A stranger at the bus stop changed how I pack for trips

Last Tuesday in Portland, this older guy saw me stuffing a duffel bag and laughed. He said, 'You're carrying your worries, not your stuff,' and showed me his one backpack for a 3 week stay. He used those packing cubes but also rolled everything into tight tubes, and he swore by wearing his heaviest shoes on the bus. It hit me that I always overpack because I'm scared of needing something, not because I actually use it. Has anyone else cut their bag size by half after a simple tip like that?

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1 Comment

seanjackson1mo ago

Man, I feel this in my bones. I once packed a full-sized pillow for a weekend trip because I was afraid the hotel one would be too fluffy. My bag weighed like 40 pounds and I carried that stupid thing around Boston for three days. Now I just roll my jeans into little tubes and wear my boots on the plane, and honestly I've got room left over for snacks. Still keep the pillow at home though, but that's just because I'm a weirdo.