My Favorite Packing LIGHT Tips are....

With airline baggage fees being what they are, many of us are attempting to pack light with just a carry-on bag. What are your favorite packing light tips? My tips would be: (1.) If I'm packing an extra pair of shoes I roll up my socks and place them inside. (2.) I select travel clothes that can be mix and match. Any of my shirts would go with any of my pants. (3.) I use a Scottvest for my small items. (4.) Instead of my bulky Levi jeans I pack wrinkle free Dockers that pack about 50% smaller than the Levis. Most of my travel clothes are wrinkle free thus I don't have to iron while traveling. What are your tips?

 

Only one tip from me - Eagle Creek Travel Gear Pack-It Folder.

 

Roll everything

 

No extra shoes. Rarely ever do I pack more than the pair I'm wearing and if I do the other pair is almost always flip-flops or similar.

Fewer pants than days I'm on the road. Yes, I wear them more than once on a trip. Saves space and weight and they are rarely so dirty that it matters. And I can always do laundry along the way if needed.

 

Couple pairs of Ex-Officio boxers, socks and t-shirts that can easily be washed/dried in hotel room

 

Second both these. My rule is bring fewer pants/shorts than days, but one more pair of undies/socks than days, since the undies are ahem.. where the 'rubber meets the road'. With clean undies and socks, you'll always feel fresh. Jeans I always plan on wearing at least twice.

I roll everything individually, and once they are worn, I roll all the day's dirties up together in a tight parcel and wrap it in the Tshirt/undershirt (until I do laundry or get home). That way everything takes up less space but I don't get the clean mixed with the dirty.

By far the biggest challenge I've face so far is finding some kind of travel size deodorant and shaving cream.

 

Thanks for the comments so far. As for me, I don't roll I 'bundle-wrap' which produces far fewer wrinkles than rolling. You can google bundle wrapping to see how this work. Regarding the shoes, most times I don't take extra shoes but there are some trips where I need a pair of dress shoes (New Balance just won't work 100% of the time). Like others I take fewer clothes and wash as needed (that's where the wrinkle free comes in handy) but always take an extra pair of shorts and socks. By following some of these simple rules I have been able to complete up to 2 weeks in a mission field environment (limited electricity and water) with no problems. All of our check-in bags are filled with supplies for the needy in the mission field. I'm looking forward to seeing more tips. Happy travels!

 

Wandering Aramean: I recently started reading your blog. It's now part of my blog reader. You are doing a great job!

 

I've looked at these for years, but don't understand how they minimize space utilization. I do use their packing cubes for organization, and at times use compression bags (from another company) as well, but just exactly how do these help to optimize space?

 

If there's something you're not SURE you need, you can (almost) always buy it when you get there.

I make a pile of how much I want to take, and then get rid of at ~25-50% of it.

 

We only travel with carry-on. Then 'throw as i go'! Accumulate ready to toss tired and old tee shirts and underwear and save to pack them for the next trip. Then toss as we go, which means no or little dirty laundry when we get home. Also leaves room for new purchases in my carry on! I'm also a fan of the travel style space bags.

 

Packing Cubes and Exofficio underwear, as others have already mentioned.

 

Right on BONNIE! We have also travel via the 'throw as I go' method. It gives you plenty of room for the items you buy while traveling.

 

My solution to this is a solid pair of comfortable shoes that can dress up or down as the itinerary dictates. Right now I'm on my third or fourth pair of these:


Not super fancy but they work in nearly every situation, from a suit to jeans, and I can walk around for hours in them without my feet getting tired.

Glad you're enjoying the blog.

 

The shoe thing is a challenge if you work out (including jogging/running) while traveling. I suppose I could try vibram 5fingers or similar, as I assume they're more space-saving than traditional athletic shoes.

 

I like the solid, crystal deodorants, as they aren't liquid or gel, so I can put them anywhere in my carryon or checked luggage without running afoul of TSA. Also, they neither melt nor leak -- problems I have had with roll-ons and solids.: http://www.drugstore.com/crystal-body-deodorant-stick/qxp41032
I like the Alba Botanica 1.5oz shave cream, as it doesn't require using very much at all:http://www.drugstore.com/alba-botanica-moisturizing-shave-cream-coconut-lime/qxp145451
And, my favorite all-around is Savon de Marseille, which can be shampoo, bath soap and shave cream all in one, and is solid, thus avoiding many troubles. I sometimes buy a really big one and cut it up at home into more manageable pieces (a bit cheaper that way), or buy smaller ones and tuck (in a Ziploc) into luggage wherever it fits: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=095J2TKECN4899K5TY7C

 

Ziploc bags for everything except shoes. I am an over packer and am able to pack more into my carry on this way. My rule is I have to be able to lift my bag over my head, lol. If I can, then I roll with it.

 

Thanks for the bundle-wrapping tip. It led me to the onebag.com site which is a tremendous resource and will give me some more hours of great travel-related reading material.

As some of you know, for me it is extremely difficult to pack ultralight because I'm 6' 8" with size 18 shoes. I can't just walk into clothing or shoes stores on location for replacement items in case my belongings get lost or damaged. Just imagine me trying to find some jeans to fit in Tokyo! I'm sure Brian, ThePointsGuy, can relate. It just isn't possible for people our size.

This makes packing much more difficult to plan. If I think I need to pack an extra pair of shoes, it'll take up the same space of 2-3 extra pairs of your shoes. My shirts take up 2-3 times more space than my wife's, which is always frustrating.

I think prior planning is really the key.

 

Roll everything

 

Limit the entertainment items! Magazines, books, gadgets, etc all take up room.

I stopped carrying my ipod and headphones, and I don't bring "fun" books with me.
I usually have one textbook, a couple of work articles, and my netbook. As a bonus I am super productive on the airplane since the only thing for me to do is work!

 

I use oversize ziplock (called "bigBags") at about $5 each. Start with 6 bags/ Half my clean in one, half in the other, same for my wife. One of each in my carryon, one of each in hers. One empty each for laundry. We never have to unpack, just manage the bag contents so they go down evenly. On long trips, we'll do or send out laundry. We're both big fans of all the quick dry stuff. We also get several duplicates (For example, I generally wear light blue UV-filter, Bug-repellent shirts and have 3 of them -- wear, wash and spare). Pants have zip-offs to turn them into shorts.Same deal, wear one and pack two, tho I rarely have to wash them while on a trip.

The remaining problem is socks. I like heavy supportive socks like Smartwool or Thorlo, but they take days to dry. (I've been known to use the hair dryer in the morning to finish them up.)

 

As for reading material, I load my fav books, magazines and my research material all on my Sony e-reader. It's a real space saver.

 

Amen to that. I heart my Nook.

 

Throw as I go. I can pack neatly when leaving home but in the road I just want to throw all the stuff back in the bag and move on, not the best use of space. Also leaves more possible space for purchases should I need it. Domestically, I have also mailed stuff back to myself in flat rate Priority boxes.

 

Same for me, but Kindle. My wife has one, too, so we can share books. We bought 10 books for a 3 week trip to China and needed two more for the ride home. Easy to get what I wanted online but having to find an English language book at the airport might have been a lot harder and certainly more limited in selection.