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Here is How You Can Pack Less
By Matthew Kepnes | March 6, 2009
There’s an old saying that when you travel you should bring half as much as you need but double the amount of money you bring. After backpacking around the world twice, I couldn’t agree more. It’s very important to pack very little on your vacation. Packing light helps you save space, and gives you less weight, and more freedom.
When we go on vacation, we plan for every little accident that may occur. We pack everything just in case even if we know deep down we will never wear them. We only end up wearing half our stuff anyways so we should learn how to only pack half as much as we think we need. Packing light is an art.
When I travel, all of my possessions can go into tiny daypack and a larger backpack or duffel bag. I traveled without ever needing anything more. In fact, I often find I still pack too much!! When friends come and visit me, I am amazed that they took so much stuff. They ask me my tips on packing light. Here’s how I pack light and how you can too:
For starters, make a list of everything you might think you need for your trip. No matter what it may be. This list will be very long. That’s O.K., we will get it down but the important thing is to visually see what you think you may need on a trip. Often, we just start putting stuff in a suitcase never really thinking about what it is we are taking.
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 age of over caution, people tend to pack every medicine known to man just in case. Let’s be realistic- do you ever use them? Can’t you buy them there? So go minimal. If you do get sick, you can always by Tylenol or diarrhea medicine there. Take the bare essentials. A few pills that take up only a little space- you don’t need the whole box.
All those other toiletries you pack- soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc. You only really need to take your razor, toothbrush, and toothpaste. If you are staying at a guesthouse, they provide soap and shampoo for you. You’re going on holiday, not to a corporate function. You don’t need to be “beautiful” all the time. Relax a bit.
Now, think about your packing list. What can you buy there if you really need it? Probably lots. Lose the bug spray, the suntan lotion, and whatever else you are taking. You won’t be able to carry it on a plane.
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 some longer, don’t wear any! 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.
Topics: Travel |
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