I’ve spent the last ten years committed to packing lighter. There are just so many benefits I’ve discovered. Because I’m always on the lookout for easy ways to travel lighter, today I’m sharing some not so obvious ones, as well as a new favorite I’ve recently adopted.
Start by simplifying and streamlining now
If you simplify the packing process, you make the entire experience easier and it will go smoother every time. You won’t be panicking or making bad decisions because you are stressed out. And you also won’t spend weeks before your trip thinking about packing and repacking.
Spend time now thinking about ways you can simplify.
Some of my favorite easy ways to travel lighter are:
- always use a packing list to keep you on track
- own and use only one piece of luggage
- keep items used only for travel (think voltage convertors, travel umbrella, extra fold-flat bag ) in your luggage, so it’s always at the ready and you don’t need to search for them
- secure your passport in the same spot every time
- pack your suitcase in or near your closet
One of the biggest opportunities for simplifying lies with your beauty routine and products. Start paring down at home well before you travel and see what you can easily live without.
Then when it comes time to pack your quart-sized liquids ziplock bag, you might decide you can do without both moisturizer and eye cream. Or that you can live for a week without your concealer. Maybe a tiny bottle of Argan oil can do double duty as both a facial moisturizer and hair treatment for your split ends. Ditch your cuticle cream and now it does triple-duty!
Pro Tip: Once you’re satisfied with what you’ve packed for a trip, snap a few photos of everything. Save it. Next time you pack, just duplicate everything in the photo or use it as a guide to make swaps.
Adopt a capsule wardrobe
It stands to reason that the less you have hanging in your closet, the less options you have to choose from (or confuse you). Less options mean less decisions, which leads to less stress and overwhelm.
Adopting a capsule wardrobe is one of my recent favorite easy ways to travel lighter. I’ve recently done this and it’s not only genius for everyday – it makes traveling a total snap.
I no longer have to decide which jacket or black shirt to pack because I only have one.
Want to kick it up a notch? Try having a capsule wardrobe just dedicated to travel. Though it might be nice to have these things packed in your luggage, always at the ready, you’ll probably find the clothes wrinkled and unwearable. Instead, I recommend having this travel-only wardrobe hanging in a separate closest, or at least a separate area of your closet.
Play the ‘one less’ game
Try this experiment – take one less. It works with anything. Underwear, lipstick, necklaces, scarves, high-heeled shoes.
If you normally take four pairs of shoes, take three this time, see how that feels. If you take two lipsticks, choose one. Two eyeshadow colors – pack one. You get the idea.
If you pack a casual and a fancy dress – see if you could live with just the casual one, but add some jewelry or a scarf to dress up the casual dress and leave the fancy one behind. Have fun with it, you might be surprised what you can actually do without.
The little changes you make on your quest for traveling lighter will add up over time and before you know it you’ll automagically be packing less!
If you’re struggling with packing lighter, I can help! Click here to see how we can work together.
