I’m packing for a trip (to find out where to, subscribe to my newsletter!). It involves air travel, meaning extra care in packing, because 1) you have to be careful about banned items—I learned that the hard way involving a $500 fine, and 2) most airlines charge you for checked bags. The airline I’m using charges even for carry-on bags to help make up for their rock-bottom fares, so I’ve learned to pack strategically.
But besides that, it’s a joy to travel light—to walk off the plane and stroll right past the crowd of passengers waiting at the baggage carousel; to head straight for the wide vistas of a brand-new city or the open arms of my loved ones. It takes a little time to plan but saves time later because I only have one bag to search for lost items instead of three that are the size of a steamer trunk, full of stuff I won’t use anyway. Here are my tricks and strategies for a two-week trip–mostly for the ladies, but guys feel free to apply:
- Toiletries: if it won’t fit in a quart-size Ziploc bag, you don’t need it. Save little plastic jars and
Little bottles, little jars, little bags–but just enough. motel shampoo bottles to carry skin- and hair-care products. A travel-size tube of toothpaste should last for two weeks, unless you’re a dental-hygiene fanatic. And don’t you love those folding toothbrushes? Small zipper-closed plastic bags—find them at Hobby Lobby or Michaels—are great for holding Q-tips, cotton balls, aspirin, or prescription meds. (Cotton balls lightly dipped in olive oil make great makeup removers.)
- Outerwear. If you’re traveling in the summer all you need is a light jacket or shawl (for drama). The other three seasons are more problematic, so think layers. I have an all-weather jacket from Royal Robbins that folds up into a small neck cushion. Unfolded, it’s waterproof, and when worn over a light wool sweater and a silk turtleneck, it’s surprisingly warm.
- Clothes. Plan to wear your bulkiest garb, such as sturdy jeans, hoodies, and blazers, on the plane. For the rest, go light and scrunchy—cottons, silks, or polyester blends that roll up tight and don’t winkle. Coordinate colors, with roughly half on the neutral side—black, brown, white, beige. Throw in a couple of silk scarves for dash. For a two-week trip, you can make do with 1-2 pairs of jeans, 1 pair of comfortable pull-on pants, and/or a lightweight, pull-on skirt (and don’t forget the slip, or else you’ll be making do with hotel pillowcases). Throw in one pair of p.j.’s that wash and dry quick.
- Roll up everything!
- Shoes and socks. Plan to wear your heaviest pair of shoes on the plane, even if it means extra time at the security gate to take them off. Go easy on the shoes, ladies—three pairs are enough for anybody! Socks don’t take up much room of course, but remember you can wash them anywhere. And you’ll want to. Throw in a pair or two of lightweight wool socks, even in the summer. They dry fast, and you’ll thank me later.
- Swimwear. Take a swimsuit, because you never know. Unless you absolutely do know, and the answer is NO.
- Underwear. Yes. Nylon not cotton (there’s the drying factor again), unless you’re allergic.
- Books and electronics. Compact Bible, 6X4” (and reading glasses to see the small print). One or two print books, the rest on Kindle. Don’t forget the wall charger! Journal, one mechanical pencil with extra lead, two ballpoint pens. Laptop? Not this time. You can do all the internet reading you need to on a tablet or Kindle Fire.
Portage: The airline I’m using allows passengers one free “personal item,” such as a purse or briefcase. I usually ditch the purse and take a totebag that falls within the acceptable dimensions, and pack a lightweight bag that folds flat to use as a purse where I’m going. You know those pocket badges you get at conventions and conferences? I never threw those away because they seemed so useful—and sure enough, with the strap extended and worn across the chest, they make a handy travel pouch to keep loose change, ID, smartphone, and necessary credit cards where they are secure and easy to reach. Since I’m wearing it, it doesn’t count as a “personal item.” I carry these on short hikes too, because the zippered top unzips just wide enough to hold a skinny water bottle (the kind “Ice” drinks come in). Speaking of those bottles– they’ll fit in places a standard water bottle won’t. Just remember they’ll have to be empty when you go through security–you can fill them up later.
All this isn’t just for saving money or time; it’s for simplifying. The less you take with you, the less you have to keep track of, and the better to open yourself up to new experiences. That’s what travel is all about—expanding your world, not dragging it along with you. That’s a good rule for life, too: go light, be flexible. You’re just travelin’ through.