Packing light

[Charlotte]

Hello - my name is Charlotte and I pack too big a bag when I travel.

There, I said it 

It's the same whether I'm cycle camping or going away without a bike; I carry an awful lot of stuff.  Some of the things I carry are part of my EDC kit that I now fit into a small pouch which narrows down the amount of useful bits and pieces that live in my bag or pockets.  Stuff like my knife, torch, gloves, resuss mask, emergency cash and (of course) titanium spork.  These are the non-negotiables.  I've also bought a radically smaller every day camera which means I no longer feel the need to carry a DSLR if there's the chance to make some interesting photographs.

So the point of this thread isn't bicycle luggage or every day carry; more how you pack and what you pack when you're going away from home for a while.  I've got a couple of trips coming up in the next few months and inspired by sites like www.onebag.com I'd like to see if I can do away with checking a suitcase and start travelling light.  My starting point is going to be this article by James May.  I particularly like his parting shot:

The rules are these. If you can't lift your case, you've packed too much stuff. Pick it up, for crying out loud. Wheels have more important things to do.

I've just treated myself to a much better (and much smaller) Briggs and Riley wheeled case for when I *have* to check a bag.  Multi-week trips and times when I'm going to need several suits and pairs of shoes.  It's a great bag, but I only want to use it when I have to.  For the next couple of jaunts, it's staying at home whilst I relearn the art of packing light.

So what works for all you frequent flyers and hardy globetrotting types?  How do you get a week's kit into a carry-on bag?  What do you take and what do you find yourself just leaving behind?  What are your top tips for cutting down on clothes and other personal gear?

[Bledlow]

Go somewhere warm. It's a great aid to packing light.

[Jaded]

Rohan Ultra Silver underwear. v v light.

[Kim]

Go somewhere warm. It's a great aid to packing light.

Seconded.  When I overpack, it's not usually the tools or the gadgets that do it (unless I'm going somewhere specifically to do something requiring tools and gadgets, in which case a healthy sense of paranoia kicks in and I carry the kitchen sink), it's clothing (and, where relevant, bedding).  Because I'm rarely going somewhere warm with predictable weather, that means enough to stay warm and dry in, which is inherently quite a lot of stuff.

The best way I've found to reduce this is to spend lots of money on lightweight technical clothing.  You still carry lots of stuff, but it packs smaller, weighs less and has more scope for washing and drying away from proper facilities.

[Vince]

If I'm away for a couple of days, I will just add shirts, underwear, tooth brush and a razor into my work bag, and use the hygene products provided by the hotel.  If I'm going for longer I take a small case and it goes in the hold.

[Ian H]

You should talk to my other half, who seems to be able to pack everything for any trip of any duration into a small back-pack.

[hellymedic]

Train/tame your toiletries!
Hoard small items in a special 'going away' bag, which you have ready for trips.
Fold-up toothbrush, toothpaste sample from the dentist, small reel of floss, small mouthwash. I keep all tooth kit in a waterproof pencil case.
Whenever you stay in hotel, nab all the small shampoo/shower gel containers. Take these on your trips and refill as needed.
List everything you wanted but didn't have as soon as you return from any journey. Get it in miniature form.
Don't skimp on the number of knickers you take; they occupy little space and washing is inconvenient.
Outer wear OTOH is bulky; wear as much as you can tolerate on your journey and choose versatile but compact mid-layer clothes. Consider taking one Delicious Dress for when you must look good; a dress takes up less space than smart trousers and need no Smart Top.
Shoes are a problem; pack just one pair of shoes if possible.
I have a penchant for instant hot chocolate sachets and have those as my travel luxury.

[tiermat]

You should talk to my other half, who seems to be able to pack everything for any trip of any duration into a small back-pack.

Can your other half have a word with my other half, please?

My OH is the only person I know who can manage to fill a large suitcase with clothes for a weekend away!

I, on the other hand, am quite capable of fitting a week's worth of work clothes into a small holdall.  If it wasn't for things like multitools, nail scissors, shampoo and shower gel (I am fussy about these) my bag wouldn't even need to go in the hold!

[Cudzoziemiec]

Are you sure you want to travel light? You mention your EDC. While it might be sensible to carry "knife, torch, gloves, resuss mask, emergency cash and (of course) titanium spork" with you everywhere you go, all the time, the fact is that most people don't, so that you do, indicates you're someone who likes to have a lot of stuff with you just in case. Couple this with stuff like your pencil fetish and you are left with no option but to embrace your inner (and really rather outer too) gadget geek. It's just a question of selecting the right gadgets and leaving a little space for bringing new ones home.

[Chris N]

Take some of the weight out of your hand luggage:

[Charlotte]

WHATISTHISIDONTEVEN

Easyjet frequent flyer?

Are you sure you want to travel light?

Yeah.  The only pencils that I carry around with me have been sharpened half way down already 

[Chris S]

Take some of the weight out of your hand luggage:

Have you got a light?

Yeah sure, right here.... *fumble* erm... maybe this one... oh, er - I've definitely got one... ah, ok maybe the other side... no, not in there...

...possibly one of these here... no, OH, I KNOW!, it's in this one...

... or, not.

[Kim]

Take some of the weight out of your hand luggage:

I sneaked 6kg of AA batteries and assorted A/V kit past the weigh-in at Heathrow in a jacket like that once.  No beard necessary.

[Vince]

Take some of the weight out of your hand luggage:

I'm usually stuck behind this guy at security as he empties every pocket, goes to the scanner and then has to return to remove the jacket.

[Kim]

I'm usually stuck behind this guy at security as he empties every pocket, goes to the scanner and then has to return to remove the jacket.

Removing the jacket and sending it through the x-ray machine is evidently too sensible...

[tatanab]

If I'm away for a couple of days, I will just add shirts, underwear, tooth brush and a razor into my work bag, and use the hygene products provided by the hotel.  If I'm going for longer I take a small case and it goes in the hold.

Same for me.  Emphasis on the small wheeled bag and using hotel laundry services.  This has seen me through business trips of 4 weeks.    Although my wheeled bag is possibly small enough to go as carry on with scheduled flights I simply do not want to be part of the scrum fighting for space in the over head lockers - somebody has to lose out.  So I always check in my main bag.  For business travel I'd have a small briefcase for carry on, for non business travel I use a handlebar bag.

[hellymedic]

Thinking about your essentials, I tackle the list like this;
knife:   Leatherman Micra: in my bumbag at all times
torch:  Don't personally bother; would be in bumbag if I did
gloves: Meraklon glove liners are always in my jacket pocket, as is a Buff. If I bothered with latex/nitrile gloves, they'd be in my 'day bag/ hand luggage
resuss mask: I stopped carrying one when I'd not used it in five years. I accept I can't carry hospital.
emergency cash: in my bumbag
and (of course) titanium spark: do not possess.

[L CC]

Cut off your hair. Then you don't need a brush, comb or shampoo/conditioner and can just use a solitary bar sliver of soap.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Take some of the weight out of your hand luggage:

I'm usually stuck behind this guy at security as he empties every pocket, goes to the scanner and then has to return to remove the jacket.

I reckon the only way he's getting to security is in handcuffs...

[Woofage]

Do you mean packing light or packing small?

I used to travel quite a bit for work and my motto was always not to pack more than I could comfortably carry. With a modern compact trolley case there is less of a need to keep the weight down (I generally took a shoulder bag) but there is a need to keep it compact. Much of this is down to packing skill but it's also down to clothing choice both in terms of specification and what to bring.
- only take one pair of shoes
- wear your casual gear for travelling
- use the hotel laundry
- keep bathroom preparations to a minimum.
- invest in a light suit for business purposes. Hang it up in the bathroom when you shower to remove creases.

An anecdote: I thought I was pretty good at packing but for one particular work jolly conference my skills were put to shame by a colleague. When I asked him how he managed to pack a week's worth of stuff in such a small bag his answer was along the lines of "Parents were in the forces. You just get used to moving around with little kit". I guess there's no substitute for experience.

[ian]

I never take more than one case, though if it's a multi-day trip then it usually goes in the hold even though it fits in the cabin because I can't be bother dragging it like a bad dog around the airport*. Clothes, shoes and toiletries. Usually gym stuff if I'm going somewhere posh, bottles of water if I'm not. Everything fits in one modest wheelie bag. One big saving is that I've disposed of gadgets. I take an iPad, charger, and adapter. All fits in a little cabin bag along with emergency-they've-lost-my-bag undies. If I need a coat, I'll usually carry it and let the nice people on the plane hang it up for me. If I'm going for more than a week, let the hotel laundry take the strain.

*with the exception of indirect routes where they always lose my stuff.

[Vince]

The nice people who hang coats up, never seem to get to my end of the plane.

[ian]

The nice people who hang coats up, never seem to get to my end of the plane.

Just hand it to them when you board.

Sadly, I only get business on transcontinental flights lasting more than 7 hours unless there's exceptional circumstances. And it's a no-no for flights to the US. Chiz.

Got bumped to First on my recent flight out to Brazil though, despite most of my tier points having evaporated over the last few years (I travel a lot less now). I guess they'd overbooked Business.

[LEE]

It's easy, become a bloke then all you ever need will fit in a carry-on case.

Get a rather lovely leather bag like this



Start adding things and stop when it's full.

The lack of wheels on a bag like this is a worthwhile trade-off to be seen travelling with a bag like this and not with a tiny wheelie case.

[Tim Hall]

I'm usually stuck behind this guy at security as he empties every pocket, goes to the scanner and then has to return to remove the jacket.

Removing the jacket and sending it through the x-ray machine is evidently too sensible...

It's the picking it up afterwards that is the limiting factor.