1. Paper guidebooks 

Gone are the days when travelers have to stock their suitcases or carry-on bags with thick and heavy guidebooks. Don’t get me wrong – I love guidebooks but this is the 21st century and you can find all the information you need online or download it on to your smartphone or tablet.

 

2. Too many clothes 

There’s an old saying: Pack half the clothes and twice the money. Those are words to live by. As you’re preparing for a trip, lay out all the clothes and money you plan to bring. Then only pack half the clothes and double the amount of money you had planned on. Like so many people, I used to over pack and then I got wise.

 

3. Multiple Pairs of Shoes

If you’re going to be climbing mountains, running marathons, or traveling through snowy conditions, you may need some extra footwear. But if not, chances are you can get by with one or two pairs: For a warm-weather trip, pack a pair of sandals for the beach or casual strolls and a pair of close-toed, supportive shoes you can wear for the long-haul.

 

4. Bulky Towels

Fluffy towels are very convenient, but just at home. Carrying a full towel just doesn’t make much sense since it really takes a lot of space in your backpack and it takes forever to dry.

Having a damp, stinky backpack is not fun!

Instead, use a small swimmers towel (they are super absorbent) or a microfiber travel towel. These don’t take much space and work as well as the regular ones.

 

5. A Pillow

I have personally carried my small travel pillow to many places and end up not using it (or just once). Even though they are not heavy, they tend to take a lot of space. 

You’ll find that many airlines and trains offer pillows for free to use during your flight. If that’s not the case, wrap your jacket and/or some other clothes to make a nice pillow.