How To Pack Light For Your Next Vacation
An old saying goes: When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money
. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.
A well travelled colleague of mine says he couldnt agree more, having travelled around the world twice and learnt from his many past mistakes. Travelling light helps to avoid extra fees on flights, saves space, gives you less baggage to carry and most of all allows you more freedom.
Ive heard say that the stuff we own, ends up owning us. We plan too much when we travel. We typically bring lots of clothes and other unnecessary things because we feel that you never know what might occur. So we leave for a typical two week holiday with suitcases filled with half our wardrobe. However, the trick to travel is to pack light. We often go on a trip, be it on business or pleasure, and end up using half of what we brought, regretting we brought so much in the first place.
When my colleague travels, all of his belongings fit into a tiny daybag and a large backpack or duffel bag. Hes travelled for over a year without needing anything more. In fact, he often finds he still takes too much!!
When friends visit me, Im amazed at what they bring with them and comment on why theyve brought the kitchen sink with them. They invariably ask me how they can travel lighter.
Here are a few tips gleaned from my colleagues travelling experiences:
Tip 1: Write a list of everything you usually take with you. Everything and anything, from clothes, to toiletries, to electronics and anything else you can think of. This packing list usually ends up pretty long. But thats OK; well strip it down to the bare essentials fast.
Tip 2: Peruse your list and think about it in relation to your holiday. If youre going to the beach do you really need those rugged jeans? If you are going to Amsterdam when its warm, do you really need to pack long sleeved shirts?
The first two tips alone should have cut your packing list down quite a lot by eliminating those items that didnt really have anything to do with your trip.
Tip 3: Your toiletry list. Why are you packing so much? In this age of over caution, people tend to pack every medicine known to man just in case. Be realistic, ask yourself, do you ever use them all? You can of course buy them at your destination. So ditch all that you dont really need. If you do get sick, you can always bye whatever medicine you need wherever you are. Take only the bare essentials. Put a few pills in a small pillbox that will only take up a small space. You dont need the whole box.
Tip 4: What about the other supplies youre thinking of taking? Shampoo, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, razor and shaving cream is all you need. If you are staying at a bed & breakfast you dont even need soap or shampoo since its always sitting there on your Hotel bathroom shelf ready for you to use and is replaced each day. Youre going on vacation not to a corporate function so leave the cosmetics and facial products at home.
Tip 5: Having reduced your packing list even more take a fresh look at your packing list. What can you buy at your destination if you really need it? Probably all of the items youve ditched so far and more. Take out the bug spray, the suntan lotion, and whatever else you are packing in a bottle. You might not be able to take it on the plane anyway.
Finally: Youre now well on your way to packing light. Most of your original list is probably gone now. The next step is to remove another half. Youre going away on holiday to relax, arent you? Your clothes wont get that dirty, you can actually wear the same shorts a few days in a row. Borrow a towel from the hotel so your towels are the next items to go. Take half as many clothes. Wear some longer or dont wear any! Youll never wear everything you take so unless you spill something or sweat through your shirt, you can wear it for more than one day surely.
Well, thats it. Thats your lesson in How to Pack Light for Your Next Vacation. Cutting, cutting, and more cutting until you get to the essential items you really need to take with you. If you follow my plan I guarantee you will pack light and make the whole packing process a walk in the park.
by: Think & Grow
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