Essential tips for packing light

omotolani

March 29, 2018 6:17 AM

Just follow these simple tips and you’ll soon be packing light like a pro.

Travelling is all about new discoveries but carrying a heavy backpack around for long enough can weigh you down.

Prepare carefully for your next trip and you’ll be able to avoid excess fees and achy muscles altogether.

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1. Use the one-week rule

However long you’re going to be away for, just follow the one-week rule. That is: don’t pack more clothes than you’d need for a full week. A seven-day supply of clean clothing gives you enough time to travel around a bit before you have to worry about washing, and it won’t weigh you down too much, either.

2. Buy what you need

You definitely won’t have any trouble finding new clothes when you need them. Run out of deodorant? Go to the local market or mall. Need some special gear for your trek? You can always try to buy it outright and give it away when you’re done. People everywhere use many of the same everyday items you do, and it’s usually easy to get hold of what you need.

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3. Go digital

A smartphone can hold thousands of novels, and loads of guidebooks are now available in electronic form. But there’s no point in leaving your paperbacks at home and filling your bag with heavy gadgets.

Ask yourself, "Do you really need a laptop, a phone and a camera, all with separate chargers"? Leaving a couple of your favourite gadgets at home will make your bag a lot lighter.

4. Leave travel gadgets at home

There’s loads of stuff out there that might seem handy at first, but will actually just sit in the bottom of your bag until you get home.

You just don't need that extra line, plugs or a portable luggage scale.

5. Leave space for extra stuff

But here’s the big problem: if you have to roll or fold your clothes in a special way just to get the zip on your bag closed, you’re taking too much stuff.What happens when you find an amazing souvenir that you just don’t have space for? Leave a bit of room in the top of your bag, and you won’t spend your whole trip battling with load.

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