It might seem impossible to pack light if you’re the type of person who has to pay for excess luggage. Some of the travel light methods will have you packing two weeks’ worth of stuff into a backpack that’s the size of your palm! The middle ground exists.
When it comes to packing light, you don’t have to sacrifice elegance or comfort, but you do have to rethink travel essentials like bags and shoes. Small increments add up quickly when you’re preparing for a trip. You can easily understand why this is important if you do the math: If your checked bag is excessively large or heavy, you’ll be charged a price by the majority of airlines for the extra weight. Traveling with a carry-on means you’ll be lifting your luggage hundreds of times, so it’s even more necessary!
Here are some easy substitutions and modifications you can make to your packing strategy to reduce packing weight and save room in your bag without having to agree to wear the same pair of panties for four consecutive days. Some of these packing tricks may be easier for you to adhere to than others, depending on your personality. That’s just fine. We don’t need to carry straighteners because our hair is already straight.
If you can attain the Holy Grail of ‘carry-on only,’ there will be no excess baggage costs, no checked baggage fees, and no unduly huge “guilt” tips to porters who break a back carrying your bags, no more airport trolley fees, and speedier packing at home and at your destination.
Here are a few vacation packing tricks that can help you travel light.
1. Start with a tiny suitcase instead of your large one.
So, starting with a smaller bag will assist in the long term. If you’ve got overflowing luggage on your bed and you’re seeking instant ideas for packing light, this shift might be a game-changer for your next vacation.
Packing tip: When purchasing new baggage, compare the weights of different suitcases. Amazon is a great resource for this, as most items must mention the weight in their description. Take note of the actual weight of your merchandise and not that of the delivery box.
2. Limit yourself to 3 pairs of shoes that can be worn for several purposes.
You do need the brown sandals for your white dress, the black heels for those adorable shorts, and the list continues on and on! Shoe bags take up a lot of room, so you’ll have to limit your shoe buying. For outdoor activities, today’s individuals carry a pair of daily shoes (in winter, boots), foldable ballerina flats, and a pair of running shoes.
3. How Much Toiletries To Carry?
When it comes to toiletries, the easiest choice would be to not carry any at all and rely on your hotel to provide you with the essentials or buy them when you get to the location. Solid shampoos, conditioners, and tiny bars of soap tend to weigh less than their liquid equivalents (you may travel even lighter by splitting the bar in half and bringing only the quantity you’ll need on your trip).
4. Travelling With Electronics
You may reduce weight and space by packing the proper devices. Each device weighs between eight and a pound, which is about the same weight as an average paperback guidebook or beach read. An entire bag of books can be stored on one little device, and a tablet comes with helpful extra features like travel applications that may help you reduce the amount of paper you have to carry with you on vacation. The charger, however, should not be overlooked.
5. Travelling To A Cold Place? Carrying Jackets?
The Featherless Hybrid Jacket from Marmot weighs seven ounces, and the REI Co-op 650 Down Jacket for men weighs 10.5 ounces, but lots of outdoor providers offer surprisingly lightweight choices.
Are you not a fan of the outdoors? Now that so many businesses produce lightweight outerwear, you have a wide range of choices that don’t sacrifice style for weight.
Extra Tips
When it comes to learning how to travel light, there are no hard-and-fast rules that can be applied to every trip, but here are a few guidelines that have helped me tremendously in my learning process.
Everything counts, even a little bit of space.
If you have a lot of paperbacks, consider switching to an e-reader or a tablet. If you have many “just in case” things, consider leaving them at home (including stuffing socks, underwear, mittens, and even T-shirts into your shoes).
Avoid bringing more clothing than you need for a single week.
Freshen up your clothes with a dryer sheet (you might find you can forgo perfume altogether with this hack). Travel-sized Downy Wrinkle Releaser is ideal for removing wrinkles from your garments on the go. While on a long-term trip, consider doing laundry along the way.
Mix and match your outfits.
You should only bring clothes that can be color-coordinated with the rest of your trip outfit. You should leave an item at home if it doesn’t work with numerous outfits. Aim for two pairs of clothes and two shoes that go with everything else in my suitcase.
Your Personal Item can be maximized.
Additionally, airlines allow you to bring a personal item such as a handbag or laptop bag in addition to your carry-on luggage during your flight. Most of the time, people bring a small backpack containing a lot more than a purse but can still fit beneath the seat in front of me with little trouble. During vacation, many fold their purse into a bigger bag if they need it for whatever reason.
Tips on how to pack efficiently and stay organized
Ultralight travel relies heavily on meticulous planning. Folding, rolling, and compressing are the most typical methods of packing, which entail placing folded clothing in a strong plastic bag (like these) and rolling the bag to push extra air out, therefore conserving room on your trip.
Rather than stacking everything in one pile, consider folding clothes into “units” and placing them inside your luggage as a group. When it comes to packing, several things might help.
Packing light shouldn’t be a burden. If you follow these recommendations, you’ll be well on your way to your next vacation with a lighter bag and a brighter outlook.
