Some people can pack for a week with a single backpack. Others struggle to close a large suitcase for a weekend trip because it contains extra shoes, multiple jackets, backup chargers, medicines, snacks, and clothes for weather that may never happen. To outsiders, overpacking often looks unnecessary.
Psychology suggests that, for many people, it is actually a strategy for managing uncertainty. There is no scientific evidence that everyone who overpacks has the same personality or level of anxiety. Packing habits are influenced by travel experience, destination, culture, family upbringing, health needs, and previous travel problems.
