Genius Tips for Packing a Minimalist Suitcase When You Love Clothes

Never did I ever think there would be a day that I would enjoy packing light. The idea of being caught dead wearing the same outfit twice in photos made my skin crawl. I didn’t want people to think I ever re-wore things! Any new vacation meant an entirely new wardrobe and cramming as much as I could into a checked bag, carry on and an oversized purse. Yikes. Now, I’ve gotten my minimal packing down to a science and I’ve collected some of my absolute favorite methods so you too can get a minimalist suitcase strategy down for the next time you travel!

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Bring what breaks down

If you are a major water fanatic like I am, chance are you want to bring a water bottle with you on your trip. The thing is, water bottles take up a good chunk of unnecessary space and they can’t be filled before you hit the airport anyway!

Instead of going for a chunky, regular water bottle, have a collapsable water bottle on hand. The best part is, you can use this one exclusively for travel! If you keep it right in your suitcase at all times, it will help make future packing faster and easier!

Wear chunky stuff to the airport

Yeah, you might look like a diva wearing your cute strappy wedges through the airport, but those bad-boys take up a lot of perfectly good space in a suitcase! I mean, you could go all in like the one passenger who wore all of her clothes to the airport just to avoid the fees! Talk about commitment!

Konmari style your suitcase

I mean, can you even call it a minimalist suitcase unless you use the KonMari folding method? Kinda doubt it. Using a strategic KonMari way of folding will not only help free up space so you can pack more but will help prevent wrinkles as well.

Go digital with your books

If you have an iPad or Kindle, opt for packing these types of items instead of 1-3 books. With Amazon Kindle, you can get unlimited reading and listening so you can bring a ton of good reading materials with you all on one device! Click here to learn more about Amazon Kindle.

I’ve also become a new(ish) fan of Audible. Having the app right on my phone has helped me devour books in my spare time and is an awesome, and weightless option that allows you to listen to your favorite books whenever you feel like it.

My top recommended minimalist audiobooks:

Strategize your outfits

When prepping for our latest trip to Nashville, I knew the weather would be a bit chillier, so I made sure to be strategic about my outfits. Knowing I would need a jacket, I tried to coordinate my other clothing items to match with the jacket I brought along.

Yup. I meant wearing “the same thing” a few days in a row. How brave am I?

Have a pre-packed, lightweight bathroom bag

Having an airline regulated bathroom bag already ready in the bathroom is a genius idea for packing a minimalist suitcase and fast. If you are someone with a lot of bathroom products, try to minimize and stick with the absolute necessities.

Choose clothing foundations and go with anything

Nothing beats a good ‘ol fashioned pair of blue jeans, am I right? Making sure you have 1-2 pairs of pants that will match all of your tops is a great way to cut back on the amount of clothing you bring.

When it comes to tops, stick with neutral undershirts that you can also mix and match to create more outfits with less stuff.

Opt for packing cubes

If you are a person who thrives on organization, you’re probably someone who would benefit greatly from packing cubes.

Use packing cubes to fit the whole family into one backpack!

When packing your minimalist suitcase packing cubes help you keep things organized and squeeze more stuff into smaller spaces.

Know what your hotel or vacation rental has for you

If you’re staying somewhere where there will be towels, a hairdryer or even toiletries like shampoo and conditioner this can instantly lighten your suitcase!

Check-in before you travel to get a feel for what items will already be available to you so you don’t pack anything unnecessary.

Be ok with less

The biggest thing is being able to remind yourself that fewer choices means less stress. Don’t over-think your clothing options. Embrace the idea of packing light and you’ll easily find how freeing it is to travel with less luggage weighing you down.

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