When it comes to travelling it can be easy to get carried away with everything from planning, making itineraries and most of all – packing. Many people, especially first time travellers seem to think they need to pack everything plus the kitchen sink, but it’s simply not true. Have you ever gone on a holiday or a trip and thought to yourself part of the way through that you didn’t need to bring even half of what you did? Not only can it be a waste of space and weight in your luggage, but if you significantly cut down on your packing you can usually get by with carry on only, helping you book cheap flights. Want to hone your packing skills? Check out these great packing tips – made easy!
Consider Where You’re Going
The destination or destinations you have in mind will dictate heavily on what you pack. This should be a no-brainer, but many people over-pack rather than under-pack, often thinking they will need several of one item – especially swim suits as an example. While it’s true that having an extra swimsuit will be a benefit if you’re likely to go on holiday somewhere warm where you swim several times a day in between doing other things, if you’re on a longer term trip, having two may be impractical as well as unnecessary.
Travelling to colder climates in the winter can be a challenge due to the need for things like jackets or snow trousers while summery climates mean you could potentially have lighter luggage due to the nature of summer clothes. Whichever you decide, the general rule is – be sure you will use it.
You Will Wear “One Thing”
You may not want to believe it, but if you’re on a long term trip – especially in hotter countries, chances are you will find a favourite “go to” outfit and almost live in it. Many people may not want to admit it, but it’s true, especially in warmer climates. You find something that just works with next to everything you’re doing and you roll with it, often struggling to decide what else to wear if your usual ‘go to’ is in the laundry. While it’s true that you’re likely to stick with one main outfit (especially if backpacking), you will want to keep one or two other things – nicer things – on hand, just in case you do get invited to a fancier dinner, a wedding or the like. Don’t take your absolute best clothes, but bring something a bit nicer you can pass off for more elegant outings.
Never Underestimate The Power Of Socks And Underwear
This is one thing that people always seem to skimp on for some reason. The power of fresh, clean socks is something you will be surprised you revel in while you’re on the road, especially after a long hard day of trekking, a cold mountain climb or just those days when you want to feel a bit cosy, even if it’s thirty degrees. Clean underwear is a given, but some people think they will be able to get by on only a couple of pairs – and they do! Try to take at least seven to eight pairs of underwear though – one for each day of the week plus one extra just in case. This way you can always be sure you’re wearing at least clean necessities.
Try To Take Only Carry On
This might sound like a huge restriction for many people who love to bring everything they can, but this can save you a bundle on baggage fees. For example – countries such as Canada, the US, Thailand, Vietnam, India and Australia have lots of very cheap options for flights to and from various destinations around their respective regions with many of these being cheap, low fare airlines. While the fares might be low, the cost of baggage is sometimes as much as half of the flight itself, making it not quite as cheap as you’d hoped. Get around this by taking a larger carry on – still within the size restrictions – and packing smartly, such as not bringing unnecessary things.
Remember too that almost every country in the world has toiletries available, sometimes even better ones than you can get back home, so don’t bother bringing any. Do consider the fact that carry on only means you will be restricted to liquids, so if you have any medications or necessary creams for things like eczema, you will need to find a way around this, such as putting them in smaller bottles and splitting them up for security at the airport.
So whether you’re planning a long term trip or you’re looking at just going on holiday, hopefully these keen packing tips will help you bring less so you can get more out of your holiday as well as save some money on those baggage costs in several ways.
