How to pack light

If we’re honest with ourselves, most of us take far more than we need on our travels and don’t even end up using half of it. So, the obvious answer is: don’t take any more luggage than you need to! The following realbuzz top tips aim to help you do exactly that.

Luggage

• If possible, limit yourself to only one piece of luggage and make sure it’s not too large – after all, you hopefully won’t be putting a large amount of stuff inside it anyway!

• Avoid taking heavy luggage. Some of the sturdier luggage items that you can buy offer protection for your belongings – but at the cost of being far heavier than other types of luggage. Also, avoid backpacks with metal frames, as the metal structures just cause excess weight.

Packing

• Regardless of how long your time is abroad – whether it’s for two weeks or two months – always pack in pretty much the same amount that you would use for about a week. Don’t delude yourself by thinking you’ll be able to pack and wear a different outfit every day for several months!

• When packing, scrutinise each item and consider whether you really are going to use it. For example, don’t take a pair of flippers if it’s unlikely that you’re going to use them while you’re away. Remember: essential items only!

• Ask yourself whether or not you can buy certain items you need while abroad. If you do buy some items abroad, it may even prove to be cheaper than buying everything at home.

Clothing

• The bulk of your luggage will be clothing, so minimise how much you bring and then wash your clothes more often while you’re away. Take some washing tablets or liquid with you, and choose clothes that dry quickly and don’t need to be ironed.

• Select clothing that is lightweight, and select a good variety of short- and long-sleeved items. You can always warm up or cool down on your travels by putting on or taking off a layer of clothing or two.

• Don’t pack heavy clothing on the outside chance that the worst weather is going to hit your destination. The chances are that it probably won’t if the forecast doesn’t say it will. If the weather does take a turn for the worse, though, you can always buy some extra layers at your destination.

• Remember, in some countries – or in specific locations such as churches – there are modest dress requirements, particularly for women. So, make sure you take appropriate clothing for your destination, bearing in mind the country’s customs. For example, taking a sarong in order to cover up may be a good idea.

• You don’t require countless pairs of shorts! A couple of pairs are more than enough. Also, bathing trunks with pockets can often double as shorts for men.

• Minimise the amount of footwear you take, and travel in your heaviest/sturdiest pair if possible to cut down on the weight you’re carrying.

• A lightweight jacket or water-resistant windbreaker should be sufficient if you need a coat, unless you are travelling to really cold climes.

• Something like a poncho can provide protection against the rain, and also double as a ground cloth for sleeping, or as a beach or picnic blanket.

Electrical items

• For electrical items, the simple answer is to leave these at home if possible. Frequently you may pack a hairdryer only to find that there’s one at your accommodation – although if you’re travelling around to a variety of different locations, you may find that some don’t even have electricity supplies, and so you may not be able to use electrical items in some locations anyway.

• Hair straighteners, electric razors, ghetto blasters and other items are far from essential items, so don’t take these – plus you can easily take a plain toothbrush rather than an electrical one.

Other miscellaneous items

• Don’t rely on outdated guidebooks. Not only are they heavy, but they are unlikely to be of much use! If you have a general book of a particular zone or region, then perhaps you could photocopy the relevant pages and take these, rather than the book, in order to save on weight and space.

• Take along a small nylon bag for the daytime – for example the sort of thing you might normally carry your swim kit in. These are much more lightweight to carry around than a small backpack.

• Unless you’re really planning to camp or sleep out a lot, a sleeping bag is not normally required. A lightweight sheet sewn up at the end will often suffice – and even the most basic accommodation will usually provide bedding.

• Don’t bother packing an alarm clock. Instead, take a watch with a built-in alarm.

• Your all-important suntan cream can usually be bought at your destination – so only pack one bottle, just to be safe.

• Unless you’re sensitive to certain products, there’s no reason not to just buy all your toiletries at your destination. However, if you do really want to pack some, then place them in a plastic bag rather than in a bulky toiletries bag.

• Bring only a small towel to cover you on the rare occasions when where you are staying doesn’t provide them. Your beach towel could even double up and perform two roles – as a general towel and as a towel for the beach – as long as you are prepared to wash it regularly.

• Don’t take a big address book of people if you want to keep in contact with while you are away. Instead, simply list all the essential contacts on one sheet of paper.

• If you insist on a good read while you’re away, then make sure it’s a paperback and isn’t the size of ‘War and Peace’! Remember that in many hostels and hotels, previous guests there will leave books in the hotel lobby for future guests to read.

• If you want to take an iPod or other MP3 player, then why not bring a Y-jack and two sets of earphones for you and your travel companion, if you have one, in order to save you both bringing an MP3 player along?

Travelling light…
Travel should be about enjoying new experiences – so don’t take everything with you just to make you feel like you’re at home. If there are certain things that you can’t do without, think about whether you can buy them at your destination. Some items may even be cheaper if you buy them abroad!

The worst packing mistake is bringing too much clothing – so if you keep that to a minimum and are prepared to wash items more frequently, this will go a long way to minimising your baggage. As long as you have the basic minimum with you to prepare you for situations such as bad weather or illness, there’s no reason that your trip will be any less enjoyable just because you’ve taken less with you. In fact, it should be more enjoyable because you won’t be lugging all that excess weight around!