Reducing your baggage load when travelling offers several benefits. It enables you to mobile easily and won’t cost you extra cash for carrying a lot of suitcases. The airline regulation may cause you to pay the fee if you bring extra baggage and tip the porters service to have them carried.
You may need to pick things that you really need to bring. You don’t have to bring all the accessories you have or bring the whole skin care regime in your vanity table. Make sure those things you bring will be useful while you are on the road. Here are several tips you can do when packing your things for a trip:
1. Choose what to bring wisely. Light packing can also mean to live with fewer items in your suitcase. Remember that vacation is not permanent, so only pack things that you need the most during the journey.
2. Use a spacious bag. It’s recommended if you can use those with a lot of compartments. You can carry a lot of items and have them separated. However, you can always create your own or extra compartments using pouches or plastic bags to store your things. It doesn’t have to be big but opt for the one which fit your stuffs best and it’s not too big to carry in the cabin.
3. Bring extra footwear. It’s important to choose what footwear to bring according to the occasion and the season. However, shoes are essentials. They mostly take a lot of space in your suitcase, so it’s better to wear your shoes during your journey instead of packing them. Then, you can switch to flip flops at the hotel/beach/swimming pool or wear a pair of light flat shoes for casual occasions.
4. Pack travel-size products. Choose travel-sized products or keep them into smaller containers, samples will do fine. If you need to wear makeup, bring products which have multiple functions (e.g. lipstick for cream blush). Plus, if you wear contact lenses, bring enough solutions you use since they may not be available in your destination.
5. Smart wardrobe choice. Bring essential items and try to layer your clothes instead. It gives you more options and the possibility to adjust for weather changes. For example, you can bring a long-sleeve shirt, some T-shirts, a dress, some jeans with different colour, then try to mix and match them. Also, opt for clothes which are lightweight and wrinkle-free so they don’t take a lot of space in your suitcase.
6. Minimize gadgets. Use your smartphone to the fullest. There are many mobile apps which are useful for travellers and you can use it to guide you during the journey. If you need to take pictures, consider carefully whether you need to bring SLR camera or you can count on pocket camera or even your phone camera. Professional cameras may need extra bags and they are quite heavy. If your phone/pocket camera is good enough, you don’t need extra baggage from SLR camera.
7. Wear bulky items instead. Wear clothes which are heavy and/or take up a lot of suitcase space. If it’s too warm to wear the jacket or coat, sling it over your arm.
8. Do your laundry. A hotel laundry service is convenient but it can be pricey. In some locations, you can use self-service laundromats or a drop-off laundry service. Another option is by rinsing your laundry in the hotel sink using a mild soap, then dry it on towel rods.