Of all the travel skills you might acquire, travelling light is the one most likely to result in an enjoyable, productive, stress-free travel experience. For two thousand years, seasoned travellers have written of its many benefits, including ...

Security: With a greatly reduced need to check baggage (or otherwise entrust it to the care of others), you are much less likely to lose your belongings to theft, damage, or misrouting. Similarly, you foil those who would enlist your unsuspecting aid as a conveyor of contraband goods. Achieving peace of mind is rarely this easy!

Economy: You don't have to pay porters and others to carry and store stuff for you. You eliminate extra baggage charges (and many airlines now charge for all checked baggage). You are more able to take public transportation (even from airports, just like airport personnel and flight crews), rather than taxis and limos. You can even walk. All of which also bring you into more intimate (hence rewarding) contact with the people and places that you have come to visit.

Flexibility: Less stuff means greater mobility, which gives you more travel options. You needn't arrive at airports as early. You can board trains, trams, and coaches with alacrity. You can more easily deal with delayed transportation and missed connections (because you can choose alternatives without worrying about what will happen to your belongings); you can also switch to earlier flights when space is available. You can sell your seat (by volunteering to be "bumped") on full flights. You can travel as an air courier. You will be among the first to leave the airport, while others wait for baggage delivery and long customs inspection queues. And you won't feel compelled to take the first hotel room offered: you can comfortably walk down the street should the ambience be unsuitable or the price unreasonable.

Serenity: If there is a bottom line, it's that travelling light is simply a better, more hassle-free way to go. You have more time, because packing takes little. You waste less energy hauling stuff. You know what you have, and where everything is (as you pack your bag the same way every time). We've all seen those hapless folks at the airport, with too much baggage and panicked expressions, worried that they have lost track of something, or left something behind. Foreign travel in particular can be challenging because it is unfamiliar and unpredictable, but the one-bag traveller copes by operating from a solid, familiar foundation, with fewer unnecessary things to worry about.Tripbase Travel Award

Ecology: All of the above are concerned with short-term benefits to you. But travelling light also yields long-term benefits to the planet. Less stuff to manufacture. Less use of vehicles and other machinery to move things (including you) around. Less fuel for the vehicles that do move you. Less greenhouse gas production. Less damage to our celestial home. Greater likelihood of upcoming generations being around to do some travelling of their own.

Everything is simpler when you travel light. With only carry-on luggage, we were on our way to a restaurant in Quito, while others were still waiting for their checked luggage. When we took busses our luggage was safely with us, not on the roof or in the hold below being cut open, like one time when I was in Mexico. While others struggled down the street with three heavy bags, we had our hands free and were walking comfortably because we use daypacks or small backpacks. We had less to lose, less to be stolen, less to wait for, less to pack and unpack in hotels, and less to worry about.

Silk shirts weight 3 ounces, and travel well if rolled up. Nylon dress socks weigh less than an ounce, and they are cool and comfortable. Poly-cotton blend t-shirts weigh 5 ounces. Supplex or other lightweight travel slacks weigh 9 ounces, and are sufficient for a fine restaurant or a walk in the woods. All of these weigh less than half of the typical travel choices, and take less space, yet function the same. There is no sacrifice involved here. For this exercise in travel simplicity, you even get to go shopping for new clothes.

You don't have to buy new clothes, however. You don't have to buy a scale and count ounces to travel light. Just choose the lighter alternative whenever you can. Set aside your lightest jacket, socks and pants for your next trip. Travel simplicity is the goal, not more complicated planning.

Hello

Traveling has become increasingly complex in these times of uncertain international security. It is almost always best to travel light, so that you can avoid unnecessary delays, and get to your destination most efficiently.

1. Get a small bag. The bag should be lightweight and easy to carry. It is helpful to have a bag that can be carried as a backpack, or as a shoulder bag depending on the circumstances. It is also handy if it has wheels (but these have their pros and cons, which we'll address at the end of this article). It is quite common to have to walk long distances, climb stairs and have to do many things at once, all while you have your bag with you.

2. Determine the climate conditions of your destination. Check the weather report, so that you know what type of clothing to bring with you. For example, if the weather is going to be warm, then there is no need to bring a heavy jacket. If it is going to be sunny, then bring a hat, etc.

3. Plan your wardrobe so that everything matches with everything else. This does not have to be monochromatic or boring. Rather, it suggests a minimalist approach to fashion. One skirt and a single pair of trousers can be matched with a t-shirt, a fancy blouse or a tank top to make six different outfits--plenty of clothes for a week journey. You can get fancy with a scarf, bandanna, hat or other uniquely "you" wardrobe piece. Also, be sure you have appropriate clothing for area you are visiting, and for holy sites if necessary. If done right, you might be able to get away with one load of laundry rather than 'darks' and 'lights'.

4. Bring enough clean underwear so that you can get through at least half of your journey's time without doing laundry, up to 10 days time. After that, you will have to do laundry anyway. This also goes for socks, if you will be wearing those daily. And, bring laundry supplies, if you are planning on doing laundry. (Note: just put enough dry detergent in a ziplock bag for as many loads as you plan to do--don't bring the whole box.). Alternatively, if you are not moving much you can pack 3 days worth and regularly sink-wash them, allowing about a day for them to dry.

5. Bring at least two pairs of shoes that you can walk in comfortably. In the event that one pair gets wet, or your feet hurt unexpectedly, you will be incredibly grateful that you have that extra pair of shoes. You can wear one and carry the other. I also suggest bringing a fun or fancy pair of shoes, in case you want to go someplace like a club, a fancy dinner, or the opera. You never know who you may meet!

Money replaces weight, especially in the form of a debit or credit card. Why carry two pounds of your favorite shampoo when you can simply buy small bottles as you travel. It really won't cost much more to buy things wherever you go, instead of carrying your bathroom and wardrobe with you. Also, you really don't know exactly what you'll need, particularly on an overseas trip. Buy what you need as you need it, and you won't have a pile of useless things in your luggage. Don't we all regularly unpack things at home that we never once used during the trip?

Take a lesson from long-trail hikers (backpackers who travel a trail for months). They send things, such as new shoes, to a post office on their route, ahead of time, so they'll be waiting for them. They also send home things they no longer need, such as a winter coat. The latter may be a useful practice for other travelers. If you buy bulky gifts for family or friends, why carry them around for weeks? Put them in the mail.

Of all the travel skills you might acquire, travelling light is the one most likely to result in an enjoyable, productive, stress-free travel experience. For two thousand years, seasoned travellers have written of its many benefits, including ...

Security: With a greatly reduced need to check baggage (or otherwise entrust it to the care of others), you are much less likely to lose your belongings to theft, damage, or misrouting. Similarly, you foil those who would enlist your unsuspecting aid as a conveyor of contraband goods. Achieving peace of mind is rarely this easy!

Economy: You don't have to pay porters and others to carry and store stuff for you. You eliminate extra baggage charges (and many airlines now charge for all checked baggage). You are more able to take public transportation (even from airports, just like airport personnel and flight crews), rather than taxis and limos. You can even walk. All of which also bring you into more intimate (hence rewarding) contact with the people and places that you have come to visit.

Flexibility: Less stuff means greater mobility, which gives you more travel options. You needn't arrive at airports as early. You can board trains, trams, and coaches with alacrity. You can more easily deal with delayed transportation and missed connections (because you can choose alternatives without worrying about what will happen to your belongings); you can also switch to earlier flights when space is available. You can sell your seat (by volunteering to be "bumped") on full flights. You can travel as an air courier. You will be among the first to leave the airport, while others wait for baggage delivery and long customs inspection queues. And you won't feel compelled to take the first hotel room offered: you can comfortably walk down the street should the ambience be unsuitable or the price unreasonable.

Serenity: If there is a bottom line, it's that travelling light is simply a better, more hassle-free way to go. You have more time, because packing takes little. You waste less energy hauling stuff. You know what you have, and where everything is (as you pack your bag the same way every time). We've all seen those hapless folks at the airport, with too much baggage and panicked expressions, worried that they have lost track of something, or left something behind. Foreign travel in particular can be challenging because it is unfamiliar and unpredictable, but the one-bag traveller copes by operating from a solid, familiar foundation, with fewer unnecessary things to worry about.

The days of traveling transatlantic with your steamer trunks (porters and deck hands to carry them) are long gone. Most of us are carrying our own bags, flying coach, and traveling light – or at least trying to. And the key to making this kind of travel work is staying self-contained, mobile, and secure. Traveling light is a state of mind. When your bags are light, and your stuff is secure, and you are prepared for your trip, you’re traveling not just with a light bag, but a light heart.

Hi

Of all the travel skills you might acquire, travelling light is the one most likely to result in an enjoyable, productive, stress-free travel experience. For two thousand years, seasoned travellers have written of its many benefits, including ...

Security: With a greatly reduced need to check baggage (or otherwise entrust it to the care of others), you are much less likely to lose your belongings to theft, damage, or misrouting. Similarly, you foil those who would enlist your unsuspecting aid as a conveyor of contraband goods. Achieving peace of mind is rarely this easy!

Economy: You don't have to pay porters and others to carry and store stuff for you. You eliminate extra baggage charges (and many airlines now charge for all checked baggage). You are more able to take public transportation (even from airports, just like airport personnel and flight crews), rather than taxis and limos. You can even walk. All of which also bring you into more intimate (hence rewarding) contact with the people and places that you have come to visit.

Flexibility: Less stuff means greater mobility, which gives you more travel options. You needn't arrive at airports as early. You can board trains, trams, and coaches with alacrity. You can more easily deal with delayed transportation and missed connections (because you can choose alternatives without worrying about what will happen to your belongings); you can also switch to earlier flights when space is available. You can sell your seat (by volunteering to be "bumped") on full flights. You can travel as an air courier. You will be among the first to leave the airport, while others wait for baggage delivery and long customs inspection queues. And you won't feel compelled to take the first hotel room offered: you can comfortably walk down the street should the ambience be unsuitable or the price unreasonable.

Serenity: If there is a bottom line, it's that travelling light is simply a better, more hassle-free way to go. You have more time, because packing takes little. You waste less energy hauling stuff. You know what you have, and where everything is (as you pack your bag the same way every time). We've all seen those hapless folks at the airport, with too much baggage and panicked expressions, worried that they have lost track of something, or left something behind. Foreign travel in particular can be challenging because it is unfamiliar and unpredictable, but the one-bag traveller copes by operating from a solid, familiar foundation, with fewer unnecessary things to worry about.Tripbase Travel Award

Thanks

Get a small bag. The bag should be lightweight and easy to carry. It is helpful to have a bag that can be carried as a backpack, or as a shoulder bag depending on the circumstances. It is also handy if it has wheels. Determine the climate conditions of your destination. Check the weather report, so that you know what type of clothing to bring with you. For example, if the weather is going to be warm, then there is no need to bring a heavy jacket. If it is going to be sunny, then bring a hat, etc.