How to pack light and still have what you need
I’ve checked bags and I’ve traveled solely with carryons. There are times and places for each (although with airline fees, the times to check bags are getting fewer and fewer), but sometimes, you just gotta fly light. It’s not always an easy thing to do – even getting your mind wrapped around the fact that you are going on a long-ish trip with only 1 bag and your purse or other small carryon bag is hard! But never fear! I am here to help you on the journey to packing light, no matter where you are going and the duration of your trip!
1. Learn to be okay with wearing some apparel 2-3 times before washing it.
If you are used to washing all of your clothes after the first time you wear them, this may be one of the harder tips to fathom. Most items of clothing do not require such frequent washing, and it may even be damaging or wearing them out faster that way. Obviously your undergarments should be washed after each use, but pretty much anything else is fair game to take to the second or third time of wear. This rule is only negated if you spill something that you can’t dab away, or ifyou sweat a lot in the clothes. By realizing that you can wear clothing 2-3 times before it needs to be washed, you can reduce the number of articles you need to bring, which reduces your packing space.
2. Determine average weather patterns for the duration of your trip and plan your outfits around that.
Rather than identifying all the possible variations of weather and taking something for every scenario, just plan on it being the average temperature and bring a small amount of spending money to buy something in case it gets colder or warmer than you anticipated. Not only is it likely that the weather will be around the average (making those snowpants your brought for an April trip to Minnesota unnecessary), if by chance you do encounter a fluke, you can use your spending money to buy something that the locals wear (think Mukluks in Minnesota, sarees in India, Thai pants in Thailand, …you get my drift).
3. Find shoes that can be used for multiple occasions.
Shoes… these are the items that weigh me down when I travel. They are generally one of the heaviest and clunkiest items in a bag, but they are also fairly essential, no matter where you are traveling. My best tip when determining what shoes to pack is to only bring 2 or 3, where 1 is a good pair of tennis shoes that you wear to the airport, and the other two are lighter—perhaps you want a good heel for a fancy pants dinner, or maybe a sandal for the beach (I like to bring a sandal that can act as my alter ego fancy pants shoes at night). Tip 2 can also apply here!
4. Learn to create layered outfits.
When I went to Europe for 3 weeks, I was able to bring only my purse and a carryon backpack. The way I went about doing that is really looking to create outfits to bring that can be layered. I used a few dresses and leggings, a button up sweater or two, and I wore a pair of jeans, long sleeve shirt, light hoodie, and a jacket to the airport. Remember, wearing all those things on the plane do not count against your carryon! You can easily slip out of the jacket and hoodie once on the plane and use them as a makeshift pillow or blanket for yourself. By wearing all the bulkier items, I saved space in my bag for more of the lighter layered things, making it so that I could mix and match, and appear to have brought more clothing than I actually did.
5. Bring some things you don’t care about leaving behind.
When I went to India, I planned to be there for 6 weeks (it was cut short at 3 weeks, due to a medical emergency in my family, but I packed thinking I’d be there longer). About half of the clothing I brought were older pieces that I didn’t care if I left behind. This allowed me (in semi-conjunction with tip 2) to buy several kameez shirts to wear while there, and to bring home as souvenirs without having to leave room for them at the start of my packing.
6. Plan on finding and utilizing a local laundry facility, or doing laundry in your room.
While in India, I utilized the hotel’s laundry service on a weekly basis. It allowed me to have clean undergarments and I was able to have all my other clothes cleaned regularly as well. While in Europe for the 3 week stint, I planned on doing laundry in my room and brought special traveler’s laundry soap (intended for sinks or bathtubs). I hung my items to dry overnight and usually by morning they were all dry enough to put on.
If you are traveling for a long period of time and are thinking of planning to do laundry in your room, consider bringing some twine or string to hang the clothes over to dry. Sometimes there is a lack of places to hang clothes if you find yourself doing more than a couple items at a time. Also, do a test run at home. See if you feel comfortable with how clean you get your clothes, and time how long they take to dry fully. Some materials (like jeans) dry SLLLLLLLLOWLLLLLLLY, so knowing that in advance may cause you to think twice about bringing all jeans as your pants. Companies like Eddie Bauer or REI have clothing lines that are made to dry quickly; those are the best ones to take if you plan to do laundry yourself.
7. Realize that most cities with airports will have the normal toiletries you are used to.
Another item that people sometimes attribute to why they can’t travel with solely carryons is the 3-1-1 rule for liquids. Nowadays, you are only allowed to bring 3 fl ounce bottles of liquids and all of them must fit into 1 quart sized ziplock bag, per traveler. If you are traveling for a long duration, this can be tricky, as you may not be able to subsist on just the 3 fl ounce bottle of shampoo or conditioner for the entirety of your trip. My best tip for this is to realize that most airports in the world are in larger cities, and the majority of the time, you can find a pharmacy or convenience store that sells all the items you need, if not in the brand you are used to. So make a pit stop before you trek on to the smaller cities and towns, and grab some shampoo!
These tips are all things that I have done in some capacity on at least one of my trips I’ve taken. They really simplify travel, as you don’t have to worry about your luggage not reaching your destination, or having to grab the bags from the baggage carousel before running through customs and boarding another plane. It makes it easier to walk down those stairs and run into the waiting arms of your loved ones as they wait to pick you up after a long trip, as you no longer have to pause to retrieve bags with a slew of other passengers. It also makes traveling from place to place in a foreign country simpler, as you have less to bog you down and you can easily access trains, planes, or even… you guessed it… automobiles.
Do you have any other tips? I’d love to read them in the comments below!