How to Pack Light

There is an old phrase among travelers that you should pack half as much stuff but bring double the money. After traveling around the world twice, I couldn’t agree with that statement more. Don't take a lot of stuff on your next vacation. Packing light helps you avoid fees on airlines, saves space, and gives you less stuff to carry, and allows you more freedom.
It is often said that the stuff we own, ends up owning us. When we travel, we plan for everything. People usually take a lot of clothes when they travel. So we leave for a two week holiday with a suitcase filled with half our wardrobe.  However, the secret to travel is packing light.  We often go on vacation and only end up using half of what we bring, regretting we brought so much in the first place.

When I travel, all of my belongings fit into a tiny daypack and a larger backpack or duffel bag. I have traveled for over a year without ever needing anything more. In fact, I often found I brought too much!! I am shocked when I see how much people pack for a trip and how much they don't use. They ask me my secret to packing light. I’ll tell you what I tell them.

Here’s how to pack light and how you can too:

First, create of list of everything you think you might need. Everything and anything. From clothes, to toiletries, to electronics, to jackets, and everything in between.  This packing list usually ends up pretty long. But that’s ok, we’ll get it down quickly.

Next, look at your list and think about it in relation to your destination. If you are going to the beach, do you really need pants or jeans? If you are going to Paris in the summer, do you really need to pack long sleeve shirts?

After that, you should have cut your packing list down by a bit by eliminating those items that don’t really have anything to do with your destination.  Now, let’s take a look at your toiletry list. Why are you packing so much? In this cautious age, people tend to pack every medicine known to man. Let’s be realistic- do you ever use them? Can’t you buy them there? Go minimal. If you do get sick, you can always by Tylenol or diyarear medicine there. Take the bare essentials. A few pills that take up only a little space- you don’t need the whole box.

What about the non-medical supplies your packing? Soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, razor, and shaving cream is all you need. If you are in a hotel, they will give you shampoo and soap. You’re going on holiday, not to a corporate function so ditch the cosmetics and facial products.

Now, think about your packing list. You can buy items while you are away if you need too? Probably lots. Get rid of the bug spray, the suntan lotion, and whatever else you are packing. You aren't allowed to bring them on the airplane.

Ok, let’s step on the road to packing light. We’ve probably cut out half of your list now.  The final step is to just cut out another half. You are holiday, relaxing. Stuff doesn’t get that dirty and you can wear the same shorts a few days in a row. Ditch the towel- just use the one from the hotel. Take half as many clothes. Wear clothes longer than normal! You never wear everything you take and unless you slip something or sweat through your shirt, you can wear it for more than one day.

That’s it. That is the secret to packing light. Cutting, cutting, and cutting until you get to the essential items you need to pack. If you follow my advice, I guarantee you will be packing light and make the whole packing process much easier.