GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — Major airlines like United and American have hiked up their baggage fees, and travelers are not excited to pay extra fees. 

And if you’ll do anything to avoid those additional bag charges… consider minimalist packing. KARE 11’s Jason Hackett huddled up with the Travel Coaches, Ian and Meg Earp, to learn some tips. 

The Minnesota couple boasts more than 27,000 subscribers on YouTube, and have traveled all over the world — so they know a thing or two about packing light.

Here are their five tips for minimal packing this spring break:

“These days with baggage fees and stuff like that, you want to avoid having to check a bag as much as possible,” Ian says. “You want to avoid going over weight as much as possible, so every little ounce matters”

2. Get rid of those ‘just in case’ items

Thinking of bringing that extra pair of sandals or that Bluetooth speaker? The Travel Coaches say you may want to reconsider. 

“Most people when they pack, they’re like, ‘Oh I’ll bring this just in case for maybe one specific situation,'” Ian said. “But most likely, if you’re saying to yourself ‘just in case,’ I usually try not to bring it.” 

3. Try to coordinate outfits 

The coaches suggest that you pack versatile clothing so you can make multiple outfits with the same items. 

“People bring their favorite thing but it only goes with one other thing,” Meg said. “So you’re bringing one-off clothing items instead of clothing that just complements each other and is easy to wear to multiple different occasions.”

The coaches said you should pack the same with your shoes. It may be hard, but if you can, try to only bring two pairs. 

4. You’ll make do with what you have 

“Usually if you forget something, you can get it at your destination,” Meg said. “So there’s no stress when it comes to packing if you forget something.” 

And even if you can’t get it, Meg says it shouldn’t be a deal breaker. 

“Usually your clothing, like things that you pack, don’t make or break your experience.” 

Ian and Meg said that embracing the minimalist packing lifestyle takes practice. 

“It takes quite a few trips to build your packing list and decide what you actually need,” Ian said. “No matter how little we pack, there’s always a few things that we don’t use. So there’s always room for improvement.”

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