Travel
Travelling Light
I am no guru in this field, in fact I struggle with traveling light more than I struggle to open a Dasani water bottle. However, I learnt a few tricks recently. I really wished I could only travel with carry on luggage but the shopaholic in me would not allow that.
Much as I don’t intend to shop this time round, it’s my first time traveling to Asia and I am told that one of the cities I will be traveling to next week is popular for “Made to Measure” outfits that you order in the morning and pick in the evening. It’s the home of bespoke outfits and I might just get carried away, then my two small carry on luggage will have no space for my new acquisitions and I would be forced to buy a suitcase.
However, for the local Inter-City flights, I will only be allowed one check in luggage with a maximum weight of 23kgs. So, carry on or check in, it’s important that I go easy on my luggage. Here are my three life saving tips for traveling light.
1. Versatility is king
Try and pack items that serve more than one purpose. My main purpose of this trip is to participate in the UNICEF HONG KONG Half Marathon so I carried a pair of sneakers that are sturdy enough for running yet fancy and light enough to walk around in, given that I’ll be doing a lot of exploration through walking. Thus, my sneakers will double up as marathon shoes and touring shoes. I therefore only needed to carry beach sandals and a pair of oxfords for other obvious occasions.
2. Travel size items are bae
Whether you’ll have check in luggage or not, there’s no point carrying 100ml perfume, 200ml lotion, 150ml shower gel, 225ml face cleanser, 500gms Arimis Jelly (unless you are going to use it to milk cows in Denmark)…you get the drift. Always have travel size items which will save you space and weight issues. For this trip, I got most if not all of my products from His & Hers Scents. The Tahiti range of products smell like one would if they were still walking naked in the garden of Eden, before the snake leads them to the tree of life. The ultra shea cream is so velvety and rich both in terms of longevity of the scent and quality of the product. I also love the pocket size hand sanitizer which smells heavenly and is something every traveller should have in their pocket. Gotta do everything to not catch a bug!
3. PackPoint is the best invention after WiFi on the plane!
This app is the gospel truth! Download it and key in your travel destination and dates. It then works out everything you need based on the weather, length of your stay and the stuff you’ll get down to. After downloading the app, you’ll need to feed it with your basic details like gender, age etc because you don’t want it telling you to carry 3 bras and tampons and you are a 47-year-old father of two. I was so impressed at its attention to detail and it was practically impossible to forget anything, including things I would normally forget. Like memory card for my camera (I always end up buying a new one) or sanitary towels (because I may travel alone but two days into my trip I get uninvited guests) or something as basic and obvious as passports and Visas. I also love that it works out exactly how many outfits you need and saves you the trouble of emptying your entire closet into your suitcase. Download PackPoint and thank me later.
As I write this, I am in Dubai on a five-hour layover before taking the next flight to Hong Kong. And now that I am done writing, I am at a loss for what to do. Have you ever been on an annoyingly long lay over? What are some of the things you did to maintain your sanity?
[…] book your excursions in advance (through the same sites above) and refer to my insights on how to travel light. Feel free to add other tips in the comment section. Happy […]