By Lauren Juliff
Student Travel Expert, about.com
The golden rule of travel is to pack light. If you talk to anyone who's traveled for any amount of time, one of the first tips they'll give you is to pack as little as possible. For backpackers, especially, you'll find that lugging your backpack from hostel to hostel quickly becomes exhausting, and you start regretting packing your bulky hiking boots that you haven't worn once.
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Everyone
says to pack light, but how exactly are you supposed to do it? Here are
five tips for packing light on your next trip:
1. Buy Smaller Luggage
Yes,
the easiest way to cut down on what you're carrying is to buy a smaller
backpack or suitcase -- then you really can't carry as much as you'd
like! When I first set out to travel, I deliberately bought a 45 liter
backpack because I knew that if I bought any bigger, I'd be sure to fill
it to the brim with things I didn't need. As it turned out, 45 liters
was just fine for my indefinite travels, and I even threw half of my
things out after six months on the road!
Buy a backpack that's smaller than you
think you need and make sure you don't give in and buy something bigger.
You'll be amazed at how little you actually need to survive.
2. Only Pack Clothes That Match
One
of the best way to cut down on clothing is to only pack items that go
with several others. Look to pack neutral colors, like blacks and
whites. There's no point in packing yellow t-shirts to go with pink
pants when you only have a limited amount of space to fill.
Look for multi-purpose clothing, too -- pants that can zip off into shorts, tops that can double up as dresses, or even shawls that can be worn as sarongs.
[post_ads]3. Pack For Seven Days Worth of Travel
Heading
out for a six-month-long adventure? You don't have to pack six month's
worth of outfits. In fact, you don't even need to pack a month's worth.
Yes, fill your backpack or suitcase with what you'd take if you were
traveling for seven days, and no more. You'll be able to do your laundry
on the road at least once a week so there's no need to take anything
more.
4. Use Packing Cubes
My biggest travel tip of all is to use packing cubes
-- I can't travel without them! Packing cubes help to keep your bag
organized while traveling so everything you need is within easy reach. I
use one packing cube for all of my tops, and one packing cube for my
bottoms. If anything doesn't fit in the packing cube, I don't allow
myself to take it.
Another alternative could be vacuum-sealed bags, which free up so much space, you can take double the amount that you could with packing cubes!
5. Wear Your Bulkiest Clothes on the Plane
If you absolutely need to take your hiking boots
and a thick sweater with you, but can't fit them in your luggage,
you'll have to settle for wearing them during your travel days. I always
wear my boots and hoodie on every mode of transport -- not because I
don't have enough room in my bag, but because I want my backpack as
light as possible on my back!
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If you're concerned about being
able to fit everything inside, take your bulkiest clothes and resolve to
wear them while you're on the move.
