By Lauren Juliff
Student Travel Expert, about.com
One of the earliest lessons any first-time traveler learns is the importance of packing light.
I've seen countless backpackers lugging 90 liter backpackers across
cities and along beaches, stopping every few minutes for a rest and
complaining about how hard travel can be. It doesn't take long for these
new travelers to realize that packing light is the way forward.
Here's why.
You have to carry everything
While
buying a huge suitcase and packing it full of everything you might need
seems like a good idea when you're sitting in you room at home, it'll
probably only take until you get to the airport before you start to
regret your decision. The heavier your bag, the harder it is to lift and
carry -- and you'll be doing plenty of both on your travels whether you
like it or not.
[post_ads_2]
Cobbled streets in Europe quickly take the fun out of anything with wheels, as does trying to drag a 70 pound suitcase out of a longtail and across a beach in Cambodia.
I've seen people doing both many times, and it's painful to watch.
Even
those with heavy backpacks don't fare much better - it's not unusual to
have to walk a mile or more with one on your back when hunting out
transport and accommodation. Combine that with fierce summer heat in
many destinations and you've got a recipe for some very unpleasant
travel days.
To concentrate on experiences
The
good news is that, as you'll quickly find, possessions don't matter
anywhere near as much on the road -- you need very little of the items
you view as necessities back home.
When you force yourself to
travel only with the things you need to survive, you start to realise
just how little you need the things you've left behind. It can be
incredibly liberating.
With less objects to carry and less things to worry about you can be free to focus on the adventure and the experiences. After all, isn't that why you left to travel in the first place?
[post_ads]For security purposes
There's
so many ways that packing light can help improve security. If your bag
is small enough to be hand luggage then there's no chance of losing your backpack on a flight,
and you can have it with you at all times on buses and trains. The
smaller your backpack, the less attention you'll attract and the less
likely you'll be mugged. Finally, the less expensive items you're
carrying, the less of an annoyance it is if you lose them or have them
stolen.
If you've now decided that you'd like to start packing
light then you're probably wondering how to do it without feeling
miserable.
Buy as small a bag as possible
When you first start coming up with packing lists
for an upcoming trip, it's tempting to buy as big a backpack as
possible so that you won't have to leave anything important behind.
Unfortunately, you'll still end up filling it up before you leave --
everyone does! If you don't have a size limit then you'll convince
yourself that you need hair straighteners and perfume and high heels and
four pairs of sneakers.
I travel with a 44 liter pack and yes,
there was indeed a minor panic attack the night before when I realised I
wasn't able to take everything I thought I'd need... and then a month
into my trip, I had thrown out a quarter of my things when I'd realised I
didn't actually need them. It's true that you can pretty much buy
anything you could need while you're traveling, so don't feel like you
need to pack everything you own.
So now that you've bought yourself a small backpack, here's what you can cut down on.
Clothes
One
of the downsides to packing light is having to repeatedly wear the same
outfit. Look to buy multipurpose items that can be worn in a variety of
ways to jazz up your wardrobe, and look for neutral colors that will go
with everything.
Fortunately, clothes are cheap all over the world so it doesn't usually cost much to replace a couple of t-shirts.
[post_ads]Shoes
I currently travel with hiking shoes, Vibrams
and flip flops. Before falling in love with hiking, I managed to travel
for 18 months with nothing but flip-flops. If you're going to be
spending the majority of your travels relaxing on beaches and exploring
cities then you'll only need to pack flip-flops or sandals. Vibrams are
also fantastic if you want to do a small amount of hiking. They're
small, lightweight, and you can even fold them up to fit them in your
bag.
For ladies, drop the high heels -- they're bulky and heavy
and you'll rarely use them. If you want to carry dressy shoes then go
for a pair of cute sandals or ballet flats that you can roll up in your
bag.
Technology
Where possible, try to
condense the amount of technology you bring as this will help
substantially with the weight of your backpack. Could you get by with a
tablet instead of a laptop? Could you use a phone to take photos instead
of a camera? Do you really need to take a phone or can you just use
Skype on a laptop or tablet?
Toiletries
You'll
want to find toiletries that are reasonably small so that means no huge
bottles of shampoo, conditioner or shower gel. I carry a bar of solid shampoo from LUSH
that is tiny, lightweight, lasts for around three months while still
keeping my hair soft and shiny. I also recommend carrying a bar of soap
instead of shower gel too.
You can also find tiny bottles of
shaving gel that last for around three months to save on carrying large
bottles that you'll have to replace every few weeks.
[post_ads_2]
Medicines
Fortunately,
medicines are small and lightweight so if you overpack it's not going
to be a big issue. I carry paracetamol, birth control pills, band aids,
Imodium, rehydration sachets and motion sickness pills. Aside from
anti-malarial tablets if you'll be traveling to somewhere with malaria,
you don't need to be carrying too much more.
Look for travel-sized versions
Finally,
look to see if brands sell travel-sized versions of their products. I
love my travel towel because it folds up extremely small, dries quickly
and weighs next to nothing. Travel-sized bottles are also a great way to
carry around a small amount of body lotion, sunscreen or perfume.
