THE DREAM OF CAREFREE TRAVEL SHOULDN’T BECOME A NIGHTMARE OF HEAVY SUITCASES AND LOST LUGGAGE. WE TAKE A LOOK AT SOME GREAT IDEAS TO LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD SO YOU CAN SAY ‘YES’ TO MORE ADVENTURE AND LESS PACKING.
Start with a plan
Few things set your holiday off to a bad start more than the last-minute panic of tossing things into a suitcase before a trip.
Make sure the start of your vacation is as relaxing as the destination itself by putting as much attention into your packing as you have done in choosing your destination. You might be pleasantly surprised how much you can leave at home with a bit of forethought.
Start by making a note of the expected weather at your destination. Taking a couple of lighter layering items may be worth more than packing one heavy jacket.
Write down your travel wardrobe to see what you have that can do double duty. A shirt, for instance, can be buttoned up to wear with jeans or worn open over a T-shirt.
It’s a match!
Mixing and matching offers you the ultimate versatility. Choose a neutral colour palette as a base – for example, black, navy, grey or tan, and choose enough tops and bottoms to coordinate with your foundation colours.
According to fashion styling website The Vivienne Files, 13 items of well-chosen clothing is all you need to take on an extended holiday that will offer you 80 different clothing combinations without repeating the same outfit twice! You can see an example at the website: https://www.theviviennefiles.com/2015/05/how-to-pack-light-whatevers-clean-13.html/
Become ‘pod’ people
Packing pods or packing cubes are a great way to keep clothing compact and organised – which is essential if you are planning to travel with carry-on luggage only. For many airlines carry-on has a 7kg limit. That’s another incentive to pack light!
These lightweight, compact, zippered pouches let you keep clothing organised and wrinkle free. Some people prefer to place like items in individual pods – such as all shirts. Others compile a complete outfit, down to the underwear and socks, in each pod.
Packing cubes make it easy to account for travel essentials such as medication and electronic accessories such as adapters, charging cords, power banks, etc.
Make a list and check it twice Ensure trusted friends and family have your overseas contact details including phone numbers, flight details, hotels and other destinations for peace of mind should something unexpected happen while you’re away from home.