One way to save on airfare costs when traveling is by not availing check-in baggage. Or getting the cheapest one with the smallest weight limit if you absolutely have to. So how do you achieve that? You have to pack light, of course!
I know some people are simply not comfortable packing lightly. Somehow they feel the urge to bring their whole closet for those “just in case” moments. I should know – I’ve been there, done that! #guilty 🙈
So here I will show you 5 hacks on how to pack light that you can try when you travel. They work wonders for me ever since I started doing these on recent trips so I’m sharing my secrets. 😉
ALSO READ: Coronavirus Outbreak 2020: How to Stay Safe While Traveling the World
There are no hard rules on how to pack light. Ultimately you learn these things through years of trial and error experiences. Hopefully, these basic hacks will help you in future travels! Some of these tips can also apply for just about any travel – whether via plane, sea or road trip.
How To Pack Light Every Time You Travel
Don’t pack bulky clothes, wear them
Wear your heaviest shoes and bulky clothes like jackets at check-in. Airplanes are notoriously cold anyway so those will help keep you warm during the flight. Imagine the extra space you can save on your luggage or backpack when you don’t have to pack these bulky items.
Plan your OOTD
Pick a simple color palette and bring clothes around those colors. Go to Pinterest or Google some travel OOTD for inspiration. That way you can avoid the urge to bring your whole closet with you when you travel.
Usually, when I pack my clothes for a trip, I like picking versatile items that I can easily mix and match. I also like taking photos of myself wearing each set of clothes (with all the combinations they can possibly have). And then save them on my phone.
This gives me a visual reference when I’m on the actual trip itself – so I don’t have to do any guesswork anymore on which item pairs best with which. It saves me tons of time when getting ready!
ALSO READ: 3 Basic Items Every Stylish Female Traveler Must Bring On A Trip
💡 PRO TIP: Bring clothes that you’re super comfortable to wear! Don’t bring clothes and pray they will suddenly fit at all the right places when you wear them at your destination. They won’t. You’ll just waste luggage space in the end.
Pack light clothes and dresses
One of the recent hacks that I do so I can pack light is by bringing dresses. I like the fact that I don’t have to think of matching any top and bottom. You instantly have a complete outfit in just one dress! You can then just layer it with a jacket or scarf to make it look different throughout your trip.
Here are some nice dresses from Kis that you can check out! Kis is a large clothing manufacturer that offers high quality and stylish designs. They ship anywhere in the world!
This pretty chiffon elegant floral dress is perfect for any OOTD shot. It’s also very airy so you don’t have to worry about sweating when you wear this.
Another reason to pack a dress on your trip is for those romantic dinner dates or a fun girls’ night out! Something like this ruffle midi dress should do the trick. It’s feminine and the intricate design is pretty interesting.
Aside from midi and floral dresses, Kis also offers elegant prom dresses, maxi dresses, comfy tops and bottoms, jumpsuits, and more!
Pack one week worth of clothes
If you are traveling for more than a week, you don’t have to pack for the x number of weeks you will be gone. Instead, pack for 1 week worth of clothes. Why? It’s easier to visualize one week of clothes than say a month’s worth!
Also, doing laundry at your point of destination is usually a whole lot cheaper than paying for excess baggage. This will also save you the hassle of carrying heavy luggage (especially if you have to travel alone with no one to help you).
Bring only two pairs of shoes
Pack light and choose only 2 pairs of shoes to bring! Why only two? Most trips usually only need a pair of comfy shoes for all-day walking and another one (usually a pair of nice sandals) for going out or a fun night out.
If you need to pack more than two, wear the heaviest ones to the airport (like boots) and pack the rest. Believe me, you do not need to bring your whole sneaker collection. Stick to those two pairs that you can mix and match perfectly with your clothes.
📌 SAVE IT ON PINTEREST FOR LATER! 📌
TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!
So there you have it! I hope this post is helpful for those wondering how to pack light so you can avoid paying excess baggage. Do you have other tips on how to pack light? Share them on the comments down below! I’d love to learn from other fellow travelers!
💡 PRO TIP: Learn more travel tips in this Ultimate Guide To Planning Your Trip In 8 Easy Steps! I covered the basics of planning a trip and also included the tried and tested websites and apps I normally use to score cheap deals.
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So helpful! The shoes are always the hardest part. Thanks for the post!!
Yes, choosing the right shoes can be quite tricky! Haha!
Love this! I always wear my coats etc on the plane! They also make for great pillows on long flights haah! Also love the idea of only taking a weeks worth of clothes, I always overpack so need to do this!
Yes, coats make great pillows too! Glad you like this post, Chelsea! 🙂
This is super useful! I always bring my large winter coats on the plane and put them up in the storage unit so it doesn’t take space in the suitcases. I also wrap my large sweaters around smaller clothes!
🌿 Marissa Belle × marsybun.com 🌿
Ohh nice tip on wrapping sweaters around smaller clothes! I’ll do that next time. Thanks! 😍
These are great tips! I find it so hard to pack light, especially if I’m going away during winter and I need lots of layers!
Winter travel is hard indeed! But I hope these tips will help you minimize your packing. 😁
I’m a fairly light packer, and I’m still notorious for overdoing it! Thanks for these tips. If we ever get to travel again, they’ll be very helpful!
Kudos to you! Share your tips and tricks hehe! 😁
Love your post! I do the heavy coat trick too. I thought I was the only one haha. It only makes sense to wear your bulkier layers and bigger shoes, like boots, that are harder to pack and take up a lot of space. Plus those planes are freezing!
Thanks, Grislean! Glad you love this post! 💕
Oh my goodness yet! I’ve noticed that my suitcase is so much lighter when I stick with dresses!
I know, right? It’s the hidden secret all along! Haha!😁
Very practical tips here, thanks for sharing!
Also, you have a beautiful blog and I love the blog assets within this post itself! Did you design them? They’re fantastic!
Hi, Ming! Glad you love how my blog looks! 🤗 I got these nice graphics online and also some I made with the help of Canva. 😉
These are exactly the kind of tips I follow to make sure my luggage is never overweight or that I don’t run out of outfit ideas when I reach my destination. The concept of wearing the bulkiest clothes rather than packing them is genius!
The tips are really helpful! I love your OOTD’s!
xoxo
Lovely
http://mynameislovely.com
Lovely dresses you featured 🙂 I travel light as much as I can. Like a medium size backpack + a sling bag. My struggle is between bringing lighter clothes (I’m plus size and sometimes I prefer certain clothes that may be a bit bulky, even in swimwear) and bringing my laptop on long trips (I have a 15.6″ gaming one and my alternate is an iPad which is limited to social media, checking emails & drafting articles… which I can also do with my phone).
Thanks for this tips… parang madalas kasi feeling ko laging ang dami kong dala pag gumagala. Konting practice pa sa akin at mapeperfect ko na din yung magdala ng magaan kapag may galaan. Heheh…
When I travel for overseas, I prefer packing lightly but I do bring some extra bags coz I always have heavy luggage when I went back home. Travel and shopping are always my fave!
I am notorious for not packing light. This is something I need to learn to practice more often! Great idea about planning OOTD’s! I always feel the need to be prepared in case I don’t like the outfit lol. YES on not bringing that many shoes. Thanks for sharing all of these amazing tips!
Nancy ✨ exquisitely.me
Usually ako I plan what to wear talaga. May dress rehearsal pa ako. Sinusukat ko muna para mix and match na sya. And I packed per day na isusuot ko para mas madali kunin sa luggage. And I will just bring additional basic tees na pwede i-partner sa skirt or pants na dala ko if ever need ng extra days.
One way I pack for travel is to roll my shirts. Since I don’t really do conscious “OOTD” things, I make sure I have all my basic essentials and, you are correct, Bring only two pairs of shoes!
I can tell the same. Having a light pack during travels spared me from any extra shenanigans. Kinda learned it earlier this year, and not having my gadgets during my sojourn to Palawan was more complete than I expected. Just books, a phone, the usual daily necessities and a book.
I always pack light. Dont like bringing too many things when i travel. These are perfect tips for travelers
Yes! This is exactly how I plan my trips (except for packing dresses as I rarely ever wear them, haha) and it’s been a HUGE differentiator for me! I can get indecisive so my OOTD’s are always chosen with the thought of mix and matching if I don’t feel like wearing a certain look I had pre-planned. I love the look and feel of your blog!
I live by these tips as well!! I always wear the heaviest coat and shoes when travelling haha and do layers too!
My love for travel and tendency to over pack brought me here 😊. I find your tips practical and attainable. I agree especially with wearing dresses! I love to wear dresses except for cold countries. I guess packing light is a matter of skill and choice, haha!
How about make-ups and toiletries.. Do you have tips on them? This is one girl thing that we don’t want to give up when traveling. Do you also bring heavy cameras or just your phone? I bring my mirror less but sometimes mabigat pa din.