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There are a lot of competing ideas about which packing strategy is best, but this is all about a very different, but highly-effective piece of advice.

Most define packing success as sitting on top of an overstuffed bag and just getting it to zip closed. Possibly by sitting and jumping on top! The packing ritual been hilariously portrayed in many films, and you’ve probably lived it yourself getting ready for a vacation.

But here’s the thing.

One of the eternal truths of this world is that items always seem to multiply when you’re on a trip. You get a brochure from a tourist attraction you want to save for your scrapbook, you accumulate receipts and invoices from hotels and restaurants, you purchase a knick-knack here or there.

I’m not huge into buying souvenirs, and even I used to have trouble squeezing everything back into my bag. Re-packing into the same luggage you came with shouldn’t be this hard, right? It all fit inside the first time.

This is why I say that my best packing strategy is to pack as poorly as possible. Then you’ll have plenty of extra packing space when it’s time to come home and you go about packing efficiently for your trip back.

How to Pack On the Way There

Basically, my packing strategy when I first leave on a trip is to do the opposite of all of the tips out there for how to pack efficiently. I aim to pack as inefficiently as possible. And then I take out 3 more items of clothing, to clear up even more space.

What does this look like?

• No socks (or anything) stuffed inside shoes
• Pack hiking boots or bulkiest shoes, and then wear flip flops or sleek sandals
• Pack disposable items in small containers that you can finish and throw away during your trip, like:
  • travel size toiletries, including shampoo, conditioner, facewash, and lotionTIP! It’s better to pack 2 small shampoo containers than 1 large one, because then you can throw away the small one when it’s done instead of having to transport the large one in both directions
  • tampons and pads, for the ladies
  • mints or snacks in small sizes
• Fold, don’t roll your clothes
• Pack small gifts for hosts and/or to pass out to people you meet in your travels
• Include physical books that you’ll give away when you finish reading
• Close your luggage with its smallest possible dimensions – so don’t open the expanding zipper or loosen the closure on a backpack when you first pack

It may not be the prettiest packing job (although you should still pack carefully to keep your clothes from getting wrinkled in transit) but this is the best way I’ve found to preserve extra space in my luggage for later. Whether it’s to bring something back from my travels or simply to have the flexibility to pack poorly when I might be exhausted at the end of my trip.

“Pack efficiently, but just fewer items!” you shout. “That’ll solve the packing dilemma.”

Although that is certainly possible in theory, practically that would never work for me at least. But you also don’t want a lot of empty space at the top of your bag where things might get jostled in transit.

Packing poorly ensures that the space is taken up to keep items secure, but there is plenty of wiggle room if you pack efficiently later to include more things.

READ MORE: 16 Travel Essentials for Every Kind of Trip

How to Pack On the Way Back

Well, how efficiently you need to pack for your journey home depends on how many things you’ve managed to finish and dispose of along the way, and how many things you’ve purchased to bring back with you.

Or if you’ve purchased heavy items in a duty-free shop and would prefer to have the extra space to insert them into your rolling carry-on luggage to be able to drag along through the airport and avoid carrying them by hand.

Let’s assume for a second that you loaded up on souvenirs and want to be able to have them fit neatly inside the bags you came with.

Here’s what you do:

• Wear largest/bulkiest pair of shoes home
• Stuff socks or other small items inside other shoes packed in the luggage
• Throw away or consolidate any toiletries you’ve used up
• Roll all clothing, or use packing cubes if you’re into that

Ta-da, space for everything you purchase along the way!

Do you usually find yourself struggling to close your luggage for the return trip? What packing strategy do you use to have enough space?

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