Packing Light...My Forte
I say packing light, but really for me it's only about the size of the bag. By the end of most longer trips I'll have 4 books with me and if I was really worried about the weight I obviously wouldn't bring those. Still by forcing myself to travel with only a day bag, I'm rarely over 15lbs. I'm not worried about every ounce but more concerned with every inch.
I may not be the most experienced traveler, but I do travel in a unique way. Being a pilot allows me heaps of days off and the ability to travel for free. Therefore instead of doing long trips, months or years long, I normally average 6 smaller trips every year ranging from 5 days to 3 months. This has given me the opportunity to fine tune and perfect my packing skills. Don't be discouraged if you are traveling longer, if you can travel on a bag for two weeks you can make it work for the rest of your life if you want. I'm not a very cocky person, but I've never met anyone who packs as light as I do, so I like to think of myself as the authority when it comes to packing light! All these other sites claiming to help you travel light include many things you really don't need and advertise traveling with a 40L bag or heavier. I've been using my 20L on every trip since 2009 and have had no problems fitting everything I need inside(or outside, see below). These tips are geared towards the type of traveling I do, backpacking as a male in warm countries, mainly staying in hostels or slinging hammocks. I hope even if you are a female traveling to a cold country you can still use most of these trips as a guideline.
1. Start with a small bag. This is this most important and easiest way to force yourself to travel light. Once I got tired of lugging my immense backpack around with all kinds of things I didn't need, I decided to buy a new backpack online. I wasn't able to see the bag in person, but I got the dimensions and figured I could make it work. It was advertised as a day bag, but I was determined to make it my long term bag. I got lucky and found the perfect bag online but I would recommend going to a store and trying on different bags and seeing the different features in person. While you are buying a bag, don't worry about what you will pack. Trust me, if I can survive with a small bag, so can you!
A good way to test out how big a bag you will need is to first, read my tips! Second, take your book bag you may use for college or Uni and do a mock pack. Or just buy a bag extremely smaller than you think would work, and you can always return it. Maybe instead of a 20L like I use you will find out you need a 30-40L. Obviously different trips call for different equipment, for example, if you plan on camping everywhere or being in a really cold location.
2. If you debate it, don't take it! So now you have a bag...what should you bring? If you're like me, on my first trip, I tried to think of every possible scenario and what I could pack to be prepared for it. Don't do this! Most people probably are not going off into the jungle, desert, or mountains by themselves so just let your guide bring everything. Also, 95 percent of the time, you can find what you need in the city where you are traveling. It's all about sacrifices and choices. I would love to bring that nice dress shirt I look so good in(not really, but maybe you?) but do you really need it? NO! This is the key. Only bring what you will need. Anything else can be bought, most likely for a cheap price...takes me right in to my next couple points.
3. Borrow or buy things on location. Like I said above most things can be bought for a cheap price. But even better than that, just ask a backpacker you befriended to borrow his/her item. If you are traveling for a long time your toenails may get a little long, should you bring toenail clippers? No chance, just borrow them from someone. Make up an excuse if you have to. Basically you should only bring things you know you will use everyday. Another big key here is to think about if you actually need something. Do you need an Ipod, no. Do you need a computer, no. Do you need a hairdryer, no. Do you need a plethora of medicine/first aid, no! I hate bumming off people, I don't have a car and ride my bicycle or bus everywhere, but I never even bum a ride. However, if you are traveling light, I think it's okay to take advantage of people who pack ten times the amount of stuff they will actually use. In my mind I'm just helping them lighten their load!
4. Keep toiletries to a minimum. You can always buy toiletries almost everywhere(maybe not the same quality) and if you are traveling for longer than a few weeks you will probably have to, even if you bring your own. Watch the video for my explanation on this subject(coming soon).
1. Start with a small bag. This is this most important and easiest way to force yourself to travel light. Once I got tired of lugging my immense backpack around with all kinds of things I didn't need, I decided to buy a new backpack online. I wasn't able to see the bag in person, but I got the dimensions and figured I could make it work. It was advertised as a day bag, but I was determined to make it my long term bag. I got lucky and found the perfect bag online but I would recommend going to a store and trying on different bags and seeing the different features in person. While you are buying a bag, don't worry about what you will pack. Trust me, if I can survive with a small bag, so can you!
A good way to test out how big a bag you will need is to first, read my tips! Second, take your book bag you may use for college or Uni and do a mock pack. Or just buy a bag extremely smaller than you think would work, and you can always return it. Maybe instead of a 20L like I use you will find out you need a 30-40L. Obviously different trips call for different equipment, for example, if you plan on camping everywhere or being in a really cold location.
2. If you debate it, don't take it! So now you have a bag...what should you bring? If you're like me, on my first trip, I tried to think of every possible scenario and what I could pack to be prepared for it. Don't do this! Most people probably are not going off into the jungle, desert, or mountains by themselves so just let your guide bring everything. Also, 95 percent of the time, you can find what you need in the city where you are traveling. It's all about sacrifices and choices. I would love to bring that nice dress shirt I look so good in(not really, but maybe you?) but do you really need it? NO! This is the key. Only bring what you will need. Anything else can be bought, most likely for a cheap price...takes me right in to my next couple points.
3. Borrow or buy things on location. Like I said above most things can be bought for a cheap price. But even better than that, just ask a backpacker you befriended to borrow his/her item. If you are traveling for a long time your toenails may get a little long, should you bring toenail clippers? No chance, just borrow them from someone. Make up an excuse if you have to. Basically you should only bring things you know you will use everyday. Another big key here is to think about if you actually need something. Do you need an Ipod, no. Do you need a computer, no. Do you need a hairdryer, no. Do you need a plethora of medicine/first aid, no! I hate bumming off people, I don't have a car and ride my bicycle or bus everywhere, but I never even bum a ride. However, if you are traveling light, I think it's okay to take advantage of people who pack ten times the amount of stuff they will actually use. In my mind I'm just helping them lighten their load!
4. Keep toiletries to a minimum. You can always buy toiletries almost everywhere(maybe not the same quality) and if you are traveling for longer than a few weeks you will probably have to, even if you bring your own. Watch the video for my explanation on this subject(coming soon).
5. Bring the smallest items possible. Every single item, every single centimeter makes a difference. Keep this in mind while packing. No matter where you travel I think it's always a good idea to bring a couple long sleeve shirts. Don't bring heavy sweatshirts, stick to the thinest clothing possible that will still keep you warm if it happens to get a little chilly at night. Also, if you really want to travel light, DO NOT BRING A BEACH TOWEL! No need at all. I use a small microfiber towel that takes up as much space as a pair of boxers. I bring my thinest shirts, boxers, shorts, everything. Once again, check out the video to get a better grasp on the subject.
Also keep in mind everything you bring. Do you really need the whole lonely planet? Not at all, rip out a couple pages and save yourself tons of space and weight. See traveling tip #8 for more.
Also keep in mind everything you bring. Do you really need the whole lonely planet? Not at all, rip out a couple pages and save yourself tons of space and weight. See traveling tip #8 for more.
6. Hanging your gear. A great way to save space is to use carabiners to hang items off your bag. I've hung everything from boots to hammocks from my backpack.
7. Leave space in your backpack. Maybe the hardest thing to do, leave on a trip with extra space in your bag. This is key though, you will always end up buying clothing that better suits the climate where you are traveling or possibly some important item you forgot. Just one more reason to travel light from the beginning.
8. Roll Roll Roll. A huge key in packing light is to learn how to effectively roll your items to save maximum space possible. When attempting to pack light, every centimeter counts. Never fold your clothes or even worse, just toss them in a heap in your bag. It takes some practice figuring out the best way to roll your clothes, but one of the keys is obviously to make the smallest possible ball of material. Don't simply just roll it, this is just as bad as folding, have patience and take your time making a nice tight roll. I'm working on getting a video of this as well to explain it better.
8. Roll Roll Roll. A huge key in packing light is to learn how to effectively roll your items to save maximum space possible. When attempting to pack light, every centimeter counts. Never fold your clothes or even worse, just toss them in a heap in your bag. It takes some practice figuring out the best way to roll your clothes, but one of the keys is obviously to make the smallest possible ball of material. Don't simply just roll it, this is just as bad as folding, have patience and take your time making a nice tight roll. I'm working on getting a video of this as well to explain it better.
Reasons For Traveling Light
1. Increases safety and peace of mind. You can always have your bag with you. No need to put it in a trunk or underneath a bus or anywhere else things might get stolen out of it. I've had it happen before I started packing light and know lots of people who have been robbed as well while their bag was somewhere else on the bus/train/taxi etc.
2. Makes your life easier. I've walked a full day with my backpack a few times and never got tired. I also walked the first three torturous days through mud and sporadic downpours with my bag to El MIrador and only suffered normal back fatigue and my bag stayed dry. My bag weighs less than 15lbs or 7kg on 90 percent of my trips. I don't recommend walking around with everything you have and I try not to whenever possible for safety reasons. But sometimes it happens and you are forced to, the good thing is you will be comfortable and probably have a lighter bag than that schmo over there carrying his heavy day bag full of useless things.
3. Boost confidence, learn lessons for life. After completing my first trip with my 20L bag which was a 7 day hike to El Mirador I felt smug that I was able to survive on the little that I brought. Obviously, we had mules to carry our food and water, but the point is(see packing light tip #2) you don't need to bring very much at all on most trips. As I started to gain confidence in my ability to travel longer with less and less, it rolled over into my life at home. It wasn't an immediate change, but slowly I realized I didn't need a lot of the stuff I wasted money on a home. From simple things like buying hair conditioner(I'm actually embarrassed I ever bought this before!) to bigger things like owning a car. Traveling in general can help to see what you don't really need in life, but it's hard to just get rid of your car or things you are used to back home. This is why packing light helped me so much in my quest to rid myself of all unnecessary items in my life. I'm still working on it everyday, and it is a challenge that will continue throughout my life I'm sure.
So far I've learned the less I possess, the richer and easier my life becomes whether traveling or in my everyday life. A lot more on this later.