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It's Travel / tip tuesday

8 Tips for Packing Light

If you’re a woman, odds are, you like to pack a lot when you go on trips. You want to have the right outfit and a pair of shoes to go along with it. Unless you’re like my friend, who packs as little as possible because she doesn’t want to deal with it. Either way, sometimes, packing light is necessary so here are a few tips on being able to achieve smaller baggage.

  1. Try New Folding Techniques – There are videos and tutorials all over the internet about special and easy folding techniques that will allow you to save a ton of room when packing.
  2. Force Yourself to Use a Smaller Bag – Sometimes having a different bag for different types of trips can be handy. Having a smaller bag for lighter trips can be nice because you’re not tempted to pack more than you are allowed. You know that filling that bag is all you have and it gives you a limit.
  3. Nix the Extras – Many of us like to prepare for all four seasons when going on vacation. However, that’s not necessary. If you’re going somewhere cold, odds are, you’re not going to need shorts and a t-shirt. Bring one t-shirt and lighter bottoms as a just in case but don’t feel like you need to bring multiple outfits for both temperatures; that’s overboard. The same goes for vice versa. Also, do you really need a pair of shoes for each outfit? No, you don’t. Try to keep it down to 2-3 pairs of shoes tops as shoes take up quite a bit of room.
  4. Take Half the Outfits You Need – Laundry mats are a dime a dozen and can be found on every corner. If need be, take half the outfits you’re actually going to need and simply hit up a laundry mat to wash your clothes at one point in your trip. I have a friend who does this with her husband and they often just use the laundry mat at their hotel without wasting any time.
  5. Try to Use Only One Bag – I have a friend who will have one bag for clothes, one for shoes, one for toiletries, and then one for extras like beach towels, etc. Try to condense into one bag for everything. Often a bag with extra compartments works best for this because it can all still stay separated but will still be in one bag instead of multiple.
  6. Try a Backpack – Backpacks hold a lot more than you think, especially the ones with multiple compartments. With kids, having a backpack for each (depending on age) means they can carry their own bag instead of mom having to shove everybody’s stuff into one bag.
  7. Share Items – I have a friend who will simply share her husband’s shampoo or he will use hers so they don’t have to bring multiple bottles. Condensing toiletries in this way will make for a good chunk of free space. However, it’s not advised that you share toothbrushes, that’s too extreme.
  8. Condense Your Toiletries – Taking an entire bottle of shampoo and conditioner is a bit much. Most trips average one week in length. Try getting some empty travel bottles and filling those for your trip instead of bringing all your big bottles, etc.

6 Comments

  • Ngumabi
    June 14, 2017 at 3:10 pm

    I love all your tips
    There are really practical
    Especially trying new folding techniques, using a smaller bag and taking just half the outfits you need
    Nice post dear

    Reply
  • Jennifer Hamra
    June 15, 2017 at 2:35 pm

    When my family and I travel, I like to roll up our clothes so it creates more space in our bags/suitcases. I like your tip to use a smaller bag. I think this would also be a big help to pack light. Great tips!

    Reply
  • RaNesha
    June 16, 2017 at 11:54 am

    I need these tips my butt always over pack it’s crazy. I am grateful I read your post I’ve a trip next week I need to pack for.

    Reply
  • Mimi Green
    June 16, 2017 at 12:06 pm

    This used to be my struggle area. I’m happy to say I have gotten a lot better these days but I still have a ways to go. I do use a backpack though and that really helps.

    Reply
  • EG III
    June 17, 2017 at 10:54 am

    Using just one bag is key for me in my travels. Another good tip is to try to limit cotton…it’s heavy, takes a long time to dry and not as versatile as other materials.

    Reply
  • Kasi
    June 19, 2017 at 11:14 am

    These are great tips! I am your classic overpacker, but I’ll have to incorporate these tips for my next trip!

    Reply

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