Living There
The importance of packing light cannot be overstated, but I’ll try to do so here. You’ll never meet a traveler who brags: “Every year I pack heavier.” Packing light helps you maintain your sanity and happiness. Here are 3 tips to help you do that.For more thoughts on travel, photography, and the top fashion blogs around the world, visit our site.
1. Pick Versatile Clothing and Pre-Plan Outfits
It’s tempting to pack all of your favorite clothes into your luggage and assume you’ll put together a few great outfits when you get to your final destination. However, it doesn’t always work out that way. Make thoughtful choices in advance, using versatile pieces that you can mix and match into different outfits you’ve pre-planned. This will help you ditch those items that seem like a good idea, but end up being something you use only once.
2. Tuck Small Items Into Your Shoes
Tucking small items like underwear, socks, SD cards, and first aid items in empty spaces like inside shoes and boots. Every little bit of space helps so make the most of what you got!
3. Compress your clothes
You don’t need a fancy contraption to compress your clothes. Look up Ziploc space bags, which are easy to use and allow you to fit more items into your bag by removing air.
4. Wear Your Coat or Jacket on the Plane
Instead of packing some bulkier items like jackets and boots, wear them on the plane. This will free up valuable room in your suitcase. Once on the plane, you can always remove it and store it an overhead bin. Plus, if you get cold, you can use your jacket as a blanket.
5. Don’t Pack Items ‘Just in Case’
Don’t pack for the worst-case weather scenario. Pack for a realistic scenario and simply go shopping if you need any special items like umbrellas or a heavy rain jacket. Instead, pack layers that can be used multiple times (see Tip 1). Think in terms of what you can do without — not what “might” come in handy.
6. Go Digital
Use technology to your advantage to help pare down your packing list. Bring no more than 1 actual book (save some PDF files on your phone, tablet, or laptop if you need more) and do the same other physical documents like passport copies, medical records, maps, etc.
Hopefully you can use at least one of these tips on your next trip. Good luck and have fun!
