Taking just what you need when you go travelling is one of the keys to enjoying your trip. Most people pack way more than they need and the result is a lot of stress dragging around unnecessary baggage
For any trip, whether it’s travelling a week or a month, going for a weekend or away for a year, knowing what to pack is an eternal conundrum. Having travelled almost non-stop for 18 months during 2003-4, I learnt the hard way that having “just one more thing” in your backpack can soon become a real pain to lug around. The main rule to remember is that if it’s not essential, don’t bring it. You can buy clothes, books and day to day bathroom stuff along the way – usually a lot cheaper than you can get at home. Worry about the other, more intangible stuff – is your passport valid? Are your vaccinations all done? Have you got working credit cards and travellers cheques? Have you got any prescription medications you need? If you have access to cash, your passport and any pills you need, then you can basically get through any situation afterwards.
43 Folders has a great post which expands on this theme of packing light, and it’s also worth looking at the dazzling amount of info at onebag.com, which is all about packing everything you need into one carry-on bag.
Stay In Touch With Travelhappy!
If you enjoyed this post, sign up by Email or RSS to be notified of future updates. You can also follow me on Twitter - I'm @travelhappy
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Chris,
Thanks for the pointer to these articles – Onebag.com really has got it down to an art there…
SFGates article was interesting also, but I’m not so sure about packing a bathrobe! each to their own – I bet the author doesn’t lug other useless things around with him as I do, and as a result has room for it! Swings and roundabouts I guess
Interestingly, I’ve just finished an article on what to pack for an extended sojourn, sometimes known as backpacking – you can find it here – another snippet of info for people to check out.
regards
Nath
aaaargh! technology!! This is the link, sorry – the other just went to the homepage.
regards