Packing light may seem like an impossibility if you’re planning to stay two weeks in a foreign country. There are just so many things to consider and it’s always better to be over-prepared, right? But traveling light doesn’t have to mean compromising the essential stuff.
In fact, if you know exactly what you need to bring, you can trim down the packaging weight and save yourself a lot of money, not having to pay any Hawaiian Air excess baggage fees.
1. Start with a small suitcase.
Swap your big and bulky suitcase with a small one since you might be tempted to fill it up with a lot of useless things.
2. Buy a travel scale.
Guessing won’t work – you could end up paying a lot of money of excess baggage. You don’t want to weigh your bag at the airport – where will you put all the other stuff after realizing you exceeded the weight limit for your baggage?
3. Create a packing list.
Pack essentials only by using a packing list and anything that’s not on the list should not be in your bag, period.
4. Use compression packing cubes.
Packing cubes have a natural limit on the number of clothes you can take and with the compression feature you save a lot of space that would have been otherwise taken up by your clothes.
5. Bring only a maximum of 3 pairs of shoes.
Sure, it’s great when you have the perfect pair of shoes for every outfit but if you want to pack light, you can’t do this. Shoes take up a lot of space in your bag.
You can bring a pair of sandals, running shoes and perhaps a folding ballerina flats (or flipflops). The choices would of course depend on where you’re going and the activities you’ll be doing there.
6. Leave the bulky toiletry kits and beauty organizers.
Make-up bags can take up a lot of space and it’s better to get a drawstring wash bag instead – it’s lightweight and compact.
7. Don’t pack heavy or thick clothes.
Compare the folded weight and size of a thin cotton pants to thick linen trousers. Even if you’re packing winter clothes, bring technical clothing.
8. Wear your wearable items to the airport.
Airports are usually cold no matter where it is. So, if you need jeans, jacket/coat and boots where you’re heading, just simply wear them.
9. Pack a sarong instead of a thick towel.
If you’re staying in a hotel, just leave both of these items at home since hotels and resorts already supply towels. If you’re staying in a hostel or any place that do not let you use free towels, pack a travel towel or sarong.
10. Don’t pack full size toiletries.
Full sized shampoos, body wash, toothpaste, shaving cream, electric toothbrush, etc should be left at home. You don’t really need these on your trip. Just bring travel size toiletries to save on space.
11. Leave chunky jewelery at home.
It’s best not to wear large, chunky or expensive jewelry on your trip. Aside from the possibility that it could get stolen, it can also take up space in your luggage.
12. Leave non-essentials at home.
Hair-dryers are available in hotels and resorts. The same goes for flat irons. Swap bulky headphones for an earphone. Leave bulky and heavy paperbooks at home too. You can always download the ebook on your phone or Kindle.