Cram session: Why overpacking is actually a form of self-care
Overpacking isn’t excess; it’s about embracing your true self while traveling. Pack for comfort, memories, and spontaneity, not just essentials.
Don’t listen to the minimalists. To overpack is not to overdo. It is to prepare for being fully yourself on a holiday. Packing a spare kurta, a just-in-case ensemble for a night at the opera, your trusted ionic hair dryer, that second pair of statement earrings, midnight munchies from home — these are not signs of excess, but of intention.
The travel industry is obsessed with hacks: Lipsticks that double up as eye-shadow, collapsible mugs, crease-resistant shorts, reversible hats, inflatable this, multi-use that ... Seasoned travellers know that they rarely improve a vacation. What they do instead is make travellers feel virtuous when they should really be feeling comfortable.
Cutting back works for the budget, for the tight squeeze of air travel, for easier backpacking. But if you live too large (and if you can shoulder the cost and the effort), why cut corners? Carry five paperbacks, take along the emotional-support water bottle, add more wristwatches to the carry-on. Three longtime travellers make the case for bringing your best self on a trip, and why it’s worth the weight.
Orientation zone. Smart packing starts with who you are, not where you’re going. Actor Karishma Tanna takes stock even before she pulls her bags out from storage. “My suitcase is a map of my personality,” she says. “I don’t pack just for weather or events, I pack for moods.” Rather than fitting in, she cares about feeling like herself when she’s far from home.
Actor Rithvikk Dhanjani says the destination doesn’t matter when he’s packing. “Each outfit is picked for a moment,” he says. “When your style is part of the journey, showing up as your full self is part of the plan.”
And travel influencer Milan Singhal says carrying a full suitcase (and paying for excess baggage) is worth it. “I want to be able to fully engage with wherever I am. Missing my favourite sneakers once was enough for me to start packing like I mean it.”
Rethink the essentials. To overpack is to work with the idea that you set your own standards for what is necessary. “If carrying jewellery that I might only wear once makes me feel beautiful, or if packing a book of poetry gives me comfort, then that’s essential to me,” says Tanna. “The things that seem ‘non-essential’ are often the ones that connect us to our deeper selves.” They symbolise agency, memory, mood, the luxury of options and the quiet power of preparation.
Let go of fear. Instead of listing all the things you can do without, consider all the items you know will deliver little delights when you’re far from home. When comfort guides the choices, even abundance feels elegant. “There have been moments where I packed ‘smart,’ only to realise I had stripped away too much of myself in the process,” Tanna says.
It takes a while for light packers to understand this, Dhanjani admits. “I’d land somewhere, try on the clothes I thought I’d love and instantly feel like, ‘Yeah, this is not it’. These days, I’m not so minimalist that I hate everything I brought on a trip.”
Singhal frames it with thoughtful optimism: “I won’t say I pack out of fear. I pack for possibilities rather than worst-case scenarios. I might take along a few extra outfits for unexpected dinner invitations or a spontaneous photoshoot.”
Keep constants close. Seasoned travellers know that the difference between jet lag and a quick reset is how well you rest on your first night. So, carry along the textures and scents that remind you of home. For Singhal it’s self-care items. For Dhanjani, it’s his perfumes: “I travel with two small baskets—one for my perfumes, and one for all my skin and hair essentials. Once my products are out and in place, instantly the space starts feeling like my own.” Tanna always packs “a fragrance that smells like soft jasmine and vanilla, a shawl that I’ve carried for years, a travel journal. They weave a thread of continuity. They ground me, no matter where I am.”
Stretch, don’t squeeze. For many, packing for a trip is itself a kind of unwinding, finds Singhal. So, she doesn’t rush it. “Rolling your clothes saves space and makes each item visible and easy to pick when you’re on holiday.” She recommends organising items by purpose (daywear, sleepwear, workout gear) or by vibe (a bold and bossy compartment to pump you up for a day of sightseeing, a serene and soft section for when you’ve had enough of the itinerary). Singhal once even packed a small pressure cooker, some lentils, and a spice kit, requesting hotel staff to make khichdi for her daughter. “Some five-star hotels are incredibly accommodating,” she says. It’s a better travel memory than flexing over all the suitcase space you saved.
From HT Brunch, May 24, 2025
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