Am such a disciple for travelling light that there have been times I carried it to the extreme. Once, I ran out of clothes on the third day of a four-day vacation. This is because I loathe the idea of lugging around too heavy luggages , even carry-ons, especially in international airports where you have to walk something like a kilometer to traverse one terminal to the next.

Having said so, here are ‘travel light’ tips I’ve gathered through the years. Would appreciate getting yours too:

- A few days or the night before, plan and make a list of what you would like to bring to the trip. It should cover all areas, as some of us couldn’t possibly retire at night without putting on our facial moisturizer and eye cream. Making a mental note just doesn’t cut it as you are bound to forget some things, so list it down.

- Organize your luggage. Ziplock bags which come in different sizes are very useful in segregating things like your trinkets, toiletries and other whatchamacallits. The silk undergarment bag that somebody gifted me with last Christmas certainly proved to be handy.

- Next time you check in a hotel, do not throw those miniature bottles of shampoo, lotion and shower gels. They can be handy on your next sojourn to the outdoors where the usual amenities cannot be found.

- Use a beltbag (or anything that attaches to the body) to store important documents like passports and plane tickets. Same bags are also useful during outdoor trips like hiking and camping out. You can put here tissues, sachets of toiletries and even little bottles of insect repellent.

- If travelling to another country, be aware of customs and security regulations. Do not be caught carrying a fake Prada bag and even something as harmless looking as nose hair tweezers can get you into trouble and can be confiscated.

- I avoid packing jeans these days. Your wardrobe should consist of light clothing materials like cotton and chiffon, especially those which do not need any more ironing.

- Bring clothes which you can mix and match in terms of style, color and your footwear. I know a friend who solves the problem by color coding her wardrobe. This means bringing only one color for her tops down to her accessories so she doesn’t even have to mix and match.

- When you’re swimming or diving, those semi-disposable underwater cameras can be a blessing, esp. if you have this wish to be photographed while in your swim gear or dive suit. The cams are not too expensive either.

- When travelling with kids, do not forget to pack the usual electronic games like the Gameboy, coloring books and toys. It can keep your tots from being bored.

- Do not bring too thick books or reading materials. I always find out during my vacations that I don’t really get to read the books I bring because of hectic activities, so think twice.

- Don’t forget to bring summer essentials such as shades, sunblock (with at least SPF30) and flip-flops….

Share and Enjoy:
  • Ratimarks
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati

Posted in Road Adventures |