Top Tips For Travelling Light
Packing small is essential for any globetrotter committed to embracing the chaos of travel. From chasing down Japanese trains that unapologetically depart on time to squeezing yourself into the only bus to the next Vietnamese village, lighter bags aren’t just the latest trend for travellers ~ they are a necessity, and have been a maxim for globetrotters for ages.
“Simplicity, clarity, singleness: These are the attributes that give our lives power and vividness and joy as they are also the marks of great art.” ~ Richard Holloway
There is a deep connect between travel-packing and the lifestyle you lead. Your idea of comfort and style is usually your yardage when it comes to packing. But too much baggage can draw out precious energy that you may want to save for exploring your destination. Limber up by shedding the size and weight of your bags and travelling will become more fun.
There is a considerable amount of anxiety one may deal with when travelling. Apprehensions of being in a foreign place, encountering new cultures and traditions, personal safety and so on. So, why club it with the hassle of chugging extra luggage?
I ask myself what I really need so that I can cut down on the things that I don’t need {or things I wouldn’t even take out of my bag!}. In the effort to take a more minimal approach to my travels, here are my top tips for travelling light:
- Have a Bag that Can Do it All
Travel preparations have a way of working up my nerves. No matter how much time I’ve had to prep before the journey, I anxiously try to go through my things hoping that I haven’t forgotten anything. This is why I have felt the need for a bag that can mirror my need to be organised so that I know exactly where to look for my boarding pass, wallet, passport, keys, and phone.
An Italian-made handbag of superior quality fits my requirements very well ~ one with adequate pockets to help me organise essentials. I should be able to easily prop it on my shoulders or carry it on my arm, and when I feel like wearing it cross-body, my bag should be able to allow that too. I’ve got an inclination for neutral colours which easily go with anything that I wear. Additionally, neutral colours don’t attract a lot of dirt and grit and coupled with a light-coloured lining ~ makes it much easier for me to find what I am looking for. Keeping all these things in mind, I would advise you to pick a bag that is lightweight and easy to carry so that your travelling memories aren’t speckled with upsetting images.
- Pack Smart
How do you fit a whole trip’s worth of luggage into a small suitcase? The answer is simple: A smart packer brings very little. Everything that you think you need to carry may not be required when you reach your destination.
You don’t need to overwhelm yourself by packing too much. I know it requires some heart-breaking decisions like leaving your favourite pair of denim behind, packing fewer accessories, and not bringing every shoe that you had your eyes on.
To pack smart, begin by choosing a bag that can fit into the overhead compartment of an aeroplane with the least amount of shoving. Then fill it with all your travel essentials; anything that doesn’t fit in the bag doesn’t need to go with you. Pack for the best-case scenario and simply buy yourself out of any jams. Remember that lighter bags are filled with more beautiful memories of your trip than heavy ones.
Pack clothes that can be easily rolled up without getting wrinkled too much; this helps you make space for more clothes and keeps the worry of ironing your clothes off your travel list. Dresses work well for me. They are an entire outfit by themselves. I would suggest light, flowing, quick-dry poly blends which can be easily layered and dressed up or down.
Clothes compressors, airless bags and packing cubes are a nifty way of travelling light while keeping your things tightly packed and well organised. Small travel items like a first aid kit, earplugs, clothesline, sewing kit and gadgets can be placed in packing cubes while mesh bags are good for underwear and socks.
Keep it simple and light ~ minimalism isn’t just trendy, it is indispensable to travellers. You can either travel light and enjoy your vacay or be among those tourists who wish they had.
- A Minimalist Approach
Pick clothes that can be mixed and matched and that easily go with the shoes and accessories you are carrying. Choosing light colours that complement each other would even mean that you would be able to get away with one load of laundry. This does not mean that you have to limit yourself to monochromatic or boring. Rather, it suggests a minimalist approach to fashion.
My affinity for different sunglasses, shoes and accessories has always made it difficult for me to settle on just one, but I’ve learnt the hard way that less is more. Because when you truly consider it, you just need one great pair of sunnies, and possibly two pairs of shoes. If your fashion sense begs you to differ, then pick scarfs, bandanas, hats or similar accessories that can help you bring your unique sense of style along with you on your trip.
Another thing I’m working on is simplifying my beauty routine, especially when it comes to my makeup. Multi-purpose products and two-in-ones are absolute lifesavers!
To conclude: You don’t need that. Or that. Or that either!
This is the smart traveller’s chant that works every single time you pack for a trip. The overwhelming sense of travelling to a new place can fog our sensibility, encouraging us to pack a lot of “what ifs”. All we need to do is think clearly about what we really need. If you end up needing something that you didn’t pack then you can purchase it. Travel light and return with a load of photos and memories ~ the only things that deserve lots of space but don’t carry any weight.
Do you have any top tips for travelling light? Let me know in the comments section below.
Lovely shots, Tanya! And I love your mini capsule wardrobe tips ~ this is what I would pack for a city trip, especially as I love to travel with hand luggage only! Thank you so much for curating this post!
Thank you for your sweet words, Minni! Quite reassuring really.
How wonderful are these tips ~ and we all know how beautiful your personal style is! ✨✨ Amazing writing and photography skills… always love your travel shares!
Thank you for feeling so deeply, Shivani!
This is such an amazing share! Also, I love the idea and the overall aesthetic of the photos!
My brain has stopped working, which for me, is a sure sign of slowing down … at last … no decisions, planning or organising ~ just sun, sea, food (which I haven’t had to buy or prepare), and books! Yes, I’m on holiday!
You’re a sensitive soul, Harman. Glad to have you enjoy my work.
This one is beautifully expressed! Even though I travel only with hand luggage… I still bring too much! Thank you so much for giving me the inspiration to give ‘travelling light’ a whirl again, Tanya!
Thank you for resonating with this, Parul.
Really enlightened. You have such talent, and I absolutely love your creativity!
When you know what colours and styles of clothes suit you, everything in your wardrobe goes together, as well as works best for you. So, travelling with a capsule wardrobe becomes incredibly easy. 🙂
Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts, Sareeka.
You’ve done such an amazing job as creative director ~ love these visuals! Great advice, too.
In the past, a weekend away would mean I was packing a hold-all just for my toiletries… But this time around, everything I need fits into a small bag! Perks of being low waste… 🙂
Zero-waste essentials certainly make travelling a lot easier + a lot lighter. Have fun, Anuja!
The photography in this post – completely on point! A picture truly can speak a thousand words!!
And yes, travelling light and more simply makes such a difference. Your posts are really inspirational!
The absolute best way; so stress free!
Thank you very much, Kaushiki.
This editorial is simply awesome! Amazing tips, as well.
Travelling light. A philosophy, lightly held. A single camera and a single lens lightly packed… So excited to watch your travel blogging journey unfold…
Thank you so much, Meeta!
Great source of useful information, thanks Tanya! I’ve found this post just on time, heading to Cambodia for three weeks in ten days. Really excited to hop on a bus/train and explore the country!
It has remained my favourite country and I cannot wait to go back! Have a great trip, Sangeetha!
Informative share… When I embarked on my plastic-free journey, I realised that its unexpected bonus is the simplicity of personal care and travelling. 🙂 And that’s largely because I wanted to feel light, without too many distractions and having to worry about what would happen if something got lost or went missing etc. That’s minimalist living.
Your sentiments are perfectly captured in this quote by Joshua Becker ~ “Owning less is great, wanting less is better.”
Yessss ~ I love to do road trips, so I keep only the bits I truly love and need for my journey… all the rest keeps me away from that calm I need. Lighter does feel sooo good.
The key, of course, is thin fabrics that you can layer. My friend took a photo of me (on one of my vacay returns) with my bags because she said she was amazed and thought that I needed to teach people how to pack!
I’m a minimalist. There. I said it.
Minimalism never goes out of style, Ritiqa.
Omg – love this! ❤️ Travelling Light is a simply way to enjoy your journey… after all, travelling is as much about the journey as the destination.
Quite true.
Love this share! ❤️ Thank you for the excellent tips, Tanya!
Compression packing cubes save my life ~ I can pack more into my cabin luggage and nothing is a mess! Plus, I use a small packable purse in an outside pocket where I literally fit stuff in every inch of space!
Thanks Anshika. Personally, I think packing cubes are a must.
I’m a big fan of rolling, but you can never completely eliminate those wrinkles. I bought a handheld steamer that is small and packs in a carry-on super easily. It’s been a game changer! 🙂
I think the best way to pack is to pack with the end in mind, Khushi. Thanks for sharing.
Wow – this is such a good post, and these are great tips! ❤️ I seriously need to follow them. Listing while you have your suitcase open makes packing much quicker – especially since I’m not good at organising!
Agreed.
Taking these tips and running with them! 😀 Seriously, these are awesome ways to be organised! ✨ I am feeling “Travel Light” motivated! This week’s goal.
Aw ~ happy to hear it, Shuaib!
Love these tips so much – I really need to get more into physically writing style combinations down! ❤️ And yes, simple is always better. Thanks for sharing.
“Be as flexible as your credit card, and always travel with only hand luggage”. 🙂
So many good options here, I just wish I had more restraint when packing. Hands up for who’s finally ready to book that flight and skip through to the departure lounge! 🙂
Thank you very much for your affectionate appreciation, Nitish!
You’re so right! I always wear the heaviest, bulkiest shoes on the plane! It may not be the most fashionable but as you say, every kilo counts! That being said, I can pack for a hot holiday in a heartbeat but anything with a chill, Lord help us all! 😀
Thanks so much, Kunal! So chuffed you like the post.
Omg, I needed to hear this! I love when things are interchangeable or adaptable. I will make sure to save it to refer back to, and share it with someone who might be travelling soon!
Thank you for your generous compliment, Arjun.
Feel this deeply… We are heading to Rajasthan for 5 days for a family wedding, in a couple of weeks, and I’m excited to start planning my wardrobe.
Glad to be of help, Aiswarya.
Thanks for the travel inspiration! I’m dreaming of a cheeky getaway. 😀
To add to your post, I would say there are two reasons why people don’t want to travel light:
* They worry about not having enough clothes to wear, and
* Having to wash their clothes every time they wear them.
But one nice blouse could be worn for many evenings before it really needs washing. By wearing it with a different scarf, necklace, +/- a jacket, different pants… you can change the look.
That is sensitive of you, to resonate like this. Thank you, Megha.
This is a super helpful guide! ✨ Define yourself without saying anything and let your fashion shout it out for you. In short, travelling light is a new aim.
Thank you, Dhaval. Very well said!
Great tips to make packing easier, lighter and be stylish on your trip!
For me, the biggest bummer of travelling is the unpacking process. But so much of it doesn’t even need to be unpacked. My suitcase is 1/3 full at all times. It prevents the need to find storage for travel-only things and helps me not forget things I know I’ll need.
Thank you for your sweet words, Sanghmitra.
I absolutely love this and your attitude! When your packing game is strong, you pack using zip-cubes to keep your items organized. ✨ I’m not much of a capsule person for day-to-day life, but I love packing light and maximizing my options on a trip!
Definitely hear you on that one, Meenu!
Really cool ideas that work so well! ❤️ When I was on the road for work, this was a lifesaver. I have a full set of toiletries, makeup, etc. that lives in my suitcase. I can’t trust my pre-trip brain to not forget something important.
Thank you very much for your affectionate and kind thoughts, Sachin.
Omg – love it!!
We recently took a 4-day family trip, and I packed a 10-piece mini capsule that gave me the potential to make more than 15 potential outfits!
Thanks so much, Vandana. Means a lot that you like it!
Agree with you, don’t be weighed down! Your suggestions are spot-on for people who make impromptu plans to add more places to their plans. They don’t have to worry about packing every time they decide to alter their plans.
I’m happy to hear this, Rhea. Thank you!
Ohhh – love this!
Yes, I’m a “what if” packer, and just end up with waaaaay too much stuff! Love learning more about taking the stress out of choosing travel outfits by having a simplified version of your wardrobe in coordinating colours. Thank you for sharing, Tanya.
Thank you so much for being present, Ankita. So glad you enjoyed it!