Don’t let the experts fool you — packing light is more of a skill than an art form. This means that just about anyone can do it, with a little practice and few tips. It all starts with proper planning, meaning that you need to make sure that only the essentials go into your suitcase, and ends with a good packing technique to ensure that all of those necessary items fit properly. Here are five tips to help you pack lightly for your next vacation.
1) Make a list of events that you’re planning on attending or activities that you want to do while you’re on vacation. This will help you determine which types of clothing or outfits to bring. Pull the clothing out of your closet and place it on your bed. Figure out which items can be mixed and matched, so that you can make some of them do double-duty. This will prevent you from having to bring 30 separate pieces of clothing when all that you need are fifteen. If you think that the weather will be cold where you are going, instead of packing a bulky coat, bring items that you can layer for warmth. You will get more use out of them, and they will take up less space in your bag. Keep in mind that the hotel, motel, bed and breakfast or campground that you are staying at will have a washing machine – or be able to direct you to a Laundromat, so you can wear things more than once.
2) Do not bring every toiletry in your bathroom. It goes without saying that you can only carry on so many one-ounce bottles, but you also need to keep in mind that you won’t need everything. For example, if you’re planning on needing a disposable razor, bring only the one or two that are necessary, not the whole package. The same goes for things like deodorant and toothpaste – want to bring two tubes because the one that you’re currently using is almost empty? Leave the half-empty one at home and bring only the brand new one. Or bring the half-empty one and just buy a new tube at your destination.
3) Pack everything well. This might involves using space bags, flat packs, and smaller zippered bags to organize everything. Your clothes are going to take up most of the space, so place them in the flat packs or space bags and remove the air to make them smaller. You’d be surprised at how much less room they will take up afterwards! For bulky items that you cannot shrink down to size, like shoes, take the time to arrange them in different ways inside of the bag. You might discover that they take up less space if they stacked a certain way. This can vary widely, depending on the type of shoes. Your toiletries should be in a waterproof zippered bag, just in case one of them should leak in transit. Likewise, you should pack your electronics in their own waterproof zippered bag to keep them safe and dry.
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