“Is that all you have?”
I often get asked by not only friends, but also by other experienced travelers who still can’t seem to learn how to pack light.
Okay, so I’ve come to terms with the fact that I am officially a travel expert. It takes a long time for me to humbly admit I am an expert at something. But after traveling abroad for the last fifteen years of my life, three years of it being non-stop, solo traveling, with more than fifty countries under my belt, and traveling by planes, trains, boat, rickshaws, and camels, I kinda know what I am doing. And even when I am with fellow travelers, I still get asked how I pack so light.
The less I carry with me, the less burden I feel and I do like the challenge of keeping my things to a minimum (in my bag AND in my life in general). After packing and unpacking likely hundreds of times, I have become a master, a Jedi at packing. This year I started using an even smaller carry-on, my “red rocket” or Torq International Carry-on Spinner rollerboard and it forces me to pack even lighter.
Why Pack Light?
- Allows for carry-on only – less time at airports, no chance of lost bags, and no baggage fees (on most airlines)
- Easier to carry and get around nimbly
- Extra room in your bag in so packing is a breeze
- Less stress and burden on your shoulders and your mind
9 Must Have Packing Tips
1. Pack Half
You’ve heard it time and time again: less is more. Or in this case: Less is best.
Pack what you think you need and then eliminate half of it. I always lay all my clothes out on the bed and then with some thought, ruthlessly remove a few things. And I NEVER miss them. In fact, I still sometimes return without having worn that cute top that I’ve never worn, but I just know I will wear at the beach. Wrong. Don’t bring it. In fact, give it away already! Remember, you will be dealing with all this crap everyday. It will be your home and your best friend. You don’t need the added mental stress of worrying if your pack will close each and everyday. Or worrying what kind of overcharges you will incur because your bag exceeds the airline’s lovely limit. Plus you need to leave a little space for things you may pick up along the way (even though on longer adventures – you will have to mail most things home).
2. Use Packing Cubes
The best thing I did for my round the world trip and continue to do is use Eagle Creek packing cubes and folders to keep my clothes contained and organized inside my suitcase. I cannot stress this enough. When you pack and unpack as many times as I do, it saves some sanity to always know my pants go in my Eagle Creek folder, my shirts go in a vacuum bag (although I don’t use these anymore), and my underwear and bras go in a smaller packing cube. This way each time, I do not have to think and figure out where to put each item. There’s an assigned place for everything. I recently upgraded my collection after eight years of using the same ones (and they still virtually look brand new!) to include their new Specter Cube set in a thinner, water-resistant Nylon material and bright orange color. They’re fun and now I prefer this for my shirts as it’s easier than shoving into a plastic vacuum bag each time and having to push the air out of it.
3. Small Bottles & Toiletries
On most trips, you do not need more than travel sizes, so why schlep more? And even if you’re going on a longer trip, you can replenish as you go and often find cheaper alternatives abroad. Plus it’s a fun challenge finding new products or translating that shampoo bottle in Romania. Have an almost finished toothpaste tube back home? Boom. Now you have a travel-sized tube. Don’t finish it, save it for your next trip. I also love my folding travel brush, mini-floss (free from the dentist after each check up), and old Altoids metal container perfect for a supply of headache pills or other meds.
4. Layers
You’ve heard it from mom and you’re hearing it from me. Wear (in other words, pack) layers! Days might be warm and nights can get chilly. Instead of bringing one bulky sweater or coat, pack thinner layers that you can wear on different occasions or pile on if it’s cold. Which leads us to:
5. Travel in your Bulkiest Items
If you need a coat, bring it on the plane with you, it’s usually cold anyway. If you have to bring a pair of boots, those will be worn on your travel days and they are hard to fit in your bag. Bringing a bulky sweater? Wear it on the plane coming and going.
6. Pack for One Week…or less!
I am always asked how did I manage to “pack for one year?”
I didn’t.
Anytime I go away, I pack for 5-7 days, no matter how long the trip is. People do laundry all over the world…and so can you. Pack enough clothes only for about one week or less. Finding a place to do laundry is often fairly easy (and other fun challenge on the road). And yes, unless it’s super hot and sweaty out or you are doing heavy labor, you can wear your clothes more than once. Or even twice. Horrors!
7. Buy Stuff if You Need It
Everywhere you go, you can normally buy things that you might need and oftentimes cheaper than in the US. Don’t get stuck in the mindset that if you don’t pack it you will be without!
8. Keep it Simple
When traveling around the world, I didn’t take a bulky blow dryer or really any hair tools at all besides my foldable brush and some small barrettes and hair bands. It was the year of natural curls for me and certainly made life easier. If you are staying in hotels they often already have blow dryers. Instead of bringing a special ‘evening shirt’ just layer a scarf over any black cotton shirt and bam! …instant dress-up style.
9. Pack Matryoshka Style – Put Things Inside of Things
Pack small items like socks or even chargers into your shoes to save room in suitcase. Use every nook and cranny of that suitcase and shove something into it, rather than smushing on top.
And now traveling is a breeze and instead of stressing about whether your suitcase will close, you can just enjoy the ride!
What about YOU? Tell me your packing tips?? Share your secrets with us in the comments below!
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Disclosure: Eagle Creek sent me some of their products to try out. As always, all opinions here are my own.
Video: Puerto Vallarta
Love the packing cubes – even use one for tech gear. Also check out packing FOLDERS – they slide easily into my 55 liter pack.
Hi Maria! Yes! I have used a packing folder for my pants for the last decade or so. In fact, the new one I got was too big, so I’m still using the old one, but it looks like new!
Okay, it’s time I invest in some packing cubes. They’re not the cheapest but they just seem SO worth it. Great tips, thanks for sharing!
Happy travels 🙂
Definitely worth it. They last forever and look like new and keep me sane!
Very useful – but two points:
1. Do not save toothpaste tubes with the last bit for travel – TSA is not allowed to calculate 3 ounces/100ml from a larger tube or bottle. If the toothpaste tube says 8 ounces but you have just 2 ounces left, they can/will make you throw it away passing through airport security. My girlfriend got through U.S. airport security with a largish bottle of contact solution deemed “medication” at JFK but was NOT at Heathrow, and we had to quickly find a Boots with empty 100ml bottles to get through security there.
2, Presume availability of laundromats everywhere in Europe but deep southern Italy and Sicily. My girlfriend and I pack like you, but discovered to our shock that we could not find a place to do laundry quickly south of, say Sorento. Not find…heck, we could not even make the locals understand the concept! We would ask restaurant hostesses, B&B people etc. Laundries where you drop off the clothes and pick them up 2 days later, yes – but coin op laundries you could pop into and do a quick one – nada. We now make sure every other Airbnb we book has a washer-dryer access – and that they are really working. And beware of the one-unit washer-dryers – we discovered to our chagrin that one in Prague required FOUR HOURS to dry a tiny bucket-size load of clothes. Cotton is not your friend in such regions.
Seconded on the all in one washer/dryer. One night in India, I put a load of laundry in to take with me on the next leg of my journey which was to start early the next morning. Woke up in the morning, and had to pack all of my mostly wet and heavy clothing into my pack to take on a flight, and then an 8 hour bus ride. Fortunately I was heading to the desert, so once I got there, and hung things up, everything dried right quick.
Hi Adam!! Ha! Everything always works out in the end. Doesn’t it?
Here’s a hint: brush your teeth before your flight and place the toothpaste in your checked luggage — where it doesn’t matter how many ounces you have.
True Shmoe…although then some worry about losing their luggage and needing that toothpaste later in the day! 🙂
Hi Mel! Thanks for the thorough tips! Have to admit, I have brought thru half-used toothpaste and TSA didn’t seem to care, but I’m sure it’s case by case!
And you’re right, there are many countries were laundromats were rare (like in SE Asia), but then there were more little businesses that just did your laundry for you (for cheap!). I loved that service too. 🙂 And sometimes, I would negotiate with small hotels to either let me use their machines or even paid my maid to do my clothes on the side. 🙂
Great packing tips and I love the look of your Torq carryon spinner! I have been hearing good things about Eagle Creek packaging cubes from another blogger who is on a 10 day cruise with them. Adding the packaging cubes to my wish list.
You will love them Nancy! And the Torq is so compact and solid…I love it!
When we travel, only 3 or 4 changes of underware, use shampoo as soap, also a clothes
Line. I have always found a place to string it up, usually the bathroom. If in humidity, allow 2 days to dry. Bring only Wash and wear clothing.
Very good Linda! I used to bring a clothes line, but then just found spots to hang things. Admittedly, I got tired of the same clothes for months on end, that sometimes I’d by a new shirt when the old one just was worn out!
Find things that do “double duty” on your trip! I love Dr. Bronner’s soaps…you can use one soup for so many things (including for laundry!). I like to pack a scarf that can double as a travel blanket and a pair of yoga pants that can be worn in any climate (why pack shorts and pants?!).
Good tips Laura! Scarves are SO versatile!
Good tips thanks. You make it sound so easy ; p I want to add something that was a life saver on my last trip to Rome. I lost my passport during the day and had no idea it was missing. Fortunately, I had a tracer tag on it. A waiter where I ate lunch found it and entered my tracker number on the website. I was automatically sent a text message (and an email) with a pickup location before I ever even knew my passport was missing. Lucky for me, I was leaving in the morning for Germany and getting a new passport would have been impossible. Tags are available through mystufflostandfound.com That tag saved my trip from total disaster and I put them on my phone, laptop and almost everything that travels with me now.
Thanks Bob. These tags and stickers are becoming more popular. IN fact, I just wrote an article for an in-flight magazine about another company doing this called Tile. I should try one.
Great tips as I’m trying to pack RIGHT NOW!
So..how did the packing fare? Now that you are in Oz…do you feel like you brought enough? Too much?
I have a couple of mini toothpaste tubes I refill. I saved the tops from toothpaste tubes and glued 2 together and drilled out the middle. I can then put one on a big tube of my favorite brand and the other end on the travel size tube. With a careful squish the little one is filled neatly.
The mini plastic tubes have lasted me for several years.
Marty! That is pretty cool! I had to visualize your 2-cap system, but can see it now. Sell that to travel stores/sites!
That last tip is great! Luckily, I figured that out when I was desperately trying to fit my very paired down must-have stuff into a 45 liter backpack.
Ha! I think you must be a pro by now Stephanie!
These are all amazingly helpful packing tips. It’s hard for most people to pack less. We always think we need more than we actually do. I will put these tips to good use. Thanks for sharing.
Packing light is always a challenge 😉 Great tips!
Thanks Lori!
I also tend to put things inside of things.
Still, my bags tend to be bulky. As a sophisticated gadget and equipment fan, I pack all sorts of travel accessories from water heaters to mosquito repellent accessories…
Ah well, I guess a little sophistication doesn’t hurt…
I guess it all depends on where you are going!
Very nice blog. Thanks for sharing..
Hi Lisa!
Thank you very much for sharing your packing tips. It is very helpful.
Best regards!
Thank you for this great tips.