The Biggest Luggage Mistake Travelers Usually Make, Per Pauline Frommer

Learning how to pack light, especially when you're going to be out of town for long periods of time, is not for the faint of heart. You have to make some pretty brutal decisions. Which pair of jeans is going to be the one you pair with everything? Can that dress be worn day-to-night? If not, don't pack it! Can you survive a few weeks with only three (or even two) footwear options? For those of us who like to have options, packing light can feel like torture. But according to award-winning travel writer and podcast host Pauline Frommer, who also just so happens to be the daughter of the creator of Frommer's Guidebooks, overpacking is the biggest luggage mistake travelers usually make.

Whether you're the type of traveler who loves to have a different outfit for every occasion or someone who needs all the comforts from home wherever they go, Frommer says overpackers end up being tied down by their luggage. In an interview with the Art of Gallavanting, she says that travelers with overstuffed luggage "cannot use public transportation because they've got these big bags with them, they have to tip people everywhere because they can't handle them themselves." Learning how to pack everything into just one carry-on for a week-long vacation takes practice, but it's well worth it.

Easing yourself away from overpacking is honestly a skill, especially if you're of the camp that likes to have a lot of options on the road, but Frommer shares her take: "You have to look at your trip and realize, OK I'm probably not going to go to a ball while I'm there," she says with a laugh. One game-changing method that prevents you from overfilling your luggage is to actually put together (and try on) every outfit you plan to wear. Thinking through activities, weather, duration of wear, and comfort level will give you a more realistic sense of what you'll actually want to put on during your trip. 

Other space-saving luggage hacks include rolling your clothes (never fold!), utilizing vacuum seal bags to slim things down, and keeping your shoes out of your suitcase. In fact, one of flight attendants' top packing tips is to wear your bulkiest pieces (including shoes) on the plane. There are tons of different tips, tricks, and reasons for keeping things light, as most travel experts will agree. No matter what method you use, we're pretty sure you'll be glad to free yourself from all that extra baggage.