A Woman’s Guide to Over-Packing

Ever notice if you look at anything about packing for a trip it’s nothing but tips on how to pack light and pack less? Well, I’m just not interested in that nonsense. I’m all about reasonable over packing! I was looking at Pinterest today and the same tip kept popping up like it was the best dang advice anybody had ever come up with. The big idea is to pack a complete monochromatic wardrobe so that all pieces can be mixed and matched. So, you only pack gray, white, and black clothing. For the real thrill seekers you can swap out the black with navy blue. Doesn’t that sound so fun and realistic {insert eye roll}? If you’re like me and prefer options , I’m here to tell you it’s OKAY. I’m not saying you want to look like this (be reasonable) but a few extra shoes never hurt anybody.  Here are 7 things you should always “over pack” and why.

1. Makeup. I don’t know about you but I have one makeup bag that all my junk fits into. No matter what I put in it, it has to go in the suitcase anyway so why should it matter what I shove in there? Throw in some extra lipstick, a few extra eye shadows, perfume, all your moisturizers, whatever. My rule is if it fits in the bag, it’s coming with me.

2. Hairdryer. Oh your hotel says your room comes equipped with a hairdryer? Well, have you ever tried to use one of those bad boys? They’re great if you want to fry your hair and torture yourself with 30 minute dry times. Seriously, those things are the WORST. Hotels must go to some land of misfit hairdryers to purchase the ones they stock the rooms with. Do yourself a favor and just bring your own.

3. Tops. I always bring more shirts than I will need. I can pretty much guarantee that if I bring one for each day something will happen and I will have to wear a dirty shirt. What if you spill coffee or wine on yourself? Or if your kid uses the hem of your shirt to clean their face (true story). Do you really want to walk around all day with your kids chocolate ice cream dried to the bottom of your shirt? I don’t think so. Note that packing a white shirt is like not packing one at all. Throw in one more!4. Jeans. Think you only need that one super cute pair of skinny jeans? What are you going to do if you have a day where you’re feeling like a busted can of biscuits? Bet you’ll be wishing you had packed those mid rise jeans that fit just a little looser.

5. Swimsuits and under garments. All these things are little tiny scraps of fabric. Why do they even matter? Throw as many as you want into the bag. I always bring extra swimsuits. I can’t stand having to put one on that hasn’t dried all the way. So gross.

6. Going Out outfits. Every year a bunch of us get together for a girls trip. You can imagine the luggage situation with eight women travelling together. We go for two nights so I try and be good and just bring two outfits. I mean, they’re brand new and I JUST tried them on. What could go wrong? A LOT! It never fails, I end up not liking something I just purchased, or I’m no longer in the mood to wear it, or my friends brought something way cuter. I’m sure we can all relate here. Bring a few extra outfits. Even if you do end up wearing what you originally planned, your friends will appreciate the choices they can borrow from you, and you will appreciate having options.

7. Shoes. This is the most important for me. I always pack a ton of shoes and I usually wear them all. I need flip flops that match all those bathing suits, comfortable shoes, tennis shoes, heels, cute shoes that I can wear when the heels hurt, black shoes, brown shoes, etc. My husband knows better than to question how many shoes I’m packing. I will fit every last pair into the suitcase!

The key to successfully packing is to be really good at Tetris or master the art of the Marie Kondo folding method. I joined the TikTok bandwagon during quarantine and actually made a little packing video to show you how the folding method works. Check it out here. I am a master of fitting an unbelievable amount of things in one suitcase. If I’m flying there’s no way I’m paying to check more than one bag so its all got to fit. Storing things inside all those shoes is a really handy trick! If we’re driving then it’s game on! Who cares how much you bring;)

If you find this list handy or know someone who will, please share it!

Cheers,

Angelina