In my earlier traveling years, I never thought about the thickness of the items I packed. It wasn’t until I started regularly flying that I realized that just because my backpack fit the carry-on requirements didn’t mean it would fit under the seat in front of me. Then I would be stuck frantically reorganizing and bringing unneeded stress to an already stressful situation for me. Even overhead storage bins on smaller planes can cause problems.
Since this realization, I evaluate everything I travel with and try to slim down anything I can. My portable gamepad, my Switch traveling case, my toiletry bag from issue 3, the tablet stand from issue 4, cold-weather clothes, portable batteries, compression packing cubes from issue 5, and even travel-sized versions of the toiletries themselves.
These low-profile options tend to be lighter, so shaving off a pound or two after a full day of traveling is noticeable. This strategy also allows me to take more items with me or, more likely, ensures I have room to bring something back without an additional bag.
