You Need To Try Rick Steves' Simple Packing Hacks
By NICOLE CORD-CRUZ
TV personality and travel expert Rick Steves has been advising on traversing the globe for decades, and for him, the key to packing easier is packing only the essentials.
Steves said that instead of gauging whether you'll use a specific item, ask yourself, "Will I use them enough to feel good about hauling them over the Swiss Alps?"
Additionally, he advises paring down your wardrobe, buying some essentials at your destination, and using accessories like packing cubes, mesh bags, and compression bags.
Many are guilty of packing extras of everything, anticipating inconveniences. However, this is rarely the case, and Steves recommends packing for the "best-case scenario."
If you run out of shampoo or deodorant mid-trip, it's not the end of the world, as you can always buy something you need.
Another recommendation to minimize the stress of packing is to stick to the basics and bring more or less the same things to every trip — regardless of length.
Steves said, "If I'm going to Europe for two months or if I'm going on the road for a five-day lecture tour, I pack, you know, essentially the same."