This is planning for ease of movement. Much of the world lacks smooth concrete sidewalks, and there is unlikely to be anybody to help you lug your bags half a mile over cobbled walks or up four flights of stairs to your hotel room or rental apartment.
So I am following the advice of a many bloggers and world travelers like Rick Steves and packing everything I'll need for the trip into carry-on that I can easily manage myself.Easy? Haha, no. But doable. Here's how I did it:
The first (and most difficult) task was to pare down my packing list. I left behind anything that I thought I "might" need, and took only what I absolutely know I'll wear and use. After a dry-run, I still had one bag too many, and the suitcase was stuffed so full I worried about stressing its zippers, so I had another go at streamlining. I ended up with the items in these two photos, all standard clothing fare, with the addition of:
- 1 large infinity scarf (multiple uses as skirt, dress, wrap and shrug)
- 1 sholdit infinity scarf (my favorite travel accessory; it has a hidden purse)
- 1 small purse
- Then the stuff to make me feel like I look good: blow dryer, make-up and toiletries.
- Necessities like clothesline, clothespins, bottle opener.
- Finally, electronics: laptop, iPod, speaker, flashlight, flash drives, car charger, and charging cables
This is more than what some travel guides advise, but I have to account for a wide range of weather and multiple destinations.
How I packed is just as important as what I packed.
To conserve space in my suitcase, I'll be the anti-fashionista and wear (and not pack) the biggest and bulkiest items, including my jeans and hiking boots and sweater.
Also, I'm a fan of big zip-lock bags. I used 2-gallon bags to hold my shoes (after stuffing each shoe with a dryer sheet to keep 'em fresh, and then filling them with other small items like the clothespins so as not to waste the space.) I also used the bags to compartmentalize socks, underwear, and other small items. (Bonus: Later, a zip-lock bag can keep dirty clothes from smelling up the clean items.)
Travelers tend to fall into one of three types of packers: the "throw in everything and jump on the suitcase until it closes" type like my son; the "fold each item neatly onto the next" type like my husband; and, the "roller", like me. Rolling your clothing together makes good use of small spaces and also helps keep items from wrinkling. I first stack a few items, then fold in outlying pieces like sleeves, then roll tightly, starting from the bottom.
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| Shirts, ready to be rolled |
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| Rolled, bagged and placed |
In my backpack I always stash one change of clothes "just in case" (the dress and leggings, today) as well as all of my electronics, the sholdit, and a notebook. Done - with plenty of room left for souvenirs!
If anybody has any other tips for packing light, I'd love to hear them!
**It turns out our first apartment in Dublin is the third floor up, and no lift! 44 stairs later, I was super happy I packed light. In fact, most of our accommodations throughout the trip were multiple flights up with no elevator access.
