How to Pack Three Months of Your Life Into One Suitcase

by Lauren Youngerman on October 15, 2014

Have you ever had to sit on a suitcase to try and get it closed?

If you’re going on a long trip sometime soon, don’t let this be you.

Trying to shut an over packed suitcase — Trying to zip shut an over packed suitcase

This summer I spent three months in Central America, in both Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Being a college student, I opted for the cheapest way to get there, which meant flying Spirit Airlines.

For those of you who do not know anything about Spirit, they have very cheap airfares. However these airfares do not include seat location, any airline freebies, any checked or even any carryon bags. Seeing as I was going to be gone for three months, I opted for paying for one checked bag and one carry on bag.

Three months of my life — This is what my packing situation looked like.

After this trip I have some advice to offer to those who need to pack light and are traveling abroad for longer periods of time. Here’s how to pack the next three months of your life into one suitcase:

First of all, decide how you want to travel.

Are you traveling on a budget? Are you planning on renting a car? Are you staying in hostels or hotels? How much actual traveling are you doing once you arrive to your location?

These are all questions you need to be able to answer once you start packing. If you’re traveling on a budget and are planning on taking public transportation, my biggest tip would be to not pack a suitcase. Your best investment would be a nice large backpack. That was the lesson I learned over the summer. It’s not really easy or even realistic to just hop on a public bus in some busy cities with a suitcase. Also, backpacks are easier to haul around then rolling suitcases if you have to travel on poor sidewalks or brick/dirt roads.

If you’re planning on spending more money and renting a car or just going to one location, a suitcase will be just fine for your trip.

I’d suggest a large suitcase that has a hard shell. They can take a few more hits, and you can physically sit on the suitcase to help yourself close it.

Space Bags, Space Bags, Space Bags

For clothes and any other similar objects, use space bags. They will save you soooooooo much room. Make sure you opt for the ones where you can roll out the air, because you most likely won’t have a vacuum on your vacation. Just be careful, because while space bags can save a lot of space–they also can add a lot of weight.

Choose your clothes wisely

Do you really need an outfit for every day of the month? No. You don’t. My suggestion is to pack maybe an outfit or two of casual clothes (remember, you can always mix and match) and then maybe one nicer outfit. If you’re going on a trip for business, that’s a different story.

This summer I had maybe two pairs of jean shorts, four pairs of running shorts, one dress, one pair of jeans, and maybe four or five different T-shirts. I survived fine. What I didn’t have, I bought. If you’re traveling to somewhere like Central America finding new clothes is cheap and easy.

Also, remember, pack things you don’t mind losing. Travel always comes with finding new souvenirs. Bring things you don’t mind getting rid of to make room for your new purchases.

Don’t pack items you can find easily at your destination

You definitely don’t need to pack a towel. They’re cheap and easy to find at most destinations, you’re wasting space by bringing one.

Personal hygiene items take up too much space if you’re traveling for long periods of time. Save space and weight by purchasing them in your destination rather than packing them.

Bring a small backpack

Make sure to bring another portable backpack for shorter day trips or weekend trips when you don’t need all of your luggage. When you need to carry everything with it, double bag yourself. You can carry a backpack on your back and front at the same time. You might think you will look ridiculous, but you’ll quickly realize that you’re definitely not the only one doing it.

Pack and repack

Every time you pack a bag, unpack it, and repack it, asking yourself for every item “Do I really need this?” By the third time, you will have probably cut your load in half, and it’ll make traveling light so much easier. Impulse packing can be dangerous. I’m guilty of it, and I often over pack, so I make sure to never skip this step.

What is something you always pack but never end up using?

This post was written by Lauren Youngerman, a student at the University of South Florida studying international business with a focus on Spanish and marketing.

She is a member of her school’s sailing team, and also works as a sailing coach at a nearby club.

Lauren is an adventure seeker who has had the opportunity to live abroad in both Brazil and Nicaragua, as well as to being a part of the U.S. Army.

Currently completing a social media internship for VentureTime Travel, Lauren seeks a career in marketing after graduation. Learn more about Lauren’s work experience via her LinkedIn profile.

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