How To Pack Light And Save Baggage Hassles + Bonus Tip

There is nothing other than medication that keeps you from dying that is really necessary.

Over-packing is a disease caused by people over-worrying. When you’re going to new places and only meeting strangers, you don’t need to impress them with all of your outfits. Most strangers will never remember what you wore – honestly, they probably won’t remember you at all.

To help you pack light and reduce your luggage, we have shared seven smart packing tips. Have a look.

Know Where You’re Going

Take a look online at the weather forecast for your destination. If rain is likely, an umbrella or rain gear might be necessary. Look at the temperature highs and lows and then add/deduct five degrees to that, meaning you’ll have something to keep you comfortable no matter what happens. Look for things you don’t need instead of what you do.

Pack the Right Bag

People will fill whatever bag they have in front of them. If the bag is smaller, they will pack less, so don’t take a steamer trunk when you’re going away for the weekend.

Write a List

It takes two minutes to think through your trip – even one without an itinerary – and to conjure up everything you want to take with you. Think through the activities you’re likely to do. A fancy dinner? Beach lounging? Coffee shop smoking? Take the right clothes, and see if some items might serve more than one purpose.

Plan on Buying Stuff

Cash and credit cards are much lighter than shirts, shoes, or anything else. You can shed pounds in your bag if you’re planning to buy a few things on your journey. Additionally, those purchases will stay with you when you return – a friendly reminder of your time in that city.

View Everything

Pull out everything that you want to pack and put it on your bed. If the pile is too big, then ask yourself: “Do I need this?” If you have to really think about it, you probably don’t. Also, include the clothes you’re going to wear to the airport – and make those your heaviest items.

Be Decisive

Just make up your mind, and never pack two things because you couldn’t choose between them. If you ever arrive home with clean clothes, you over-packed. Don’t let that happen again.

Paring back your packing list will lighten your load – and just in case something happens and you end up lugging your bag around for a few hours, you’ll be grateful for everything you didn’t bring.

Use Packing Sacks

A packing sack is a soft fabric bag (typically made out of cotton canvas, polyester, nylon, and other materials) strapped to a suitcase to save space and keep things organized. 

They come in a few different sizes (they don’t have to be “square”), and some sacks have mesh sides, so you can see what’s inside without opening them. Packing sacks typically have a strap that goes across the top of the bag to be attached to suitcases with shoulder straps.

You can carry important items in these sacks instead of the big, bulky suitcases. Trust us; this will really help you pack light!

Bonus Tip: Pay Attention To Your Accommodation

Although this isn’t directly related to packing light, this step will help ensure you don’t get infected.

The pandemic may have eased, but it’s not over yet. So, the pace where you’ll stay during your trip becomes crucial for your safety. We’d advise booking the accommodation online instead of physically going to different hotels and booking your room. So, if you’re traveling to Denver (say), you can search for Denver short term rentals on Google and shortlist hotels based on reviews and how strictly they follow the Covid norms. 

Other factors that you can keep in mind are budget and the hotel’s location (inside or far away from the main city). 

Which of the above tips did you find the most useful? Let us know in the comments!