Don’t Do This, But if You Do: Blame Fassbender

Three items I recommend for chronic overpacking—and one completely plausible Irish summer fling fantasy with just one of my many fangirl crushes. (No disrespect to his wife. I didn’t know he was married.)

I severely overpacked. This is no exaggeration. I am embarrassed about it. If you read one of the earlier posts in this blog, then you know that I had a mini-meltdown on my travel day. Humbling doesn’t even cover it.

I used to be good at this whole travel thing. Packing, airports, border crossings—it was literally my job. Different kind of job than I can talk about (yet), but let’s just say that overpacking was not allowed. In the Army, I always overpacked. Inevitably, someone would forget an extra pair of socks, or opt not to pack something important. I always packed extra. It’s been ingrained in me. Not only do I like being able to help someone else, but as a leader, it’s on me if my Soldiers suffer. If they were missing something and I didn’t have extra, it means I went without.

In my personal life though? Chronic overpacker. One ex told me on a trip, as he was carrying my bags (did I mention I am a traditionalist in my private life?), “I’m going to tell you what my dad tells my mom: ‘Only pack what you, yourself can carry.’” I stopped mid-flight on the stairs, turned around, and said sweetly, “But babe… then what do I need you for?”

Not only did I overpack on the way out, but in Rwanda, I had to buy a new suitcase—one of the XL ones. The whole thing had to be strategic. I combined the two carry-on-sized, and the two standard check-in suitcases into the one XL, one standard, and one carry on. I put all of my lightweight clothes in the XL suitcase, the heaviest items in my ”carry on” and the mixed weight in the large suitcase. And did I buy a luggage scale? Yes. Yes, I did. And it is one of my most-recommended items below.

In my defense, I did buy a LOT of woven items as gifts for people back home. Partly because gifts, and partly because I wanted to support the Nyambo Women’s Center. (More on this later, as well!) The items were really inexpensive in USD, but I made up for it in the amount of money it’s costing me to ship it all back home. Almost $200.

Okay, let me get this icky part out of the way.

The Obligatory Disclaimer

As an Amazon Associate (even a terrible one), I may earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It helps me keep writing (and keeps me in coffee and scones). If you hate the idea of enabling my addictions, scroll to the bottom for non-affiliate links.

(Official Version: As an Amazon Associate I earn form qualifying purchases.)

Now that we have that out of the way, here we go.

MVPs (Highly Recommend)

1. Portable Luggage Scale - travel inspira

• Why it’s worth it: Saved me $100s in luggage fees.
• Why this one: Lightweight, accurate (I tested it up to 60 lbs, switches easily between lbs/kg. Small enough to tuck away.

I know, it seems extra to bring this with you, and if you’re traveling alone and a responsible packer, don’t get it. If you are like me and like to shop on your travels or if you’re traveling with family members, I highly recommend getting one of these. For the few bucks you pay for it, you could end up saving yourself $100s in luggage fees. Traveling internationally is a pain and if you are switching airlines AT ALL, then you will need this.

Here’s why. You can skip this bit if you aren’t here for the entertainment, though it is a heads up. My outgoing flights to Rwanda included a U.S. carrier and then in Dubai, a transfer to Ethiopian Airlines. They have very different luggage allowances. Though the U.S. airline allowed for one extra bag because I’m military, that does not carry all the way through. They charged me for my extra bag at the airport before my first flight. When I got to Dubai, it was a MASSIVE headache because they tried to charge me again for that luggage. I ended up having to wait in a couple of lines for quite a while before they were able to verify that I’d already paid for that extra baggage. Thank goodness I’d kept the receipt handy. Even then, it took them confirming they were getting their money from the U.S. airline before I was allowed to continue on my journey.

Not-So-Pro-Tip: Ethiopian Airlines (and some other airlines) limits the weight of your carry on. I think I wrote this in the previous post. When the agent weighed my bag and told me I was 6 kgs over, I took out the heaviest items, stuffed the pockets of my skirt, my sweater, my jacket and my waistband like an amateur smuggler, and stepped back in line. The agent took one look at me, shook his head, and waved me through.

The luggage scale? Clutch. Here’s the one I have: travel inspira Luggage Scale, Portable Digital Hanging Baggage Scale

2. Packing Cubes - BAGSMART Compression Packing Cubes

• Why it’s worth it: It’s survived my overpacking abuse. Legit.
• Why this one: This system just works. The extra pulls make it easier to cinch tight. I’ve literally stood on them when they were about to burst to flatten them and they held. You get a six-pack of varying sizes.

Non-negotiable if you’re like me and insist on packing for every possible just-in-case-the-most-unlikely-events-happen-and-I-might-need-this-random-ass-piece. I mean, what if I meet Michael Fassbender, he invites me to a cocktail party, and then—obviously—whisks me off on a romantic camping trip through the Irish countryside?! I. Will. Be. Ready.

(He IS actually Irish so this is a completely plausible overpacking scenario, thank you very much.)

If you’re like me and believe all sorts of crazy things are possible, then get these: BAGSMART Compression Packing Cubes

If you’re boring and unimaginative and color inside the lines, then get these: ECOHUB 7 Set Packing Cubes (Note: These do not keep that nice shape shown in the photos.) They get the job done, but I really only recommend them if you like to keep your clothes separated by type so they’re easier to find.

3. Folding Travel Dolly - Gorpuire Small Folding Dolly

• Why it’s worth it: Okay, confession—I didn’t use this on this trip. BUT (like the forgetful sucker that I am ((Thanks, TBI))), I bought two of them. Long, boring story. The first, and more expensive one, is a Samsonite.
• Why this one: Cheaper and the exact same thing as the Samsonite.

Here’s why I’m sharing this one: IT’S THE EXACT SAME THING FOR CHEAPER. Seriously. Costco isn’t the only one who takes the same product and sells it under a different name for a fraction of the cost. (Don’t sue the messenger, Samsonite.)

I originally wanted an Osprey (because I love Osprey) rolling duffel I could throw on my shoulders if needed. (Osprey, being awesome, even gave me a pro-discount when I asked for help with this trip– seriously, #OspreyForLife.)

But they didn’t have what I was looking for: waterproof, rolling, shoulder straps, and obviously, room for Michael Fassbender summer fling outfits. So my grand plan was to strap my waterproof Patagonia duffel onto one of these babies. In the end? I caved and went with boring old rolly-wheeled suitcases.

That’s All for Now, Folks

These are the few things that actually earned their spot in my embarrassingly overstuffed bags. This post took longer to write than I thought it would, so I’m leaving it at three items for now.

Next time I do an affiliate post, I’ll include the random lifesavers I love—like the shampoo bar and conditioner (!!!!!) that might be the best I’ve ever used. Not just for travel, either. And yes, there will be a skincare post—because I’m Korean, and of course I overpacked my skincare.

In my defense, I was traveling to two VERY different climate zones. Hmph. (Pouts in stereotypical, girly overpacker.)

Michael, if you’re reading this… just know I packed for it. #SorryNotSorry

Planning a trip?

I’ve made three quick, tested-and-loved gear lists to make travel easier.

(This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I’ve personally used and loved.)

• Carry-On Only Travel Essentials – Pack lighter, skip & minimize liquids, and stay eco-friendly—It’s important to me to try to not pollute natural spaces. Did you know there are eco-friendly toothpaste tablets!?
• In-Flight Sanity for Long Flights – Comfort, snacks, and gear that keeps you sane at 30,000 feet. As you get older, ummm, it‘s good to try to make long flights tolerable. Some of these items are MUSTS.
• Packing Essentials for Any Trip – The basics to have for packing.

I’ve tested everything on international research trips, long flights, and way too many layovers.