The complete guide to packing light  |                         a minimalistic approach to traveling:

You’ve read our blog. You’ve read our travel articles. You know we travel light. I’ve offered tips and tricks on packing, and I’ve given reviews of travel gear. But, I’ve never given you the complete guide to packing light. So here it is. My minimalistic approach to traveling.

The picture below includes everything I took on a 20 day trip through Europe in October. 

Disclaimer: I might pack light, but I also like to be comfortable. So, if you are looking for a guide on the absolute minimum gear to take on your next trip, maybe you should look somewhere else. 

Why?

The most important thing to packing light is understanding and embracing WHY you shouldn’t over pack. And the reason is because packing light is better. Almost every inexperienced traveler packs too much stuff. I have seen people pack six pairs of shoes, ten pairs of t-shirts, four thick travel guides, etc.  They bring everything they could possibly need for every imaginable situation. And then they complain about carrying around so much luggage. I’ve seen so many of them almost in tears from the exhaustion and stress of hauling everything around. Some make it even worse by bringing a roller suitcase. Think about all the cobblestone streets of Europe! But I’ve rarely seen anyone complain that they didn’t bring enough. If they forgot something, they can just buy it! And not having all of the stuff weighing you down gives you the freedom to explore more and easily move from place to place. You don’t even need to drop off your luggage before exploring a new city if it isn’t convenient. 

Rules to Packing Light

So, how do you pack light? First things first. Here are the rules.

1. Eliminate non-essential items. By eliminating items that you don’t need, you automatically carry less. You can focus more on your adventures and less on your stuff. Pack must-have-items not just-in-case-items.
2. Reduce weight, not usefulness. The purpose isn’t to sacrifice everything just so you can pack in a smaller bag. If an item is useful to you, then pack it. However, when faced with a choice (like between 2 toiletry bags or 2 pairs of shoes), pick the one that is smaller and more lightweight as long as it still meets your needs.
3. Don’t sacrifice comfort. You don’t have to go without socks or wear scratchy (but lightweight) pants just to reduce your load. That will just cut into your fun. Be reasonable.
4. Remember you can always buy whatever you forget to pack. And hey it even counts as a souvenir!

Step 1: Find the appropriate bag size

Step 1 to packing light is picking the correct bag. If the bag is too small, you risk leaving out important items just because they don’t fit (breaking rule 2 and rule 3). If the bag is too large, you’ll pack more than the necessary items (breaking rule 1). Here are a couple of considerations.

1. In general, avoid wheeled bags. In most countries, you won’t make it very far before coming to a cobblestone street, stairs, or some other obstacle. The only exception is traveling within the US where the disability laws ensure every place is wheelchair (and therefore wheeled luggage) accessible. Just get a backpack. It is so much easier. 
2. Your bag should be small enough to carry-on the plane. Checking luggage is a pain, and I stopped doing that when I had luggage lost multiple times in a row. Ideally, it should be small enough to fit under your seat to avoid overhead bin fees on airlines such as Spirit and Frontier. 
3. Your bag should also be small enough to stow on the floor or over your seat on trains. There are typically luggage racks at the back of each car, and I have never had anything stolen when using them, but it always makes me worry. 
4. Your bag should have multiple pockets to keep your stuff organized. 

I use a LL Bean backpack that they don’t make anymore (the Escape), but it is similar to the LL Bean Approach Day Pack. It is fairly small and is technically just a day pack, so on longer trips I sometimes also bring a camera bag or purse which doubles as a day bag for me. The latter contains everything I need during the day such as my wallet, camera, water bottle, etc. My backpack holds everything else. My clothes, toiletries, and odds-and-ends. 

There have only been 2 trips recently where I needed a larger bag for packing. (1) Iceland – I needed to bring heavy winter gear. (2) Maine – We took our camping gear. Otherwise, I have used this backpack for all of my trips including a trip to Spain/France/Belgium, a cruise to the Caribbean, and a Las Vegas getaway.

Step 2: Pack the correct gear

Essentials:

You absolutely need to pack the essentials, so you should make the most out of them.

1. Passport – If you are traveling internationally, you need this. Luckily, it doesn’t take up much space.
2. Wallet – I travel with a small wallet. Actually, I always use a small wallet. It holds my ID, a couple credit cards, some cash, and not much else. You don’t need a larger wallet. It just takes up space.
   1. ID – You probably need this.
   2. Cards – You need a health insurance card, a credit/debit card, and maybe your AAA card. You do not need to take all your membership cards. If you can’t remember your airline or hotel numbers, just write them down in an email or note on your phone. As for credit cards, make sure that you are using one that rewards you for your travels. Chase Sapphire will give you tons of points that are easy to redeem for hotel stays or airline tickets.
   3. Cash – Always take some (not a huge amount) with you when you travel.
3. Keys – My opinion on keys has changed recently. In the past, I would have said leave them at home if you could. Now… not so much. Of course, you should leave the keys you don’t need at home, like the one to the shed in your backyard. But, you should probably take your house key and car key with you. On one of my recent trips, I left my keys with Nisheet when he dropped me off at the airport (we had a confusing car situation going on where he needed my keys.) Before I got home, he had to leave town for an emergency. That left me getting back to Tampa Bay with NO keys and no one at home! 
4. Phone – I have a couple of things to say about your phone.
   1. Make sure you have international coverage if you plan on using your phone overseas. T-Mobile is awesome and gives you FREE worldwide data.
   2. Download your favorite travel apps ahead of time. They can really come in handy. Here are some of my favs.
      1. Google Maps – The best app for directions. I don’t just use this while driving. I often use it while walking around a new city.
      2. Airline Apps (like Delta or AA) – The airline apps keep you posted on your flight status. Also, if your flight is delayed or canceled, you can rebook yourself on a different flight directly from the app. On one of our recent trips to Boston, we rebooked our NYC to Boston flight while still sitting on our Tampa to NYC plane.
      3. Kayak – A great all-around app to book hotels, flights, or cars. 
      4. Hotel Tonight – Sometimes (ok, a lot of the time), we don’t book our hotels until the last minute. Very last minute. As in we are frantically searching for a hotel as we are driving to the city. This app has come to our rescue more than once. (Use my promo code ASDIEHL if you are a new user!)
      5. Yelp – It can be a huge help when you are looking for the best donut in town. Or when you are just trying to find a good budget-friendly restaurant for dinner.
      6. Uber/Lyft – I don’t usually take taxis anymore, especially in the USA. Uber and Lyft are super cheap and convenient.
   3. Instead of lugging around 10 travel guides, just download them to your phone.
   4. Make sure you invest in a good phone case. Travel can be rough on phones, and it is the last thing that you want to accidently break. 

Clothing

Clothing is what gets me every time. This is the one area of packing that I struggle with and have to remind myself of my packing rules. To help, here are some packing tips specifically for clothing.

1. Pack in layers and not in bulk. Instead of packing a huge, bulky jacket, try packing a t-shirt, sweater, and lighter jacket. It will keep you just as warm, and the pieces can be worn independently for warmer days and together for the cooler days.
2. Simplify your color palate. Bright colors are great, and I wear them all the time while at home. However, on a trip, I stick with black and neutrals. The reason? I can mix and match all my outfits without worrying what shirt goes with what pair of pants. If everything goes together, you can create more outfits. 3 shirts + 3 pants = 9 outfits.
3. Unless you get really dirty or sweaty, you can re-wear your clothes.
4. Don’t forget underwear and socks. But, remember underwear and socks can easily be washed in a sink, so don’t bring an entire bag full of them.
5. If you like to buy t-shirts as souvenirs, remember that when packing. If I know I’m going to buy at least 1 shirt on my trip, I’ll remove a shirt from my luggage.
6. Do not pack just-in-case outfits unless you can wear it even when you don’t go to that “maybe” location (clubs, fancy dinner, etc.) I’m all about throwing in that cute fancy top, but you better believe it that it’ll be worn even if I don’t go somewhere nice. 

Shoes

Shoes can make or break your vacation. If you are anything like me, you will walk a TON while sightseeing, so you need comfy shoes that won’t give your blisters. And, I usually take 2 pairs of shoes because your feet can get tired from even the most comfortable pair of shoes.

Shoe #1: Your main pair of shoes. For me, this is usually a super comfy pair of flats with good support. I like flats because not only are they easy to walk in, but they can be casual or dressy depending on your outfit. Nisheet, on the other hand, brings stylish athletic shoes that can be worn everywhere from the gym to a fancy bar. On his two month long backpacking trip to Europe, Nisheet wore these stylish pair of Sketchers.

Shoe #2: The backup shoes. Typically these are my Chacos. They offer awesome support and are super versatile.  I can wear them in hostel showers, around the hotel, kayaking, light hiking, or on the beach. However, if it is winter or I’m in Europe, I’ll ditch these. When I went to France last fall, I brought a pair of lace-up Keds for a little bit of extra warmth. For my Iceland trip, my 2nd pair of shoes was a pair of warm boots.

Toiletries

The biggest tip for toiletries is to bring the travel size. Most toiletry items (contact solution, toothpaste, deodorant, etc.) are a necessity. So, to reduce space, bring a smaller size. This doesn’t mean you have to buy all new products though. I often just refill my travel size bottles.

That being said, there are some items you want to think about carefully. Makeup is a huge one. I’ve seen so many girls with enormous makeup bags glamming up in the hostels (and they are usually the same girls that have the huge rolling suitcases). Do they really need all that makeup? I only take the basics. I also don’t bring all my hair products. It not only wastes space, but it takes up valuable vacation time.

I’ve already written a post on what I pack in my toiletry bag, but here is a condensed version. And remember, if you forget something, you can buy it.

• Face Wash + Lotion, Shampoo + Conditioner, Body Wash, Body Lotion, Contact Solution + Case, Hand Sanitizer, Hair Brush + Comb + Hair Ties, Deodorant, Toothbrush + Toothpaste + Floss, Razor, Meds (Excedrin, cough drops), Bandaids, Tissues, BB Cream, Lip Balm, Mascara, Lipstick, Blush, Eye Liners, Eye Shadow, Brushes.

Also, invest in a toiletry bag that keeps everything organized but doesn’t take up a lot of space itself. I use the Suvelle Hanging Toiletry Bag.

Hostel Situations

If you are staying in a hostel, there are a couple other essential items that you probably don’t want to give up. But remember staying in a hostel isn’t about luxury, so you don’t have to bring the biggest and best items.

1. A towel – It’s nice to have a towel to dry off with after the shower. I have known people that forgot a towel and dried off with a dirty shirt. That’s just gross. Bring a towel. Don’t bring a big fluffy towel though. A hostel is not the place to be standing around in your towel while getting ready. You need it to dry off before quickly changing into clothes and then letting the next person in line use the shower. I like these quick-dry travel towels. After you step out of the shower you won’t enjoy snuggling in them. But, when it comes to drying you off, they do an excellent job!  
2. A sleep mask –  Unless you are staying in a private room, people will more than likely be walking in and out of the room during the night. Get a good sleep mask like this one. (The free ones from the airplanes are terrible.)
3. Ear plugs – I hate ear plugs and refuse to use them. However, I’m weird. Most people insist on them when staying in a hostel. People are loud. Nisheet has had good experience with these
4. Lock – Some hostels have lockers with locks. Some have lockers without locks. You can usually rent a lock, but I suggest just bringing your own. This is my current one and it is great. Don’t buy a TSA one. Everyone has the key for it. And, don’t buy one with a key. You might lose the key. Just get a normal lock. Storytime: Years ago when I was planning to meet up with Nisheet in Munich, I knew we would be staying in a hostel, so I went on a search for the best lock ever. I had never stayed in a hostel before and it made me nervous. I bought the biggest-baddest lock I could find. It worked great for that trip, and I felt completely safe. Fast forward to our next hostel trip. My lock was too big for the locker. Luckily, I was able to stash my stuff in Nisheet’s locker. So guys, just get a regular lock. It’ll be OK. 
5. Hairdryer – I know I put a hairdryer on the “things not to pack” list, but sometimes you just gotta have one. Like in January when it’s -30F. If you must bring a hairdryer, bring a travel one. They are smaller, and as a bonus, most have dual voltage. I currently use this one and love it!
6. Flipflops – Hostel showers are nasty. Bring flip flops! It’s also nice to wear them around the hostel after a long day of walking in shoes. You can bring a cheap pair from the dollar store.

 

 

What did I leave off my guide to packing light? Do you have any tips to share? Comment below!

 

This post contains affiliate link(s), which means that we receive a small commission if you make a purchase using this link. The money helps support the upkeep of this website.