Over the years we have gone from packing light to lighter to the lightest on our trips 🙂 And we know this is something most of us struggle with. I will be lying if I say we were always this smart with the packing and never had heavy luggage. When Aashi was small and we started traveling, I used to have a complete suitcase packed with just her formula milk…just in case!! A big pack of diapers and almost all her wardrobe packed with me. And it never felt sufficient. On our 2 weeks trip to Europe, God knows what we would have done without our friends. Who helped carry our luggage at times, particularly when hopping on trains and buses. Since between the three of us, we had 2 huge backpacks, one extra large size suitcase, a small suitcase and a baby suitcase !!
Fast forward to today. On our most recent trip to Goa, I was able to pack all my luggage along with my two kids luggage in that small baby suitcase for a 5 days trip!! And Abhishek had all his belongings in one small backpack laptop bag along with his laptop! I am feeling like patting my back as I write this 🙂 Enough of basking in my own glory. Here I am, writing this article, to let you guys know the tips and tricks on how we have come such a long way. And learnt how to pack light for traveling. So, here they go –
Table of Contents
Pack only for 5 days worth of cloth for any trip that lasts longer
I learnt this interesting rule of 1-2-3-4-5-6 from quiet a few places. It says all you need is 1 hat, 2 pair of shoes, 3 bottoms, 4 tops, 5 pair of socks and 6 pair of UGs. And you will be sorted, no matter however long your trip is. After my experience traveling with my kids, I feel same can be applied to kids who are 5 years and older. For younger ones, I might want to pack a couple of extra pairs. As my smaller one is sometimes capable of soiling 3-4 dresses in a few hours! Yes, it happened one afternoon on our 4 days trip to Pondicherry. Where she first dropped water on her dress. Then started crying and threw up on the second dress that we had just changed her into. And ended up wearing a third dress within a span of few minutes.
But nevertheless, if you are able to do the above, you will be able to travel anywhere with just a carry on bag. A simpler way of saying the above is to pack only for 5 days worth of cloth for any trip that lasts longer than 5 days. And you will see what a useful tip is it on how to pack light for traveling. Once you master this, it will not matter whether you are wondering how to pack light for a 5 days trip or how to pack light for a 10 days trip or even a month!
Plan on doing your laundry while traveling
Now, obviously if you are traveling for many weeks at a stretch with just 5 pair of cloths, you will need to do laundry at some point. I was not like this before and avoided laundry on my vacations. Somehow, it reduced that feeling of “vacation” for me. But over the past couple of years, instead of carrying half my wardrobe, I have started carrying (or sometimes buying at the destination) a small soap. And do my own laundry. Believe me, it is so much worth it. As, it has reduced my travel cloth packing to less than half of what I used to carry before. If you don’t like doing your own laundry, you can always avail of the laundry service provided at most of the hotels these days. They do cost a few extra bucks but are totally worth it.
A secret tip : There is no rule that you can’t repeat your dresses without having washed them, at least once. I have often sun-dried my cloths after a one day use and used them one more time before washing. The sun drying is almost like sterilising them in a hot oven, particularly on tropical vacations :D. And I am sure eliminates any hygiene issues as such.
Pack versatile and lightweight cloths
When you carry lesser number of cloths, the trick is to carry versatile cloths and preferably light fabrics which dry quickly. This way, you will not be compromising on having diverse outfits while you still carry minimal cloths with you. Some of the examples that we have personally tried include
- A bottom wear that can pair with multiple tops , t shirts and kurtas
- Top wear like T shirt and Kurta that can go with couple of bottom wear
- Rip-off pants that can act as both half and full pant
- A dress that can be worn in several ways – as a dress with a belt, as a long top with a trouser or as a more sophisticated evening wear with a scarf and stockings
- A scarf or sarong that can act as a towel or a picnic mat if required
And the list goes on and on. But the point is to think of multi-use when choosing your travel packing cloths. And you will soon learn how to pack light for traveling.
Go for layering over bulky cloths
Lets be real. it’s easy to pack light cloths for beach vacation or hot destinations. I automatically had less luggage when traveling to Goa for my Goa workcation. Or when we did our 3 days trip to Jaipur and 4 days trip to Udaipur in August. And the other time when we visited Karaikudi tourist places and hopped through the Madurai Temples. But, I struggled more with packing light when on our 4 days trip to Palampur, our trip to Meghalaya, the 9 days Kashmir trip that we did last year. But, then finally I have learnt a trick on how to pack light for winter travel. And that is to go with layers. So, instead of packing one bulky jacket for my kids or myself, I rather go with one light jacket, one full sleeve t shirt and one half sleeve t shirt. And on colder days I would rather layer all three one on top of the other.
This also helps cope with temperature fluctuations better. As I can easily remove a layer as it gets warmer through the day and add a layer as it goes colder. And the 3 pieces can as well be paired with other garments or worn in isolation. A win win from all angles, isn’t it?
Carry minimal or no extra shoes
Its been ages since I carried any shoe other than the one I wear!! If going to summer destinations, I swear by my lightweight crocs. And when on winter destinations, just one shoe with certain pair of socks. Most of the hotels provide slippers for in-room usage which prove sufficient. Or, in case we are not heading to such a hotel, myself and Abhishek carry one pair of slippers between us for in room use. For kids we carry 2 pairs – one for outdoors and one for indoors. And really, that’s it guys. This one is a pro tip on how to pack light for traveling. Because , shoes take up a lot of space.
Only if I am heading to a snow destination, I might want to carry snow shoes with me. That also, we were able to rent all snow gears on our trip to Kashmir when we went in snowy regions. Like when we spent a day in Gulmarg and a few hours at Chandanwari near Pahalgam.
Pack basic minimum toiletries
I used to carry a huge bag of toiletries for myself and my kids on earlier trips. When going on a trip to Shimla and Manali with 1.5 years old Aashi, I carried a big plastic box full of her shampoo, conditioner and moisturisers. (I can hear you laughing!!). Even if I use minimal makeup and toiletries at home, somehow when leaving for vacation I got this feeling that simply couldn’t survive without them. And today, I am able to carry just a small clear ziplock bag and carry all my toiletries in it. And another zipped pouch with all my makeup. How did it happen, you will ask. Well, I have shifted to 20g packs of solid toiletries and makeup like face cream etc. and 50ml bottles of liquid toiletries like shampoo, conditioner etc.
In fact, when I know I am staying at a 3 star property or above, I don’t need to carry half of those minimal toiletries. Given they will definitely provide most of the basic toiletries and that also from good brands. Some even provide comb, toothpaste and toothbrush etc. For makeup, you can also use tester kits and “mini” versions of lipsticks etc. that are becoming popular now a days. I am liking the ones from Just Herbs and Nykaa.
Carry only essential prescription medicines
Earlier we used to carry a big bag of medicines with us. Over a period of time, we relaxed a bit. And now we carry only essential prescription medicines with us, particularly when traveling in India. Most of the time, we can get the required medicine over the counter until we are in a remote place with no sign of civilisation around..which hardly happens in India. When we were on our 3 weeks trip to Madhya Pradesh, we had all got food poisoning the week we were working from Orchha. It is a very small town. Yet, we got all the required over the counter medicines for our needs here. I do carry my kids latest prescription and our doctor’s contact information with us, in case we need to consult them for alternate medicines or any emergencies.
Choose your luggage wisely
Over a period of time, I have learnt that not just what you pack but also how you pack goes a long way towards how to pack light for travelling. Earlier I used to carry a huge suitcase with all our luggage into it. It was bulky, heavy to handle and if misplaced, it meant we lost almost all our luggage in one shot. Now, we carry smaller bags, some of which even the kids can handle if required. Some of the luggage I have carried on my recent trip included :
- On our recent Bangalore to Goa road trip, we carried one backpack for Abhi + 1 baby suitcase for the rest 3 of us + one baby backpack + one small bag of food for Ishi while on the road
- When we did our one week road trip to Kerala earlier last year, we carried 2 backpacks one for each one of us + 1 carry on suitcase + one small bag of food
- On our trip to Srirangapatna and Rangnathittu bird Sanctuary which involved overnight stay at Royal Orchid Brindavan Gardens, we carried one baby backpack + one carry on suitcase
Swear by packing cubes
The packing cubes save space. And they segregate items. Everything remains neat and organised with them. I can’t imagine packing without them. I have these and these packing cubes. And I have been using them for years now. Can’t imagine my travel life without them. They do help on how to pack light for traveling by making things systematic and saving space.
Minimise electronic gadgets
A kindle can replace a 100 books. You can even scan and carry your documents in it.
Now. days smart phones can double as cameras. No need to carry bulky DSLAR until you are photography crazy.
A phone and chargers mostly suffice for basic electronic needs. You can even ditch your laptop for a small vacation.
We mostly carry our phone, a power bank, phone charger and few USB cables with us on most of the trips. Only on long trips we carry our laptop and it’s charger. And when traveling international, suitable adaptors as required.
I don’t even use electronic gadgets for beauty and grooming like hair dryers. But if you do, there is no point carrying them in our luggage if we want to travel light. A pro tip on how to pack light for traveling !!
Make a packing list
If you make a packing list, it helps you stick to the required things. And not pack unnecessary stuff on the go. I always pack as per the packing list. And I have talked about it earlier also in my tips and tricks to pack like a pro. I have a summer packing list and a winter packing list apart from a general packing list that consists of items you carry on any trip. Like ID cards, phone and charger, basic medicines and toiletries etc. And I always pack as per those lists.
Rent gears instead of carrying
We debated a lot about whether to carry our kids stroller on our trip to Europe. And finally decided against it since we already had so much luggage. Actually it turned out to be such a wise decisions. Most of the pathways in Italy were cobblestoned. The museums like Louvre and the places to see in Rome are full of stairs and uneven pathways. And I saw what a pain it was for parents to carry the strollers up and down those stairs!! Sometimes, when you stay in older buildings in Europe, you might not even be having life facility. (Remember Emily in Paris!!) The only place we really made use of a pram was Disneyland Paris. And we could easily rent one there.
So, the summary is that, rent your gears as required. Instead of carrying them all over and making your packing heavy. We even rented snow shoes and winter jackets in Gulmarg – the only place we really needed them on our Kashmir trip. Imagine we carrying them for all 4 of us, all over Srinagar and Pahalgam and the houseboat on Dal Lake, only to use them in Gulmarg. Would have filled one more big suitcase.
Some extra tips on how to pack light for traveling
- You can keep a set of things always packed to just grab and go. Things like basic medicines and toiletries come under this category
- Keep one multi- compartment purse or backpack – comes in handy. I have done 20+ trips with my baby’s diaper bag and this purse with multiple compartments. The diaper bag is still very much in use. Although instead of diapers I use it to carry an extra pair of the kids dress, her travel food, sunglasses, wipes and tissues. It can accommodate a lot of stuff due to the way it is designed. And it is so lightweight to carry on the back.
- If possible, you can keep an extra collapsible bag in your main luggage like this one. It can be a canvas bag or tote bag that you can use on beaches, or when going into the pool or when going shopping on your travel. And ultimately you can fold it back and put in your luggage when you are ready to return back home.
- When heading to a destination, think about what you can easily get there. And don’t buy and pack such stuff from home. Like toiletries, groceries, medicines, diapers and disposables. When I travel to Goa, I need not carry rice and pulses to cook meals for my kid because I know I will easily get them there at a general store. But when staying at Kabini or Bandipur National Park, I would probably carry them with me. I still remember being very worried on our trip to the Andaman Islands, thinking they are off the main land. And packing all the essentials that I could think of. Only to discover that Port Blair had a big market where we could essentially get anything and everything.
So, now that you have these handy tips, try them and see if you succeed on how to pack light for traveling.
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