Weekly Travel Tip 9
How to pack light?
We all know that there are many benefits to packing light, but how exactly can you do it?
In previous travel tip newsletters I’ve explained how packing cubes can help and how lighter luggage uses less jet fuel, which means you’re responsible for fewer carbon emissions. If you missed any previous travel tips, find them here.
The first two steps are making a list of everything you need and picking the right size backpack or suitcase.
Don’t pick the one you think you can carry, but the one that you want to carry. However small it is, you can find a way to pare down your list to fit!
The packing list is the same principle as a shopping list. Go to the store hungry and without a list and your cart will be full of all sorts of things you don’t need. Pack when you’re excited for a trip but without a list and you’ll arrive at your destination with stuff you don’t really need.
Stick to the list and you’re more likely to get there with only the things you actually need.
The backpack on the ground fits under the seat in front of me and I take one of the others as my carryon.
So, how do you decide what to put on the list?
I always start with electronics: camera, phone, maybe iPad and charging cords. Check if there is a way to bring just one cord for all your devices. Next I list the toiletries I know I’ll need. This really depends on if you’re going to a hotel with amenities, a friends’ house, or a hostel where you’ll need your own soap & towel.
I have small refillable bottles so I can take only as much shampoo or face lotion as I’ll need for the trip. If it’s one week, I don’t need a full bottle. A travel size shampoo bottle looks small, but if you’re schlepping your backpack through the subway system in Paris or Buenos Aires, the full bottles of bath products do add up to a noticeable difference.
Clothes are usually what takes up the most space and add the most weight.
Choose your most versatile layers that you can mix and match. Plan to wear your heaviest layers and shoes on the flight – planes are usually cold enough you want the heavy layers anyway.
Find out if where you’re going you’ll have access to laundry, or if you can wash clothes in the hotel sink. Many places offer same-day or even 2-hour laundry service and you’re only washing two days’ worth of clothes, they might be able to get it back to you even faster. I think having laundry done is always worth the expense if it means I can carry half or as third as much clothes.
I rarely take more than three days’ worth of socks and underwear if I can wash them in a sink. It’s so fast and easy to wash a pair of socks and a pair of underwear in a hotel sink every evening.
My drone and gimbal fit with the camera in the purple bag, which fits in the backpack with the drone batteries.
Besides electronics and clothes, is there any specialized gear you need?
Binoculars for a birding trip? Sleeping bag for camping?
First, check if renting is an option where you’re going. Many birding guides can help you rent binoculars or even highly specialized camera lenses. Huaraz, in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca mountains, has lots of shops with quality camping and mountaineering gear.
Are there things you can buy at your destination?
Souvenirs can be practical things that you’ll use during the trip. If you’re going to a beach, are you likely to buy a hat as a souvenir? Don’t bring one from home if that’s your plan.
On my most recent trip to the Amazon, I bought bug repellent when I arrived in Iquitos and left it at the hotel. They were happy to have an extra bottle and it was one less thing to pack. I also didn’t have to worry about the bottle spilling in my bag.
Don’t bring your medicine cabinet with you.
If I’m going to be in a town that has pharmacies, I don’t pack many meds. If I need ibuprofen or something for an upset stomach, I’ll buy it there. Most countries have fewer restrictions on prescriptions than the US, so I don’t need to stock up on just-in-case meds. However, I am diligent about taking extra prescription meds, which came in handy when I extended my last Argentina trip by a week and a recent rainforest trip from three to six days.
The bottom line is: pack what you know you’ll need, not the stuff you might need.
Recent blog
This week I put all my Lima airport travel tips into one blog post! On every trip, I get better photos and make more notes on where the food is best and how to get through the airport easily. Click on the link above for all my tips for arrivals, departures, layovers and connections!
Recent article
It’s not my most recent, but with the new airport blog I thought I should add the rest of my Peru transportation tips. This article was published by World Nomads and it covers everything from taxis and busses to trains and boats.
