They say the most expensive part of traveling is not the ticket or hotel booking or even the souvenirs you buy at the end of your trip. Instead, it’s the week leading up to your departure, when you’re buying all the “necessities” and several outfit changes for just a two-day trip.
When traveling, it’s best to master the art of packing light, not only to avoid waiting for your baggage at the carousel, or paying for excess baggage. Also, packing light equals less laundry when you return home!
Essentials Only, Please
Even if you are taking a lot of photos and videos the entire day, your phone’s battery will still hold up until the time you reach your hotel, especially if it’s fully charged before you head out. Sure, you can bring a power bank to be sure but to bring a backup power bank is a bit too much.
Here’s a cheat sheet of essentials:
- Two pairs of shoes (one for walking around, one for fancier activities)
- Minimal accessories (keep your jewelry simple and lightweight; don’t bring any expensive jewelry that you might misplace or forget to pack again when it's time to go home)
- Toiletries (transfer your skincare products to travel-sized bottles; remember that most hotels provide shampoo and body wash)
- Wrinkle-free clothes (yes, the hotel has an iron and ironing board, but do you really want to be ironing clothes while on holiday?)
Packing Light: Plan Your Outfits
Don’t bring your whole closet and plan your outfits instead. Put them in packing cubes to organize and to make sure you have planned what you will wear for the entire trip. Sure, you can bring extras because accidents happen, just ditch the “just in case” mentality or you’ll end up bringing way too much. “Oh, just in case it gets chilly, I’ll bring a cardigan.” You’ll be traveling to Dubai in August. It never gets cold in the UAE during summer.
Less is More
Packing light when traveling isn’t just trying to fit everything you would need during the trip in a carry-on bag, it’s also freeing yourself from worrying if you left anything behind and not allotting precious moments of your vacation time packing and unpacking. Simplify your preparation for the trip to help you focus more on what really matters: the experience itself.
Embrace the freedom of packing light. Trust me, your aging back and knees will thank you later!
