6 travel bloggers share their most essential tips for packing light
Heavy luggage is a pain — literally, and not only of the physical variety. Travelers also endure baggage fees and a higher chance of losing their belongings if they overstuff their luggage. While we've got plenty of packing hacks and tips about what to leave at home, we thought we'd ask a few road warriors who live life out of a suitcase how they manage to do it. Here are tips from six travel bloggers about efficient packing:
1. Ian Ord of Where Sidewalks End: I once did a Carry-On Only Challenge for six months. I wanted to see if I could travel with nothing but carry-on luggage, with the mixed inconvenience of having to carry around all my work equipment, too. To my surprise, it was far easier than expected — granted I attribute much of that to traveling in a hot climate where you need fewer layers. The biggest take-away from that challenge: you don’t need what you think you need while traveling. Passport, Wallet are the only essentials, everything else can be purchased or replaced along the way, and often come in travel size.
2. Maria Russo of The Culture-Ist: Depending on the weather, I'll bring a few black shirts, shorts, skirts and leggings and just accessorize with scarves, jewelry and a few different pairs of shoes. This keeps the amount of "planned outfits" to a minimum and I don't need to spend much time deciding what to wear.
3. Dave Dean of Too Many Adapters: One of the best ways I've found of reducing pack weight in recent years is to consolidate your gadgets. For instance, rather than packing individual USB chargers for phones, tablets, cameras etc., I take a small 4-way USB charger and a few short cables. The same goes for travel adapters — instead of taking one for each device, I take a travel-sized multi-socket accessory like this, plug all my chargers into that, and use a single travel adapter to plug it into the wall.
4. Rease Kirchner of Indecisive Traveler: Roll with it! I always roll my clothes and I am able to fit so much more in just a carry on. I actually did a test and was able to fit the same amount of clothes in a standard carry-on as in a checked-bag simply because I switched from folding to rolling.
5. Tim Leffel of The Cheapest Destinations Blog: It's key to remember the three "w's" for packing light: wrinkle-free, washable and worn-together. You want to pack clothing that doesn't require a lot of care and can be worn straight out of any bag. If you have quick-dry clothing you can wash in a sink and have it dry overnight, then you don't have to carry a week's worth of outfits — even if you're in a new place every day. And speaking of outfits, there shouldn't be any. Every top should be able to be worn with any bottom. That way you're still set if you're down to your last clean shirt and skirt (or pants).
It has gotten much easier in recent years to buy performance clothing that doesn't scream "I'm a traveler!" Brands from Nau to Craghoppers to ExOfficio to Patagonia have put some version of "trail to pub" in their marketing, meaning the same shirt and pants that will work on a hike or bike ride are also nice-looking enough to wear out at night.
6.Dave & Deb of The Planet D: Buy a piece of luggage that is smaller than you think you need. That will force you to put less in. Another tip is to mix and match your clothing. Think of pairing three-to-five items that can be interchanged to create new outfits. Dress them up with a scarf, vest or different jewelry to give an entirely different look. Fabric matters, choose lightweight, easy to wash fabrics and don't be afraid to wash in your hotel room sink. We bring a small tube of detergent with us for quick washing.
Jessica Festa is the founder on the solo and offbeat travel blog, Jessie on a Journey, and the online responsible tourism and culture magazine, Epicure & Culture. She's constantly searching for local experiences beyond the guidebook. You can follow her travels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.