How to Travel with Light Packing

If you’ve ever lost your luggage on a flight, you probably wish you had packed lightly and carried on your bag instead. Losing luggage isn’t the only reason to pack lightly. Convenience and simplicity are also good reasons. In this article, we’ll discuss how to travel with light packing, so you can enjoy an easygoing trip with fewer worries. 

Why Packing Light is Helpful

No one wants to be weighed down by luggage. Whether you’re on a cruise, flying, or planning on hiking where you need your things with you, packing light is the best way to avoid having your luggage literally weighing you down. 

If you can pack light enough to carry on your luggage, you’ll avoid baggage lines and extra charges. Narrowing down to just the essentials means that when on vacation, you’ll focus on simply relaxing and enjoying, rather than spending most of your time trying to decide what to wear. Best of all, learning to pack light each time you travel, creates a healthy habit that allows you to travel quickly and spontaneously… and spontaneity is the spice of life.

Focus on the Climate

As you begin to consider packing, make sure you understand the climate of where you are going. For example, in Patagonia, the climate is fairly cool most of the year, except for in the summer when it reaches around 70F. If you aren’t clear about the weather in the area you are heading, you could be in for some surprises, and most likely you’ll pack too much, trying to prepare for any type of weather. 

Besides climate, what are you traveling for? Will there be swimming involved? Hiking or biking? For some, certain gear is essential, and for others, it is not. Plan a bit, so you know what you’ll need. 

Use the Right Luggage

That old duffle bag you have in your closet may not be the most efficient choice for your next trip. Investing in good luggage goes a long way and is well worth it. Whether you choose a small suitcase, backpack, or bag, let your luggage help you rather than hinder you when choosing to travel with light packing.

To help luggage go further, consider compression cubes. They help keep your items organized, and they also help save space by compressing the air out of each bag. When you open them up, your clothing fluffs back up to normal. They’re a tremendous space saver. Also, you can either fold or roll your clothing. Many people debate this topic, feeling one is more effective than the other, but truthfully, both rolling and folding work well as long as they are done, neatly. 

The Essentials

Only pack the essentials. Remember, most places you travel to will have things you can buy if necessary. Even so, with well-organized packing, you won’t likely have to buy a thing. Focus on the essentials, such as undergarments, socks, pants, and tops, and whatever else is essential to your comfort. If you have the thought, “Maybe or I might want to have this” it probably isn’t essential, so leave it at home. 

Some travelers swear by the 1-2-3-4-5-6 rule: one hat, two pairs of shoes, three bottoms, four tops, five pairs of socks, and six pairs of underwear. You can change this up accordingly, but it is a good place to start. 

Travel size toiletries

Pack travel size anything you can. Usually, this is just toiletries; such as shampoo, conditioner, hair products, make-up, toothpaste, and a toothbrush; however, there are also things like travel-size hairbrushes, handbags, pill organizers, and even travel-size hangers. 

It’s helpful to stay in places that offer toiletries. Many hotels and other places supply at least enough toiletries to get clean each day. 

Make a Packing List

Nothing is more useful when you want to travel with light packing, than a packing list. Lists help us to brainstorm ideas and narrow down what is really important on a trip. Start by of course, as mentioned, understanding the climate you’ll be in. Next, write down everything you think you’ll need, and then begin crossing items off as you list what is absolutely essential and what is not. 

Write down each day of the week that you’ll be gone and try to get a general idea of what you’ll need to wear each day. Don’t stray from the packing list, but do remain flexible as you make decisions about what you need. Also, keep it for your next trip to help packing go quickly. 

Do Laundry

It’s not always possible, but when given the choice of where to stay, choose accommodations with laundry facilities. When you’re able to do laundry, it changes everything. You can pack just a few outfits and wash them as needed. 
In conclusion, traveling anywhere is always a good idea. Travel refreshes the soul and helps us to get out of our small corner of the world and explore. Still, sometimes preparing for a trip is so stressful, we think we’ll never travel again. You can avoid this by planning ahead, making a list, only packing the essentials, choosing the right luggage and travel-size items, and staying near laundry facilities when possible. Enjoy traveling even more and make it easier to do as you travel with light packing.