I must confess I love travelling but I hate packing. I NEED my entire wardrobe, but truth be told, I never wear 90% of the things that I pack. Raise your hands if you’re that kind of person, an over-packer. Being an over-packer can have it disadvantages, especially at the airport. When you have as many clothes as I do, going through security checks can be a pain.
In recent years, I’ve had to kinda curb my packing habits because I’m cheap. These days, luxuries like free checked bags don’t exist and I find it quite unfair that I have to fork over an extra 30$+ (each way) to pay for a bag. Delta, JetBlue, American Air & Co, do you expect me to travel with my purse and that’s it? My hair products alone need their own bag!
But, guess what? Travel isn’t about being comfortable, it’s about being pushed to your limits, readjusting and learning how to improvise. All of which I’ve had to learn to do. I’ve had to learn how to scale back, how to not put every pair of shoe that I own in my bag or every bottle of cream curl or gel. I’ve learned how to separate the necessities from the luxuries because travel really isn’t about how you look, or what you wear. It’s about the experience, the people, the culture and the memories.
Here are a few major packing tips to keep your checked luggage well below that 50 pounds (22.68 kg) mark!
- Pack outfits by day. For the longest, I would pack as many clothes and shoes into my suitcase as I could possibly fit. These days I pack by the day to have an idea of what exactly I would and wouldn’t need. This is key in helping to keep unnecessary clothes out!
- Choose lighter & appropriate clothing. For women, this may be a little easier than it would be for men. I tend to wear more dresses when I travel because it’s simple, and I don’t need to find a top and a bottom. Packing dresses, tanks and tees or shorts help to keep the weight down. You do not need jeans, let’s say it again. You do not need jeans. Denim is too heavy and takes up valuable space. IF you must, travel in your jeans. Try to pack clothing that you can mix n’ match and wear more than once. Scarves can double as hair wraps and sandals that can take you from daytime to night. I barely ever pack heels when travelling.
- Downsize toiletries. I have a bad habit of taking all of my hair products with me while travelling, with this much hair, you have to be prepared! But, I have gotten better but I still have some work to do. I have a stash of travel size toiletries and hair products that are in a little corner of my bathroom that I only use while travelling. It significantly reduces the load of all that liquid and cream. If you’re not on a budget, you could also just buy cheap toiletries at your destination.
- Consolidate or coordinate with your travel partner. Instead of taking two bags, how about taking just one? Couples can share a luggage which cuts down on cost. Instead of both of you taking toiletries, just share things like toothpaste, lotion, mouthwash etc.
- Pack an extra bag. In order to ensure you don’t pay overweight charges, always pack an extra bag inside of your bag. This bag can be used to house all of your travel souvenirs and knick-knacks that you will find while on vacation. Duffel bags or tote bags are my favs.
When travelling I am always reminded of what necessities are vs. wants. Do I need to travel with an entire makeup kit? Nah. Do I need a change of jewellery or a different bag every day? Certainly not. Like I previously stated, travel is more about the experience and the memories. Travelling light is not an art, but it is certainly a sacrifice. The next time you travel, challenge yourself to take only the things you will need nothing more.
Do you have any smart packing tips? Drop me a line below.
LET’S KEEP IN TOUCH!
