I and my university roommate attended our university studies in the far south of Rwanda. Our homes being in Kigali, we at least visited Kigali two to three times a month, all those times being weekends. We usually had a trip of only two days because we had to attend our classes the following week.
Every time we had to travel back home (Kigali) for just two days (weekend), my roommate would start packing on Thursday morning while we will set off on Friday evening. She always had a big bag if not two, which he would fully pack and put some of her stuff in my bag as well.
99% of the times she put stuff in my bag, I always went home with them and she would never ask me about them until we got back to school and handed them over to her. That’s when she would realise that she did not really need all the things she packed.
As time went on, I realised that it was actually not too bad to pack all the things she always wanted to go with, but how she packed them also made the luggage become heavy and unbearable.
Like my roommate, effective packing has always been impossible to some people especially ladies. Here are a few tips you would like to consider for an effective packing.
– Consider not packing large quantities of toiletries like shampoos, lotion, soap and so much more. Unless you can’t live without a certain brand, otherwise you can always find such things where you’re going.
– Pack according to climate/ weather conditions. This will help you to pack what you need and not what you want.
– Wear your heavy outfit and shoes that take up the most space while travelling. This will save space in your bag/ suitcase.
– Choose multi-purpose items while packing. Taking items that can serve multiple purposes so you can cut back on what you have to take will save you from a lot of luggage.
– Pack more of neutral colours. Instead of packing plenty of colourful cloths that you are likely even to not wear, pack colours that will go with lots of what else you’ll take. For example a pair of black pants will match with anything.
Packing what you “need” is what will always help you. What you “want” can always come as a bonus to maximise space.