A case for overpacking
What I packed for 5-day mid February trip to NY for work
Knowing the weight of a suitcase by lifting and shaking it a little is a Nigerian household tradition. We hate paying overweight luggage fees, and we love overpacking. I have the weight of 50-pound luggage etched in my body memory. After lifting my silver Calpak luggage to and from the car—driving 3 hours to my aunt’s house in Oakland the day before, then waking at 4 a.m. to catch a flight from the San Francisco airport to NYC—I know it is over the airline-designated limit.
My religion is to mentally (and sometimes physically) pack two weeks before my travel date. This time, I took 12 days to mentally pack and physically assemble my suitcase two days before leaving. Mentally packing includes doing all my laundry, sending things off to dry cleaning, cleaning, stretching, resoling my shoes (if needed), and deciding what suitcase to take. I live with my dear friend, and we have six suitcases in the house. I chose her large silver Calpak luggage for this trip because I was immediately inclined to overpack.
The night I packed, Mekdela got comfortable in bed to decide on outfits for my trip. I should have written down every function on the schedule to help guide my choices because I spent the next two days worried I'd missed something. We made and photographed ten outfits, and I packed most of them that evening. While trying on my clothes, I expressed my discomfort with packing a large suitcase for only five days, and she said, “Who cares? Pack whatever you want! It’s fun to have options!”
Overpacking requires maturity and being an all-around fun person. It’s about knowing that your luggage is likely overweight and committing to it because you’d rather spend $100 on excess baggage fees than leave behind your five-pound shoe stretcher and four books (that you will not read). It’s about being the adult in charge and less about indulgence. It's about pleasure, packing what pleases you away from home! It’s about making a home wherever you are; it’s the official Taurus motto.
Until that day, I had prided myself in packing lightly and rarely took outfit change options, which is funny since I love changing my mind. It’s a politic. Ironically, my self-consciousness prevented me from showing up how I wanted, and I despaired of inadequacy with my outfits.
The next day, I spent another four hours trying on new outfits, trying on backup outfits, and correcting things that bothered me about outfits from the previous day. I eliminated bulkier items I couldn’t repeat more than once, like my red boots and leather blazer, but I insisted on taking my Giorgio Armani navy coat, which I styled only once. Revisiting the outfits on the second day gave me clarity and ensured I packed what I wanted and needed.
Overpacking tips
Try on everything! Even if you change your mind on the trip, you will pack better if you try on and make rough outfit ideas before stuffing your suitcase with dissonant garments.
Mari Kondo’s “Does this spark joy?” has unironically inspired my packing choices, and you should consider the question.
Pack what you want to wear, not what you hope to wear. Overpacking requires discernment, but you can pack as much of what you want to wear as you want, which makes it fun. The goal is to have the best of your wardrobe so you feel excited to dress up and change your mind. If you’ve never worn something at home, you’re less likely to wear it on your trip. This is the gospel. It’s true.