Improve your travels by packing light
Carry less, eliminate stress & go farther
After you enjoy the article, come back here for a full breakdown of my travel gear.
This post is for travelers who want to learn how to pack lighter.
Or don't believe it's possible to do so.
Or think it's stupid.
Or all of the above.
And yes, it's easy to stay clean and comfortable with minimal items when you travel.
The goal of this post is not to claim superiority. I don't think I'm better than you because I travel with only one small backpack.
There is no wrong way to pack.
You don't have to follow any rules.
If you want to pack a suitcase the size of a baby elephant, you are free to do that.
I don't judge you for it.
But it does make traveling more difficult and stressful.
The benefits of less luggage outweigh the downsides, while saving weight - amazing!
One carry-on is more than you'll ever need for travel.
And it's easier to accomplish than you might think.
I view packing how I view many items I choose to bring into my life.
I want them to be:
Useful
Intentionally packed
Lightweight
& multi-use, if possible.
"I could never do that!"
On a recent multi-month trip in Europe, I stayed in many hostels. I was surprised when travelers would walk through the hostel doors towing a large suitcase and carrying a second one in hand or on their backs.
As I prepared for my trip, I made sure to pack the smallest and lightest combination of belongings I could possibly come up with. Why?
I planned to visit many cities on this trip. I knew that lugging around a large suitcase and working with small storage space in hostels would be a frustrating challenge. So I made sure to avoid that.
This is why I was surprised when I saw some hostel guests had prepared differently. I expected I would be one of many with this "travel light" mindset. I wasn't alone, but I was in the great minority.
People commented on my pack, asking me how I was able to travel with so few things, how did I stay clean, how did I not get tired of wearing the same few outfits over and over.
I often heard the same response, "I could never do that!"
But that's not true.
Everyone can travel light.
... if you're able to make a few sacrifices.
... if you don't pack your fears.
... if you carefully choose what goes in your pack and what stays home.
... if you weigh similar items and pick the lightest ones.
Travel writer and author Rolf Potts created a mission to prove this point. He traveled to five continents with no luggage, carrying only a few belongings in the pockets of his cargo shorts.
A message to the big luggage lover
I take sympathy for the annoyances you will face bouncing around from city to city on trains, buses and planes. You will drag the dead weight of the baby elephant up an endless maze of narrow staircases to steep, winding streets.
You will pay the added cost of the taxi to drop you off as close as possible to your hotel front door, missing the underrated joys of public transit and the mini unplanned adventures you might find along the way.
You will look and feel amazing in a new outfit for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I'll look good too, but nobody will care what clothes I'm wearing in my photos.
They will ask me, "Where's that?" and "Who are your friends?"
Small suitcase or look good in photos?
Actually, you can have both - believe it!
Light in Lisbon
I arrived in Lisbon just in time for lunch. I met a guy on my bus who was passing through Lisbon for the day, before jumping on a flight to Madrid. Simon had no place to drop off his pack.
I was too far from my hostel to feel the need to rush there just to ditch my pack. There was much to see along the way, and I wanted to take my time to do just that.
I'd been dreaming about Lisbon for months, and I was finally here on day 12 of my trip.
We made our way to Alfama, ate lunch and then hiked around Lisbon's hills for hours, finding miradouros that offered views of this beautiful city. At no point did I ever think about my backpack. It was an extension of my body that conveniently carried a water bottle when I needed a drink.
I can't speak for my Austrian friend, but I imagine he felt the same way. We had small backpacks. We were free to explore. Luggage wasn't a thought that entered our minds. Freedom!
Pack for a long weekend trip
This is my number one suggestion for packing light. If your trip is two weeks or six months, pack as if you were going away for four days or so.
Begin with this mindset. Then bring less than you think.
What many people do is count the number of days on their trip, bring more clothes than they'd need for those number of days, and pray it all fits in Mary Poppins' magical rolling Cadillac.
This is packing your fears - bringing things you think you might need or want, rather than only the things you will definitely need.
Before your next longer trip, practice this by taking a weekend trip near your home. After your trip, take note of what you used and what you didn't. You'll be surprised by the amount of things you packed that never saw the light of day.
Washing away your worries
When it comes to packing, there's no difference between one week and two months on a trip. The longer the trip does not equal a larger suitcase.
It just means you have to do laundry about once a week.
This takes one hour.
One hour, per week, to trim your suitcase down in size by 50-75% or more.
That's a no-brainer!
This sacrifice of time is worth the weight you save. Laundromats are affordable, easy to find, often safe and comfortable places to exist for an hour.
Bring a coffee and plan the day's adventures. Fold your small amount of clothes, and you'll be ready to explore the city before you're hungry for breakfast. Or if you're tired from a long day of walking and sight-seeing, take a mid-afternoon break, and do your laundry before dinner.
This isn't like doing laundry at home - when you're faced with a pile of clothes that resembles Jabba the Hutt. The creature lives on your bed for the next three days grumbling at you before you finally force yourself to fold it and put it all away.
Your small amount of travel clothes can fit in a grocery bag.
Drying is fast, and folding is even faster.
You will always be able to find a short window of time to do a quick wash. This is a minor inconvenience. But it's far less of an inconvenience than bringing Jabba the Hutt on the road with you.
Is it right for you?
I recommend everyone gives this a shot. Attempt to pack light for one trip. Make sure it's a trip where you will be walking a lot, using public transport, in and out of hostels or hotels. If the commute is regularly involved in your trip, this is where you'll see the greatest benefit of a small pack.
If your trip involves your personal vehicle and a single destination, then bringing the baby elephant is not so bad. Your trip is easy to begin with, so the large suitcase won't drag you down. The small pack mostly comes in handy with the changing of locations and lack of simple transport.
Imagine this.
Both of your hands are free.
You have a small weight on your back.
You help the elderly lady with her luggage.
You step out onto the train platform.
Your first thought is not "How do I get to my hotel as fast as possible to drop off this damn thing?"
Walking out onto the street in a new place is my favorite feeling. I can't imagine how I'd feel if I had to tug around a tugboat. I would hate that.
You might hate it too. Do you?
Getting lost with a grin
Exiting the Barcelona train station, I was given some chewing gum by a vendor on the street handing out samples. With a minty fresh flavor in my mouth, I slowly meandered through a shaded skatepark enjoying the free entertainment. I could've hopped on public transit to my hostel a few miles to the southeast, but I chose to walk instead. I intentionally got lost, walking in that general direction, but allowing my curiosity to lead me.
Two hours later, I ended up at my hostel. I'd already had an adventure before even I locked up my pack and tested out the comforts of my bed. This is one of the many reasons why I pack light.
Less eliminates stress
Less things means less to carry around.
Less to keep track of, think about and worry about.
Less stuff to dig through to find that one special shirt or missing sock.
Less to cry about if you lose it.
When it's time to catch a train to another city, I can pack my things in under two minutes. I hardly have to give it a thought. I'm out the door, stress free and fast.
I don’t spend a ton of money on gear and clothes, because I don’t want to be crushed if I lost my pack. It would suck, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. It wouldn't ruin my trip. I'd lose a few outfits, a phone charger and my favorite hat.
I put too many hours of research, trial and error into these things, but the actual investment isn’t crazy. Everything can be easily replaced.
Allow me to show you my mostly worthless travel belongings in great detail!
My current list of travel gear.
Everything I make is here — loganletsgo.com
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