Have you ever thought about the impact the way you pack for a trip can create on your entire journey? Right from airport check-ins to choosing the day’s outfit, it is the most important part of travel. It influences all the decisions you’re taking throughout the trip. Travelling Light is the best hack for having a stress-free trip and enjoying every moment.

Let me begin with a small anecdote. I travelled to an island near the west coast of India, Beyt Dwarka. It was a two-day trip planned just 10 minutes before leaving. I was in college then, and two of my seniors were travelling to Beyt Dwarka for a project meeting. They met at the ground in our college, where I happened to bump into them. We spoke for 5 minutes and they convinced me to go with them. I gave my bag to a friend, and without a ticket, without any luggage, with my wallet and phone, I left with them. I was so excited, honestly, I was thrilled about this journey with absolutely no luggage. It was then that I realized life just got so easy just by travelling light.

In most cases, it’s not possible to do that. What I am implying from this story is that so many things we carry are not even necessary. We had to walk a lot on the island, so no luggage just made life easy. It was an impromptu trip and I did not have time to pack. However, since the trip was in the winters, and was short, I did not need any major garment changes. We camped by the beach and also tried some adventure sport like scuba diving and snorkelling. What a fun trip, very off-topic but I think it’s a total must-visit destination, and very underrated.

Now let us dig into some pros of travelling light and tips for your help to do the same!

Also Read: When To Find Cheap Flights?

Advantages Of Travelling Light

Hassle-Free Flights

1. It is known to everyone that overweight luggage or taking an added luggage ticket can cost you so much extra.
   
   While travelling you wouldn’t want to spend money on these things. You rather want to save them for the extraordinary experiences that await you when you reach your destination. 
2. With one backpack of maximum weight of 7kgs and a handbag, you can skip so many steps at the airport.
   
   You don’t have to wait in the long check-in queues. You also don’t have to wait for the bags on baggage pick-up counters.
3. No worries or stress about the luggage coming out of that baggage carousel or not.
4. You can have all your luggage safe with you on the flight and once you land you exit without wasting any time. 

Source: herpackinglist.com

Easy commute And Convenience

1. Once you are at the destination, you can travel using public transport.
2. Walk to nearby places: With heavy luggage you always have to take help or hire cabs and taxis. This will help you save a lot of money, and not make you worried about losing your belongings. Heavy luggages are just an added responsibility you don’t need!
3. If you are staying in dorms, sharing your space with so many people it is not only easy for you but also easy for others to live without the space being too crowded with all the luggage.

Organization and Ease of choice while Travelling Light

1. Planning ahead of the trip and packing only the essentials can help in staying organized throughout the trip and you don’t have to waste time thinking at the moment.
2. Having a limited number of clothes means you have to choose from limited options, which automatically makes your decision easier, and help you in travelling light.
3. Keeping a track of the items will be so much easier with a lesser number of things. You will easily know if you’re missing something and if everything you packed is still there with you safely. 

Independence And Freedom

1. Having less luggage means you can carry it on your own and you don’t need to be dependent on anyone to help you every time you have to carry them. On train stations or if you’re travelling with someone else.
2. Moreover, you will feel independent and liberated, and it is such a positive feeling. We as humans crave freedom and independence, so this gives you a kind of rush that is more to do with your mental peace.
3. All in all, it makes you feel free. You can freely plan the next destination and don’t have to worry about this one thing, apart from being away from home, or the workload at the office. 

Packing Tips For Travelling Light

1. First and foremost is determining the maximum size of bag which you can carry yourself and not find too big or too heavy. On average, it is a 7-9 kg backpack with a small personal bag. Carrying this much luggage is just convenient for you to carry at all times, and will also not hinder you during flights, as I have above mentioned. 

2. Backpacks are easier to carry anywhere instead of trolley bags. While taking a walk from bus or train stations if your hostels are close by it’s much easier to work with a backpack. 

3. Make a list of all the basic things that you would need for literally any trip you take on your phone. You can use that list to check off the things after you pack them. This list can include things like standard kinds of clothing, important documents, a set of travel toiletries, etc. This way you can limit yourself to the number of most necessary things, and you will also not forget the essentials. 

4. Pack the clothes you feel you can wear in different situations and locations. These can be basic t-shirts of neutral colors and leggings or black-colored pants. They go with everything and can be repeated. With easy clothing, the trip also becomes easier. I know you would feel it becomes too boring sometimes, so you can pack some cute outfits, but just a couple! 

5. Shoes can be bulky to pack and can take up a lot of space. Wear sneakers, like Converse or Trekking shoes which is diverse and can go with all outfits and help you in travelling light. They are also stylish!

6. If you travel a lot then having a pack of travel-friendly toiletries goes a long way. If you use some specific brands of shampoos and moisturizers then you can take some in the tiny bottles or buy a travel pack of these. Instead of carrying shampoo bottles, you can carry the sachets, which you easily get at any pharmacy. 

7. Use pouches to store your clothes. So this is my favorite tip, and I personally use it a lot. I have some big pouches. I use 3 pouches to segregate clothes. One for the top ear, one for bottom wear, and one for undergarments. I keep one extra pouch to store the dirty laundry. These pouches help me just organize my bag easily and make my packing much more efficient. You can get these pouches on any e-commerce website.

8. Most vicinities you plan to stay in will have a laundry service, sometimes you can get them washed for free and at other times it might require a very minimal fee. I feel getting your clothes washed especially if you’re travelling for a longer duration is a must. Carrying to many clothes or repeating the same clothes to many times can be unhygienic or problematic to carry. So that fee that you invest into laundry shouldn’t be an issue. 

9. Don’t carry a lot of expensive or sentimental items which you constantly need to take carry of. This will only make you worried. These can be expensive pieces of jewelry, too many electronic gadgets(only pack the most necessary ones, a laptop and a camera can be maximum I believe). 

10. There are a lot of things which you can buy from anywhere you go and don’t necessarily need to pack them. For example, if you are going to a very cold place and you don’t have a lot of warm clothes, you’re likely to get some local stores which sell the warmest clothes apt for the place you go to and this way you can also have a souvenir from wherever you go. These can also be toiletries you forget back home and if you’re going to stay in a hotel then you know they will provide with towels, toiletries and so many more things which you can avoid packing, so choose wisely. 

Also Read: How To Plan A Road Trip?

Pack Less & Enjoy Travelling Light

As we discussed above, some pros of packing lights and being smart about the things you’re carrying. Being thoughtful the foremost part of the journey can have such a heavy impact on your journey. I hope the tips I have given to travel light and things that work for me after trying so many different ways to organize will help. 

I used to be one of the most disorganized people. Now I am so used to having everything under control. Honestly, it’s liberating. It makes me travel without worrying too much and just be free of stupid thoughts. The story, I shared with you initially was a huge realization of how I can be so free of this thought of carrying heavy luggage or losing important stuff.