(Lebanon, NH – August 17, 2026) — Despite years of international travel experience and countless packing tips, overpacking remains the biggest mistake travelers continue to make, according to the latest Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey.

Today, 38% of experienced international travelers identify bringing excess luggage as their single biggest international travel mistake. That’s an increase from 32% in 2025 and 35% in both 2024 and 2023, suggesting the problem is resurging after a brief decline.

The finding continues a pattern Global Rescue has tracked for years. In February 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed international travel, 74% of travelers identified overpacking as their biggest travel mistake. While today’s figure is nearly half that level, overpacking has remained the No. 1 mistake every year, underscoring a persistent challenge: no matter how much international travel evolves, packing light remains elusive.

“Overpacking is the single most consistent preventable mistake we see, year after year,” said Dan Richards, CEO of The Global Rescue Companies and a member of the US Travel and Tourism Advisory Board at the US Department of Commerce. “It’s a habit that adds stress, weight and unnecessary complexity to every stage of a trip, when the real goal of travel should be freedom, flexibility and discovery.”

Travelers may be overlooking the more serious consequences of overpacking. “Heavy luggage increases fatigue, reduces balance and raises the risk of falls, back strains and other orthopedic injuries while navigating airports, cruise terminals, cobblestone streets or rugged trails,” Richards said.

Overpacking can also become a liability during emergencies. “Whether evacuating ahead of a wildfire, hurricane or civil unrest, travelers burdened with oversized or multiple bags move more slowly, tire more quickly and may have to abandon their luggage altogether. In a crisis, the ability to move quickly can be just as important as what you packed,” Richards added.

The survey also found that non-US-based travelers are even more likely than US-based travelers to identify overpacking as their biggest mistake. Forty-two percent of non-US respondents cited carrying too much luggage compared with 37% of US-based travelers.

While overpacking tops the list, experienced travelers identified several other common mistakes. Nineteen percent said booking excessively tight layover connections caused the greatest problems on international trips, including 20% of US-based travelers compared with 16% of non-US travelers. Another 10% regretted over-scheduling their itineraries with no buffer time, while 8% cited traveling without downloading offline maps and digital booking documents. Another 8% pointed to exchanging currency at expensive airport kiosks instead of planning ahead.

Ironically, the same survey found that experienced travelers already know many of the solutions. Their favorite travel hack is placing smart tags in checked luggage, selected by 31% of respondents, followed by emailing digital copies of passports and identification documents to themselves (16%). Other popular techniques include using compression packing cubes (10%), rolling clothes instead of folding them (10%), using a multi-port wall charger (9%), bringing an empty reusable water bottle through airport security (7%) and downloading entertainment before departure (6%).

Travelers on opposite sides of the Atlantic share many of the same habits but with subtle differences. US-based travelers are more likely to rely on smart luggage tags (34% versus 22%), while non-US-based travelers are more likely to email passport copies to themselves (20% versus 16%), use compression packing cubes (13% versus 10%) and download entertainment before leaving home (9% versus 5%).

“The irony is that experienced travelers have become exceptionally good at using technology to solve travel problems,” Richards said. “They track their luggage, digitize important documents and prepare for disruptions. Yet many still start every trip with the same mistake—bringing more than they need.”

Richards said lighter packing delivers benefits that extend far beyond avoiding baggage fees.

“A lighter bag makes every part of international travel easier, from navigating airports and train stations to changing flights, climbing hotel stairs or adapting when plans suddenly change,” he said. “Experienced travelers know flexibility is one of the greatest luxuries in travel, and packing less is one of the simplest ways to achieve it.”

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About the Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey

Global Rescue, the leading travel risk and crisis response provider, surveyed the world’s most experienced international travelers between June 30 – July 6, 2026. Respondents shared their attitudes, behaviors and preferences related to travel safety, technology and global mobility.

About Global Rescue

Global Rescue is the world’s leading provider of medical, security, evacuation and travel risk management services to enterprises, governments and individuals. Founded in 2004, Global Rescue maintains exclusive relationships with the Johns Hopkins Emergency Medicine Division of Special Operations and Elite Medical Group. The company has provided medical and security support during every major global crisis over the past two decades.