Who has never dreamed of traveling light? Not having to drag an overloaded suitcase from the airport to the hotel, from one destination to another? Traveling light allows on the one hand for more fluid movements, and, on the other hand, to travel with a freer spirit, without having to worry about carrying heavy and packed luggage.
Traveling light means discovering a destination, less the stress of luggage, and it also means saving money at the airport for those who leave by plane. 10 tips for traveling light.
It's not always easy to prepare your suitcase, to decide what to bring or not. When in doubt, we multiply and pile up clothes and accessories for fear of running out, and, in the end, the luggage is much too heavy. One of the solutions to be able to select only what is essential to take with you is to prepare your luggage well in advance. First, by taking out of your closets all the clothes you would like to put in your suitcase. Then, after fittings, depending on the weather at your destination and the activities you plan, you will gradually reduce the volume of what you had selected at the start.
Traveling light means first of all thinking about equipping yourself with a backpack or a suitcase that does not weigh too much at the base. We can indeed quickly already reach three kilos empty with certain types of luggage. To avoid overloading yourself, avoid taking too much luggage. The temptation to fill it will be all the greater. The trick to traveling light is to pack for a three-day trip, even if it's longer. Over three days, this allows for spare time, but not too much.
To limit the number of clothes and accessories in the luggage as much as possible, think about creating your outfits in advance and combining them with each other. This trick will avoid the multiplication of T-shirts or tops. Also favor clothes that have several uses. The pareo, for example, can be used both as a scarf, a skirt for women, a hat, but also as a tablecloth or sheets!
Limiting the quantity of clothes is one thing, but you can also choose those that will allow you to travel lighter. Think of so-called "technical" clothing whose materials are generally lighter. In addition to this advantage, depending on their model, these garments are also more resistant to cold, heat or humidity and dry much faster than conventional materials. The most telling example is the microfiber towel, which is much lighter, less bulky and ultra-fast drying compared to a normal bath towel.
As for shoes, unless you are going for a hike, bring your light sneakers rather than your much heavier walking shoes which you may not need. And add a pair of flip flops if you're heading out in the sun.
The toilet bag is very often one of the elements of a luggage that weighs heavily. To lighten its weight as much as possible, opt for all-in-one hygiene products. It is indeed easy to find products on the market that act as body soap and shampoo, or even sometimes also laundry detergent. Also remember to replace your usual products with samples of cream, shampoo or make-up that you have collected throughout the year when shopping for hygiene products.
Today, even when leaving for a distant and remote destination, you can find around you enough to buy clothes, hygiene products, shoes or medicines. So remember to buy local to leave with the minimum of luggage. And anything you don't want to bring back, you can easily donate on site.
Books are usually part of the luggage for the holidays. Unfortunately, their weight is substantial. But there is no question of depriving yourself of your favorite pastime because you can travel light with your favorite novels in electronic format on an e-reader or a tablet.
Remember to write down the clothes and accessories you brought on your last trip. Eliminate any that you didn't use. You will lighten your luggage considerably and without forgetting anything more.
One last good tip for traveling light:rather than stuffing your luggage with heavy clothes, carry them on you during the trip. For example, put your sneakers on your feet and leave your light flip-flops in your suitcase. Instead, wear trousers and reserve the shorts in the travel bag, just like the sweater which can anyway be more useful out of the suitcase if you have to spend the night outside for example.
