Packing is one of the very first steps to start a trip. Of course, it involves personal taste and decisions since everyone has their own idea of comfort and style. However, if you wish to make your trip easier, get into the “pack light” mindset. Not only your spine and sanity will thank you, but you will also benefit from packing lightly. Here are some ideas of pack light when traveling that you can check out.
1. Choose the right pack
The simplest way to pack light is to give yourself less space. By choosing to travel with a carry on or sized bags that can easily fit on the any airplane or coach’s overhead compartment, you can not only travel lighter but also find yourself packing more efficiently. For most of the cases, a carry on sized backpack is a good choice. You can also add in a foldable daypack or small bag to carry your personal items on the plane and your daily necessities once you arrive.
2. Pack only essentials
In other words, pack your “must have”, not the “just in case”. The uncertain of traveling makes us want to be surrounded by familiar items as well as things we might need once in awhile, and we keep bringing up the “what if” questions. But remember if you carry something “just in case”, it might become a burden at some point, or in the end you come back and realize you haven’t put a finger on it for the whole trip. If the worst case scenarios ever come up, you can always buy or borrow things you need from somewhere if you stay close to the civilization. The benefits of a light bag on your back far outweigh the drawbacks of not having something you might need.
3. Pick proper clothing to be light and still stylish
Pack for one week
The only way to achieve a single carry on bag is to narrow your clothings into one week needs, (and yes, you have to do the laundry). No matter how long you are going to travel, everything that satisfies you in one week will serve you well for months or even for years. It seems like everybody loves a trilogy since they tend to pack three of everything to wear one, wash one and dry one. So, stick to the law of three when it comes to clothes would be a great tips to avoid overload of clothings.
Pack layers
The first tip to choose your clothes is that don’t bring too many bulk, thick, heavy clothes. You can always layer them up. Probably, you might be hit with unexpected temperature in an unfamiliar climate, so it’s good to prepare for a range. Prepare light jackets (better if you can find a waterproof one), shirts with long and short sleeves, and oversized scarf as the key layering pieces, and you are good for any climate (not too extreme). Of course, this will vary if you are traveling for business or if you are at the height of summer or winter, but layering up will always work well.
Simplify your color palette
The problem when you bring only a few pieces of clothing is that putting an outfit together can be a challenge. Therefore, it is advised to take clothes that are neutral in color with patterns that can be mixed and matched easily. In case you are in doubt, try them on before packing to check the layers, the mix and match.
Choose the right shoes and accessories
Food-wear normally takes up the most room in your luggage. Depend on your destination and planned activities, if you need more than one pair of shoes, wear the heavier for travel and pack the others. When it comes to accessories, notice that the value of each item increase exponentially with each function, so pick the multifunctional one. For example, bring a scarf that can not only use to go with your outfit options but can also use as a blanket or cover.
4. Be organized
Fit everything in a smaller bag to compress your items, such as clothings or toiletries into a manageable size. You can use packing cubes or airless ziplock bags. Moreover, sometime on the road, you might need to get something out of your bag quickly and probably want these things to be accessible. Therefore, put the items you think you’ll need together, where is easily to reach.
In conclusion, packing small is essential for any globetrotter committed to embracing the chaos of travel or just simply because you are a minimalistic person and want to travel light. Keep in mind that, if you plan to take a real adventure into remote or mountainous areas then the pack light concept should include more complicated essential survival items than mentioned in this articles.
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