Packing for vacation.
You either love it or you hate it.
If you love it, it’s the first thing you do on the week of travel. If you hate it, it’s the very last thing before heading out the door.
I absolutely hate packing for vacation. Therefore, it’s the very last thing I do.
But there’s actually something I do love about packing – the ability to pack light.
- not having to lug around super heavy luggage
- not paying tons of money for extra baggage at the airport
- spending less time packing for vacation
In this post, I’ll tell you how I’m able to save my money and time by packing light with these 10 simple steps. And you can download the free checklist with all of these steps from our travel resource library!
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Why should I pack light?
Over the past few years, Julien and I have been to many many countries and we’ve learned one very important rule about packing for vacation.
The more you pack = the more you carry.
When you’re traveling, you don’t exactly know how far you’ll need to carry that luggage. It could be short – like from the taxi to the front of the hotel.
Or it could be longer – like through the airport to the train station. And then to the metro. And then 5 blocks to the hotel. Uphill. Usually on cobblestone if you’re headed anywhere outside the US. And then on to the next destination on our itinerary.
Believe me, we’ve been there.
And in that moment I remember saying to Julien “Thank goodness we packed light.”
Now, hopefully you’re convinced – and if you clicked into this post, then you probably already are. But just in case, here are a few more reasons why it’s so very important to pack as light as possible.
- No airline baggage fees
- No lost checked in bags at the airport
- If you’re late for your flight, it’s hard to run through the airport with 50 lbs of luggage on your arm, or even rolling behind you
- The more luggage you have, the more you look like a tourist (aka a target for pickpockets)
- Having more stuff means more stuff you can potentially lose or forget at the hotel
- Having more outfit choices means more time trying to decide what to wear and less time adventuring
- Less time spent packing for vacation
Okay, so I know it’s hard to do – I’m not saying it’s easy.
The first time I tried it I almost cried. Seriously.
I used to be the girl who went on a weekend trip and took the big suitcase. You know the one.
And whenever I would fly up to Maine for a long weekend to visit my dad, he would pick me up from the airport and say “Are you planning on moving up here?” and I would roll my eyes.
But I promise you it gets easier. Now we wouldn’t even dream of traveling with the big suitcase. And we never have to pay for baggage fees.
Cobblestone streets everywhere!
How to Pack Light
1) Only take a carry on
Repeat after me. “I will only take a carry-on.”
Now repeat this 50 more times.
There are so many reasons that this is important.
First of all, if you check your luggage, you have to wait for it after you get off the plane. Meanwhile, those of us who only have carry ons walked off the plane and straight out the door.
Secondly, and more importantly, airplanes lose luggage.
Maybe it’s not often, but it’s often enough. And if it does happen, you will lose hours of your vacation trying to deal with it.
Not my idea of a vacation.
2) Not all carry-ons are created equal
When you check in for your flight, they will weigh your carry-on (the moment of truth, we like to call it.)
It had better be under the airline’s requirements or else you’ll be doing the dreaded re-pack in the middle of the airport.
This is where the actual carry-on comes in. Look for one that is as light as possible. The lighter the luggage, the more stuff you can pack before you meet the weight limit.
Aim for one that’s under 5lbs, leaving you with enough room for all your other stuff.
We use this one in purple but also have this one as a back up.
You can also get a duffel bag which will be super light!
3) Use Packing Cubes
I honestly can’t believe how many people have never heard of (or choose not to use) packing cubes!
You know how you pack everything all nice and snug in your luggage, and then after you take it out and use it, it just doesn’t go back in the same way?
Enter packing cubes.
And they’re especially useful if you’re looking for something in a hurry – like when they tell you your bag is 0.5 grams over the bag limit and you need to move something to the other bag asap 😛
Julien gave me these ones for Christmas last year and I’ve never gone back.
4) Pack only the necessities
Do you really need 4 pairs of sneakers or that extra wool-coat?
The answer is probably no.
Make a list before you start packing and double-check that you really need the things on the list.
You can totally get by with 3 bottoms and 4-6 tops for the whole week.
And if you really need to wash things, you’ll probably have a bathroom sink and someplace to air-dry your stuff.
Want the free checklist?
Download it from our free travel resource library & save time and money on every vacation!
IT ONLY TAKES 5 SECONDS!
5) Pack neutrals
Always always always try to pack things that are interchangeable.
One neutral top that can go with any of the 3 bottoms makes a bunch more outfit combinations that that one pair of stripped mustard-yellow pants.
Cute? Sure. Practical? Definitely not.
And while you might not immediately think that this purple dress is neutral, it can actually pair with so many other things.
Like a jean jacket, dressed up with heels, or dressed down with sneakers. Add a sweater or a shawl and that’s 5 different outfits already!
6) Pack shoes that are squishy
Those 6 inch patent leather heels are adorable. But they have no place in your carry-on.
Generally I only pack shoes that have a soft fabric upper part (does that make sense?) You know the type – shoes that will bend or fold onto themselves. Think Converse, not running shoes.
As far as heels go – pack one pair. Black works best if you have to. But flats work better!
As good as the heels make your legs look, it won’t be so cute when you break your back trying to walk on the cobblestone streets.
And ladies, I know this is hard, trust me. But it gets easier over time and it’s less of a headache overall.
7) Wear your heaviest items
We touched on this in our 15 Travel Tips to Make Your Life Easier post.
Try your hardest to wear the items that weigh the most (jeans, coats, etc) and then when you’re on the plane you can exchange them for something more comfy.
You know, since you have your carry-on with you 😉
This way you aren’t eating up your bag weight allowance unnecessarily and you get to pack more (because you know you want to 😛 )
8) Allow yourself one special item
Sometimes there is just something you cannot live without, however impractical.
For me it’s my Buttercup blow dryer. I literally go everywhere with it and have yet to find a hair dryer on the planet that is even half as good (and they make a travel size!!)
Anyway, I digress – I’m a firm believer in balance. Let yourself pack one extra thing that you don’t absolutely need.
9) Get a portable luggage scale
Before we had one of these, we would drag our luggage to the grocery store and weigh it on the scale at the front of the store.
How embarrassing.
But another great thing about a portable luggage scale is that we take it with us and use it on our trip to make sure we didn’t pack too many souvenirs – like we talked about in our travel tips to make your life easier post.
You’ll never have to worry about an over-weight suitcase again. So worth it for around $10.
10) Reduce the size of your make up bag
I have a friend – let’s call her Maria 😉
She brings her giant make up bag everywhere. It takes up so much space and weight, not to mention the amount of time it takes to apply all that make up every day.
For traveling, try to narrow it down to only the basics. You really don’t need 3 different foundations and your entire set of bronze eyeliners.
Here’s my trick: I have a small canvas make up bag that I use. If it fits in there, I take it. If not, it stays. Choose wisely.
Hopefully these simple steps to packing light will help you avoid over-packing and skip the baggage fees!
And don’t forget to download the Packing Light Checklist from our free travel resource library! It will help you plan an epic vacation like a pro and it only takes 5 seconds!
Happy travels!
– Veronica
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