Tips on Packing Light

Author admin

I travel a lot. I mean a lot – like I’m uber Platinum level at my favorite airline. Unfortunately, travel is business, so its not all fun and games.

By nature I would pack everything but the kitchen sink, so learning to pack light has been something I had to focus on. Over the years, I’ve developed some tips that have helped me. I’ll share these with you in the hope you too can learn to pack lighter.

1. Plan ahead. As funny as it sounds, if I plan what I’m going to take ahead of time I actually pack less than when I make a mad dash around the closet throwing clothes in a bag.

2. Pack coordinated outfits. If you pack clothes that mix and match you can stretch your outfits. The easiest way to accomplish this is to pick a theme color and pack around it. Okay, this doesn’t mean you have to be a goth, there are colors other than black. The idea is to minimize the pairs of shoes, gloves, socks, pants, etc you need if the colors are complementary.

3. Make a packing list. If you make a list, you will be more likely to include everything you need and you’ll show up with complete outfits.

4. Put toiletries in travel size containers. Why carry a large bottle of shampoo when you only need a three globs for your trip? Reducing the size of these cuts unnecessary weight and reduces the amount of space it will take up in your luggage.

5. Download ebooks and read them on a kindle or ipad rather than hauling several books with you. I used to drag several books with me, now I just switch on my reader.

Packing light will save your back, allow you to carry your bag on the plane with you, and means you won’t lose everything you own should the bag get stolen.