Travel Light
Received this from Gill via email.. very useful and timely. Thanks Gill!
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"He who would travel happily must travel light."- Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Are you tired of lugging heavy suitcases with you every time you travel abroad? Does the idea of schlepping around overcrowded airports and train stations send shivers down your spine?
Then travelling light may be the solution to all of your problems! I know... I know... But what about an evening outfit with matching shoes that you might need for a special occasion? And what will you do if the weather gets much cooler or it starts to rain during your one-week vacation? And why should you spend money buying a new sunscreen when you already have a half used bottle at home?
But the truth is that there is a 98.9% possibility that the weather will be nice and sunny during your whole stay, that your evening outfit will remain hidden in the deepest recesses of your luggage the whole time and that your bottle of sunscreen will eventually leak and smear half of your clothes.
If travelling with just one carry-on suitcase is a radical concept for you, here are a few convincing reasons why you might want to adopt a minimalist travelling approach:
The less stuff you take...
1. The less strain you put on your back and your muscles. Have you ever had to drag two 50 pound suitcases down the hotel stairs? I have and I can tell you it does not feel good!
2. The more travel options you have. It may sound strange, but taking less actually gives you greater mobility: you can hop on and off trains, buses and coaches whenever you feel like it and you can easily make adjustments in your itinerary, when travelling from one city to another. If you want to stay somewhere longer - you can. If you want to leave - no problem.
3. The less you worry. It is true. Your worry and stress during a vacation is inversely proportional to the number of suitcases that you have. First, as you wait at the luggage carousel, you worry about your luggage getting thrown onto the wrong plane. Then you are preoccupied that your belongings might get stolen, misplaced or left behind. And as if this is not enough, you constantly have to ...
4. The less time you waste. Half an hour of waiting for your luggage after landing in an airport, five minutes of loading it into a cab and then taking the airport cart back, a one hour trip or pick up your luggage from the storage room, before departing for another city - all this extra time adds up to hours of your vacation that you could have spent on sightseeing, souvenir shopping, or relaxing on the beach.
5. The more money you save. Minimalist travelling is a great way to save money. No longer you will be charged check in baggage fees by the airlines, no longer will you have to tip porters
for carrying your suitcases for you, no longer will you feel compelled to take the first hotel room you are offered, because you are so exhausted, and you cannot think about looking for a different hotel.
6. The more room you will free up for all the wonderful souvenirs that will remind you and your beloved ones of your vacation.
Tips on travelling the minimalist way:
1. Plan ahead! Do not be one of those people, who just mindlessly shovel half of their closet into their suitcases the night before a trip. Start making a list of all the things that you need to take with you at least 2-3 days in advance and pack your suitcase little by little. It is not as overwhelming and stressful.
2. Get your research done! Check beforehand if the hotel you are staying in supplies such items as hairdryer, iron, beach towels and toiletries. Look at the weather forecast at your
destination to know what kind of clothes to take with you. Check if there are any events that you would like to visit and adjust your wardrobe accordingly.
3. Pick a smaller suitcase! You will not be as tempted to fill it up with unnecessary stuff.
4. Wear your heaviest and bulkiest clothes on the plane. Jeans, heavy shoes, fluffy fleeces are great examples of clothing that take too much space when packed, yet comfortable
enough to be worn on a plane.
5. Downsize your toiletry. Take only travel size bottles and sample packages of creams, make-up and perfumes.
6. When in doubt, leave it out! Lay out everything that you plan on taking with you. Pick up the first item and ask yourself, "Will I really wear/use this enough to feel good about carrying it with me during my whole vacation?" If there is a tiny doubt in your heart that you might not need to take it with you, leave it home!
7. Pack for the purpose, not for the worst case scenario. The main idea behind minimalist travelling is to identify a few essentials and drop the rest. Approach packing your suitcases with a minimalist set of mind. Do not pack something that 'MIGHT' be handy or what you 'COULD wear IF'! Because if something extraordinary does happen, you can always find everything you need in the country where you are travelling.
8. Think versatility! It is tempting to take your favorite pieces of clothing on vacation with you, although, it is not always practical. Travel experts suggest picking clothing items that can be mixed and matched with at least two more pieces of clothing (both color and style wise). For example, a black shirt can be worn during the day with jeans and for special occasions with
elegant bottoms.
9. Consider accessories as an alternative to extra clothing pieces. Adding little touches like a bright scarf, a nice-looking belt, or jewelry is a great way to dress up your outfit, without over packing your suitcases.
10. Leave out books! Think of all the books that you usually pack with you, hoping to read them all. At the end of your trip you are lucky if you even finish one of them! So what is the point of carrying all this extra weight in your suitcase, just to feel guilty afterwards? Solution? Bring one book, and when you are done, find a book-exchange and trade it for a new one. And instead of taking guidebooks with you, photocopy the relevant sections or save all the travelling information that you might need on your laptop (given that you bring one with you).
11. Test yourself! Pack your suitcase and carry it around with you in the city for an hour or so. If it still feels heavy - open it up and have a good hard look at everything you packed. Is there something that you could have left at home? Yes? Then be ruthless and leave it out!
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