Single Traveler Tips, Part 1 How to Pack Really Light
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Here are our tips on How to Pack Really Light. I have traveled for 5 weeks with only an overnight bag. Traveling so conspicuously light on an international flight, two fellow travelers asked me to give them an impromptu tutorial on how to pack! Although baggage fees add to the pain today of packing too much, there are two greater problems: 1. Chasing lost luggage around the globe and 2, Dragging it from place to place when there are no working elevators or escalators!
After I had one checked bag temporarily “lost” on a 1 hour non-stop flight, I have come up with the following initial packing tips:
How to Pack Really Light Tip 1:
In 2015, permissible carry-on bags are about the size of a large purse! Restrictions are not just based on the bag’s height, length and depth but on its total weight. When I traveled to SE Asia for New Yr’s,, China Air only allowed 11 pounds. When you take into account the bag’s own weight with wheels, not much is left.
- If you buy a new carry on, be sure to note its weight and purchase the lightest version available.
- Before going to the airport, hoist your packed bag onto your bathroom scales to see if you are overweight.
How to Pack Really Light Tip 2:
Every item of clothing you pack must have more than one function. The only exception is a bathing suit. However, many of today’s bathing suits when paired with a beach wrap or skirt/slacks are acceptable streetwear. Athletic wear has also gone mainstream and can double as sleepwear, especially if morning coffee is served in a B&B lobby!
How to Pack Really Light Tip 3:
Only take a maximum of two colors that can be worn together. Even in tropical climates, take dark colors or prints that won’t show you spilled your coffee in your lap on the airplane.
How to Pack Really Light Tip 4:
Try to pack only what you can wash out in the sink. Even in Siberia in January, I was able to wash out clothes ad hang them over the radiator.
How to Pack Really Light Tip 5:
Before you head out of town, one last tip: Take your rollerbag on a brisk walk around your home. Lift it up on the bed a few times and then decide what you need to throw out! Please check out our tips on How to Pack Really Light and send your own via our Contacts page.
