Why Travel Light & Use Carry on Luggage
Savvy frequent flyers save tons of time and never suffer the consequences of damaged, pilfered, or lost luggage. They know that traveling light using only a carry-on bag avoids a myriad of problems, not to mention the associated aggravation.
By booking, checking in, and printing boarding passes online, they never need wait in line at a ticket counter or even a kiosk. Upon arrival they bypass the half hour delay at the baggage carousel waiting to see if their bags show up, and if so, have they been damaged or pilfered. Plus they can circumvent cancelled flights, re-booking quickly without worrying where their bags will end up.
So how does one travel light? By packing minimally, leaving stuff behind, buying things at your destination (or sending them ahead), and shipping excess back home. While the steps are simple enough, most folks have difficultly pulling this off. The reason is usually a matter of adopting a different mindset.
Get out of the habit of thinking you must recreate a home environment while traveling. Instead, picture where you’re going and what you’ll be doing day by day, and target your packing accordingly. Make clothing do double duty. Mix and match – a lot. Many hotels have laundry service and if not, some things can be laundered in the sink.
Most folks end up taking more than they ever use because they won’t think the trip through beforehand. They figure if they take a large enough assortment, the things they actually need will be included. Why take all that along? Doing so will preclude any ability to benefit from using carry on luggage.
You just don’t need that much stuff, especially if the trip is a tropical vacation. In the latter case, a swimsuit, a couple t-shirts & shorts, underwear, plus a pair of sandals, will about do it. Dressy is generally not necessary, but a Hawaiian shirt for guys and sundress or top for girls, will cover that off.
Besides, you’ll likely want to buy some articles of clothing there anyway, so just use them while in country.
Another area to focus on is all the accoutrements of personal grooming that you can easily do without. One can surely maintain proper hygiene and a more than acceptable appearance without taking along the entire bathroom from home.
Generally this is where the differences between men and women come in to play. Women typically require more stuff so they can be “beautiful” – at least that’s something I’ve heard a lot. However, that doesn’t make it impossible for them to travel lighter.
While it may be that they need more potions and devices for hair, face, etc., women’s clothing usually takes up less room than men’s, so it’s a wash. Shoes too are smaller for women – only issue is the “count” which can increase the load.
Consider what’s really needed, and what’s likely to be available at your destination. Transfer things in large containers to small. Use travel sizes. Lay out everything you’re considering packing, and ask yourself, is it absolutely necessary – what would happen if you didn’t take it. And for really light traveling, make sure it will all fit in a single carry-on.
Being diligent in this will lighten the load, and reduce all sorts of unnecessary irritation.