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Sensible Packing
Talk to any veteran traveler and you will find out that among the many things you can learn by traveling around the world, packing well and packing light are right there at the top of the list. With so many things to take into account as you travel to new destinations, precautions and information you must acquire beforehand, you might wonder why packing seems to be so important for many people. Packing, it turns out, means much more than carefully crafting the size and contents of what you will carry around on your back (although that alone makes it a high priority.) Careful and light packing means that you will be able to have all the items that are absolutely required for your trip in easy-to-carry luggage that doesn't undermine your ability to travel and explore. You will never meet a seasoned traveler boasting about his heavy bags, so the first thing you will need to do is to cut space and weight to the minimum. A great and palpable limitation is to use a carry-on-size bag and limit yourself to about 20 pounds of luggage. Getting a small bag that can fit under most airplane seats means that you won't have to worry thinking about your case getting lost, broken, or even stolen, since you will have it with you. Getting a small and light bag also means that you will have constant freedom and mobility and you won't depend on a place to store your luggage in order to be able to go out. Packing light, however, is not just about throwing everything out the window. The secret of light packing is to pack smartly: make sure you take the essentials along and leave behind everything you don't need or can easily buy while you travel. First things first: call your airline of choice and get a list for things that you are not allowed to carry on their planes. You will be surprised at how restrictive things have gotten after the incidents of 2001. In case they force you to check your bag, make sure you include your name, address, and phone number on the inside (marked or even sewed in); you can seal bags at most airports and you might want to do so if you're worried about security. What to Carry?The key to sensible packing is to scrutinize every item you think you might need. Ask yourself if the possible use you will get out of it makes it worthwhile to carry it around for the whole trip. Do not over pack. Don't pack for the worst possible scenario: the price you pay for that heavy coat "just in case it gets really cold" is just too expensive for the cost that you'll have to pay for it. Even if you want to feel like a stag, do yourself a favor and go for functionality: your bulky leather jacket might be cool, but doesn't work to keep you warm and light. If you are going with friends and are really thinking about a stag night abroad, remember that a nice shirt and perhaps a tie or scarf can give you instant respectability and take very little room in your luggage. Think about the things you can do without and how can you manage to survive if you eventually need the things that you just can't take along. Keep in mind that almost every place on Earth will have shops that will let you acquire the essentials. After all, if there are people living there, they are getting their stuff from somewhere. Nowadays, everything from specialized soap to your favorite brand of razors can probably be found abroad, so don't neglect that option when trying to save room in your travel bag. With forethought and ruthless scrutiny, you will be able to cull your luggage of all the non-essentials and be well on your way to a lighter and more comfortable holiday. Today's Travel Quote:A plane is a bad place for an all-out sleep, but a good place to begin rest and recovery from the trip to the faraway places you've been, a decompression chamber between Here and There. Though a plane is not the ideal place really to think, to reassess or reevaluate things, it is a great place to have the illusion of doing so, and often the illusion will suffice. -- Shana Alexander |