Pack like a pro and travel light
When travelling, you want to feel free as a bird, not packed like a mule. That’s why, according to Indie Traveller, it’s worth packing light.
By packing light, you can save time, money and hassle. It’ll be easier to pack and unpack, you avoid check-in luggage fees on flights (increasingly including long-distance ones), and it will increase your mobility and ease your travels.
Rules for minimalist travel
You can pack light by following a few simple principles:
• Pack the must-haves, not the nice-to-haves
If you’re nervous about your trip, you could quickly end up packing more things just because ‘more stuff’ feels somehow comforting. But resist this urge to be over-prepared. Think long and hard about every item, then eliminate those you absolutely don’t need.
• Bring versatile instead of special-case items
Focus on useful items that have multiple uses. Think twice about anything you’ll use only on occasion.
Remember that you can often rent gear locally (trekking or sports gear) or find a cheap temporary fix instead of carrying something for one-time use.
For clothing, packing layers is more versatile (a shirt can be a base layer in a cold climate or a top layer in a warm one).
• Pack at most one week’s worth of clothing
On a lengthier trip, it’s much easier to do laundry than to carry weeks’ worth of clothing. Pick versatile favourites with a simple colour palette to easily mix and match them.
• Use a packing list (if it’s your own)
“Use a packing list” is a mantra you see repeated everywhere. But this doesn’t mean just grabbing packing lists from the web and copying them. This approach is likely to cause you to overpack.
Most packing lists are padded with unnecessary stuff because they compete to be the “most complete” (or to promote products), so pack only what seems most sensible for your trip. However, you can write a personal packing list as a reminder for future trips, then add or remove things over time based on what you’ve learned.
• Don’t pack in a panic
It’s best to pack at least a day before the start of your trip. If you try to pack just hours before departure, you’re more likely to stuff your luggage with things you don’t need. It’s much better to pack in a calm and controlled way.
Source: Indie Traveller
