

You don’t necessarily need two weeks of clothes for a two-week trip. Washing a few things during your trip can dramatically reduce how much you need to pack.

If you want to take this approach further, my guide to How to Build a Travel Capsule Wardrobe explains how to choose a small number of pieces that can be mixed and matched into lots of different outfits.

If some things take up far more room than you expect.

Shoes

Try to keep your footwear to the pairs you genuinely need. For many trips, one comfortable everyday pair plus one additional pair is enough. Think about what each pair needs to do rather than packing shoes for every possible occasion.

Toiletries

Toiletries are another easy category to overpack. You probably don’t need full-size bottles of everything. Decant what you use regularly into travel-sized containers and check whether your accommodation already provides anything you need.

For longer trips, remember that you can often buy toiletries at your destination if you run out.

Bulky clothing

Heavy jumpers, coats and other bulky items can quickly fill a suitcase. Wear them when practical rather than automatically packing them.

Gadgets

It’s easy to end up with a bag full of chargers, cables and devices. Before you pack each one, ask whether you’ll actually use it. If three different devices all require separate accessories, consider whether you really need all three.

One of the biggest differences between a light suitcase and an overpacked one is how many “what if ?” items are inside.

• What if it gets colder?
• What if I go somewhere fancy?
• What if I decide to go running?
• What if I need another pair of shoes?

Some preparation is sensible. But if you try to prepare for every possible scenario, you’ll end up carrying far more than you need.

A useful rule is: If you’re packing something for an activity you haven’t planned, weather you haven’t checked or a version of yourself you don’t normally become on holiday, reconsider it. Check the weather before you leave. Look at your actual plans. Then pack accordingly.

Once everything is packed, don’t zip your suitcase straight away. Take everything out and look at it as one collection.

Ask yourself:

• Have I packed duplicates?
• Am I taking too many shoes?
• Are there things I’m only bringing “just in case”?
• Does every item work with at least one other thing I’ve packed?
• Have I packed anything simply because I had space?
• Could I remove a few items without affecting the trip?

This final edit is often where you realise you don’t actually need that extra jumper, third pair of shoes or five different versions of the same top.

And don’t feel that you need to fill every bit of available space. Leaving some room makes your luggage easier to manage and gives you somewhere to put anything you pick up along the way.

What You Should Always Remember

Packing light doesn’t mean leaving important things behind. Your passport, travel documents, medication, phone, wallet, chargers and anything essential to your trip should always make the cut.

The point is to be more selective with everything around them.

If you want a simple checklist to make sure you haven’t forgotten the essentials, have a look at my Ultimate Carry-On Packing List.

Packing light isn’t about fitting your entire trip into the smallest possible suitcase. It’s about taking enough to be comfortable without carrying things you don’t actually need.

Plan around your destination, make your clothes work harder, limit the space-hoggers and be ruthless with the “just in case” items.

And remember: you don’t need to pack for every trip you could possibly have. Just the one you’re actually taking.