You’re carrying too much luggage. Here’s how to lighten up.

If you think you’re carrying too much luggage on your next trip, I’ve got news for you: You probably are.
How much? Well, last year domestic airlines collected $7.1 billion in luggage fees, an increase of almost 5 percent from the previous year. This summer, we’ve also had a few high-profile baggage altercations, including a Texas mom who was booted off a United Airlines flight because she was carrying too much luggage.
But to really understand how far it’s gone, you have to watch your fellow tourists.
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“People are packing more,” says Sangeeta Sadarangani, CEO of Crossing Travel, an international luxury travel agency. She’s seen her fellow travelers carry more recently and tries to talk her clients into embracing a minimalist packing philosophy. But it’s not easy.
What are the reasons behind the overpacking epidemic? And how can you ensure you don’t get stuck with an extra luggage fee?
There are several reasons for the overpacking epidemic, ranging from insecurity to inexperience. But we need to get over it quickly. A few months ago, all of the major domestic airlines raised their baggage fees. On domestic flights, a checked bag may cost upward of $35, and more if you wait until the last minute or your bag is overweight.
We’re afraid of what might happen
At the core of the overpacking is the question “What if?” says Jeremy Murchland. He ought to know. As the president of the travel insurance company Seven Corners, he deals in what-ifs every day. He says travelers are asking themselves, What if there’s a heat wave and I don’t have the right clothes? What if the Airbnb doesn’t have shampoo? What if I get bored? And that’s driving them to bring more, even if they don’t need it.
We’re stressed out
“Overpacking is often a stress response to leaving home,” says Susan Sherren, who runs Couture Trips, a travel agency. “Travel can be overwhelming, especially for novices. The mindset of ‘I just might need this’ leads to those bulging suitcases.” But she says travelers should remember that they will likely be able to buy reasonable substitutes for their forgotten or missing items wherever they go.
We’re inexperienced
Face it, most people only travel a few times a year and they don’t know how to pack a bag correctly, or even what to put in it. Limor Decter, a travel advisor for Embark Collective, said she used to put everything but the kitchen sink in her checked luggage.
“The consequences were a huge schlep factor and a long wait at the dreaded luggage carousel,” she says. Finally, she learned to cut back to a carry-on only, and it was a life-changing experience for her, making a recent trip to Botswana far smoother than it would have otherwise been. “Had I checked luggage, I know for sure that my bags would’ve been delayed or lost,” she says.
At least those are the excuses we give each other. But as I said, we urgently need some packing therapy because this is one problem that could cost us dearly. I mean $7.1 billion — that’s a lot of luggage.
Don’t want to add a $35 contribution to the billion-dollar checked-luggage business? Here are a few pointers.
Be a minimalist. You know the old saying that less is more? Definitely true when you’re packing. You can take a few easy steps toward packing less. Pack clothes that are versatile and can be mixed and matched. And leave 20 percent of your bag free when you pack, so you have room for anything you buy at your destination, advises Joe Cronin, CEO of International Citizens Insurance. Also, leave any items that you can easily buy at your location, like an umbrella. And consider doing laundry at your location instead of packing a change of clothes for every day of your trip.
“You can get your laundry done at your hotel,” says Cronin.
Adjust your travel expectations. If you’re traveling somewhere to be seen, maybe you should reconsider, says Swapna Patel, a professional stylist. She says she knows clients who pack blow dryers in their checked baggage. “You should have realistic goals about how you want to spend time on your vacation,” she says. “Are you making memories or perfecting your blow dry?” Once you start to think about that, you realize how little you need, and you can easily pack a manageable amount of clothes and cosmetics.
Make a list. Frequent traveler and etiquette expert Rachel Wagner is a devout minimalist. She uses a checklist to ensure she packs only the essentials. “It helps prevent overpacking and also allows me to check off important items I don’t want to leave behind,” she says. After a while, you know what needs to stay and what needs to go, so the list becomes part of your routine.
I hear confessions from people who take too much with them every day. They’re people like Sally Greenberg, who runs a nonprofit organization in Washington.
“I have a problem overpacking,” she admitted to me. “I’m neurotic.” For her, it’s mostly a “what if” issue — she doesn’t want to miss anything she might need.
But it’s OK, because I spent years as a neurotic overpacker until I found my way out. After evaluating almost every available bag on the market, I found the perfect combination: The Victorinox Airox carry-on and a Knack 45L travel backpack. I travel with four changes of clothes and use laundry facilities at my destination.
Getting to that point was really difficult. Like Greenberg, I was afraid I would miss something. Then I realized that they have drug stores and shopping malls where I’m going, and that I needed to relax about my luggage.
I know my airline is unhappy about it, but my bank account is happy with all the money I’ve saved by not checking a bag.
Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes Elliott Confidential, a travel newsletter, and the Elliott Report, a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can reach him here or email him at [email protected].