We’ve all been there at one point or the other. Whether we traveled by air, land, railway or sea, we’ve all thought about how to reduce the content of our luggage and pack light.
But then, it gets so difficult when you can think of nothing to remove, and everything seems so important. Sometimes, you even decide to leave a few things behind, convinced at the time that they were unneeded or unimportant; though there was a nagging feeling that you might later need one or two of those things you took out. Unfortunately, you get to your destination and, to your exasperation, find out that you were right.
Jumia Travel shares 5 tips on how to travel light without leaving anything you need behind.
START WITH THE ITEMS YOU NEED
The key word is here is need. Start packing your luggage with the items you need, rather than those you think you might need. Items that you can, without a thought, identify as needed for your daily life and comfort are what you should begin with: for women that’ll probably include their make-up kit, underwears etc; for men that will probably also include underwears etc.
The hack is, if you have to consider whether you need it for a period of 30 seconds or more, you probably don’t and won’t need it. Using a list here can help you avoid forgetting a thing or two.
CONSIDER THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN BUY AT YOUR DESTINATION
There are things you need for travel that you can leave out of your luggage, and purchase when you get to your destination for a token fee.
Make the sacrifice, leave out these things, and avoid the hassles of dealing with heavy and excess luggage. Think of it this way, it’s better to take out items you can spend a token to renew your supply of when you get to your destination, than spend a small fortune on excess luggage.
PACK INTERCHANGEABLE OUTFITS INSTEAD OF MULTIPLE OUTFITS
If you are travelling for a week, packing multiple outfits involves packing an outfit for each day of the week. On the other hand, packing interchangeable outfits involves packing two or three outfits that you can wear for that same week. Thus, rather than packing 5 – 7 outfits, you end up packing 2 – 3 outfits that you can reinvent to look like you’re wearing a new set of clothes every time you wear them.
So, pack the pieces of clothing in your closet that can work with nearly other item you pack along, and avoid excess luggage.
BUY SMALLER LIGHTWEIGHT TRAVEL BAGS
Rather than buying large heavy bags that can accommodate everything you would ever want or need, buy a smaller light one that isn’t too heavy and only gives space for the things you need. This way, you easily overcome the temptation to over-pack. Remember, you’re travelling not relocating. Let the size of your travel bag communicate that. Besides, as an advantage, you end up saving some money, because smaller bags cost less than bigger bags.
THE WAY YOU PACK
Roll your clothes instead of folding them. This is one of the ultimate space-saving hacks. By rolling your clothes, you are able to compress them and conserve more space, helping you pack all you need in fewer bags.
Only fold suits and items of clothing you are unable to roll because you want to avoid creases. This way, there is more space to accommodate the little you will be folding, and by rolling the rest, all your luggage fits in just right.
