I always travel light and for good reasons! Luggage is a liability when it comes to travelling. Yes, it is nice to have your hair straightener and dryer as well as every shade of lipstick and 3 different pairs of shoes for different occasions BUT think about all the check in queues you have to stand in, dragging those big bags around with you on trains and taxis, packing, unpacking and repacking and most of all YOU are paying to carry it around.
Not bad enough yet? You need to wait on the other side to claim it back and drag it to the hotel from airport and worst case scenario is when you lose it! Now you will be spending half your trip trying to track it down and possibly another useless trip to the airport while you sit in the hotel without a toothbrush!
Convinced? Great! It is really quite simple and you can easily pack light.
1- Buy a bag specific for travelling that fits the dimensions of RyanAir baggage dimensions. (RyanAir because they are the stingiest people in airline business).
2- Buy travel size toiletries and buy a toiletry bag. Why waste space when a small toothbrush is as good as a big one?
3- Leave unnecessary stuff behind. Assess before each trip. I never pack shampoo and conditioner because I know it will be available on the other end. Same thing for Hairdryers and flip flops or even beach towels.
4- Check the weather at the destination and then pack accordingly.
5- Keep the heaviest clothing items for the flights. That big parka you are packing can easily go in the overhead compartment with luggage.
6- Think if you can get a substitute locally at a cheaper price that you can throw away at the end. Flip flops are a good example, instead of carrying mine, I just buy cheap ones, use them and get rid of them at the end. No fuss no bother.
7- Get a bag with compartments. This will save a lot of space for bigger items and you will be organized and won’t forget things.
8- Ironed and neatly kept clothes take a lot less space than those big balls of clothes. Additionally it saves you from the hassle of ironing on the other side. Try non iron or easy iron stuff for an easier life.
9- Trolleys over sports bags any day of the week! It is a lot less hassle to drag a trolley than get a shoulder massage at the end of your journey because that strap dug too deep in your shoulder.
10 – Visit the departmental or pharmacies to buy travel size toiletries or get them Amazon. Again think about what you really need and not what is ‘cute’.
11- Get the travel size versions of all things essentials. If you can’t survive without a straightening iron buying a smaller one will cause you less headache.
12 – If you are still over packed, ask yourself about every items starting from the heaviest one if you really need it? I always carry one jeans for a weekend trip, why would I need more?
12- Always weigh the bag at the end and don’t rely on ‘guess weight’.
13 – Some things are just not worth sacrificing for, make sure you have all these items before you travel. (Link to travel companions post)
Tip: Make sure you check the baggage policy if you are booking bags because some airlines restrict the weight per passenger no matter how many bags you book.