Learning how to travel lightweight can be one of the most important things a frequent traveller can do. It saves money on travel pricing, time at the airport and your back from having to lug it all around. But for those who are looking to try it, it can be really hard to figure out what goes and what stays without tipping the scale. Here’s a few tips to help you travel lighter.
1. Luggage
The first thing you should be considering is the main item you have to take with you – your bag itself. Obviously the lighter the bag, the easier it is to cart around as you travel but that raises another consideration – durability. If the bag’s going to quickly fall apart, does it matter if it doesn’t weigh anything? Striking a balance between these two facets is vital. Models like the Antler Cyberlite range are a good place to start – they’re stocked by speciality outlets.
2. You’re taking way too many undies
Alright, that sounds gross but it’s not. If you’re only going for three days, why are you taking five pairs of underwear and six pairs of socks? They’re taking up valuable room in your luggage and adding weight you can’t afford. As nice as it as to have a fresh pair of socks ready to go at all times, the truth is you only really need two pairs of both. If you have a bar of soap and running water handy, you can easily clean your delicates and leave them to dry overnight.
3. Learn to properly fold your clothes for travel
Take a t-shirt and fold the bottom of the shirt up, inside out, about 3 inches and the sleeves in. Fold the shirt lengthwise, evenly, into thirds. Spin it around so the 3-inch fold you made earlier is pointing away from you and roll it up tightly. Secure with an elastic band and you’re done. Look how small that is! Repeat this for all your other clothes. There’s lots of video guides online to show you how to do this. Now you can take an extremely small bag WITHOUT sacrificing clothing.
4. Versatility is key
You should only be taking items that are multipurpose. Got a pair of boots you can use for hiking and still wear out to dinner later? Perfect. Your clothes should also be quite hardy – anything that needs to be washed after a single wear is basically useless. You want to be able to make the most of any given garment. If it’s in your luggage then it’s going to be seeing some mileage and it needs to be able to stand up to that.
5. Use your iPad
Having a tablet computer is a great way to save a ton of packing space. Because they’re so versatile, you can eschew things like physical travel guides, plane tickets, maps, hotel booking receipts and books for the journey because your tablet does all of those things. You can even ditch other technology – mp3 players and laptops can stay at home because the tablet does their jobs too.
Travelling light takes patience, experience and experimentation. You have to figure out a way that works best for you. Some people can pack light without an issue and improvise when they reach their destination. Others have to bring absolutely everything they own just in case. What are your favourite tips for travelling light? Sound off in the comments below!
