These are my 5 basic laws to packing lightly.
I also have a separate list of items to pack each time I travel, but since I travel for different reasons to different locations all the time, I tend to switch it up on the fly when I actually pack.
Be flexible.
1. Bring fewer things because LESS IS MORE. Really.
The less you bring, the better. I bring more tops than bottoms because I tend to sweat more around my back, front and under my arms.
My legs? Not so much. Dry as a bone.
I also tend to pack separates, so that I can mix and match. Bringing a jersey dress (that won’t wrinkle) is also a good idea because you can wear a sweater over it, or another top to change it up.
Plus, you never know when you have to dress up a bit for an impromptu meeting or dinner.
Also, roll up everything instead of packing it flat. You’re going to fit more in the suitcase and have fewer wrinkles on your clothing.
2. No big or bulky things, you gotta carry all of that!!
The smaller the better.
I mean.. shoes are a bit of a pain in the butt, but I tend to wear my thick running shoes (meant for comfortable 14 hour days of walking), and put my ballet flats or flip flops into the suitcase.
Which kind of goes against what I like to do — wear flats on the plane so I can take them off and relax.
But sometimes you have to make compromises depending on where you are going and what you are planning on doing.
On business trips, I only bring a pair of flats for the plane & nights out, flip flops to wear in the hotel room and heels for business.
I know women like to pack curling irons, special ionized hairdryers and all that.. but if you TRULY don’t need that (aren’t going to a fancy dinner or wedding) in the time that you are gone, try to go without for the 2 weeks and see how it goes.
I mean, really. Are you going to curl your hair poolside at some beach resort? I wouldn’t.
I’d be swimming and getting my hair wet and frizzy, but that’s just me.
FYI: There’s a low chance that you’ll ever see those people again. 😛
3. If it doesn’t fit, don’t upgrade to a larger bag to carry
RESIST THE URGE!
If you can’t fit in a special set of shoes, then don’t. Pare down. Make decisions. Think about what you might be bringing back from vacation as well.
I mean, you have to carry this stuff around, unless you have a personal butler..
The best thing to do, is decide on your bag to carry (1 carry-on and a small purse) and make it work.
You won’t use or need everything. Trust me. My sister went backpacking across Europe and brought 2 pairs of heels and 2 dresses.
I told her she was crazy and she’d never use them. She said: “But So-And-So says we might go clubbing”
Did she go to a club or wear those items?
Nooooooooooooo!!
Did she regret carrying that excess weight and taking up space?
Hell yeah. She was mad she could have brought an extra pillow or something instead.
4. Make items do double duty
For example, if I plug in my iPod to sync into my laptop, it charges as well. So I don’t bring a separate charger.
Or, I bring my Belkin wall charger with 2 USB ports, and I just plug it into the wall, charge my cell, my iPod, my camera and my laptop all at the same time rather than bring a power bar and separate chargers for my camera and iPod.
If I bring a t-shirt to sleep in, I make sure it’s still a nice t-shirt so I can wear it on my last day or just in case something happens to one of my other tops.
5. Bring things you don’t mind losing or leaving
Bring clothes you don’t want to wear any more, so that you can leave it behind or toss. Or bring books you want to finish reading along the way, and leave them for someone else to enjoy.
I tend to bring shoes that are really ratty and about to fall apart. I wear them and then if they finish breaking, I throw them out and wear my new shoes I got on vacation instead.
This rarely happens, but I’ve been known to do it.
You also don’t want to bring your most expensive dress and shoes unless you are planning on going to a wedding and babysitting the outfit.
Bring something you don’t mind losing so that you don’t cry about having lost your favourite teddy bear or something when you should have left her at home. (True story.)
Just a girl trying to find a balance between being a Shopaholic and a Saver.
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I read from alaska cruise tours that they don’t allow big luggage’s. So this travel light tips are the way to go.
Someone mentioned the Kindle. I have used the Kindle adapter to charge my iPod Touch (same thing as iPhone minus the phone and camera [and expensive plan]). My real cell phones can often sustain their charge over a vacation, making their chargers unnecessary.
I'm always on the lookout for smaller jars and bottles I can reuse for toiletries. I do double-bag my liquids though. Speaking of, I always make sure my liquids and computer are easily accessible if I'm flying and that I can slip my shoes on and off.
For day hikes and site seeing, I've found nothing that beats REI's Flash 16. You barely notice it in your suitcase, and I can carry a Platypus (collapsible water bottle), camera, hat, whatever comfortably for hours in it. Plus, it's not dorky.
I'd love to get down to one bag for a week, but in the mean time, I'm very happy with a carry-on and briefcase.
I only bring a carry-on no matter where I go. For one thing, I hate checking in bags, and possibly losing my things!
Good tip on the double bagging too — I usually put them in those pre-approved bags through airport security, but maybe I should think about bagging them AGAIN to make sure they don’t explode all over the place.
I went on a trip across Europe with my sisters and I hadn't completely mastered the art of going without undies…so I purchased cute but cheap and left them across Europe. Don't know what the hotel staff thought but it did lighten my suitcase enough to help with the souveniers. I also pick a color sheme, black and white with red or tourquoise as an accent, and stick with it. That way my coat, sweater, shoes and purse will do for the whole trip. My sisters and mom all do the same. It really is fun and amazing how many different outfits you can find even though they are in the same color scheme.
I don’t like going without underwear either.. but I do wash my underwear in the sink at the hotel 🙂 Just some soap and water, then I hang them to dry.
I always like to pack at least one extra outfit, to allow for my mood. There have been times that I've gotten really frustrated because I decided I didn't want to wear anything I'd brought!
My other trick is that I usually pack the biggest items while I fly to wherever I'm going. That way, packing to go home (which is always the most annoying part!) is easier since I have more space.
Yeah–sometimes when traveling, I realize I have nothing for a given occasion. But you know what, it's ok, really. I won't die if I don't go clubbing 😉 As long as I have comfy shoes and at least one respectable outfit to wear if I get invited to a cultural event, I'm fine.
I’m the same way. I was caught off guard for an event once, and had to show up in borrowed clothing!
I just had a 40 minute argument where I tried to convince my parents to pack lightly for their trip to China. They're stubborn and I've given up. I'm just going to let them drag their stuff across the world and back. GAH!
My parents are the same. *pat pat*
My mom brings like 5 suitcases when she travels.
I am so buying that mini charger! It's going to be great for my trip! Apple wants $34 for the ipod travel charger. This is going to be perfect!
I love my Belkin travel charger!
This is great! Minimalism while traveling. 🙂 I used to be one of the girls who brought along every hair tamer, two times the outfits I'd actually wear (just in case I was in a different mood) and way too many shoes. Now I live like I'd want to live on vacation. I don't own clothes that need to be ironed. I don't wear shoes that are uncomfortable (which means no heels, though I am making an exception for my wedding ceremony).
Your tip on not bringing things that you love is so true. I can't tell you the number of things I've left in hotels or condos, only to hear from the owner that the item "wasn't there" when they checked the room.
I'll be using these tips to pack for the honeymoon! 🙂
Good luck on your honeymoon!! 🙂
I am definitely the girl that goes au naturel on vacation. Everyone says: but what if you meet _________.
So what if I do? I’m on VACATION damn it!
I always dress in the same color when traveling. This way, I only need 1 purse and 1 pair of shoes because everything is color coordinated. This helps out tremendously.
What colour do you choose? Black??
I think my one colour would be grey or blue. I’m always in either or.
the belkin wall charger looks neat. this post comes at a great time too coz i'm trying not to pack much for a long weekend trip! haha. I also pack a nice tshirt to sleep in that i can wear out as well 🙂
After nearly a year of lusting, I purchased a Kindle in preparation for a 10 hour plane ride. I'm SO ready to not have to dedicate precious suitcase/purse space to several paperbacks.
I don't bring things that either need to be ironed or can't be washed in the bathroom sink unless I'm going to a wedding or other formal event. If I can wash an item out in the hotel room, it means I can wear it again.
Oh man…I am going to the US a 5 to 8 week trip in August- Sept and I have plans to: go to a wedding, go sightseeing in a city I've never been to, laze about at my parent's house, attend a family reunion (with fancy dinners and also boating/swimming in the nearby lake), lots of plans to go clubbing, at least one hot date, and a 2 week backpacking trip around the desert to pack for. I'm pretty much going to have to bring my whole wardrobe, right?!