don't travel light

Look, no one likes to point fingers — but if you had to think about someone who packs their entire life when they travel, you're probably not over-exaggerating. It might even be you. It's not your fault, though. No one wants their wanderlust to be paired with unpreparedness, because then you're not really enjoying your trip. And hey, there are never really too many outfit options, am I right? If you're one of those people who can't travel light , you're not alone.

Lucky, people who overpack not only have everything that they need, but most everything that they want as well. Every trip needs one over packer, because they will likely have those last-minute, off-the-wall items you thought you'd have to hunt down a store in order to get. Packing light can be so frustrating, especially if you don't ever want to feel like you could have worn something else for those anticipated Instagram pics during the trip.

The overpacking struggle is real and if your suitcase is busting at the seams before you've even started packing your shoes, I'm talking to you. Packing light is just not in skill set and never has been. People who over pack aren't alone and they have more than just a super heavy suitcase in common with one other.

Whether it's their charger that they have for their charger or their flat iron, their bag is the first, and likely only, to get opened. Hopefully, it's organized, or everyone will be sitting and waiting for them to put it all back. Airline security is never a quick process.

Double and triple checking is inevitable. And even when you think they've packed a portion of earth in their bag, they'll think otherwise. Call it being overly prepared or skeptical.

Either their suitcase is the biggest you have ever seen or it's huge and has the craziest design on the outside. Way to be unique. You could spot their suitcase from across the airport.

A walk-in closet doesn't even begin to describe their clothing situation. You could walk, skip, and live in that thing. You honestly can't even blame them for over packing with so many options.

It might be a multi-purpose gadget or a skin care product you have never heard of, but you certainly can't pronounce it. Obviously, they mean business. You might even end up using it, just because.

The idea that they will shop and bring back more items than before might seem like a magic trick to you. To them, it's possible. For you, it's mind-boggling.

They not only have an outfit and back-up outfit for breakfast,lunch, and dinner, but they're packed for the small things in between. Options are essential. Most of their time is spent changing outfits and sleeping.

Their shoe game is insane. You don't blame them for needing a completely different bag. Seriously, it would be so tough to choose.

The liquid restrictions at the airports are pretty lame. Don't be surprised if a portion of their bag consists of Ziplock bags filled with travel size everything. You might be borrowing a few.

Every man is not for themselves when you're traveling with an over packer. Two or three sets of hands will be needed to assist them. You may even have to take two trips to the car and back.

Outfits have more than one shoe option and they sure brought them. You never know when you are going to have to dress up or dress down an outfit. They're totally prepared for either.

It's crazy how much airlines charge you for extra bags (and extra weight). To an over packer though, they don't mind paying the extra money. As long as they have their things, it's an investment.

As much as they plan to have a carry-on bag, it never meets the size or weight requirements. Honestly, a backpack wouldn't even suffice for them. Oh, the struggle.

Everyone knows that you can't ever have just one bikini. When you can't travel light, you certainly don't skimp on the swimsuit options. Accessories for your swimsuit are also fair game.

Early start doesn't mean the first to finish when it comes to packing. Imagine if they actually started when everyone else did? You all would likely be missing your flight.

Traveling light can seem like an unattainable skill for anyone who over packs. They really are the epitome of the more the merrier.

How to Travel Light & Not Look Like a Slob: The Lazy Girl’s Guide

Last Updated: July 11, 2022

*FYI - this post may contain affiliate links, which means we earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you purchase from them. Also, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Check out our Privacy Policy and Disclosure. for more info.

Wondering how to travel light?

First I have to warn you: whether you’re a backpacker or carry-on traveler, one of the downsides to traveling light is that your wardrobe is, by definition, woefully limited.

Now, don’t get me wrong – there are many things worse in this world than having only 2 bikinis on your Hawaiian beach vacation, but it seems like nowadays people are divided in two camps: the minimalist light packers who favour function, and the glam #OOTD traveler types who are inexplicably always wearing gorgeous flowing dresses.

… but my question is: what if I’m neither?! What if I’m both?! And also inhumanely lazy?!? (mostly that)

I’m by no means a stylish fashionista (I literally own 15 different grey cardigans and don’t know why), but looking presentable while travelling is still important for me.

From my experience, people are generally nicer and more willing to help you, plus on a very vain level, twirling in floral dresses is just really fun.

Genuinely, I don’t have the self-confidence to rock the stereotypical ‘backpacker’ look.

While other girls might look badass, carefree and cool in their loose tops and topknots, my attempts at this aesthetic veer more towards ‘deranged hobo’… which is a look that cannot be saved by any accessory.

… so for my fellow deranged hobos, this article is for you. The in-betweeners… who want to pack light, look decent, but not worry about looking glam at every second.

In this post, I detail how to travel light and feign that you’re put together wherever you go! Don’t worry fellow lazy girl, I gotchu.

Of course, these packing light tips are much more relevant to certain destinations than others. Most of my travels have been around Europe, where style might be more of a concern, but of course, if you’re reading this blog, I know you’re brilliant and amazing anyway… so use your common sense as to which tips make sense to where you’re headed.

How to Travel Light (and Not Look Like a Slob): Golden Packing Light Tips

1. pack a few knockout accessories – especially bold pieces like statement necklaces.

Honestly, beautiful accessories are the closest thing we have to magical ‘instant glam’ fairy dust.  People often question why “I look so dressed up” when legitimately all I’ve done is put on a sparkly necklace.

It’s a sneaky (and wonderfully lazy) way to look good, so I always try to have 2-3 nice pieces along with me, especially since they weigh close to nothing. (And cost next to nothing too… look at ALL these ridiculously pretty ones for less than $20).

Where can you find said magic dust? Well, if you’re looking for inspiration, Happiness Boutique has a wide selection of gorgeous pieces, including the sparkly gem I’m wearing in the photo above.

For other travel-inspired options, ModCloth has a bunch of beautiful necklaces I’m obsessed with at the moment!  Browse (and lose all self control) here.

2. Bring only what you wouldn’t mind being photographed in

Those wondering how to travel light should remember this: we’re living in the 21st century so odds are, at some point during your travels, you’ll be wanting photos taken.

My tip to you is to never ever bring anything that you wouldn’t want to see in photos, no matter how comfortable.

Many people tend to have a “lazy outfit” (probably giant sweatpants and hoodies, though I’m partial to this kangaroo onesie , myself). The problem with these is that they only serve one purpose: when you want to vegetate and become a human burrito.

When items only work for one certain occasion or purpose, then you’re not maximizing the space in your bag. So, even with things like sleepwear, think of items that are both comfy and decently put together (e.g. yoga pants instead of fuzzy panda bear fleece). This way you can potentially use them in other situations.

PRO TIP: Look into buying one of those dresses you can wear multiple ways. They’re so easy to find (and really cheap too! Here’s a cute one for under $20). They’re perfect for the day to night transition (and for pretending you’re not recycling the same 4 outfits over and over. lulz)

3. BUT don’t forget to prioritize comfort

This means those platform heels should probably stay at home, along with that skin tight clubbing dress.

Again, make sure the pieces you pack are multifunctional.

For instance, a nice top paired with dark jeans can be used for going out in the evening, and also for sightseeing during the day (with a pair of casual shorts).

One test I use is to think: “Would I mind sitting on a 12 hour bus with this on?”

If the answer is no, then I won’t pack it. There’s a wide variety of pretty clothes that are comfortable, so opt for those and never pack something that is *ultra cute* but uncomfortable to wear. I guarantee you won’t bother putting it on.

RECOMMENDATION: I seriously swear by my dress sandals from Clarks.  They’re the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever owned and one summer, I literally wore them everywhere, to the point where I got THE worst tan lines in history. Here’s a similar pair to what I have.

4. Make sure all your tops match all your bottoms

One of my favourite packing light tips.

Making sure all your tops match all your bottoms is an easy but simple trick to maximize the different outfits in your bag!

This will usually mean picking some kind of colour palette for your wardrobe, but since I have a weirdo obsession with colour palettes anyway, that’s more of a reward for me than anything else!

There are also some companies out there who now specialize in convertible travel wear that you can wear in a bunch of different ways. VacayStyle for instance has awesome collections, with pre-matched pieces that combine into over a dozen outfits . Perfect for the hopeless and uncoordinated! (aka me)

5. Pay attention to the fabrics! Pick items that don’t easily wrinkle

When I’m at hone, my favourite thing in the world is my clothing steamer, which works like magic and instantly smooths wrinkles.

Unfortunately, bringing this mammouth gizmo with me isn’t an option on the road, and as a result I’m often stuck with wrinkly clothes (which I vainly try to fix with my hair straightener).

Save yourself the grief – you want clothes that you can grab right out of the suitcase and throw back in just as easily. While irons may be available at hotels and hostels, ain’t nobody got time for that.

What fabrics are ideal? Well some travellers swear by Merino Wool ( scope out products here ) but there’s plenty of good options out there.

Of course, you know your wardrobe best (i.e. what holds up to wrinkles, what dries quickest) but for a good guide, check out this post on Best Fabrics for Travel from Her Packing List.

6. Pack a pretty scarf or two

A nice scarf is probably one of the most versatile things that you can pack.

I use mine for so many purposes (as a blanket, to wrap around fragile goods, as a makeshift pillow on buses, etc.) that I sometimes forget you’re actually supposed to wear it.

A colourful scarf can jazz up your basics immediately and is a sneaky way to make it look like you have several outfits! It’s also perfect for emergency situations where modesty is a must (e.g. visiting certain churches).

PRO TIP: Consider getting one of those secret passport scarves that let you hide your valuables like a ninja. Yes, these exist. Loads of options online for less than $20 ( see them here ).

7. Quality > quantity, pack only pieces you love (rather than more just for the sake of variety)

If you wanna know how to travel light, you should keep quality > quantity in mind, and never pack anything for the sole purpose of “just in case”. If that 1 in 1000 case pops up, there’s stores abroad where you can probably get the item you need.

8. Bring plenty of layerables

A good question is how to travel light even when it gets cold.

The answer is layers!

Even during the summer, odds are there will be some random anomaly of a day where low temps will make you feel like a human popsicle.

Bringing clothes that layer well together is crucial.

Don’t be that girl who had to wear a fancy trench coat over a casual denim jacket over an oversized sleeping T-shirt (aka me once because I’m useless).

9. Avoid lights and whites

For long-term travel, I’d stick to darker tones.

A lot of bloggers advise that you bring a plain white t-shirt because “it’s so versatile” and “effortlessly cute”.

I don’t know what kind of stainless universe these bloggers come from, but if you ask me to pack a white t-shirt, that thing will probably have chocolate on it before it even hits the suitcase (shout out to Tide to Go for being your gal’s BFF).

Pastel and lighter shades should also be avoided. One of my favourite light blue dresses started turning brown in certain spots during my 3 months abroad, which ruined the princess appeal just a bit.

Depending on the length of your trip, you’re going to want items that last through some wear and tear, so darker shades work better.

PRO TIP: Buy some travel-sized laundry detergent pockets . Tide makes these affordable ones for sink use. They could save your life between proper laundry runs.

10. Have one little black dress

LBDs are a lazy girl’s best friend (well, 2nd best friend after Netflix).

It’s an easy way to look nice and its versatility is unmatched. You can dress it down with a scarf and cardigan during the day, then quicker than the Flash, add some bling and you’re ready for a night out. Pro tip: A-line dresses like this one  are perfect for hiding any travel-induced food babies!

11. Invest in a nice purse

“But what about money belts and fanny packs” you murmur.

I’m sorry – I can’t do it. I just can’t.

Fanny packs and big clunky backpacks to me are akin to a giant sign that reads “I am a tourist. Please rob me if you can”.

To me, it doesn’t matter if you have the nicest outfit in the world, the wrong bag really shatters the whole ‘put together’ illusion that we’re attempting to create.

Luckily, there’s a lot of great bags out there that combine function and style. I would highly recommend the Lo & Sons Claremont camera bag, which is big enough to hold a camera + lens and plenty else if you get creative. There’s even a secret zipper on the back for your valuables! I bring it pretty much everywhere and it’s my go-to “look presentable” companion.

12. Pack shoes that can transition from day to night

While running shoes are practical, I argue that you can find flats, walking sandals and boots that are just as comfy, but more versatile for travel purposes.

Unless you plan on doing hikes or other sporty things, invest in some really good walking shoes that can be passable for a night out (e.g. high heeled boots, strappy sandals, etc.), again, rockin’ that dual purpose.

RECOMMENDATION (AGAIN):  One last plug for my favourite sandals ever. I promise, Clarks makes the most comfortable shoes. I’ve gone hiking in them!  Here’s a similar pair to what I have.

13. And this isn’t for everyone, but bring a friend who’s your size!

Here’s the thing: you can mix and accessorize all you want, but after a certain amount of time on the road, there’s no shaking the fact that  you  feel drab from wearing the same thing over and over.

If you’re able to travel with a friend, you have the potential luxury of sharing your wardrobe which, trust me, can work wonders on you feeling recharged and ready to take on your travels.

Even if you’re not the same size, share accessories like scarves and necklaces and you’ll feel brand new! No friends? This product makes it easy to grow one. … just kidding. *starts sobbing*

But you know, of course, I wouldn’t recommend choosing your travel partner based on their clothing size. That’s a little too  Mean Girls  for my liking.

A final note on modesty:

Depending on where you’re going, certain types of dress may be considered inappropriate, or will earn you the kind of looks you don’t want.

In Morocco for instance, I had to make sure my dresses were long and that my legs were covered because otherwise I would get stared down everywhere I went. Bring a pair of leggings/stockings and a scarf on every trip for moments like these when you need to cover up in a pinch.

So, do you have any extra tips on how to travel light?

Oh, come on guys, I’m definitely not perfect. Let me know in the comments if you have any extra tips on how to travel light and still look good!  Until next time! 🙂

Pssst… I hope you enjoyed this guide on how to travel light! Please note that this post does contain affiliate links, which means I would earn a commission from purchases made through my recommendation (but come at no extra cost to you). Feel free to email me if you have any questions!

My Go-To Travel Favourites:

🧳 Eagle Creek: My favourite packing cubes

💳 Wise: For FREE travel friendly credit cards

🍯 Airalo: My go-to eSIM

🏨 Booking.com: For searching hotels

📷 Sony A7IV: My (amazing) camera

✈️ Google Flights : For finding flight deals

🌎 WorldNomads: For travel insurance

🎉 GetYourGuide: For booking activities

32 thoughts on “How to Travel Light & Not Look Like a Slob: The Lazy Girl’s Guide”

Great tips. I think the number one thing is making sure that every piece can be used and matched in different ways. The second to most important thing to me is: make sure you bring clothes that don’t get super wrinkled or in some other way need a lot of TLC. When you are traveling, the last thing you want to worry about is spending 30 minutes ironing one shirt or folding the cardigan in just the right way so that the hole doesn’t show. Bring your most effortless clothes!

Thanks, Susanna!! Yeah those are definitely key ones. You learn a lot just from trial and error I think, but hopefully this post will help a few newbies out !

I love this article! My color palette is basically grey, blue and black LOL! Great tips! May apply a few to prevent that hobo look!

Nothing wrong with that haha! Those are my go-to shades as well. Like I said in the post, I own 15 grey cardigans. #hoarderproblems

I am also very lazy so packing isn’t high on my prio list but I do want to look decent indeed, especially with all the pics happening. I always bring a scarf for fashion statements and/or comfort/warmth/pillow. I will never look like I’m in a photoshoot but as long as it is comfortable and I feel good in it, I am happy.

That’s my exact attitude as well! Sometimes I see these gorgeous photos of girls in long, flowing dresses on top of mountains and I just… I just don’t get it haha. I’m constantly pursuing that happy medium, because I know I’m not cut out for high fashion style blogging, but I still want to feel comfortable/confident.

Great tips! My last trip was the first time I properly tried to do the matching thing and it was amazing! Ive never gotten dressed so quickly in the morning as I could literally put on any clean top and any clean bottoms. I’ve even found myself thinking this way back home and now if it doesn’t match, I don’t buy it!

It’s SUCH a gamechanger, isn’t it?! And so cool that you’re doing that at home too. I just did a mass purging of all my clothes and am now trying to be more minimalist in my wardrobe. Think I’ll keep matching in mind for my next shopping trip!

Agreed, one must pack the bare minimums and repeat it in different combinations.

Heh exactly! I suppose guys are also less fussy about this kind of thing, hey? 🙂

Either I’m going for the deranged hobo look and just don’t care, or I can pull it off! Things like merino wool are my best friend! I’m actually wearing a jumper made of wool as we speak… And I’m at home! With my (somewhat still packed in boxes at my mums house) full wardrobe! It’s interesting seeing how everyone thinks about packing. I’m finding my bags are slowly getting less and less full as time goes on!

I think you just pull it off haha. So envious of that! But yeah I’m trying more these days to downsize my packing too. It’s definitely a work in progress but over time you really do learn what you need and what you don’t.

I actually never care how I look on pictures when I travel. But I have many friends that do and those will be very helpful for them 🙂

That’s so good to hear! Admittedly, I can be a little vain haha so how I look really impacts my confidence. Hope some of your friends will find this article useful!

This is such a great list! Like you, I don’t want to look like a complete slob but I’m not about checked luggage or a ton of wardrobe changes. A scarf is my best friend when traveling. I’ll have to remember the statement necklaces though. So easy and takes up very little room.

Yeah I think all travellers have their go-to ‘pretty scarf’ haha. It’s genuinely a lifesaver! And yesss so happy to have another girl join the statement necklace bandwagon. Hop on! It’s a sparkly ride 😉

Wow, great tips thanks. I always try and pack light as who wants to carry around a heavy rucksack but it is difficult to look good. I love your idea of travelling with a friend of the same size. Technically you could then travel very light and just wear her clothes 🙂

Hahah that’s brilliant. You show up to the airport with just a purse and she’s like “where are your clothes??” Then you give her a big hug, point at her backpack and whisper “OUR clothes.”

Yup to all of these tips! Although I love my pastels, so there’s always at least one piece that travels with me! But I also bring Tide to-go, just in case 😉 But you sound like my husband when it comes to white tees…lol, it’s like he attracts stains! Thanks so much for the little blurb to my blog! 😀

Great tip about the statement jewelry. I could definitely use a few pointers on that as I am awful at accessorizing. Overall great tips, and I think we have the same style on a lot of items! Thanks again for the link back 🙂

This is great, I will definitely have to keep these in mind! Keep up your wonderful work pretty gal! x

adelelydia.blogspot.com

Thank you, Adele!! <3

This is so necessary! My sister makes fun of me for buying all neutral colors but I always am glad that I have items to match pretty much everything. Thanks for the great advice. 🙂

Hehe no problem Gina! Team Neutral all the way. Like I said, I own 15 grey cardigans. How, I don’t know, but I do haha.

Great tips! Packing clothes that look good for day and night is absolutely essential for me!

Thanks, Emily!! Yess it can be tough to find those transitionable pieces at first but once you find the perfect one… best feeling ever.

This post is amazing thank you so much! I’m going travelling in South East Asia this summer and I have no clue how I’m going to pack light (I’m the kind of girl that needs a mini suitcase for one night away! But I’m also the kind of girl that then wears the one comfy outfit the whole time!) I’m terrible at packing light even though I know I won’t wear all that I do actually pack! Goodness me this post is helpful! Thank you!O

Yay Olivia – so happy you thought the post was helpful!! Pro tip for SE Asia: pack only the bare essentials because you are going to do a LOT of shopping. You can pick up super cute dresses for like $5 USD if you haggle, and the comfiest pants ever so don’t worry about packing much at all because there’s tons of opportunities to shop and pick up what you need once you’re there.

This is the answer for my upcoming one-month eurotrip this May! I’ve been thinking on and off about bringing lighter shade clothes and dress because I still want to look ‘cute’ though I only want to bring eight pieces, but now I read this… I should reconsider it again. Thank you so much!

hejnerissa.com

You’re welcome, Nerissa!! SO happy you found it helpful. Have an amazing time in Europe!

It’s 2020 so no travelling but when I do get to travel again I will incorporate some of your tips. I find these useful whether you are a backpackers or luggage hauler. Last year my daughter & I went to Costa Rica. She took a backpack. I took luggage. Both of us learned some valuable lessons from that trip. I over-packed. She under-packed. Her clothes were a wrinkled mess. I had to lug that suitcase up many, many flights of stairs. No elevators in Costa Rica. And my nice white t-shirt that I wore numerous times ended up very dirty and stained. Lessons learned. Thanks for the tips.

Just came up on Pinterest. Good advice. I usually go light, and yes avoid light colours and for me, also black. But I have to be colour coordinated or I don’t feel right, which actually makes putting a wardrobe for a trip easier. a couple of things – longer sleeves are useful for under layers, hot places (I burn) and for modesty, and shirts that roll up can be worn several ways. And your “little black dress” – the concept is excellent, but the colour can be any darkish colour that makes you look great – for me, it’s more likely to be dark green, dark brown or aubergine. Black makes many look sallow or washed out.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. *

How to travel light: 12 travel hacks to travel light

By: Author Monica

Categories Packing Tips , Travel Tips

I’m always harping on about how important it is to travel light. Travelling light gives you extra freedom and flexibility that you just don’t have with heavy luggage.

You can move quickly through airports and train stations and it’s so much easier to take public transport with a small bag. You’ll save money by not having to check your bags in on a plane and you can keep your luggage close when you’re on trains and buses.

You’re also less likely to lose things when you travel light because it’s easier to keep track of your belongings.

I’ve been thinking a lot about travelling light recently because I’ll soon be travelling with a baby and I’m pretty sure that travelling light + baby is pretty much impossible. I might not be able to pack light for the baby but I’ll definitely be able to pack light for me so the travelling light challenge is about to get extreme!

I could go on all day about the benefits of travelling light but I’ll leave it at that and start sharing my top tips for travelling light.

1. Use a small, lightweight case

The oldest trick in the book and possibly the simplest way to pack light – Use a small suitcase or backpack so you can’t possibly fit too much in it. Don’t be tempted to get a case that’s slightly too big because you will fill that space with unnecessary crap.

For more inspiration and proof of the benefits of travelling with a small bag, check out this post by Chris over at Backpacker Banter: My 25L Backpack Challenge . Yep, he travelled for 3 weeks around Thailand with nothing but a 25L backpack!

I like to travel with just hand luggage and recommend my range of luggage which is all available on Amazon. There’s the Travel Hack Cabin Case, the backpack and the tote.

It’s designed to be the perfect size for cabin baggage, meaning it’s as big as it possibly can be without being too big. It has separate compartments to keep everything organised and is an absolute dream to travel with. This is a great option is you plan to travel with cabin luggage only.

Below are a couple of great luggage options if you’re trying to travel light.

The Travel Hack Cabin Case

The Travel Hack Cabin Case is my all-time favourite for travelling light. The suitcase is perfect for a carry-on case for most airlines and weighs just 2.7kg but still has a massive 45 litre capacity. It also has handy pockets so you can access your belongings easily, whether you’re on the plane, going through security or at the airport.

• Generous 28 litre main compartment with packing straps and a variety of zipped pockets for everything from toiletries to straighteners.
• Rear padded compartment for a Macbook or a small laptop.
• Stylish 600D PU outer shell with faux leather inserts and rose gold detailing.

Cabin Max Metz

The Cabin Max Metz backpack is within the dimensions for most airline carry-on luggage and weighs just 0.7kg!

If you’re looking for ultra light but spacious luggage then this is the one.

• CARRY ON BAG 55x40x20 cm soft shell design to fit 94% of worldwide hand luggage gauges including: EasyJet and Ryanair, Eurowings, Vueling, Norwegian, Virgin, BA, Lufthansa, Jet2, Wizz Air, Iberia,...
• MAXIMUM CAPACITY - Large 44-litre capacity cabin bag makes it possible to fly without checking in baggage to the hold. Lightweight yet durable cabin bag 55x40x20 0.7kg (1.5lbs).
• CABIN BACKPACK - Featuring 3 main lockable zipped compartments, including document pocket, organisational accessories and tech pocket, including 2 zipped compartments. High strength durable,...

Tripp Ultra Light 4 wheel cabin case

If you’re looking for a lightweight suitcase then you can’t go wrong with the Tripp Ultra Light 4 wheel cabin case. It weighs 2.1kg, so you’re going to be left with 7.9kg for your belongings.

• 4 Wheel Carry On Suitcase
• Colour: BLACK
• 5 year guarantee

Antler Clifton Suitcase

The Antler Clifton Suitcases are great quality and so reliable. The cabin case is a little heavier at 3.5kg but if you’re looking for a really good quality case and you’re not as worried about weight then it’s a good option.

• CLIFTON LUGGAGE: Our Clifton cabin suitcase is everything you could want from a lightweight suitcase. Designed to last with its polycarbonate material, this carry on suitcase is strong, eye catching,...
• SIZE & MEASUREMENTS: Our carry on suitcase features flexible carry handles, 4 interior pockets, a zip closure & interior compartments. The cabin suitcase measures 20 x 40 x 55 (cm) with a packing...
• DOUBLE ANTI-THEFT TSA LOCKS: The Clifton cabin suitcase has anti-theft technology with its double TSA-approved locks for added security that separately secures the front pocket & the case itself. This...

Cabin Max Lightweight Backpack Trolley

If you aren’t sure if you want a backpack or a trolley then check out the Cabin Max Lightweight Backpack Trolley. It weighs just 1.7kg and has a 44 litre capacity.

• HYBRID - Cabin Max Lyon trolley backpack is a convenient wheeled carry on suitcase that coverts into a backpack for any type of travel. Just unzip the back section which covers the wheels and backpack...
• PACK TO THE MAX - Combines the maximum size allowed for hand luggage with an abundance of practical features
• DESIGNED TO FIT - At a massive 44L with dimensions 55 x 40 x 20 cm including wheels it is still extremely lightweight at 1.7KG

2. Pack 2 pairs of shoes and no more

Shoes can often be the bulkiest items in our bags so never travel with more than 2 pairs. Wear your bulkiest pair on the plane and a pack a smaller pair in your case.

I’m currently love the On Cloudnova trainers for trips where I’ll be doing lots of walking.

The Veja trainers are nice if you want some comfy white trainers that are a bit more stylish.

A comfy pair of Dr Martens are great for winter trips.

And I like a pair of Birkenstocks for daily wear in warm destinations.

Read more: What shoes should I take travelling?

3. 1 pair of trousers/jeans

Jeans or trousers are another bulky item to travel with so never travel with more than one pair and you should always wear these on the plane.

I usually opt for whichever jeans are my current favourites. You can’t go wrong with a comfy pair of black skinny jeans. My favourites at the moment are the classic Levi’s 501’s . I have them in a few different colours but black is the best for travel because they’ll match everything and no one really notices them, so you can get away with wearing the same jeans for days (don’t judge).

4. Minimise toiletries

If you’re staying in a hotel you can guarantee you’ll be provided with shampoo and shower gel so leave these at home. This means that most guys can get away with nothing more than a travel sized deodorant and toothpaste.

Most ladies will find it a little more difficult because there are some toiletries you just can’t leave home without.

I have a whole post over here about travelling with hand luggage toiletries and some nifty little products to make it easier to travel light! These tiny refillable pots are genius to help travel light with things like makeup and lotions.

How to Travel with Hand Luggage Liquids (& fit all your toiletries in that tiny bag!)

#5. Take an iPad/tablet

Cut down on tickets, books, magazines, a laptop, games, notepads, music, maps and travel guides and simply pack a tablet. My hand luggage used to be chocker with all sorts of entertainment options but now I just have my iPad and it’s made travelling so much easier.

Consider taking a portable powerbank  if you’re planning on taking long journeys. I have one that isn’t much bigger than a lipstick but it will charge my iPad for about 5 hours. It’s a good backup for emergencies too – like if you’ve got your hotel confirmation email stored on your iPad and the battery has died!

6. Pack simple clothes and lots of accessories

If you look at my Travel Style board on Pinterest you’ll see that I’m a bit obsessed with jeans and white t-shirts. It’s such a simple, easy style and so easy to pull off while you’re travelling. I’m really tempted to pack a bag full of white t-shirts next time I go away.

Team your jeans with sandals, white trainers, winter boots or heels. Then team your t-shirt with a blazer, a cardigan, a cosy jumper or a big scarf and you’ve got outfits for any situation without having to pack too much.

7. Pack ‘hard working’ clothing

No, you’re not sending your clothes to work, you’re looking out for clothes that have more than one use.

Think things like sarongs and scarves which can be used as towels, blankets and wraps.

You also can’t go wrong with black leggings. They’re easy to wash and dry and go with virtually everything.

It can be harder to pack light in colder climates. I love UNIQLO’s Ultra Light Down coats because they pack up into a tiny bag (similar to a cag in a bag) but they’re really, really warm!

8. Use packing cubes

I LOVE packing cubes. Not only do they keep your bag organised but they help make the most of your space and stop you overpacking. I tend to travel with four packing cubes. One for tops, one for bottoms, one for underwear and one for evening clothes. Once each packing cube is full you can’t possibly squish anything else in so you’re forced into packing light whether you like it or not.

Read more: Are packing cubes worth it and do they really save space?

Are packing cubes worth it and do packing cubes really save space?

9. Wash your clothes while you’re away

No matter where in the world you’re travelling, it doesn’t need to be expensive to get your clothes washed.

Fancy hotels in certain cities will charge a fortune to wash your clothes so look out for laundrettes or, cheaper still, wash your clothes in your hotel bathroom. You can’t go wrong with the Dr Beckmman Travel Wash . It’s so cheap and amazingly effective!

I usually soak my clothes in the sink and rinse them out while I’m showering. Laundrettes and apartments with washing machines will become your best friend if you’re travelling for a few weeks or more.

If you’re travelling in a developing country it costs next to nothing to get your clothes washed but be aware that if you’re paying £0.50 for a load of washing, you don’t want to be giving them your expensive designer clothes.

• Special concentrated washing gel
• Formulated to use when you are travelling or away from home
• Can be used in any type of water

10. Remember: you can buy everything out there!

No matter where you’re travelling, you’ll always be able to find the necessities. You might not find your favourite brand of shampoo but you will find something very similar.

If you’re going somewhere where you think you’ll need specialist equipment, wait until you get there to buy it. You’re not the first traveller to visit and you won’t be the last so you can guarantee you’ll find local shops selling everything you need.

When I travelled to Borneo I climbed Mount Kinabalu. I’d spent the past 18 months in Australia and didn’t have a single item of warm clothing or a decent pair of shoes. I was panicking but when I arrived to Kota Kinabalu I realised I wasn’t alone and the city was filled with hiking shops thanks to all the travellers who pass through and pick up the necessary hiking items.

11. Don’t use lots of small purses and pouches

(This doesn’t apply for packing cubes – I mean really small pouches for tiny things like jewellery or socks) The first time I went backpacking I was super organised and had a separate little pouch for everything. A pouch for medicine, one for toiletries, one for souvenirs. Yes, my bag was organised for about the first 5 days (out of about 450 days!) but I had lots of unused space in my bag. Socks and toiletries are the perfect items to squeeze in your bag and fill up the gaps. Lots of pouches lead to lots of gaps and lots of wasted space.

12. Use a bag or case that opens fully

I don’t recommend using a top-loading backpack. This means smaller items slip to the bottom and are forgotten. Use a bag that opens all the way and you have access to everything. You don’t need to be quite as organised and this reduces the needed for all those little purses and pouches.

Do you have any more travel hacks to help you pack light?

You can find even more packing tips over here.

Sunday 24th of March 2019

The last 2 hotels I stayed at offered at the most is the mini bar soaps. The first one gave the soap and had to buy travel sized shampoo, lotion, etc. I take bar soap and refill the empty bottles with everything else I neeed.

10 Tips for Traveling Europe - Great Shopping in the Heart of New York

Saturday 7th of July 2018

[…] Travel light – travelling light will help you save money as you will avoid baggage fees. It is also frustrating and impractical to […]

VAGO baggage compressor review: The clever way to travel light

Sunday 11th of February 2018

[…] 12 travel hacks to travel light […]

What not to pack for travelling and backpacking

Tuesday 23rd of May 2017

[…] Read more: 12 travel hacks for travelling light […]

Packing tips for long haul summer holidays - The Travel Hack

Thursday 27th of April 2017

[…] 12 travel hacks for travelling light […]

We’re on the road right now – join in on the fun and follow @thebrokebackpacker on IG!

• Meet the Team
• Work with Us
• Czech Republic
• Netherlands
• Switzerland
• Scandinavia
• Philippines
• South Korea
• New Zealand
• South Africa
• Budget Travel
• Work & Travel
• The Broke Backpacker Manifesto
• Travel Resources
• How to Travel on $10/day

Home » Gear » How To Pack Light – The ULTIMATE Guide For 2024

How To Pack Light – The ULTIMATE Guide For 2024

When in doubt, leave it out! Packing light is all about cutting back on the details, and we’re here to help. Piling all your potential gear on the floor turns your trip from future plans to takeoff. As you decide which T-shirt to cram into your bag, you visualise what it will feel like to relax in your tee of choice and look forward to your impending freedom.

There are so many directions your gear can take you, making it hard to whittle everything down to the essentials. It may seem like overpacking is the only way you can stay prepared while on the road, but you’d be surprised at how little you need and at how much your pack will weigh stuffed full.

A few subtle shifts here and minute weight drops there quickly add up to a noticeably lighter pack. Packing light brings space, literally and in the itinerary, which gives you the confidence to take a step further outside your comfort zone.

Every trip has so many variables; it’s totally reasonable to panic pack a few extra pairs of underwear or carry around a set of swimming goggles, just in case.

No matter if your trip is one week or one year, you can live out of one backpack, and I’m here to push you in the right direction. We’ll walk through high tech gear that makes 40 litres feel like 400, examine some items better left at home, and throw in all the lessons learned the hard way along the ride.

So follow along and prepare to make some tough decisions, today we’re going to learn how to pack for any trip in one 40 Liter backpack.

The Best Gear To Help You Pack Light

Each of these items plays a crucial role in light packing, so follow along and see how they can fit on your next trip. 

40L Travel Bag

• > Included shoe compartment, laptop sleeve, laundry bag, and effervescent front pockets
• > Shoulder or carry it duffle style

Packing Cubes

• > Multicompartmental backpack set-up
• > See-through mesh material

Toiletry Bag 2.0

• > Guarantee easy access
• > Full of organisational pockets

Small Liquid Bottles

• > Complete with leak-proof lids
• > Varieties of dispenser options

NanoDry Packable Shower Towel (Large)

• > Weighs less than six ounces
• > Quick-drying package

VEER Packable Bag

• > Weather-resistant zippers
• > Adds shoulder straps

Navigator Sling 6L

• > Perfect aeroplane companion
• > Providing space for your passport and inflight entertainment

REI Co-op Trailmade Rain Jacket

• > Weather protection
• > Attachable hood

Step By Step Guide to Light Packing

Final thoughts on the art of packing light.

You’ll find the key theme to packing light is breaking down your luggage into categories and lists. Last-minute panicked packing is minimalists worst nightmare, as a cluttered, rushed mind will throw caution to the wind and try to pack it all. 

Use this step-by-step guide to start your process, and give yourself plenty of time to go through your list and check it twice. 

REI is one of America’s biggest and most-loved outdoor gear retailers.

Now, for just $30, get a lifetime membership that entitles you to 10% OFF on most items, access to their trade-in scheme and discount rentals .

Tip #1 – Get The Right Bag

Step one is to know what you’re working with. Finding your perfect backpack is no easy task, but the right bag is the difference between fumbling it and flipping it and tumbling it. No other singular item on the list will define how light you can pack more than which bag you’re using. 

If you use a 65-litre backpack, you’re going to find it a lot harder to widdle your bag down. Even if you leave 25% of the bag empty, you’ll be overpacking, and nobody steps out the door with their bag a quarter empty. 

You can boil it down with some simple math: however many litres your bag can hold = the amount of stuff you will end up bringing. That’s why I highly recommend using a bag you can fit in an overhead compartment.

It probably doesn’t sound like a whole lot of space, and that’s because it isn’t. You’ll have to maximise every one of those 40 litres to get the job done correctly. To do that, you’ll need a bag that meets you in the middle. One 40 Liter opening compared to a multipocketed high-tech backpack makes all the difference in the world. 

Our team recommends nothing less than the best, and the Nomatic 40L Travel Bag is the best bag for packing light in the business. 

Nomatic’s entire company is built around getting the most out of travelling with less. They have gear suited for all sorts of travellers, and their flagship backpack is one of the best modern home bases in the market. 

This pack is full of surprises. With an included shoe compartment, laptop sleeve, laundry bag, and effervescent front pockets, you’ll find a space for everything you need for short or long term travelling. 

Throw it over your shoulder or carry it duffle style while you get through security in a breeze. Keep your clean clothes separated from your laundry and even find a dedicated space for your underwear. 

Nomatic makes it easy to travel light by giving you organisation options that make the most out of limited space. Airlines restrictions aren’t getting any more lenient, but these bags are getting a whole lot smarter. Take back your travel days and treat yourself to a fresh bevvy with all that time you saved getting through security.  

Tip #2 – Use Packing Cubes

Our favourite kit: Nomatic Packing Cubes

There is no such thing as too many ways to store. Use packing cubes for everything from socks and shoes to your electronic cords and chargers. 

The main benefit of packing cubes is compression, as you can squish down these blocks to fill all sorts of spaces, but the benefits don’t stop once you arrive. Most affordable accommodation options are relatively short on storage spaces, and your packing cubes can function as portable shelves or shower bags in a pinch.

High-quality packing cubes can squeeze and save valuable inches. Nomatic’s packing cubes are a perfect fit for a multicompartmental backpack set-up. These three packing cubes should be more than enough space for all your clothing, and the see-through meshing makes it easy to only unpack what you need.

 You can further organise your tool shed with three cubes that range from 10L to 1.5L of storage. You won’t waste an inch as all of the bags can reduce by several litres depending on their fill. It’s never a bad idea to jump on an opportunity to fit more into less space, and the right set of packing cubes will make it look easy.  

Look for packing cubes with varied colours, remarkable features, or a see-through mesh material like Nomatic includes. Unicolored and completely sealed packing cubes can be more trouble than their worth if you constantly forget which one holds your t-shirts and which one stores the socks. 

Tip #3 – Choosing What To Bring

Now that you’ve laid out all your storage options, you should have a great idea of what kind of space you’re working with. Hint: it’s less than you think! We’ll all have to leave a few of our favourite t-shirts behind when condensing our lives.

This step is where the real fun begins. 

A few items on the universal packing list should serve as about 35% of your overall packed weight, and everyone will have plenty of personal choices to make. Your packing list will be dictated mainly by the climate you’re heading towards. These articles of clothing will always account for every itinerary’s bare minimum:

• 3 shorts 
• 3-4 pairs of travel underwear
• 3-4 pairs of socks
• 1 swim trunk
• 1 Pair pants (+1 worn on travel day if you’re headed north)
• 1 piece of rain gear
• 2-3 pairs of shoes

The hardest part of packing light is cutting down on clothing, but it has to be done with vigour. Travelling with only hand luggage means absolutely no more than one week’s worth of clothing coming along.

Keeping these tricks in mind while packing your bag will help you solve difficult questions and push you towards a lighter backpack. 

Oh, you should also know what NOT to pack too , including things like liquids, weapons and ya know, snakes too!

When in doubt, leave it out

Convincing yourself you don’t need a solution to every problem is the hardest part of packing light. Typically clothes are where we leave our guard down the most. It all starts with, “it’s just one t-shirt, it can’t weigh much” and ends with a packing cube stuffed full of tank tops.

Especially for your first attempts at packing light, leave any 50/50 items at home. You quickly realise there are very few items in your backpack you truly can’t live without. I don’t remember hearing many people living out of bags who wish they had packed more stuff, but practically every backpacker is looking for ways to reduce weight.  

Layer upon travel days

To get the most out of your space, wear your heaviest clothing items while flying. Most adventures will only require one heavier coat or even just a sweater that would take up the same space as an entire week of T-shirts. 

Not only will this save you space, but it will also keep you comfortable through climate-controlled settings. Aeroplanes and terminals stay cool, and the extra layers can quickly double as blankets or pillows if they aren’t needed.

Your largest pair of shoes, pants, and tops should make up your travel day outfit. Looking at our universal list, I like to wear my sweater, only a pair of pants, heaviest shoes and rain jacket while I’m heading through airports. 

Nobody wants to head through security looking like they just came crawling out of the woods, but wearing your hiking boots saves so much packing space I could care less. Sometimes I’m hotter than I’d like to be when I arrive at a tropical place, but it’s a small price to pay to remove my three most enormous pieces of clothing from my luggage. 

2-3 pairs of shoes will Do

Wearing your heaviest sneakers can only do so much. Shoes are just too bulky to justify bringing along a few extra pairs. You’ll have to make some hard choices and leave a few of your favourites at home, so select only your most multifunctional trainers for the mission. 

Versatility is the name of the game across your pack, but having several sets of skills is extra important when it comes to footwear. Narrow it down to two to three pairs of shoes that can all handle different scenarios. 

I like to group up one pair of waterproof hiking boots comfortable enough to wear around town with a couple of sandals when heading to the tropics. Cold weather changes those out for warm boots and a quality set of slip-on sneakers.  

The best part about packing fewer shoes is not feeling guilty at all about picking up the latest in authentic ‘Nikki’ slides at the local four-way intersection. 

Bring a pack inside your pack

One bag travel has one major flaw: no singular bag is best at fulfilling every niche. A 40L backpack is incredibly lightweight for a typical piece of luggage, but it’s way too big to work as a day pack. 

Without a packable bag , you’d have to unpack your entire suitcase every time you want to throw a few things together for a day out or haul your clothes with you on the tour. 

A Combination of bags better bet than a one-bag-fits-all solution. Everything you own could be going inside your packs and then onto your back, so we’ve got to get it right. Packable backpacks are bags that can reduce small enough to fit in your more giant backpack on travel days and come out to play once you’ve checked in. 

These bags can stretch your 40L’s into 60 once you get there, or just bring on a sweet day pack without checking bags. Some of these packable bags are just glorified gym bags, but others can haul some serious gear. 

The cream of the crop is this VEER Packable Bag . The bag redefines a breathable back panel by adding on an inflatable frame. This allows the packable pack to condense down to 6″ x 9″ and expands out to an 18L carry-all complete with an inflatable back frame. It’s the most heavy-duty packable bag on the market.

You’ll have more than enough space for groceries, a packed lunch, or a change of clothes on a pool day, and the weather-resistant zippers make the bag ready for more serious adventures. Wandrd even adds shoulder straps to ensure their pack is confident on long hikes. 

The other main perk of packing across several bags allows you to really bend the TSA rules in your direction. 

Case in point: Navigator Sling 6L , the lightweight packers perfect aeroplane companion. 

I like to take advantage of the airline industries dumb policies any chance I can get as my revenge for some companies poor customer service. It’s all about the little things, and the Navigator Sling is a little thing that sure can store some shit. 

This sling pack is a professional personal item built for travellers who know exactly what they want to keep close. This pack rounds out Nomatic’s arsenal of bags made for travel by providing space for your passport and inflight entertainment. Nomatic’s smallest bag clips over a shoulder or straps onto a larger backpack until it’s time to break out your tickets.

Suppose you are up against particularly draconian bag policies. In that case, you can keep this beauty hidden away until you reach your seat, stow your more unwieldy pack, sit back and enjoy the flight. Like every bag built for nomads, this pack’s 6 Liters has storage quirks that provide a place for everything you need to get through the flight. 

A good hip bag’s ultimate ability is activated when the plane runs out of overhead storage. If you ever feel like taking advantage of a free gate check, you can let your larger bag meet you at your destination and rely on your sling to take you across your travel day. 

Lay it all out

Once you have a rough idea of what you want to bring, lay it all out neatly so that every item is visible. 

If you start the process by throwing things into your bag without regard, you could end up halfway through the process with a full backpack, unsure if you’ve already packed underwear. And the benefits don’t stop there. 

This layout will give you much-needed perspective and get a good glimpse of how much space everything will take up. I typically start packing by laying out everything I want to take and checking that each item truly fulfils a void in my pack. 

Seeing everything stacked together helps me realise how much space it all actually takes up. Once it’s all on display, it’s time for cutbacks. 

Shop for multi-purpose clothing

At every corner, you’ll have to be brutal with your clothing selection. The sooner you can give up on having an outfit for every occasion, the better. You can reduce your closet and still smile in your fit check as long as you get creative. 

A fast way to cut back on clothing is by investing in versatile multi-purpose T-shirts made of breathable materials – as long as you don’t forget deodorant! 

High-quality materials can help the shirt last longer between washes and keep you feeling fresh. Spending a bit of extra coin on a T-shirt is absolutely a worthy cost when you could end up wearing it for a week straight. I try not to let many shirts and shorts into my pack that I can’t wash in the shower, just in case. 

Unfortunately, this also means avoiding some specialist gear wherever possible. Good ole fashioned generalists need not bog themselves down with too many details. Unless you’re travelling for a specific purpose, any one-time use items are not worth their weight.  

There is one major exception to this rule; rain gear. Luckily, A waterproof jacket doesn’t have to bring a significant burden. Many trips won’t require anything more technically advanced than the right packable rain jacket, AKA the REI Co-op Trailmade Rain Jacket . Thunderlight’s slim overcoat fits into its own large pocket and quickly rolls out and provide cover. You won’t find many rain jackets this flexible that still took the time to fully tape the seams and hems. 

This ain’t no flimsy poncho passing as weather protection, this is the real deal. Weighing in at less than a half kilo, it’s got an attachable hood that works with the same inside lining as the rest of the jacket. It pumps in a surprising splash of heat. 

And it all wraps up into a bag the size of your fist. Shove it down a deep dark corner of your larger bag on a travel day and immediately switch it into your day pack once your adventure begins. 

Do You Want to Travel FOREVER??

Pop your email in below to get a FREE copy of ‘How to Travel the World on $10 a Day!’.

Tip #4 – Toilet Talk

Banned from the dinner table and heavily regulated by TSA, packing your toiletries for carry-on travel is no simple task. 

Before we dive into the specifics, remember the golden rule of toiletry packing : most toiletries can be bought on the other side and at a much lower price, depending on where you’re headed.

Toiletry bag

Everything you’ll need for a month-long trip can fit in the Nomatic toiletry bag and slip into a corner of your larger luggage. I like to keep my toiletry bag close by during travel days, so I save packing your toiletry bag for the end to guarantee easy access.

Your toiletries can seem an obvious choice to tuck into a forgotten corner of your bag, but you’re playing a dangerous game. I think we’ve all noticed a sharp uptick of delays lately, and it’s only a matter of time before you’re spending some quality time stuck in an airport. 

Keep at least your toothbrush and deodorant in a convenient pocket. A breath of fresh air will keep your mind centred through flight delays and focused on getting your toes in the sand. 

Numatics Toiletry bag has a dedicated toothbrush pocket that keeps your teeth cleaners fresh and handy. The bag is full of organisational pockets that help you stay on top of things. Keeping make-up, medicine, and cleaning products in their respective containers instead of one giant black hole helps everything make it through the trip without spilling.

The added perk of all those extra pockets is this toiletry bag’s hanger set-up, which opens the bag up vertically and turns your travel bag into a multi-shelf toiletry cabinet. Toiletry 2.0 works perfectly alongside the best lightweight travel packs to create a formidable duo. 

Only bring the essentials

You can quickly lower your actual footprint by packing the bare essentials. This guide is geared around carry-on travel, which means you can’t bring anything over three ounces anyways. 

Your toiletry bag can start the trip incomplete and slowly fill up along the way. Most over the counter medications can be found anywhere, but do some research on your chosen destination country while formulating your toiletry bag. 

Focus your initial packing on prescription medication or speciality items that make the flight more leisurely, like melatonin and Advil. Tack on a basic first aid kit, and you’ll be good to go. 

I suppose there are specific luxury items you’d rather not travel without. You can always head to most local department stores’ sample counter or travel-size section to find a perfect travel-sized bottle before departure. 

They may not have the same brands at your final destination, but you’ll be able to find enough duct tape and WD-40 to get the job done. And if things don’t work out, remember the second golden rule. No matter where you are, you can find a pina Colada. 

Even when canals get blocked up, practically everything you need to thrive in a new community is already there. 

Another tip when it comes to packing light, forget that massive and heavy wallet and bring along the minimalist Nomatic Wallet instead.

The same mantra doesn’t apply to sunscreen. Any place you go where you will need sunscreen is aware that you will have to pay for it no matter what it costs. 

Here are the facts: sunscreen will be more expensive at the beach. Locals tend to use way less than tourists, so nobody cries afoul when a bottle of sunblock costs upwards of 30$. 

Sunscreen will be cheaper at home, so be sure to stock up before you go – and don’t forget to transfer them into carry-on approved Small Liquid Bottles . Use these toiletry wizards for everything from shampoo to bug spray to avoid any headaches. 

 Carry-on only travel disqualifies lots of liquid toiletries and beverages unless you get creative.

Anything you can’t find in your final destination can make the trip if you manage to transfer them into airline-approved sizes. Bottles like these transform your bathroom into 20 air travel certified containers, complete with leak-proof lids and varieties of dispenser options.  

My favourite feature is the unscrewable bottoms that allow you to easily refill your bottles without trying to throw together a makeshift funnel out of paper and aluminium. Don’t forget to label each bottle before you start putting your sunscreen on in the shower! 

Don’t Forget to Bring A Towel!

Carry-on travel doesn’t leave much space for a lush full-sized cotton towel, but the right travel towel is as close to essential as any part of your bathroom kit. There is no guarantee your accommodation has towels, and it’s always nice to have something to stretch out on or take to the beach. 

Your one-stop travel towel stop is the Matador NanoDry Packable Shower Towel . This legendary accessory has been in the running for the best accessory every year since its 2018 release. Its critical acclaim is thanks to the fact that this full-sized towel compacts down and fits inside its own carrying case to provide a portable towel that won’t soak everything else in your bag. 

The five-ounce towel fits into the palm of your hand and weighs less than six ounces, and expands to absorb 2.3X of its own weight in a quick-drying package. 

Now, you  could spend a fat chunk of $$$ on the WRONG present for someone. Wrong size hiking boots, wrong fit backpack, wrong shape sleeping bag… As any adventurer will tell you, gear is a personal choice.

So give the adventurer in your life the gift of convenience: buy them an REI Co-op gift card!  REI is The Broke Backpacker’s retailer of choice for ALL things outdoors, and an REI gift card is the perfect present you can buy from them. And then you won’t have to keep the receipt. 😉

Tip #5 – What About Tech?

There’s no magic formula. Travelling with loads of tech makes it kinda hard to travel light. You’ll have to accept your tech for the burden it is or learn to live without some of your bigger gear.  

Ask yourself some tough questions

Do you need a big dslr camera, or will your phone do do you need a laptop, or will your device do.

A DSLR camera and laptops are frequently the heaviest items on my potential packing lists, and every trip, I get close to leaving one at home, but that quality is just tough to replace. I would love to sit here and tell you that everything you need to work on the road can be done with an Ipad mini, but that’s just not the case. 

Anyone working from the road may have to suck it up and carry the extra gear. Quick trips are a whole other ball game. Turn up vacation mode and leave the laptop at home. Just bring something light enough to entertain you through your travel days. 

The DSLR debate is a whole other ball game. It could be a great excuse to upgrade your phone, as some of the latest iPhone camera technology rivals anything I could capture with a heftier set-up.

Still, there is no lightweight way to shoot from a distance or capture certain high-quality shots, so decide what’s more important to you, your weight or your equipment.

Tech that works towards light packing

Not all electronics have to add on loads of weight. These items will fit into the most minimalist lists out there, and that’s because their value far exceeds their lightweight. 

• adaptable USB splitter
• NEO5R Headlamp  
• Anker Ultra High Power Bank
• USB Splitter

This handy tool turns one outlet into three USB-B ports, one USB-C connection and the international connections to plug into walls around the world. 

These days, just about everything can be charged by USB, so grabbing an adaptable USB splitter can help drop weight slightly. The right power adapters can easily be converted to work intercontinental style, so you’ll never be too far from a full charge. 

• NEO5R Headlamp

A headlamp is a camping essential and you don’t have to be heading into the woods to take advantage of some high-tech headgear. Whether it’s for some casual spelunking, reading after light’s out, or coping with surprise outages, this headlamp has far more uses than ounces. 

three AAA batteries will power this waterproof light for hours, and an optional redlight setting will help you see through the night without attracting any bugs. 

• A nker Ultra High

Amazingly enough, some airlines still haven’t found it necessary to add device charging capabilities to their aircraft. Add this to the fact that most local taxis and tuk-tuks don’t have wall outlets, and a portable power bank will pay for itself on your first travel day. 

Love it or hate it, we can’t get very far with dead cell phone batteries these days. This portable power bank is the cream of the crop, and it comes with a $25,000 connected equipment warranty to declare its prowess in powering sensitive electronics. 

Our GREATEST Travel Secrets…

Pop your email here & get the original Broke Backpacker Bible for FREE.

Less is more when you’re carrying your whole life on your shoulders. The final key to packing light is getting rid of your gear attachment. I don’t mean you should travel around without a sense of style, but you’ll have to let go of some hits while consolidating.

If you can’t imagine losing something, don’t bring it with you. You’ll have to get rid of something eventually. Bags don’t expand as your trip moves along; they just fill up unless you and your merry reindeer do all your travelling on Christmas Eve. 

Looking to shed weight after your trip has already started? Try out a light packing as you go system, getting rid of any parts of your kit that doesn’t prove helpful. If you’ve been carrying around something in your bag for a few months and never worn it, it’s time to say goodbye. In the right hostel bartering system, that heavy flannel for which you don’t have space becomes a free dinner.

While I was learning how to pack light the hard way, I had to ditch a green jacket in the Portland airport to get my bag closed enough for gate check. I still miss that coat, and if I had just left it in storage, it could have really helped out later. 

We all have favourite t-shirts, pallets and combos that aren’t practical enough to come with us, and if you want to travel with loads of options packing light may not be your strong suit.

That’s totally okay. Living out of an XL daypack isn’t for everyone. If you plan to stick around one place long enough to unpack for a while, you may not mind lugging an extra bag through the airport once every couple of months. Nobody knows your particular travelling style better than you do. 

What I do know, through years of lugging heavy packs across deserts, jungles, and chicken busses, is that you rarely find a traveller who doesn’t want to cut back a few pounds. Even going from three to two bags is a step in the right direction, and I guarantee you won’t ever dream of packing heavy again! 

And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links . That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!

Aiden Freeborn

Share or save this post

Hi there,   Hope this message finds you well!

We are ULTIX – a small Company passionate about designing for years. We already had five successful Kickstarter campaigns with 10000+ backers. We just launched our 6th Kickstarter campaign – MagGo Sling 2.0, it is already 230% funded with more than £11,000 now!

MagGo Sling 2.0: Quick-Access, Ultra-Tough, Anti-Theft.

MagGo is the first open-layout sling bag that lets you access your gear in 1 second! Its patent-pending magnetic connection system allows users to get their gear anytime and anywhere in the blink of an eye! With the ultra-tough EVA front shield and the anti-theft zipper, MagGo provides unrivalled protection for your valuable tech and gadgets.

We thought our new product would be a perfect fit for your site because we have a passion for exciting products. Please let us know if you are interested in writing an article for our new product.

Here is our campaign link:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/590628991/maggo-sling-20-quick-access-ultra-tough-anti-theft

Here is our Media Pack:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yzADQ_3tI9HVDyKRhzQStC7VXhDpPT4n

We are looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Best regards

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail.

How to Pack Light & Travel with Less (Like a Pro)

Want to travel light? Then you’d better pack light! This simple bit of advice will fix most of problems if you’re a traveler who is weighed down with a suitcase that’s bursting at the seams and endangering anyone in its path.

Beyond bringing less, there’s more to the art of one bag packing and travel. If you’ve already slimmed down your luggage, there’s still plenty more you can do to lighten your load.

I’m a steadfast one-bag traveler with years of experience under my belt, and would love to share some of my best advice with you. Here are my best tips for packing (and traveling) light.

Pack Light, Travel Light

• Maximize Your Carry-On Size

Learn How to Ranger Roll

• Know When to Utilize Packing Cubes

Pack Multi-Functional Clothing

Invest in merino wool & technical fibers, wear your bulky items at the airport.

• Leave Unnecessary Items at Home
• Don’t Overpack Toiletries

Bring Packable/Collapsible Gear to Save Space

Make a packing list and stick to it, select your luggage for dimensions and weight, pack high-use essentials at the top of your bag.

• Final Thoughts on Packing Light

Maximize Your Carry-On Size for Optimum One-Bag Travel

I recognize the irony for this piece of advice. Joe, you just said to slim down your luggage, and now you want me to buy a bigger carry-on? Fair enough, but stay with me. You certainly don’t want to overpack, but you also want to balance comfort with ease of travel. That’s where your carry-on comes in.

Unless you’re braving the budget airline realm and going personal item only , you’ll need to know carry-on regulations. Even if you’re barreling headlong into the Spirit Airlines budget travel world — I do routinely and have lived to tell the tale so far — every square inch inside your luggage matters.

Most domestic airlines have identical carry-on regulations (and at least very similar personal item regulations). For carry-ons, the standard in the US tends to be around 22″ x 14″ x 9″. European carriers, on the other hand, can be a bit more stringent .

If you swear by one carrier exclusively ( for better or worse ), know their carry-on and personal item regulations and how they compare to other airlines.

If there’s one thing we travelers can do to make packing light easier, it’s learning how to ranger roll . What was once a way for soldiers to pack efficiently is now a favorite technique for travelers and nomads looking to utilize every square inch inside of their bag.

The ranger roll helps us travelers to make the most of our space, and the incredibly tight rolls also minimize wrinkles. There’s certainly an art to it, but it’s a skill entirely worth learning.

Know When to Utilize Packing Cubes (and When not to)

Packing cubes are a favorite among organization-minded travelers, so why would you ever travel without them? The one downside of packing cubes is they’re, well… cubes. Unless your pack is completely made of 90-degree angles, they won’t actually fill up every square inch inside.

Backpackers may be familiar with the idea of taking their sleeping bag out of its stuff sack and jamming it into the bottom of their pack, Doing so allows it to move naturally and fill every little crevice. The same is true when travel packing.

For traditional travel, packing cubes are worth their weight in gold. However, when you’re one-bag traveling, you may find that packing cubes may not maximize space in your bag and you’ll have to get creative to fill the empty spaces.

If you want to give packing cubes a shot, be sure to analyze their dimensions to ensure they fit well into your travel bag before making a purchase.

Let’s split “multi-functional” into two categories: style and utility. In terms of style, aim for a simple wardrobe that matches well and can be dressed up or down.

Considering your itinerary is crucial to dialing in your clothing. If you plan on visiting beautiful European churches with dress codes or heading out to fancy dinners, your needs will differ wildly than if you’re spending a relaxing week in Bali or splashing around in the ocean.

It’s not strange to pack only one set of nice clothing for your trip. If you’re on the move, nobody will know that you re-wore a certain outfit already anyway. As goes for all things one-bag travel: less is more.

The second element to choosing a travel wardrobe is utility. You want to consider your specific travel needs and which combination of clothing can solve the most needs at once. Swim trunks and workout shorts do not have to be different pieces of clothing, for example. They can also act as casual shorts on travel days, if nothing else.

Shoes often present a potentially tricky element to travel packing. Even if you have size four feet, extra shoes will still occupy a significant amount of space in your bag. In an ideal world, I recommend wearing one pair of versatile shoes and packing some thin flip-flops for showering and warm weather destinations.

Can you bring two pairs of shoes? Sure you can, but you’ll have to be at peace with cutting a significant amount of usable space from your bag’s volume. Ultimately, everything you put in your luggage has an opportunity cost, so prioritize as you see fit.

The longer you can wear something without washing it, the fewer items you’ll need to pack. Makes sense, right? Merino wool travel clothing is ideal when it comes to stretching time between washes since it wicks sweat from your body and is incredibly anti-microbial and odor-resistant.

When you’re traveling for a week or more, you’re bound to get a little ripe. That’s just how travel goes. So, why not pick items that are made to keep your travel musk at bay for a few more days than usual?

Merino wool doesn’t need to be washed nearly as often as cotton (or polyester and other technical fibers, for that matter). Wearing the same socks and underwear for days at a time would be a gnarly endeavor if they were cotton. Merino wool though? Perfectly fair game and completely hygienic.

Merino clothing can be quite expensive, so it’s not for everyone. For what it’s worth, my favorite Merino brand, Smartwool , frequently runs promos on their socks and underwear. Keep a close eye on their clearance section, and you’ll find some serious discounts. Darn Tough is also great.

If you can’t find a sale or swing the cost of Merino, other synthetic technical fibers can simulate many of Merino’s benefits at a lower cost.

What should you do with boots, jackets, travel jeans , and other bulky items that hog precious space in your bag?

Simply don’t pack them; it’s a rookie mistake. Wear them onto the plane instead.

Who cares if you look like the Michelin man going on vacation? Freeing up valuable space in your bag is worth it. Airports and airplanes tend to be over-air-conditioned anyway, so it’s a win-win.

Leave Unnecessary Electronics at Home

Stay with me, digital nomads.

I’m not saying leave all of your precious tech gadgets behind. I’m simply encouraging you to pare down your setup to the absolute essentials. Maybe you already have, but just in case you haven’t, let’s talk.

You may not be able to get a full day of work from just your phone, but do you really need a bulky laptop? Could the combination of a smartphone and a capable tablet get the job done? Perhaps.

A phone stand, compact tablet, and mini Bluetooth keyboard can work wonders for digital nomads and free up a bunch of weight in their packs.

Don’t Overpack Toiletries

If you’re short on space in your bag, buy toiletries when you arrive at your destination or simply use what they provide at your hotel, hostel, Airbnb, or other lodging. If you aren’t short on space, pack your favorite travel-sized toiletries to save some time and money.

A local pharmacy or general store is never too far away to stock up on toothpaste, soap, and other essentials. Hotels and hostels usually have extras on hand that they’ll give away if you ask politely. The same goes for those chargers and other odds and ends in the lost and found (if you’re extra charming).

Disclaimer : Your favorite toiletries won’t be available everywhere you travel. If you require a specific brand or type of toiletry, don’t chance it – bring it with you. The same goes for prescriptions and medicine beyond the basics.

Packable down jackets, crushable travel hats , power banks with built-in wires, and other compact travel accessories will maximize storage in your bag. Invest in efficient, space-saving gear and watch your pack-size shrink.

One of my favorite packable pieces of travel gear is the Klymit X Inflatable Pillow , which I’ve used for several years. Sure, it’s a bit of a luxury but frequent travelers will find it to be worth every penny. It takes up no space, inflates in a few seconds, and is far more comfortable than resting your head on your backpack.

If you don’t, completely unnecessary items will magically appear in your bag. How did that novelty travel mug get in your luggage? Well, it probably snuck in while you were packing without a packing list!

Make a thoughtful list of your necessities, and once you’ve dialed it in, don’t deviate from it as you pack. Know that your destination will almost always have anything you chose to leave behind, so don’t stress. Europe has soap, I promise.

If you need some lightweight travel inspiration, check out our one-bag packing list to get started. If you want to really dive into tips and techniques to lighten your load, peep our minimalist packing list , as well.

Whatever you do, avoid copying someone else’s packing list item-for-item. There will always be something you need that they don’t (or vice versa).  

You can pack lightweight items, but a heavy piece of luggage will nullify all of your weight-conscious decisions. Remember, just because a bag is small doesn’t necessarily mean it’s lightweight. I mean, have you seen those Fjallraven backpacks? They aren’t that large, but they weigh practically as much as a toddler.

There are loads of benefits to traveling with a smaller, lighter bag . That said, the more technical and lightweight a bag is, the pricier and (sometimes) more delicate it can be. Some travelers are fine with the tradeoffs, others aren’t.

If you want durable luggage you can toss around without worry, buy a more burly bag and enjoy the little extra workout you get as you trek around the globe.

Within your mind, there’s a Venn diagram that pinpoints the optimal balance between your bag’s size, weight, durability, and price. There are going to be trade-offs no matter which direction you lean, so choose a bag that falls perfectly within your sweet spot.

Admittedly, this piece of advice won’t help you travel lighter in and of itself. But, a thoughtfully-packed bag will significantly elevate your one-bag travel game.

When traveling, having your most essential gear immediately accessible will be a game-changer. Think travel documents, power banks, and in-case-of-emergency cash. Whether you stash these items at the top of your pack, inside a fanny pack, or on your person is up to you.

When heading towards the land of one-bag travel, ensuring your essentials are easy to find is absolutely crucial. How you pack your bag is almost as important as the items you bring along.

Pack Light, Travel Right & Keep Perfecting Your Craft

As you spend more time trying out one-bag travel and traveling light, you’ll naturally continue to dial in your gear list and travel packing routines. The only way to see what works for you is to pack a bag, get out there, and go for it.

If you haven’t quite perfected traveling light when you head out on your next trip, don’t stress. You’ll likely never be completely smitten with your packing list.

Along your journey, put your packing list to the test, figure out what works through trial and error, and forever fine-tune the gear you bring along, even if just incrementally.

Last Updated on March 19, 2024

Joe Coleman

Affiliate Disclosure : Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate links help support this website and keep it 100% ad-free.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

• Travel destinations
• Architecture
• Digital nomad jobs
• Business ideas
• Digital nomad interviews

© 2024 Bright Nomad

Travel light: How to pack light and smart for your trip

A full guide to how to travel light, with tips and hacks for efficient, minimalist packing. Learn how to pack light for any vacation or backpacking trip.

• Post date October 22, 2018
• Post categories In Trip Planning

What is the secret to packing light?

The secret behind packing light is… bringing less stuff!

Simple, isn’t it?

Well, not really.

Because when we’re packing for a trip, be it a weekend city break or a year long round the world trip or anything in between – we will find ourselves packing all sorts of stuff that we think we might need, but actually don’t.

That’s perfectly natural.

We’re going to unfamiliar place, we don’t know exactly what we’ll find there, and we want some kind of reassurance that we’ll have everything with us.

It gives us a sense of control over an unknown situation.

I used to do that myself in my very early days as a traveller, but quickly learnt the lesson.

After a particularly uncomfortable night train from Bulgaria to Turkey, where I hardly had space for my bags in the train carriage, I realised there was no point in carrying so much stuff.

That’s when I decided to start travelling light.

Before leaving the train station in Istanbul, I sat down and made a list of all the things  I actually used  during that trip.

I saved the list and a few months later, when I was packing for my next trip, used it as my packing list. I ended up travelling with about  half  the amount of stuff.

Light travel with a carry on bag has huge benefits

In practical terms, travelling light means you travel with one  carry-on bag  that you can take with you on the plane, plus an optional smaller bag, like a laptop bag.

why is it best to travel with a carry on bag only?

Travelling with hand luggage only has huge advantages. It saves you money, stress and time , and makes your life so much easier when you travel.

Low cost airlines are getting increasingly strict about what they allow you to board the plane with.

The fees they charge for checking even one piece of luggage can sometimes be outrageous.

By travelling light, you avoid baggage fees when you fly low cost, so that your flight can be really cheap.

When you don’t check luggage, there’s no need to worry about your bag being lost, damaged, stolen or even just not arriving on the same flight as you.

It gives you some peace of mind on the flight. The same applied to trains and buses, where you always want to keep your bag with you.

When you get off the plane, you’re free to exit the airport fairly quickly, while you watch your fellow passengers wasting their precious vacation time waiting by the luggage carousel.

And finally, moving around is so much easier when you don’t carry heavy luggage.

Imagine walking to a train station or a bus stop, or searching for your hotel on the streets of a foreign city, with a heavy suitcase. It’s not appealing. You want the flexibility and freedom of light packing.

So now that we know why we want to travel light,  how do we do that?

The life changing magic of packing light

In her best-selling, cult-creating book  “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” , Marie Condo teaches a simple decluttering technique:

Lay all your stuff on the floor, pick each item and ask yourself “if it sparks joy within you”.

You can use a similar method when packing.

This is especially useful if your reason for overpacking is that you’re too attached to your things.

Instead of asking if the item sparks joy, ask: Do I really need this, or am I packing it “just in case”?

Pack only what you really need .

Only w hat you will definitely use.

Remember you can always buy or hire other things later, so “just in case” is not an excuse for overpacking.

The rest of this guide has more hacks, tips and tricks to help you travel ligh t .

I’ve divided it into four sections: Your bag, clothing, toiletries and gadgets.

Travel light: buy a smaller bag

The first trick you need to know if you want to travel light is: buy a smaller bag. In other words, make it impossible for yourself to overpack.

With a smaller bag you will have to make those decisions as to what you really need to take and what you can leave behind or buy at your destination.

With a larger bag, you’ll most likely be tempted to take all sorts of things you don’t really need, just because there’s space for them.

How small should your bag be?

I recommend a 30-40 litre backpack as your carry on bag for the plane.

It’s usually a good size for a carry on bag, that most airlines will let you board with.

I travelled with a 40L backpack plus a laptop bag for about 9 years and it was both easy and convenient.

It’s the ideal size if you want to travel light, and at the same time have enough space for your stuff.

It doesn’t matter if you’re going on vacation for a week or on a 6 month trip… as long as you can do your laundry once a week, why would it matter?

An all-in-one travel pack

The Journey is an innovative, sophisticated bag that’s ideal for the minimalist traveller.

Its creator describes as the bag that will liberate you from the hassle of extra luggage .

It’s been designed to include 5 different bags inside one carry-on sized travel pack.

These include a detachable day pack, a detachable hip pack, a hanging toiletry bag and two drawstring bags, plus a couple of compression bags.

Watch the video to see how The Journey works and read my full review on how I use this set of bag to travel light.

Why buy a backpack instead of a suitcase

I also recommend you buy a backpack instead of a trolley suitcase. It just gives you much more flexibility .

Going up or down stairs at train stations, for example, is not an easy task when you carry a suitcase with you (and you’d be surprised how many stations don’t have elevators or escalators…).

Walking on cobblestone streets or dirt roads with wheeled luggage is not a pleasant experience either.

With a backpack on your back, it’s much easier to use stairs, you can walk faster (or even run, say if you’re about to miss a bus… ) and both your hands are free.

Having both your hands free is so useful when you need to check maps on your phone for example, or have your take-away coffee on the go.

Of course, in some cases, a suitcase is perfectly fine. For example, if you suffer from back pain, or on a short vacation where you’re getting a taxi from the airport and staying at a resort without moving around at all.

Eagle Creek make a brilliant convertible carry on bag that you can use as wheeled luggage or as a backpack .

when you choose a backpack, pay attention to a few things that will make your travels easier:

The backpack should be a panel loading or front loading bag, meaning you can open it like a suitcase (as opposed to top-loading backpacks).

Your backpack should be lightweight , not just because it’s easier to carry, but also because airlines have weight limits on luggage.

And it should have pockets . Lots of pocket. An ever so helpful feature that will help you organise your things easily.

Clothing – tips and tricks for packing light

Clothes normally take up the most space in your luggage.

Let’s see what we can do about that…

Wear heavy layers on the plane

Heavy layers might not fit in your backpack when you travel light.

Don’t expect them to – a basic trick of travelling light is wearing some of your luggage on you.

Whatever you wear doesn’t count as part of your carry on luggage . Use that 😉

When you board the plane, you can wear any jackets , or tie them around your waist.

If you’re bringing heavy shoes, like hiking boots , wear them on the plane and pack your lighter shoes.

Hats and scarves can also come on board with you. None of these need take up any space in your luggage.

This trick isn’t useful only for saving space in your bag – it’s also a lifesaver when it suddenly gets freezing cold on the flight.

Pockets! lots of them

You can put many things in your pockets when you go on the plane.

Anything small that fits and that you might need during the flight should go in your pockets, such as your phone  and earphones for example.

SCOTTeVEST have taken the idea of pockets to a magnificent extreme with jackets and vests that look completely ordinary, until you realise they have about 20 hidden pockets in them!

Rolling instead of folding

This is probably the most basic tip for travelling light: When you roll your shirts, they magically take up less space and as an added advantage, crease less.

Packing cubes and compression bags

You can save more space in your bag and at the same time make sure your clothes are well organised by using  packing cubes and compression bags .

Sometimes called packing squares or packing pouches, you want to use packing cubes in different sizes to organise your clothes: One cube for t-shirts, another for socks and so on.

Packing cubes normally come in sets of 3-6 pieces and in different sizes and colours.

Use large packing cubes for your shirts and trousers, and medium sized ones for socks and underwear.

There are packing cubes that are just meant to help you organise your things, but it’s far more efficient to use packing cubes that also offer compression .

They minimise the space your clothes take, by sealing them in the bag after squeezing all the air out.

When compressed, your clothes will take up much less space. This is especially useful for any bulky garments you pack.

Eagle Creek is a brand famous for its packing cubes and compression bags. They are stylish, lightweight and durable. As an added bonus, they’re made from recycled materials.

are packing cubes and compression bags worth buying?

In my experience, yes, they are worth it.

If you’re struggling with overpacking and want to avoid it, or if you need to take some bulky winter clothes, then compression sacks will definitely help you make the most of the space available in your bag.

If your main issue is staying organised , go for ordinary packing cubes .

If you want the best of both worlds, buy the compression packing cubes . Watch the video to see how they work:

Buy quick dry clothes

A lot of smart technology is invested in making travel clothing more efficient. Make sure you use it to your advantage.

quick dry, moisture-wicking t-shirts

These tees are popular for workout, and are invaluable for travel.

When you select your travel clothes, quick dry garments are always the best choice. Cotton t-shirts are not.

As you’re not taking too many clothes with you when you travel light, you want your laundry to dry fast.

Quick dry fabrics are extra useful in hot, humid places, as they don’t absorb the sweat and keep you dry for longer.

I’m a fan of IsoCool quick-dry t-shirts .

The feel great on your skin and come out of the washing machine almost dry!

Mountain Warehouse make them super affordable.

They have a range of colours for women and men .

Fleece jackets

Travel with jackets are perfect for keeping warm in colder climates or at night and at the same time lightweight and dry quickly.

There are heavy fleece jackets too, in case you need them for intense outdoor activities and colder weather.

Some leading brands for quality fleece jackets are:

• The North Face

No need to pack your fleece jacket in your backpack though – it will take up too much space. Wear it on the plane or tie it around your waist.

quick dry trousers

Jeans are not quick to dry and can also be quite bulky, so they are not a good choice if you want to travel light.

To find quick dry pants, look for hiking pants , even if you’re not going hiking.

They are made of the right quick dry, moisture wicking materials . They will also typically be breathable and lightweight.

quick dry underwear

You want your underwear to dry quickly as well as be odour resistant.

ExOfficio   are probably the most famous brand known for making some excellent travel underwear for both women and men.

They dry quickly and smell less, so you can take fewer pairs with you when you travel light.

Matching colours

This packing tip is simple and will help you avoid a basic packing mistake.

Make sure whatever you pack can be colour-coordinated.

In other words, avoid packing anything that isn’t compatible with any outfit you may wear on your trip.

You don’t want to waste space packing garments that you’ll only end up using once or twice.

By colour coordinating, you can easily mix-and-match them to create many different outfits without packing a lot of clothes.

Another simple but clever packing tip when it comes to clothing is to use layering.

Check the weather forecast before you travel. If you’re going to a hot and sunny place, then don’t worry about layering obviously.

However, some places may be sunny in the morning and cold in the evening, or different parts of the country may have completely different climates.

Also, in colder countries, whenever you go on a train or enter a heated up space, like a shop, you’ll immediately feel the need to take some layers off.

That’s where layering gives you great flexibility when you travel, without having to carry any unnecessary items of clothing.

On a sunny day, you can walk around in a t-shirt, but when it gets cooler after dark, that same t-shirt becomes a base layer.

You want to pick only garments you can layer easily, so ideally they would be of similar thickness, though some can be of warmer fabrics.

A fleece jacket is super handy for layering when you travel, because it’s warm but also lightweight and can fold easily (plus it dries quickly as we mentioned already).

When it’s cold I would prefer layering two fleece jackets to wearing one big coat.

If I were to take off that one big coat, I’d have to carry it around with me, while the thinner jackets can fold easily into my day bag, or I can tie them around my waist.

What to do about shoes if you want to travel light

Shoes are a huge problem if you want to pack light. They’re just too bulky.

Flip flops  are an exception – they are super useful and don’t take up too much room.

You can wear them for the beach, when you take a shower and as part of a summer outfit too.

As for other shoes, it really depends on the type of trip you’re going on.  hiking boots  may be necessary. In that case, wear them on the plane and your pack lighter walking shoes in your backpack.

Your clothes should be colour-coordinated and the same applies to shoes, so dark shoes are often a safe bet.

Also remember that you can buy shoes at your destination, so sometimes it isn’t necessary to pack extra shoes at all.

When you pack your clothing, pack for a week , no matter how long your trip is.

This classic trick is one that’s used by many savvy travellers and all it requires is that you have access to a washing machine once week.

This way you can travel forever with a small backpack.

It’s so much easier to find a washing machine along the way than to needlessly carry heavy luggage with you everywhere you go.

Find a laundromat, use the washing machine at your vacation rental or even use your hotel’s laundry service.

If you really can’t find a washing machine, there’s always the sink.

Quick dry clothes are ever so useful and you’ll be glad you bought them when you do your laundry once a week.

You can buy laundry detergent in small, travel size packets. I suggest you buy these at your destination, rather than carry them with you on the plane.

Don’t forget to bring a small  laundry bag  to keep clean and dirty clothes separate inside your backpack. You can also use a compression bag just for laundry.

Toiletries – pack less and pack solid

When it comes to packing toiletries I would advise you to first, take less than you think you need, and second, opt for solid versions.

Pack less toiletries – you can buy them later

Toiletries take up a lot of room in your bag, but they don’t have to.

If you are going to stay at a hotel, it’s likely that you’ll be provided with shampoo and body wash, so there’s no need to bring those at all.

If you wear makeup, be sure to take only what you will definitely use, not stuff that you might want to use, and definitely not anything that you might only use once.

Always remember that anything you don’t bring with you, you can buy at your destination (unless you’re travelling to the middle of nowhere).

Shampoo, body lotion, shower gel, sunblock, toothpaste, deodorant – these are things you can buy cheaply anywhere you go.

When you travel with carry on luggage, liquids and creams you take with you on board the plane cannot exceed 100ml (or 3.38 oz). This isn’t a universal rule, but it applies in many countries.

You can bring small travel size bottles of essential toiletries for the first couple of days, and then buy the rest later.

However, I recommend you replace liquids with their solid versions.

Get solid toiletries to avoid flying with liquids

This will make it easier for you to pack despite the ban on flying with liquids and creams exceeding 100ml .

Liquids might also spill inside you bag and can cause damage or just be a hassle to clean up.

Soap  is easy – no need to carry shower gel when you can bring a bar of soap.

Even if you’re used to showering with shower gel at home, make an exception for your trip and it will make your packing easier and lighter.

What about shampoo ?

I started travelling with a shampoo bar in recent years and I’m really happy with it! Wish I’d known about it earlier…

How does a shampoo bar work? It looks just like a bar of soap and it lathers up when you rub it in your hands in the shower, and then you can wash your hair with it.

Browse solid shampoo bars here >>

Shampoo bars save space in your luggage and they last for a long time.

An added advantage is that you can use a shampoo bar as body soap too. This is useful if you want to go for super minimalist packing.

Gadgets – travel light more efficiently

Gadgets can also take up too much space in your luggage. Let’s look at ways to pack more efficiently.

Travel adaptor

You’ll probably need a  travel adaptor  and it’s best to buy a universal one that you can use in most countries with various sockets.

It should also convert electrical currencies where needed.

This way you don’t need to carry several adaptors if you’re going to multiple destinations around the world.

To save more space, instead of taking a phone charger, get a   universal adaptor with USB ports . It will let you charge your phone, tablet and power bank. You only need to bring the USB cords.

Reading when you travel light

To travel light,  make the most out of your phone .

It can replace quite a lot of things that there’s no need to carry anymore: books (both recreational reading and guidebooks), a camera, maps, a flashlight, a notebook, magazines… And obviously you can use it to listen to music and watch movies.

You don’t need to carry heavy guide books with you. Many travel guides have ebook versions.

This will save you a lot of space and weight when you’re packing.

When you pack headphones or earphones , make sure they are both compact and noise cancelling or noise reducing (useful for noisy flights or trains).

Portable chargers

A portable power bank is essential if you’re out and about all day and your phone runs out of battery.

If it runs out just when you need to check Google Maps to see which bus to take, or to check addresses, reviews, opening times or anything else – you’ll be so grateful you packed a backup battery.

Portable chargers are also useful for flights, so you can watch movies on your phone without worrying about the battery running out.

These chargers come in different capacities measured in milliamperes (mAh). The higher the mAh number, the more power the charger has.

I normally carry two, just for peace of mind, and charge them overnight.

Hope you find these tips helpful when you pack for your next trip!

Do share this article with any of your friends who might need packing advice.

If you have more tips on packing light, do share them in the comments.

save this guide on how to travel light on pinterest

• Tags Minimalist Packing , Packing , Packing Light , Packing Lists , Travel Accessories , Travel Gadgets , Travel Gear

16 Comments

Great tips on traveling light! Personally, I’ll always check a bag as my carryons are full of camera gear and laptop. But love all the ideas on how to make traveling easier and more functional!

Great tips and good reminder as well.

I definitely could work on traveling lighter. I do use packing cubes and I think they are a huge help! Great post. 🙂

Great tips on traveling light! Personally I’ll always check a bag as my carryons are full of camera gear and laptop. Lol. But love all the ideas on how to make traveling easier and more functional! ?

I love packing light!! Great items and tips on here! I LOVE using shampoo bars when traveling.

Thank you so much for the recommendations and the jacket with all the pockets looks amazing!!

I really need to check out the shampoo bars. I keep hearing about it and it’s great for carry on luggage.

Yes, it’s so convenient 🙂

I love traveling light! I do most of these but never thought about using a smaller bag to pack leas. Genius!! I’ve recently started using packing cubes and I LOVE them! Makes everything so organized. Thanks for this posts, it was super helpful! I’ll try the smaller bag for my next trip.

We do most of these things already, and we love it! Been on the road for 4 months now with nothing but carry-on: a 46L Osprey Porter and a 28L daypack (mostly for camera gear). All solid toiletries (including a laundry bar so we can wash clothing without a machine) and merino clothing that we can wear for days 🙂

Great article 🙂 Thank you for this. I have always used Osprey when travelling but that Eagle Creek backpack looks epic and very durable.

These are great tips! I am always guilty of packing way too much and then hating my life as I have to lug my bag around. I think I’m going to invest in a 40L backpack for my next big trip and see how that goes!

Good luck! I thinks it’s the best way to travel and you’ll get used to it easily 🙂

A great and enviable post. What a detailed guide! Great information and advice.

Indeed, there are hikers who are light grasshoppers, and there are hikers who are turtles, who move their hump, or part of it, wherever they travel.

I belong to the second type .. . I have already been jealous of Henderson (“Henderson the Rain King”, Saul Bellow), who traveled to Africa with his modest luggage including the following items: a toothbrush in his pocket, a credit card and a wide-brimmed hat.

Thanks to Tal Bright

Great guide! I pack in a 40L backpack which converts to a suitcase (the straps can be hidden) which I just love. It’s perfect for my full-time travel lifestyle. But I still get jealous when I’m boarding a plane and other people have much smaller suitcases than me.

A note about solid toiletries: I recently started travelling with a deodorant crystal – a completely solid object. But the people at the airport flag it as a liquid every time I go through security. I got so tired of being pulled aside that I now just put it in with my liquids.

Thanks Jane! I know what you mean about getting jealous when you see people with smaller luggage 😉 I think that if the deodorant crystal comes in the kind of packaging that’s similar to ordinary deodorant, than yes, it’s very likely to confuse airport security…

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Related Posts

Travel safety tips – stay safe wherever you travel

Stay safe when you travel with these easy tips. Ways to hide your money, how to keep your privacy online, how not to get scammed plus more valuable advice.

Cool travel gadgets for backpackers

What are the coolest backpacking gadgets around right now?

How to pack for a big trip - tips from experienced travelers

Sep 17, 2021 • 8 min read

When traveling, your backpack is your home © hansslegers / Getty Images

Traveling light is an essential step towards embracing the spontaneity of travel. With a small pack, you can travel on impulse, sprinting down the platform to catch that departing train, and leaping from boat to village bus without missing a beat. From the comfort of home, it might feel like you need everything but the kitchen sink, but when it comes to packing, less is definitely more.

One of the first surprises for new travelers is that things from back home are easily available in other countries. If you can pick it up when you arrive, why haul it halfway across the world? The other big first-trip packing lesson is the value of having space in your pack–you never know when you might find a Buddha statue or hand-embroidered wall hanging that you can't live without.

If your backpack is bursting at the seams when you set off, you'll soon find yourself wrestling with multiple bags while the light load travelers are grabbing the best seats on the bus. Travelers with a single bag experience less stress–they're the folk you see whistling cheerfully as they walk out of the terminal building while you're still fighting to drag your suitcases off the conveyor belt.

Of course, packing is a deeply personal process. Everyone has their own standards of comfort, and their own notions of what counts as essential. But by following some field-tested tenets of traveling light, you can shed size and weight. And as every veteran traveler knows, you regret the things you didn't bring much less than the pain of hauling around things you didn't need!

The first law of travel physics

There's one inalienable rule of travel physics: the contents of your bag will expand to fill the available space. If your bag is stuffed full at the departure gate, you're already en route to a second bag if you spot anything you want to buy when you reach your destination.

Start with a bag that fits into a plane's overhead compartment, and fill it with only as much stuff as you can fit in without shoving. Leave behind the rest. For ninja-level packing, make a second pass and remove anything you aren't 100% certain you'll use. Tough decisions on your living-room floor will pay big dividends on the road.

Pack densely

Black holes are so compact that now even light can escape their gravity. Your bag should function on a similar principle. Folded is smaller than scrunched up. Folded and rolled is smaller still. If your clothes take up more than one-third of your bag, you are probably letting sartorial decisions take precedence over practicality.

Know your destination

The streets may look different to the street you live on, but the shops sell almost everything you'll find back home, from shampoo and sunscreen to camera cards and phone charging cables. Where tourists gather, you can probably also find plug adapters, the latest movies on DVD and the candy bars you grew up with. A few things genuinely won't be available in your chosen destination, but most will, so don't fill up your bag with things you can buy as and when you need them. 

The rule of three

Three pairs of socks. Three pairs of underwear. Three T-shirts. Wear one, wash one, dry one. You can get more miles out of leg wear, so two pairs of pants and one culturally appropriate pair of shorts or skirt should suffice. Stick to light, flowing clothing made from cotton and blends that dry quickly and look good without needing an iron to remove every wrinkle.

Pack less, wash more

It turns out most cultures have figured out how to wash stuff. Whether you use the hotel laundry or the local dhobi-wallah (clothes washer), a clean shirt is usually just a few hours away. Pack fewer clothes, and wash them when they get dirty, and that onerous weight on your back will get miraculously lighter. At a pinch, most lodgings have a sink and running water–bring a length of string and you've got an instant washing line.

Travel-friendly tech

Most modern electronics (like phones and cameras) switch voltage automatically when you plug them in. If in doubt, check the plug for a note saying ‘Input: 100~240v’ or something similar. Leave voltage-specific devices that require heavy, old-fashioned adapters at home. A three-way splitter plugged into a multi-country adapter should be enough to keep all your devices juiced. If you have USB-powered devices, even better. Bring a plug with multiple USB ports and you'll just need to carry the cables.

Only bring what you need

Repeat this to yourself as you pack. The unknowns of traveling make us want to surround ourselves with familiar items but this kind of ‘what if’ thinking is a fast-track to a heavy pack. If you aren't certain you'll use it, you probably don't need it. Remember, many things can be hired, bought or borrowed as you need them. That mask and snorkel? You can probably hire one when you reach the beach. That hairdryer? Most hotels have one.

Don't go shoe crazy

Veteran travelers rarely pack more than two pairs: a comfortable pair of trainer-type shoes that are good for trekking, day-wear and running, and a pair of flip-flops (thongs) for beach wear and dubious-looking bathroom floors. Only bring smart shoes if you're definitely going somewhere you can't get away with trainers (or pick some up locally when and if you need them).

Let tech be your friend

These days, your phone can double as your music player, camera and more, weighing not much more than a sandwich. Heavy books used to the bane of travel (though a blessing during long waits for transport). Today, you can load a whole library onto an  e-Reader and a whole record collection onto an MP3 player. Carry a small portable power bank to keep your devices going when you can't get to a wall socket.

Be weight aware

Some things–paper, glass, metal, batteries–are just heavy, so try not to pack them unless you really need to. If you need battery-operated devices, look for lightweight versions; a head torch powered by a button battery weighs much less than a traditional torch powered by heavy alkaline batteries. To stay on the right side of airline weight baggage limits, carry a small, portable luggage scale.

Function over form

Prioritize useful things. A ball-gown may look great, but a crumple-friendly cotton dress that you can wear on the bus, beach and dancefloor will take you a lot further. Here are some tried and tested travel essentials:

• A quick-drying pack towel : fluffy towels are bulky and take ages to dry; synthetic towels dry quickly and pack away to nothing. 
• A sarong:  it's a changing room, it's a blanket, it's a curtain for privacy, it's a towel, it's a bag, it's a sunshade, it's quite possibly the most versatile item in your bag. Oh, and you can also use it to cover your legs.
• Compression straps: they squeeze things into your bag, fix things to your bag, and fix your bag to other things, like the roof rack on back-country buses. They'll also function is a washing line (or bring some string).
• A cotton scarf or bandanna: it's a head covering for mosques and temples, a sun hat, a dust-mask, a neck and shoulder warmer; you can even use it as a fashion accessory.
• A frisbee: in addition to its friend-making potential, strategically packing it on the outside edge of your pack provides hard-shell protection for breakables. Additional uses: cutting board, plate, bowl, bottle opener, fan, dry place to sit.

Tips for the airport

Even if you get your packing list down to the essentials, you might find there are one or two items that just won't fit, particularly on the way home. If necessary, exploit the the airline industry's three biggest luggage loopholes:

• Wearing is not carrying: stuff your pockets, don your jacket, wear your hiking boots and pack your sandals.
• ‘Carry on plus one personal item’: most airlines let you supplement your carry-on bag with a camera bag or smaller backpack, giving you some bonus storage.
• Duty-free doesn't count: if you can't fit it in your bag, most airlines let you carry on air-side purchases without penalty in a carrier bag (which also has room for more loose items).

Savvy packer's pack list

Here is a list of everything we'd suggest for a multi-week trip to most popular backpacking destinations.

• Backpack (40L max, 35L is even better)
• Bag liner (or a large, heavy-duty plastic bag)
• Passport and other documents
• Compact umbrella
• Three or four light stuff sacks for organizing
• Three shirts or T-shirts
• Two pairs of pants (trousers)
• One pair of shorts (or a skirt)
• Three pairs of socks
• Three pairs of underwear
• Fleece jacket, hoodie or long-sleeved top (for air-conditioned transport and high elevations)
• Bandanna and/or scarf
• Comfortable walking shoes (wear them when you fly)
• Comfortable sandals or flip flops
• Sleep kit: mosquito net, sleeping bag liner (or a lightweight fleece blanket), ear plugs
• Shower kit: toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant (or try a piece of alum), small bottle of shower gel
• Food and drink kit: snack bars, a travel mug, water purification tablets, a water bottle, a folding knife for cutting fruit
• First aid kit: mosquito repellent, clippers, tweezers, plasters, headache tablets, small tube of antiseptic and your usual meds
• Camera and accessories (if you can't get by with your phone camera)
• Laptop (if your smart phone won't cut it) wrapped in a waterproof bag
• Smart phone and headphones (plus charging cables)
• Notebook and pens
• Parachute cord (or string)
• Lightweight head torch

You may also like: 10 destinations perfect for solo travel 10 places in the world with the most intense fall colors Our favorite lesser-known neighborhoods in the world's greatest cities

This article was first published in October 2014.

This article was first published October 2014 and updated September 2021

Explore related stories

Jul 25, 2022 • 16 min read

I’ve had several people reach out asking if I'd share my itinerary. Here are the details on mileage, budget and lodging.

Dec 16, 2019 • 5 min read

Apr 21, 2024 • 6 min read

Apr 21, 2024 • 9 min read

Apr 21, 2024 • 7 min read

Apr 20, 2024 • 7 min read

Apr 20, 2024 • 4 min read

Apr 20, 2024 • 5 min read

Apr 20, 2024 • 9 min read

How to Pack Right and Pack Light for Simple Travel

The Number One Rule When it Comes to Travel

Overpacking is the easiest way to stop yourself from enjoying your trip. With an overstuffed backpack that keeps you from barely stand upright, you'll be dragging yourself from hostel to hostel and wishing you were anywhere but traveling. 

The key to making your travels as easy as possible, then, is to pack light! Here's how to do it. 

How to Pack Less

Your first step it to lay out every single item you think you need to take on your trip. Next, put half of it away. Force yourself to be ruthless! Try this test: put small items in the pockets of clothes you're wearing — would you still want that stuff if you had to carry it on your body?

Another helpful way to cut down on what you're bringing with you is to do a trial pack. Fill your backpack with everything you want to take with you and go for a walk with it on. You may come home and immediately find it far easier to cut down on what you want to carry. 

Remember, you'll be able to buy practically everything you want to take with you while you're out there, so if you miss anything too much, you should be able to replace it while you're traveling without much hassle. 

Packing Space Tips

There are plenty of ways to keep your backpack free that don't involve throwing out most of the things you want to put in it. Something as simple as stuffing your shoes with your socks and underwear can free up a surprising amount of room in your backpack! 

Roll Your Clothes

• Roll clothing you don't want to wrinkle in your bag. Use packing cubes or vacuum-sealed space-saving bags to keep your bag organized and save on space.

​Keep Toiletries Tiny

• Buy sample size toothpaste tubes and deodorant  to save on space and weight.
• Stash small hotel soaps for travel use, and then carry them in a small plastic bag to stop them from getting all over your clothes.
• Pick up a solid shampoo and conditioner bar from LUSH — they last for months and take up so little space in your backpack!

Pack the Right Bag

To truly travel light, ensure you have the perfect bag or backpack with tons of compartments so you can get your camera, clothes, guidebooks, and all necessities in one bag, preferably carry-on size so you needn't wait at airports for a checked bag — it's easier to sling on buses and trains, too. If you need a bigger backpack for a long trip, either use your backpack's zip off day pack as a carry on, if it has one, or buy a daypack, both for the plane and for walking the streets at your destination. 

Bags sized for carry-on will also fit in most hostel lockers , so you'll be able to lock up all of your valuables when you head out exploring, rather than just the more expensive items.

Tip: Current carry on bag size: keep it at or under 22x9x15, or check your airline's regulations before you book your ticket if you're concerned. Sizes do vary from airline to airline.

Leave a Little Room

Lastly, leave some space in your bag for souvenirs . When it comes to clothing, you can just wear it on the flight home if you can't fit it in your backpack!

If you'd rather something else to remember your travel destination by, make sure you have a little space in your backpack, so that you won't have to regret having to leave it behind.

Edited and updated by Lauren Juliff

The 11 Best Carry-on Backpacks of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

The 10 Best Anti-Theft Backpacks of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

The 9 Best Travel Toiletry Bags of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

The 11 Best Travel Money Belts of 2024

The 11 Best Beach Blankets of 2024

The 8 Best Duffel Bags of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

The 9 Best Travel Pillows of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

The 8 Best Bags and Backpacks for Disney of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

The 10 Best Delsey Luggage Items of 2024

The 11 Best Beach Bags of 2024

The 8 Best Lightweight Luggage of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

The 9 Best Fanny Packs of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Tortuga Setout Backpack Review

How to Choose and Prepare for a Hiking Trip

Osprey Porter 30 Travel Backpack Review

The 14 Best Survival Kits of 2024

• WORK WITH GABBY
• PACKS LIGHT PRODUCTS
• GABBY RECOMMENDS…

How to Pack Light: Cure Your Chronic Overpacking and Travel Light

As my blog's name suggests, I am not one to lug heavy suitcases around during my travels.

Who has time to pack their entire wardrobe for every trip and risk paying insanely expensive checked bag fees, airlines losing your luggage , or breaking my hip trying to drag that thing around? Not me.

For example, I recently did a 3-week romp around Italy completely out of one backpack. Looking at my Instagram photos below, do I look like I compromised fashion for convenience?

Nope. And now you don't have to either, because I will share with you the mystical arts of packing light, packing efficiently, and packing cubes.

Only bring what you really, really need. Traveling light means leaving everything possible at home!

Well, how do you know what you'll actually need and what will end up dead weight in your bag? Here are some things to consider.

Questions to ask while you're packing for a trip:

Are you actually going to wear it.

You may want to pack that one extra item that you aren't sure you're going to wear but just in case the occasion arises you could… but  don't . More likely than not you end up not using it and lugging around dead weight in your bag.

Is the clothing item weather appropriate?

If the weather predicts your weekend will be warm and sunny, leave that raincoat. No “just in cases!”

Is that piece of clothes one of your favorites ?

If this is the hoodie you bring on every single trip, sure, pack it. But if you realize you haven't worn this in the past 6 months, what are the real chances you'll wear it on your trip? May want to leave it at home.

Is the piece heavy or bulky?

No point in taking up a lot of space or is going to have you struggling your entire trip. You may want to leave it behind, or actually wear it on the plane to save space in your bag.

Is it valuable/expensive? If you lose it will your life be over if you lose it?

If the answer is yes, you're better off leaving at home.

Is this worth taking up space that souvenirs could be in?

Weigh your options: more souvenirs, or those bulky clothes?

If it's clothing, is it a bright/unique pattern? Will it match the other clothes you're bringing?

No judgments on style or preference, but just know that 1) If you can only wear it once, it's a waste of a piece, and 2.) If it's too unique it will be obvious that you're wearing it in any photos you take.

Could you buy it there?

I think a pair of cheap $4 Target flip-flops can be left at home, especially if you're already tight on space.

Small items like shampoo and conditioner, sunscreen, flip-flops, and cheap hats can be bought at your location to save space, and potentially save you a hassle going through airport security.

If none of that seems to help: make a packing list

Your packing list should be the bare essentials that you'll need on your trip, starting with:

• two bottoms
• two pairs of underwear.

With that, you could wash and rewear those items in an emergency no matter where you go. If you go this route, stick to your packing list.

Maximize your space with packing cubes.

Once you know what you're going to pack, you might as well save as much space as possible by packing your clothes as tightly as possible, to maximize space.

The best way to do that is definitely packing cubes .

I use these cubes on every trip whether it's a weekend getaway or a month-long backpacking adventure. Not only do they save space, but they help me stay organized, separate my dirties and clean, and help me find what I'm looking for efficiently and without having to unpack and repack every time I need something.

These packing cubes absolutely saved my life in Italy! Being able to pull them individually out of my super-packed backpack and grab a shirt or a pair of socks without an explosion of clothes was a blessing.

Need help packing more efficiently? Download our PDF flow chart that will walk you through every packing session and tell you “go” or “no” to each item!

Find the best luggage for your trip. Embrace the carry-on life!

Another tip for packing light is making sure that the vessel that is carrying your things is ideal depending on your trip. On my Italy trip, I used my dad's old military backpack, almost identical to the one pictured except mine was camouflage print.

I would advise taking one like the one I've put here because depending on the place you're visiting, camouflage can be very attention-drawing, or even illegal ! Better to keep a low, yet functional profile.

A backpack was the best decision I made when preparing for my trip because Italy requires an immense amount of walking, walking on cobblestone, loading onto trains, and climbing hills for spectacular views.

My three friends who brought rolling suitcases were less than amused after just the second day (sorry girls, LOL.)

For my 3 weeks in Italy, I packed 6 shirts, 5 pairs of pants, two pairs of shoes, 8 pairs of underwear, 6 pairs of socks, three dresses, and a GoPro  into my backpack.

Rolling suitcases like the Polaris Hardside Metallic Spinner are probably better if you'll be staying in only a few different accommodations, or if you plan to have a home base and want to be able to unpack and have constant access to your clothes, as suitcases have easier access than a backpack.

However, the Tortuga Ovepacker Backpack is an awesome exception—I use mine whenever I travel carryon it's easy to carry, but the 35L pack has a 360 zip to fully open and efficiently pack.

Are you a chronic over-packer? Did this give you some actionable tips to cure your affliction? Let us know in the comments, and drop any other light packing tips you have.

Liked this? Check these out!

Are shampoo bars good for curly travelers i tried 5,..., what can women wear in dubai an expat’s guide on..., your next budget winter getaway for snow and hot springs:..., the best places in the world to work remotely (hint…ever..., 27 websites that help you find the cheapest flights available, what is a pto how to travel and study abroad....

Oh my goodness I need to learn a thing or two from you. There’s no way I thought I could possibly do a three week trip to anywhere with just a carry on. I’m going to have to try these tips because it would be so helpful if I didn’t travel with so much (and heavy) luggage!!

Oh my goodness I LOVE that infographic of yours! I’m often terrible with road trips because… well… I have the whole car. I’m going to use this though so I’m not so crazy with luggage when hitting the road!!

Nice post! Thanks for sharing!

Definitely helpful tips! Thanks!

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Gabby Beckford

Gabby is a multi-awardwinning creator. She is a full-time travel influencer, Gen Z travel marketing expert, and public speaker. You'll find her featured in the likes of Good Morning America, National Geographic, CNNTravel, Forbes, Travel+Leisure, and even the TEDx stage.

Tricky Landscape Challenge: Guess where each photo was taken!

Where to stay for cheap in tbilisi, georgia.

Becoming Minimalist

Own less. Live more.

A Helpful Guide to Packing Lightly

Written by guest · 46 Comments

Note: This is a guest post from Natalie Sisson,  Suitcase Entrepreneur .

Last updated: October 31, 2019

Learning how to pack light is an effective and highly desired art.

Much like travel, the more you do, the better you become at it. Until one day you wake up and feel like a pro as you whip out your perfectly packed, minimalist suitcase, at the ready, with the essentials you need.

My aim is to help you get to the point of minimalist travel, one essential item at a time, because if there’s one thing I’ve learned from traveling to 70 countries and being a Suitcase Entrepreneur for 6 years full-time— less is more .

If you’ve ever experienced lugging a giant suitcase behind you on a  sandy path to your island resort, or have stood in line at airport security watching  a customs officer unpack every single item that took you three hours to  squeeze into your bag, you’ll appreciate learning how to pack light and traveling as a minimalist.

There have been more than a few times where I’ve short-changed myself on time and had to pack in a rush to get to the airport.  What’s helpful is that I don’t have a ton of stuff to pack up when I leave a place. I’ve gotten used to living out of a suitcase and I have smart systems that I follow to make it much easier to organize my life.

4 Steps on How to Pack Light

• Getting Started
• Packing Your Suitcase
• Traveling with a Carry-On Only
• Your Essentials Pre-Flight Checklist

Step 1: Getting Started.

First, consider your destination—will it be summer or winter, humid or wet? This will make a huge difference in what you need to take.

I recommend getting your suitcase out and placing it open on your bed. Open your wardrobe and pull out what you’d like to take with you.

Once you’ve laid out what you want to take, get ruthless and remove any ‘extra’  items you’ve put in that you think you might need. Usually, this is the fifth dress, the  seventh t-shirt, or the extra pair of shoes or shorts.

If you’re not good at this, bring in some help. Ask your friends, family, your  partner, or someone else who will say “no”, even when you put up a fight: “Do you really think I’m going to need or wear this?”

At this stage, keep in mind that you will end up wearing your same favorite outfits over and over again, much like you do in everyday life. This is an important key to learning how to pack light.

Repeat this step one or two times always looking for ‘extras’ that have made their way into your piles. Trust me, you’ll be amazed at what you really don’t need to pack when you practice minimalist travel.

Step 2: Packing Your Suitcase.

I have loads of tips I’ve learned over the years and I’ve included the best of them in my book, The Suitcase Entrepreneur: Create Freedom In Business and Adventure in Life .

I dive deeper into not only what to pack, but the benefits of minimalism , what happens after you arrive at a destination, and the best ways to acclimate to your new environment.

For now, though, let’s concentrate on some simple rules that will make your minimalist packing experience that much easier.

• Take one outfit that you can wear in a casual situation, one for business attire (if your trip isn’t purely for pleasure), one that makes you feel pretty, sexy, or handsome, and one that’s comfy for traveling.
• Make sure you can throw all these items together in a washing machine without any drama.
• Choose fabrics that don’t need to be ironed—that you can roll up in your suitcase and will stay relatively crease-free.
• Linen and rayon are not your travel friends. Wool (and knit fabrics in general) and synthetics work great.
• Use travel size containers for skincare, creams, and gels. Or buy travel size kits at the airport or pharmacy. This reduces weight and space dramatically.

As you pack your suitcase or bag of choice, ask yourself the following question: Do I have room to buy stuff and fit more things in while traveling or is it crammed to the brim already?

If you have no space and it’s really heavy, take it all out and eliminate more items. You rarely wear everything you take with you and if you do need anything else, you can almost always buy it in the destination you’re going to.

A few exceptions here:

• Quality shoes. Especially if you have a very small or large foot.
• Sunscreen. Oddly this is one item that can be really expensive even in poorer countries, and the types of spectrum and quality are often limited.
• Medical supplies. Bring your medicines with you in case you can’t get a prescription, as well as contact lens solutions and a basic first aid kit never goes amiss.
• Electronic supplies. Cords and cables for your specialist equipment if they can’t be easily replaced.
• A dry bag.  Useful for putting in the electronics or other valuables, and doubling as a small day bag on trips when you don’t want your items to get wet.

Step 3: Traveling with a Carry-On  O nly.

If you’re going away for a short period of time, from a few days to a few weeks, you definitely want to consider a carry-on only.

There is nothing better than arriving at the airport knowing you don’t need to check in your luggage or spend ages waiting for it at the luggage carousel at your destination.

It’s also incredibly freeing to travel light and know you can pick it up and take it with you anywhere, with a baggage weight that’s completely manageable and doesn’t leave you in a sweat if you have to lift it a lot or are in a rush.

For most of my travels, I had a check-in bag simply because my suitcase was my home, but when I traveled through Asia and South America for 6-8 weeks, I happily used a carry-on bag only.

If this seems unbelievable to you, here are my key minimalist travel tips (a few are gender-specific) to help you learn how to travel in a carry-on bag only:

• Don’t skimp on your choice of luggage. Rimowa and Samsonite, in my opinion, are the best. Yes, they’re expensive but they also weigh next to nothing, versus cheaper bags that already have added 6kg to your weight before you’ve even put anything in them.
• Choose a soft bag or super flexible materials with wheels. They will be lighter, more flexible, and easier to fit in the overhead locker on the plane, train, or bus.
• Bags with expandable sections are fantastic if you’re traveling light to your destination but planning to come back with some gifts.
• Bags with a separate compartment to stow your electronics for easy access are great at security and saving you time.
• Forget being fashionable and wear your walking, running, or hiking shoes on the plane. They’re not only super comfortable (especially when your feet swell up on long flights), but they’re also the bulkiest and often heaviest items. Take one pair of dressy shoes (yes ONE), one pair of sandals you can dress up or down, and one flip flops/ jandals for the beach and beyond.
• Make lightweight and economical choices.  If you’re heading to colder climates, it’s all about layering—lots of light layers to stay warm and dry, without adding bulk weight to your suitcase or bag.
• You never want to run out of clean underwear , so wash them in the shower at night with travel size soap paper (it lathers up but isn’t a liquid) and hang up to dry.
• If your suitcase doesn’t have a compartment for underwear, buy a small mesh bag or use your dry bag to put them. It’s way easier to find them all in one place.
• Roll clothes rather than pack them flat as they take up less space and don’t come out as creased.
• Don’t take physical books with you.  Download your favorite ones to a Kindle and read to your heart’s content.

Step 4: Your Essentials Pre-Flight Checklist

Now that you have a better idea of what you’re going to pack, it’s a good idea to get a few things in order and prepare the basics.

The only thing you really need is your passport and wallet and you can go anywhere. But for some people, that’s just too little.

Consider the following before you travel:

• What Visa requirements will you need and how far in advance should you apply for one?
• Do you need to get a series of vaccinations before you head into the jungle or off into the outback?
• Is the time of year you’re considering going a monsoon season or will it be sweltering hot in your chosen destination?
• What are the basic costs of living there, and does that fit within your budget?

If you could only take the bare minimum, then these are the essentials you’d want to pack:

• Passport and Visas
• Vaccinations, medications
• Health and/or travel insurance
• Local currency, extra cash, and credit card(s)
• Copies of all important documents (online and paper)

At the end of the day, the whole reason for your travel is the experiences you will have and the memories that will last a lifetime. Packing lighter and traveling like a minimalist will make that happen more often.

To find even more tips and ideas about minimalist travel and packing lightly, check out Natalie Sisson .

March 9, 2021 at 3:14 AM

siashmed provide healthcare product to its customer. and get 20% off at every order.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

ONE MILLION READERS CAN’T BE WRONG

Sign up to receive these posts delivered directly to your inbox for free.

Copyright © 2024 Joshua Becker · Design by Brian Gardner · Archives · Search

• EXPLORE Random Article

How to Travel Light

Last Updated: September 27, 2023 References

This article was co-authored by Angela Rice and by wikiHow staff writer, Kyle Hall . Angela Rice is a Luxury Travel Specialist and Co-Founder of Boutique Travel Advisors, a luxury travel advising business in Phoenix, Arizona. Angela specializes in consulting and curating highly customized and unique travel itineraries for clients seeking luxury, group, and multi-generational family travel. Angela studied at Arizona State University and The University of Iowa Tippie College of Business. She has prior consulting experience in accounting and business, which helps her run her business behind the scenes. Angela has been featured in The Washington Post, Reader's Digest, Travel Weekly, USA Today, Travel Market Report, Phoenix Magazine, and MSN. She is also a frequent guest on WBBM News Radio 105.9 FM's Travel Tuesday show. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 174,077 times.

Packing for a trip should be about getting together the essentials, not filling up a suitcase with your whole wardrobe. Too much baggage will weigh you down during your travels, and it can be expensive if you're traveling by plane. Fortunately, traveling heavy is completely avoidable. By downsizing your luggage, packing more efficiently, and being selective with your clothes, you can travel light on your trip.

Downsizing Your Luggage

• Don’t spread your travel belongings out across multiple bags if it’s not necessary. One full suitcase will be easier to travel with than two half-full suitcases.
• If you’re flying to your destination, try to fit all your belongings in a carry-on size bag. It will be easier to get on and off the plane, and you won’t have to pay to check a bag.

Packing Efficiently

• If you can’t find a travel-size option for something, buy a small, refillable travel bottle and fill it with the product you want to take with you. [7] X Research source

Downsizing Your Travel Wardrobe

• If the weather is calling for rain, pack an unopened rain poncho instead of a bulky rain jacket. It will take up less space in your bag.
• If you're traveling somewhere cold, pack clothes you can layer up with instead of a heavy winter coat to save space in your bag.

• For men, basic button-up shirts in neutral shades are a versatile item that will go well with anything.
• For women, pack a simple black dress that you can dress up or down depending on the occasion. A blazer is also a great choice that you can wear casually or in a more formal setting.

• If you’re going somewhere warm, particularly the beach, pack flip flops or sandals instead of sneakers. They take up half the space and your feet will be more comfortable in the heat.

• To save even more room in your bag, skip packing laundry detergent and buy some when you arrive at your destination. If there’s nowhere to buy detergent, wash your clothes with liquid dish soap instead. [11] X Research source
• Pack a stain remover pen in your bag. It won’t take up much room, and it will be more convenient than washing your clothes. [12] X Research source

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ Angela Rice. Travel Specialist. Expert Interview. 18 September 2020.
• ↑ https://www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-tips-and-articles/how-to-pack-light-tips-from-a-master-packer/40625c8c-8a11-5710-a052-1479d2766ce0
• ↑ https://www.skyscanner.net/news/15-best-ever-packing-tips
• ↑ https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/advice/2012/12/12/10-packing-tips-every-traveler-should-know/1764207/
• ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/us-news-travel/how-to-pack-light-9-tips_b_3354703.html
• ↑ http://travelfashiongirl.com/5-tips-to-travel-size-toiletries-for-minimalist-travelistas/
• ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/pack-it-all-in--without-overstuffing-or-suffering/2015/08/06/794de9d6-3566-11e5-adf6-7227f3b7b338_story.html

About this article

To travel light, pack versatile items that will go well with anything, like simple outfits that can be dressed up or down depending on accessories or shoes. Additionally, limit yourself to 1 pair of casual walking shoes and 1 pair of nicer shoes since they’re bulky items. You can also use travel-sized toiletries or buy small tubes of toothpaste and shampoo once you arrive at your destination. To learn how to downsize your luggage, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

Reader Success Stories

Mar 12, 2019

Did this article help you?

• About wikiHow
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

15 Best tips to packing light: How to travel light

Wondering how to travel light? Check out these practical tips to packing light that will save time, money, and from chaotic experiences while traveling.

When I had just started traveling, I had a different definition of packing light. For my trip to Egypt that was going to last for 10 days, I packed items that a light packer could use for like 2 months.

The more I traveled, the more I learned how to pack light. I’ll admit I still pack a few things that I consider essential but others might not need but I’ve generally improved my packing techniques that I can now call myself a light packer.

Yeah, my friends can testify to that, because when we travel together for a couple of days, they are always suffering with their huge backpacks as I am just rolling with a small travel daypack (you can actually shop my favorite daypack from here ) and they wonder how I have everything I need.

But before we look at the tips to packing light, let’s look at some of the endless advantages of packing light for travel.

Advantages of packing light for travel

Other than just carrying a lightweight travel backpack, packing light comes with a lot of benefits that shouldn’t be overlooked.

• It is easy to use public transportation when you travel light. Instead of hiring a private taxi to accommodate your 5 suitcases, if you have just one suitcase or backpack, you can easily sit with it while using public transportation.
• There are minimal to zero chances of paying for extra baggage when you pack light. Actually, you’re less likely to exceed the required kgs of the airline if you pack light hence saving some money.
•  Fewer chances of losing your stuff. When you travel with so many things, you’re likely to forget somethings to wherever you travel to. But if you packed light, it would be easy to remember everything you packed in the first place so the chances of losing some of your stuff are less likely.
•  If you’re traveling by plane, packing light will help you spend less time at the airport during check-in. I mean whoever wants to spend unnecessary time at the airport check-in point because you carried so many things including some that you don’t need. Yes, you don’t need a lot of stuff, you just haven’t realized it yet.
•  Not giving a huge tip out of guilt to someone who helped you carry an overly heavy bag.

I could spend the entire day telling you why you should start packing and traveling light but since you came to this post to find out how to actually pack light, let’s get to it.

Related post: Best airport tips and tricks to make your travels easier

Tips to packing light

1. Use a lightweight travel backpack

The number one tip to packing light is to actually use a light travel backpack. There will be no point in packing light if the backpack you’re using is heavy itself.

The lightweight travel back I recommend is the Osprey backpack. You can buy it from here if you don’t have it yet

2. Use one sizeable backpack/ suitcase instead of many

Using one sizeable backpack for travel will help you pack light instead of using many small bags.

And by all means, if you get a big backpack, no question about that, you will fill it up. But since the ultimate goal is to pack light, get one sizeable backpack that will just fit all that you need.

This is commonly known as one bag travel and it is great when it comes to traveling light.

3. Pack only the necessities not what you might need.

Instead of packing all the unnecessary stuff, make some research about what you’ll need in that particular place.

There is so much information on the internet, so many packing lists for almost every country and city. Read them so that you know exactly what to pack.

If you’re planning to travel to Africa, here is a list of everything you’ll need before you go for your African safari or this Egypt packing list if you’re going to Egypt.

But if you’re just packing for a hostel stay, this packing list for a hostel , has everything you need to pack and what you should leave home before you go.

And if you’re traveling for 2 weeks, here is another post on how to pack for 2 weeks in just a carry-on.

But if you’re just going away for a weekend trip, here is the best packing list for a weekend getaway to help you pack only the essentials.

Related post:  Camping tips and hacks for beginners 

4. Use packing cubes.

This is by far one of the best smart packing tips and also the most efficient way to pack light for a trip. 

Using packing cubes will not only keep your backpack organized but will also help you dictate how and what to pack.

If you get yourself these packing cubes; they come in 4 pieces, which means everything you pack should be able to fit in the 4 packing cubes.

The best packing technique here would be to allocate each category of items to a specific packing cube.

For example, one for t-shirts/tops, one for bottoms and underwear and others like that.

Don’t forget to shop those amazing packing cubes from here . Alternatively, you can buy this set of 8 packing cubes.

5. Take advantage of the travel scales

There is no way you will know that you’ve packed light unless you actually know how much your luggage weighs.

So instead of waiting to reach the airport and find out how many kgs your luggage weighs (in which case it might be too late and you’ll need to pay for extra baggage), why not use a travel scale to find out.

You don’t have to buy the most expensive travel scale on the market, buy this relatively cheap travel scale and it will just do fine.

The other technique while packing for a trip would be to dictate the maximum weight your luggage should be.

As soon as the maximum weight is reached, that should be the end of your packing.

Or try to remove the unnecessary items you might have packed first to create room for the much-needed stuff.

This will help you pack light and eventually travel light on your highly anticipated trip.

Related post: Best tips for traveling on a budget

6. Don’t pack bulky items if there is a compressible substitute

We all know there are some essential travel items that can turn out to be bulky, so instead of opting for the bulky ones, why not go for the compressible options.

The best example here is an empty bottle- it is a travel essential item that you should carry but instead of packing this bulky water botter , why not buy this collapsible one that will save you plenty of space in your travel bag.

However, as you pack light, it doesn’t mean leaving behind the essential travel essentials. So here are some of the travel essentials you should pack.

Travel Essentials you should never leave home. –  A universal travel adapter : Since different countries use different adapters, I’d advise you to buy one universal travel adapter to cater for all regions. You can  buy one from here  if you don’t have it yet. –  A power Bank : One of the things you should never leave behind while traveling is the Powerbank! Phones have now become a great deal of our lives that we need to use them for so many important things. So take a power bank with you so that you don’t run out of battery.  This power bank   is small, light, and has the capability to charge your phone and other devices multiple times. – Microfibre travel towel – I always opt for  this microfibre travel towel  because it is super lightweight, easy to wash, and dries easily. –  First Aid kit : Regardless of where you’re traveling to, you’ll need to pack a First Aid kit for emergencies that might arise while traveling. Remember it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Just make sure that the one you pack has all the essentials and that it is small and light enough to fit in any kind of suitcase/ backpack.  This first aid kit   actually fits all the qualities mentioned above plus it is really cheap for what it offers. –  Collapsible water bottle : I always prefer carrying a water bottle while traveling so that I can just refill it when I run out of water. It also helps be a responsible traveler since you won’t have to use tones of disposable plastic bottles which are not great for our environment. Any water bottle can work but I prefer  this collapsible one  as it doesn’t take a lot of space in my bag.

7. Do not pack a hundred books to read while you travel.

If you’re all about reading while you travel, buying an E-reader will save tonnes of space in your backpack.

Books are heavy and take up a great deal of space yet you can still have your favorite books on an e-reader like an Amazon Kindle.

Save all that space and travel light by shopping an  Amazon Kindle from here .

8. Pack fewer shoes! 3 types of shoes should be enough.

Shoes are items that take up most of the space in a backpack and on top of that, they are heavy making the entire backpack heavier than it should be.

On my very first trip, I packed over 5 pairs of shoes (Yes I was a terrible packer and I still wonder why I carried all those shoes that I ended up not even wearing).

Now that I know better, I carry only 3 pairs and they are always enough and much needed.

I pack my favorite Nike sneakers for general traveling and trekking (they are also the ones I wear while flying so that they don’t take up any space in my backpack).

I pack these flip flops for just an evening when I am tired of the sneakers and want my feet to get some air.

Finally, I also pack showering slippers, I only pack them when I know that I will be sleeping at a hostel because I know they don’t provide any.

But if I am to stay at a hotel, I don’t bother packing them because in most cases, the hotels provide slippers and even if they don’t, I will most likely have a private shower so that shouldn’t be a problem.

But if you don’t have sandals, I recommend buying yourself a pair of from here .

Related post: Tips for staying in a hostel for the first time

9. Don’t pack your most heavy clothes, wear them instead

This is one of the most underlooked packing tips for traveling light that you should take into consideration.

Rather than packing the fancy heavy jacket that you insisted on taking, why not wear it on your flight.

To be honest, you might sweat a bit while at the airport, but as soon as you reach the plane, you won’t even realize it since the temperatures are much cooler inside.

This will leave you plenty of space in your travel bag for other essential items.

Related post:  Step by step guide to planning a trip

10. Pack clothes that can be recycled.

Yes, there is something called “recycling clothes” if you haven’t heard about it.

Instead of packing white jeans that you wear once and they get dirty immediately, why not carry these outdoor convertible pants , that you can wear even up to 3 times in a row and will still look ok (they can as well be converted into shorts btw).

If you’re a cleanliness junkie, you can still carry these exact pants but give them a space of 1 to 2 days without wearing them.

This means 2 or 3 of those pants will be enough for you, leaving you plenty of space in your suitcase/backpack. Shop the outdoor research pants on Amazon from here. 

11. Carry a microfibre travel towel instead of the normal cotton towel.

Microfibre travel towels are lightweight and weigh 10 times less than the ordinary cotton towels.

They not only dry fast when washed but are also lightweight – this will save you a great deal of space in your bag hence traveling light. This is the microfibre travel towel I recommend to pack instead of the “ordinary ones”

12. Pack light clothes that can easily be washed from anywhere.

While traveling, you’re likely to run out of clean clothes. So instead of carrying so many clothes because you don’t want to do laundry, why not carry clothes that can easily be washed and dry easily.

If you stay at hostels or travel in African countries, you’re likely to get laundry services at a really low price but if you choose to stay in a pricey hotel where laundry services literally cost an arm, you’re most likely better off doing your own laundry and that’s when packing easy to wash clothes can be to your advantage.

Related post:  Road trips games for adults

13. Cut down on the toiletries.

I agree toiletries are some of the essential things to pack while traveling but this doesn’t mean that you need all of them.

This is most common in women – we tend to overpack toiletries. So to make sure you just carry only the essential toiletries, why not buy a toiletries kit from here with everything you’ll need while traveling or get this sizeable TSA approved toilet bag to keep in your toiletries.

14. Cut down on the beauty cosmetics and accessories.

Who doesn’t want to take Instagram perfect photos with accessories to amplify the look while traveling?

With that, you might just end up taking your full makeup kit, the entire jewelry box, your mega nail polish box just to glam up while you travel.

But the amount of space they take up in your travel bag can be filled up with items you’ll actually need. So instead, pack a few cosmetics and accessories from each category.

15. Prepare your mind to be comfortable with less

If you’re used to having access to literally everything you need at a snap of your fingers, packing light starts with preparing your mind to be comfortable even when you don’t have everything you’re used too back at home.

If you learn that you won’t need all the designer bags and shoes you own to have an amazing trip, you’ll not pack them and this will eventually result in packing light.

If you use all these travel packing tips and tricks, you will be able to travel light for your upcoming trip.

More travel tips to help you plan your trip

• Things to do at the airport on a long layover
• Useful travel tips for first-time flyers
• Must-know tips for first-time flyers
• How to survive a long flight in economy
• Things to do before traveling abroad
• Things not to do when you travel
• Best backpacking tips for beginners
• Best hiking tips for beginners

* The adventurous feet is a proud member of the  Amazon Associate AND other affiliate programs. This means that if you purchase anything through this website, i might get a small commission without any additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting The adventurous feet*

Was this post helpful? Please pin it:

Similar Posts

A weekend trip packing list: What to pack for a weekend trip

Wondering what to pack for a weekend trip? This weekend trip packing list will guide you on things to pack to have an amazing weekend getaway. Weekend getaways are the best kinds of trips. After a jam-packed week with loads of work, appointments, assignments, and sometimes reports, it’s that time of the week to reward yourself…

Must have free travel Apps that do not need WiFi

With everything digitalized nowadays, it becomes somewhat hard to travel without the internet. Whether you’re travelling to a remote area, or you just don’t want to sacrifice an arm or leg for the roaming charges on the internet, you still need to be connected to the world. But how is one supposed to have an…

Is Traveling A Hobby? Here Are The Answers You Might Be Looking For

Is traveling a hobby? If you’ve been asking yourself this question, then you’re in the right place! I’ll share with you various arguments to help you answer that question! A few weeks ago I had a heated discussion with a group of friends on whether traveling is a hobby or not! It all stemmed from…

22 Airport tips and hacks that will make your travels easier

Want to navigate the airport like a pro? Here are the extremely important airport tips and hacks that will make your travels easier. Traveling is fun, and the rush of going through airports is amazing – at least for me but can also be exhausting for many. I actually always look forward to reaching the…

10 Best things to do at the Airport during a Long Layover

Looking for what to do during a layover? This post will give you ideas on how to stay occupied and entertained as you wait for your next flight If you’re like me who’s always looking for cheap flights, you know that it’s inevitable to avoid those long airport layovers. Whether you couldn’t find a direct…

40 Useful tips for first-time travelers

If you’re traveling for the first time, there is no doubt you have a lot of questions. Wondering how it’s going to be like, what you need to know, how to behave and generally what to expect on your trip. I’ve been there, in fact, everyone has been there! And having made my share of…

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Packing Light; 24 Expert Tips to Travel Light (From a Fellow Traveler)

I was never any good at packing light.

My husband used to say if I packed it I’d have to carry it, and so after a couple of trips where I’d take way more than I needed and didn’t wear/use half of it, I started to pack less and less.

It was only after backpacking across India with my sister in 2019 however, did I learn the true art of packing light.

We took only one carry-on bag each, weighing 7kg for a 3 week trip from Nepal, through India and on to the Maldives.

Something about packing light for that trip and being able to travel light across a huge country like India, taking my bag on and off planes, and avoiding the long waits at the airport baggage claim was truly liberating!

Plus I realized we really don’t need as much as we think we do and it’s just about being savvy, exploring all options for how to travel light and using the best travel gear available to minimize how much we pack.

These days there are so many fantastic gadgets, tools, alternatives and tech gear to help us pack lighter.

So let’s get cracking, here are my top tips for packing light;

Table of Contents

19 Tips & Hacks for Packing Light

1. make a packing list.

Much like going to the supermarket, you’ll be far more efficient if you make a list of absolute necessities first.

Here’s an example of my packing list which rarely weighs more than 7KG;

• Swimming costume or bikini / Light Beach dress
• 2 x pairs of shorts / 2 x light summer skirts / 3 x t-shirts
• 1 x ‘going out’ dress
• 2 x night shorts & tee
• 14 x underwear (I always take a lot as I hate washing underwear in hotel sinks)
• 1 skin color plunge bra (can wear under black or white, and with posh dress or t-shirts)
• 1 x flip flops or thongs or sandals (depending where you’re from in the world)
• 1 x trainers / sneakers (which I generally wear when traveling from place to place or hang off the back of my bag
• 3 x trainer socks / 1 x leggings / 1 x light cardigan
• Travel size all in one Shampoo/Conditioner (sacrilege to some women, but hey I want to travel light) / Travel size shower gel
• Mascara / Bronzer
• Makeup wipes
• Small battery powered toothbrush / 50ml toothpaste
• Travel size sun lotion / 50SPF lip balm
• Hairbrush / Hair scrunchies
• Travel size body moisturiser / Deodorant
• Antihistamines / Paracetamol / Ibuprofen
• Tiger Balm / Plasters
• Ear Plugs / Face mask /
• Mask / Hand Sanitizer
• Adapter / Phone/ Kindle/ Computer & Fitbit chargers
• Phone – iPhone / Computer – Macbook 12” Notebook

Useful Extras

• Ziplock bags & spare plastic bag – for anything and everything!
• Travel Bags – for separating tops/shorts/underwear etc, and also great for laundry
• Combination padlock

My husbands bag usually weighs less than mine and he takes;

• 2 x shorts (Both double as swim shorts) / 2 x tees
• 7 x socks / 7 x boxers
• 1 x ‘going out’ shorts & tee
• 1 x croc flip flops / 1 x trainers/sneakers
• Travel size shampoo / 1 x razor / Deodorant / Toothbrush
• Phone / Kindle / Computer

Write down details about your trip and make a list of what you’ll need for each activity. Then work out how you can make some of your clothes dual purpose (shorts can be swim shorts for example) and lay everything you think you need out on your bed.

If it’s still too much, be strict! Do you really need that extra tee?

2. Choose a light bag

A big mistake many travelers make is by choosing a heavy suitcase or backpack.

Sure it would be great to get that back that doubles as a backpack and wheely case, but remember if you’re going carry on bags, every extra feature weighs a little more and means less stuff in your pack.

Pick a backpack or suitcase that’s ideally under 2kg (2.2lb) and around 40L capacity to fit everything neatly inside.

I personally use either my Firetrap backpack which unzips like a suitcase or the Matein gray backpack , which is sturdy, water resistant, comfortable to wear and has lots of pockets and storage areas, so I can organize my packing super efficiently!

Another recommended bag is the Fendong 40L lightweight backpack .

If you’d prefer a suitcase with wheels, your best bet is the 21 inch Travelpro Maxlite expandable case . Weighing in at 5.4lbs (2.5kg), you’ll need to be more efficient with what you pack, but if you want the luxury of wheeling rather than carrying, this case is one of the lightest around.

3. Use packing cubes/bags

Packing cubes or bags are to help you organize your clothes more efficiently.

Just because you’re packing in smaller bags, does not mean your luggage is lighter! Compression merely means smaller. I know that sounds obvious but some of the marketing language on these products can be a little misleading.

You also don’t need to pay through the nose for fancy packing bags. On my recent 3 week trip across Europe and then Dubai, I used these bags which only cost $7.99 and did a fantastic job of helping me to separate tops, shorts, underwear, dirty clothes etc.

If you’re looking for more colorful bags, I recommend this 8 cube set in multiple colors.

4. Roll, don’t fold

Rolling your clothes doesn’t necessarily save space. Your clothes will take as much space as your clothes will take, whether you roll, fold or throw in!

However, to keep your clothes crease free and to be able to maximize bag space without leaving lots of gaps, your best bet is to pack clothes by rolling them rather than folding.

I had a dress I wanted to wear in Dubai that I carried with me through Europe for 19 days rolled up in the bottom of my backpack. When I pulled it out, there was hardly a crease to be seen!

5. Take minimal toiletries in small containers

I don’t know about you, but my toiletries are always what weighs the most!

Once I’ve included my favorite body spray, shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, deodorant, contact lens solution, electric toothbrush, etc, etc!

So it’s time to get strict! Almost everything you want to take can be bought along the road. Even countries in far out places will sell basic essentials and any personal item you may need these days.

Stop being a hair product snob and buy a two in one shampoo/conditioner, then transfer it to a small bottle. Take a small travel size shower gel. Leave the electric toothbrush and charger at home and buy a cheap disposable battery powered toothbrush. Ladies, wear less makeup!

Here’s what’s in my toiletry bag;

• Travel size all in one Shampoo/Conditioner / Travel size shower gel

Here is the best invention ever for those of us who like to smell nice – portable mini refillable perfume atomizers ! Easily fill with your fave perfumes and throw in your bag!

Also I regularly buy packs of travel bottles to take a variety of liquids in handy, safe for carry on, containers.

6. Only pack for a week to 10 days

No matter how long you’re going to be traveling for, the secret is to only pack for 7 – 10 days.

Take a small wash powder for washing essentials in a sink when you need to and be prepared to head to a launderette on route.

On my recent trip across Europe, my sister & I found a launderette in Venice and sat at a cafe opposite drinking wine while our clothes washed and dried. Then again in Luxembourg, where I sat in a cafe next door drinking a hot, sweet macchiato latte!

Who said washing couldn’t be fun!

7. Use a luggage scale

If you’re determined to take only hand luggage, a luggage scale is essential.

You’ll want to be sure your carry on size bag is no more than 7kg or 12kg, depending on your airline limits.

I’ve used a multitude of scales over the years for carry on and some seriously heavy bags (before I worked out how to pack light!)

It may sound silly, but it’s important to use scales which fit well in your hand and are designed to help you lift your luggage easily while being able to read the weight!

One set of scales I had, you had to be a contortionist to be able to lift a 20kg bag and see the weight on the side of the scale!

Here are the luggage scales I use and recommend . Easy to lift and easy to see the weight. Plus super lightweight themselves if you plan on doing some shopping while overseas and need to take them with you!

8. Take dryer sheets to keep everything smelling nice

Inevitably you will have to wear the same clothes several times between washes. A great way to keep your clothes smelling nice is to add in the sheets generally used for tumble dryer washes.

This keeps your clothes, bag and shoes (stuff them inside the shoe), smelling fresh and lovely!

9. Ladies! Take a skin color bra for all color clothes.

I used to pack a black bra and a white bra to cater for different color clothes. I would even take a separate plunge bra for lower cut dresses and tops.

Nowadays, a skin colored plunge bar caters for all occasions & outfits!

I also take a super light skin colored non wired t-shirt bra , which folds up to almost nothing for slouchy or low exercise days.

10. Fold underwear into a small cuff shape

A great way to save space and take as much underwear as possible, is to fold your underwear up into a small cuff like shape. This works for womens knickers/panties & mens briefs/boxers.

Simply lay your underwear flat facing up. Fold the sides into the middle, left to middle right to middle. Then starting at the bottom, roll the underwear up and tuck into the waistband.

It takes some practice, but the end result is a tight small oblong shape that can be neatly added to a packing bag or cube.

11. Use the same moisturizer for body & face

One for the ladies, if you apply moisturizer daily use the same one for your face and body.

Clearly if you tend to use ridiculously expensive face cream, this isn’t a tip for you. However, to save space and weight this is a great hack and these days there are some fantastic products which will work just as well no matter where you apply them!

12. Wear trainers, pack sandals

I spend my life in flip flops (thongs/sandals) or trainers/sneakers.

For big walk days I’ll want to wear my trainers. For more relaxed days I’ll want to wear my flip flops.

When traveling from place to place, always wear your heaviest shoes and pack your lightest!

13. Use clothes for dual purpose

On a hike last week, my good friend rocked up in some awesome hiking trousers which doubled as shorts. All she had to do was to unzip the trouser just above the knee and hey presto, shorts!

You can use your clothes for multiple purposes if you’re clever.

• Shorts can double as swim shorts.
• A sports bra can double as a bikini top.
• A sarong can be used as a skirt, a cardigan/throw or a makeshift towel.
• A day t-shirt can easily be made into an evening shirt with a necklace and belt.

As you pack, ask yourself how you might be able to use an item of clothing for a second or third purpose, rather than taking something extra.

14. Quick Drying Clothes

Ditch the jeans my friend! Not only are they heavy, bulky and actually not that comfortable to travel in, they’ll also take hours to dry if you’re caught in a rainstorm!

Your goal is to take lightweight clothes that dry fast. This helps when out and about and if you have to do a quick wash in a hotel bathroom.

15. Take a lightweight fast drying towel (optional)

To be honest this is an optional item.

Most hotels and hostels will provide small shower towels, so if you’re desperate and need a towel for the beach you can usually grab one of theirs, albeit it might be very small!

However, if you’d prefer to have your own towel on hand, something light and quick dry is preferable!

Microfibre is the way to go and here’s the towel I recommend .

16. Take a jewelry organizer (optional)

To be honest I don’t wear a lot of jewelry, and if you’re the same, then don’t even bother.

However, every now and again a nice necklace or dangly earrings adds to a plain t-shirt and turns it into evening wear!

Depending on the type of trip I’m taking sometimes I will opt to take some extra necklaces and jewelry with me, however simply throwing a necklace into a toiletry bag generally means half an hour of trying to untangle it at the other end!

A jewelry organizer is a game changer!

Here’s the one I use – Becko Jewelry Organizer – small, lightweight, stores 6 – 8 necklaces, loads of earrings, rings and bracelets, it’s easy to slip into your backpack and ensures your necklaces don’t get all tangled up.

17. Post souvenirs home

Looking to do some shopping while abroad? Consider sending souvenirs home rather than lugging them around with you.

Many shops will package up bulky items and happily send them for you, at a cost of course!

18. Take a small foldable rucksack for days out

Even as a digital nomad or long term traveler, you’ll likely be staying at a hotel or hostel, leaving your main backpack and heading out exploring for the day.

At the very least you’ll want to head out for dinner without having to take your luggage with you.

I recommend a small foldable rucksack or small bag, you can put your essentials in, such as a purse or wallet and phone, your water bottle and of course your passports or valuables you don’t want to leave anywhere.

When you’re ready to travel again, you simply fold it back up and slip it into your main backpack until the next time you need it!

19. Take a tech kit

Being a digital nomad, I always take a tech kit containing my charger cables, power bank, my adapter, extra camera battery etc.

This is the handy pouch I use to organize all my cables etc.

And this is the excellent universal adapter I use, which covers every country you can think of and includes USB ports and a USB type C port.

5 More Tips for Packing Light for the Cold!

So what happens if you’re going to a cold country, but still want to travel light?

Here’s some tips and tricks for packing light for the cold.

• Take leggings instead of jeans. Men take Chinos instead of jeans
• Wear leggings under light walking trousers
• Wear your heavy stuff like your main jumper & coat & pack your lighter clothes
• Layer clothes with multiple thin layers
• Pack light thermals !

Tips for Packing Light Summary

As you can see there are so many ways to make packing light easier and more efficient.

Even if you want to take checked baggage as opposed to carry on, packing light means less risk of excess baggage fees, less creased clothes, less space used in your hotel wardrobe, less washing and more flexibility if you want to explore different areas of the country you’re visiting.

For digital nomads or long term travelers packing light is a skill which must be mastered!

As silly as this may sound it’s also a liberating experience to travel more minimally, focusing only on the essentials.

I hope this article has given you some great ideas to pack light for your next world expedition. Happy packing!

Disclaimer: Please note this post may contain affiliate links, from which, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. Also as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products and services I’ve used or would use myself. If you choose to purchase from any of my links, thanks so much for your support! 😊

10 Best Travel Journals to Inspire Your Wanderlust

10 best travel journal apps to organize your travel memories.