Freedom of movement when traveling is an incredible luxury. Imagine experiencing Europe or another destination without the encumbrance of heavy luggage and instead immersing yourself in the locale and culture.
However, learning to go and pack light is a skill that takes some practice as you experiment with what your true necessities are when using small bags for traveling. To save time and limit frustration, here are a few tips to help you pack lighter for your trip.
Schedule Your Travel For Optimal Weather
Clothing is likely the bulk of your suitcase or backpack when traveling for a week or longer. You can drastically reduce the amount of space that clothing occupies in your small travel bag by planning trips that allow for light packing – or planning around optimal weather. It’s no secret that warm weather is ideal for light packing as you can shed bulky coats, pants, and boots for your tank tops, shorts, and flip flops.
Wear Your Heaviest Clothing
Another savvy technique to create more space in your travel bag is layering your heaviest clothing and wearing it while flying to your destination. If it’s warm, you can always wrap your coat or jacket around your waist to keep your hands free. Additionally, wear your heaviest pair of shoes and save lighter sandals or leisure shoes for your bag.
Use Travel Cubes to Organize Your Gear
Travel cubes are key for packing more into a smaller bag. They allow you to take the air out of bulky clothing and other gear. The other benefit is you keep items separated and organized, so you can easily access them while on the move in an airport or train station. Imagine having a cube of beachwear together, or rainy day attire in another. If you end up not needing those items, you never deflate them – saving you the hassle of having to pack them up again when it’s time to head home.
Know Exactly How Much Clothing You Need
You can easily overpack without careful attention to the clothes in your bag and their purpose on your trip. A good method to practice is the 1-2-3-4-5-6 rule, which suggests bringing the following items for a standard week-long trip:
• 1 Hat: Consider one made with dry-fit material and an adjustable strap.
•2 Pairs of Shoes: Ideally a pair for walking and another pair for leisure.
•3 Bottoms: Mix in an appropriate number of shorts versus long pants depending on the climate and your activities.
•4 Tops: Bring a combination of short and long-sleeve with different styles that will work in a variety of circumstances.
•5 Pairs of Socks: Pack socks that will fit well with your footwear.
•6 Pairs of Underwear
For longer international trips, this same quantity of clothing will work but could require laundry at some point. Instead of packing laundry detergent, plan to purchase some at your destination and save more space. Plus, by washing, you are allowing yourself to re-wear clothes and not pack for an extended stay.
Only Pack Items You Can’t Buy In Destination
When you travel to major cities around the world, such as in Europe, you can pack light by leaving certain items at home and buying them at your destination instead. Perhaps the greatest area for saving space in this area is your toiletries and over-the-counter medications. For example, most hotels and resorts offer complimentary items like deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, and soap.
Don’t pack large containers of prescription medication either. Instead, you can leave what you won’t need at home, and only have your prescription bottles full of the pills you will need (and a few extras just in case).
Take Advantage of Multi-Purpose Items
Knowing how to pack light is all about curating the contents of your travel bag in a way that covers all your bases with as few items as possible. Multi-purpose items are the solution for removing clutter and making the most of your small travel bag. Consider the following items:
•Use a smartphone and leave the laptop of tablet at home.
•Wear leather or other stylish shoes with athletic soles that can serve dual purposes of getting around comfortably or attending a nice dinner.
•Bring running shorts and athletic wear like a sports bra that could double as swimwear.
Ship Souvenirs Back Home
When traveling abroad, you’ll likely want souvenirs that remind you of the culture and uniqueness of your destination. Unfortunately, these take up space. Instead of packing them, ship them back home. Sure, you will have to pay for international shipping and deal with customs claims, but the cost of extra luggage will likely be more.
Packing light is an art form, but one that you can easily master just by employing the tips above. So, for your next getaway, set yourself a challenge to use small bags for traveling and to pack lighter to see how few items you actually need to bring along.
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