The Art of traveling light

It pays to travel light whether you are going on a vacation or business trip.

Anyone can get through a trip to anywhere they want with nothing more than what they brought in their bag and extra money in their pockets.

Packing too much is one of the biggest mistakes that most people make when they travel since they are concerned about being stuck in the middle of their trip without something they need. However, you can save up the size and weight of your luggage and your energy in bringing your things by following a few steps.

Check the weather in your destination ahead before leaving. This is to inform you on what are the important things you should bring or not leaving anything related to your trip.

Make a list. Since most people over-pack things, you may avoid it listing all the things you must bring and compare it to the activities that you will be doing in your itinerary. Considering your functions day-to-day in your trip may also help.

Aside from your clothes, don’t forget to bring other travel essentials such as identification cards (IDs) and travel documents, toiletries, medicine, smaller bills and coins for commuting, and copy of the itinerary with contact person and/or numbers.

Choose the right bag. Your decision in picking a bag will depend in what you have listed. However, you must also consider the size, weight, and storage of your bag to help you move more comfortably without bothering how heavy or how full your bag is.

Roll your folded clothes. It will make them easier to compress if you roll them tight enough instead of stacking them on top of each other. It will also be easier to pick out a blouse or shirt without messing up the rest of your things in your bag.

Downsize your toiletries. Purchase smaller items or transferring your toiletries to smaller containers or ziplocks to avoid bulkiness. You may invest on shampoo and conditioner sachets, and tissue travel packs.

Check your things twice. Since you made an effort to list and prepare your things, walk an extra mile by checking it twice or thrice before placing everything in your bag. It is better to spend a few minutes checking your list again than to realize in the middle of your trip that you forgot to include your underwears.

Both packing things and traveling can often be a challenging task. However, you could always get to any of your destinations efficiently if you travel light and happy. (Tiziana Piatos)