How to Travel Light

Traveling light is an art form and one that is very rewarding. The lighter you travel, the less you have to worry about – saving money on checked bags, getting through the security line, navigating the airport, loading and unloading at each destination, etc.

Plan ahead for packing

Well before your departure, take the time to lay out everything you plan on bringing on your trip – don’t just stuff things into a suitcase. Once you have everything you plan on bringing in front of you, ask yourself if you really need it. How many days are you traveling?

Take only the necessary clothing

Clothes are one of the biggest obstacles to packing light. Luckily, they are also easy to leave at home when you really think about your trip. Bring enough changes of clothing to cover the duration of your trip, and no more. Can you wash clothes at your destination? If so, you can halve the number of clothes you need to bring. Choose clothes that can serve more than one purpose like jackets that can be casual or dressy or discreet shoes that can be worn to dinner or for hikes. Don’t bring clothes that can only be used for specific needs like a formal meal.

Bring only the essentials

Packing light is about bringing the essentials. Take a quick look at everything else you are bringing. A pile of magazines and newspapers weighs a lot more than an eBook reader or a paperback book. If you can avoid it, never, ever travel with a hardback book! Open your toiletry bag – what did you not use on your last trip? If you did not use it last time, leave it home this time.

Every item you leave home when you go on vacation is one less thing to carry around and less time spent waiting for checked baggage to be unloaded from an airplane.  By packing as lightly as you can, you’ll unburden yourself from managing so much stuff and get the chance to focus on your trip.

What are your suggestions for traveling light?

Note: Available plans and coverages may have changed since this blog was published.