Am such a disciple for travelling light that there have been times I carried it to the extreme. Once, I ran out of clothes on the third day of a four-day vacation. This is because I loathe the idea of lugging around too heavy luggages , even carry-ons, especially in international airports where you have to walk something like a kilometer to traverse one terminal to the next.
Having said so, here are ‘travel light’ tips I’ve gathered through the years. Would appreciate getting yours too:
– A few days or the night before, plan and make a list of what you would like to bring to the trip. It should cover all areas, as some of us couldn’t possibly retire at night without putting on our facial moisturizer and eye cream. Making a mental note just doesn’t cut it as you are bound to forget some things, so list it down.
– Organize your luggage. Ziplock bags which come in different sizes are very useful in segregating things like your trinkets, toiletries and other whatchamacallits. The silk undergarment bag that somebody gifted me with last Christmas certainly proved to be handy.
– Next time you check in a hotel, do not throw those miniature bottles of shampoo, lotion and shower gels. They can be handy on your next sojourn to the outdoors where the usual amenities cannot be found.
– Use a beltbag (or anything that attaches to the body) to store important documents like passports and plane tickets. Same bags are also useful during outdoor trips like hiking and camping out. You can put here tissues, sachets of toiletries and even little bottles of insect repellent.
– If travelling to another country, be aware of customs and security regulations. Do not be caught carrying a fake Prada bag and even something as harmless looking as nose hair tweezers can get you into trouble and can be confiscated.
– I avoid packing jeans these days. Your wardrobe should consist of light clothing materials like cotton and chiffon, especially those which do not need any more ironing.
– Bring clothes which you can mix and match in terms of style, color and your footwear. I know a friend who solves the problem by color coding her wardrobe. This means bringing only one color for her tops down to her accessories so she doesn’t even have to mix and match.
– When you’re swimming or diving, those semi-disposable underwater cameras can be a blessing, esp. if you have this wish to be photographed while in your swim gear or dive suit. The cams are not too expensive either.
– When travelling with kids, do not forget to pack the usual electronic games like the Gameboy, coloring books and toys. It can keep your tots from being bored.
– Do not bring too thick books or reading materials. I always find out during my vacations that I don’t really get to read the books I bring because of hectic activities, so think twice.
– Don’t forget to bring summer essentials such as shades, sunblock (with at least SPF30) and flip-flops….
Hi Ajay!
You can also ziplock clothes which you don’t mind crumpling (i.e., sando, socks). Squeeze the air out before zipping it shut, and you can pack more items in a tiny bag.
Here’s my dad’s tip: Put on the bed the clothes you plan to bring, then pack only half of it. Bring twice as much money.
bilis mong mag update..i was here last night leisurely reading your posts and when i came back here,a new post! btw..how come my comments on that SUPER DUPER SEXY BIKINI SHOT of yours didn’t appear?
i’ll wait for the continuation ajay..how about locks? do you lock your bags,suitcases?
First of all, I bring clothes that don’t wrinkle easily. I can easily roll these so the luggage is compact. Second, I don’t bring light colored pants or skirts. One can easily wash dark colored clothes compared to white pants with stains.
What about borrow first the t-shirts you’re supposed to give as pasalubong to other people so you don’t have to bring too many clothes. 🙂 Grabe, sobra akong kuripot! In my defense though I’ve never done it… because I usually give keychains. 🙂
I appricated your tips on how to travel light. I have a rather large family and have learned that panning on the front end is the key. One other thing that we have found that works really well is for each member of the family to have their own back pack.
Our family really loves camping and I have found it very difficult to travel light when for a 3 day camp trip. I would love to see your tips on this subject. I am the owner of a site called CampMan.com we focus on Camping Gear. If you write a post on this, I would love to feature it on our site. Thanks again for your good tips.
Ron
Thanks for the tips Manuel. They certainly are useful.
Sachi dear, I didn’t receive your comment. Something must have happened somewhere:???: Hopefully the next time you’re logged in, this post will be continued but am sleepy now, haha. Regards!!
I agree Noemi. But I did wear white pants during my last outdoor trip to Palawan and miraculously survived unscathed. I just love wearing white, especially during summer:smile:
Haha, katawa Toe. I’ve never done it either but maybe I could wear the pasalubong shirts in bed at night so I can get away with the price tags still on?:grin:
i’m also a stickler for traveling light. of course, the face and body essentials are must-bring items. with my wardrobe, i usually decide on my bottoms first, and then work everything around that, from the tops, to the shoes, down to the accessories! i also love visualizing what to wear per day.
i guess i’m really just OC to the core coz i love packing! i pack DAYS before any trip!
There are indeed many ways of travelling light. Let me share two things that I always do:
1. Bring along a photocopy of your passport with your visa and store in your backpack or bag. Saves a lot of trouble and expedites things in case you have to report its loss.
2. Take along the small pillow that the airlines give you. Comes in very handy when you have to rest your weary head in a bus, train or even when you have to catch some zzzzzs in a station or a park bench. It also doubles as a camera tripod when you need to steady your shots (ie: like when shooting yourself with the self-timer, you can put it on top of your bag or a bridge railing like I did once over the River Kwai!). Better yet, take the small blanket as well – you never know where you might spend a chilly night.
3. Don’t trash airline food – take it with you, specially those small rolls and jam/ butter. It’s a great filler when you’re stuck somewhere with a grumbling tummy and there’s no food in sight. Like queueing up at the Louvre entrance for a ticket to see Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa!.:grin:
Ok – so that’s 3 things actually, but the last 2 have something to do with mooching off your favorite airline!:lol:
Yeah, visualizing what to wear helps you work out what clothes to bring Vina, and hopefully it will get you to bring less:wink:
Those are really great tips, Al. Shows how much of a seasoned traveller you are. Bringing the airline pillow and the blanket:grin: am guilty too of having done it in the past and it’s served me well