How To Pack Smart and Light For Your Travels

Everyone knows that traveling comes with so much stress. As much as we all look forward to it, the things that usually happen before the trip even begins makes us all want to pull our hair out. You have to make sure your tasks at work are done, the tickets have been secured, setting the budget for the whole duration of the trip, and the list goes on. Not to mention creating an itinerary for, let’s say, a full day in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and its attractions.

But the most taxing part of travel is packing is not getting an accommodation in Kuala Lumpur, it’s packing. Most would say to bring everything you need and think you might need. However, the seasoned globetrotter would know that packing light is the way to go. If you want to truly go with the flow of travel, packing small allows you to immerse yourself more in the culture without worrying about that bag you’ve been lugging everywhere.

This makes packing a bit more stressful because of all the decisions you’d have to make. Well, we’re here to make those decisions a little easier to make. Here are tips on how to pack smart and travel light.

Use only one bag Despite what you think, you can travel bringing only one bag with you. The one-bag rule makes traveling easier and much more enjoyable. Lugging around lots of heavy bags can be tedious, uncomfortable, and honestly very weird. When you choose a bag, pick one that can fit inside the compartment and has a lot of pockets.

Lay out everything you want to bring on the trip first. Then put them all in the bag with moderate shoving. Fold and roll your shirts when you’re packing so that they don’t take up so much space. You can find different travel folding guides for different articles of clothing. Your clothes shouldn’t take up more than a third of your bag’s capacity.

Another tip would be to bring items that can be used in many different ways. For instance, the sarong can be used as a towel, a blanket, a shade, and so on.  

Start learning how to wash your clothes
People don’t realize this often, but you are allowed to wash your clothes during your trip. You pack as much clothes as you can possibly bring, but you can actually just bring a few and wash the dirty ones to wear again. You can take advantage of the laundry services of your Kuala Lumpur hotel, or you can always wash your clothes on the sink.  

Remember the rule of 3’s
To make sure you don’t overpack, remember the rule of 3’s. Three pairs of underwear, socks, and shirts. You can bring two pairs of pants and one pair of shorts. Choose clothes that are light to wear and won’t need ironing.  

You don’t need to bring all your gadgets
When you’re deciding which gadgets to bring, your smartphone is more than enough. Unless you’re a photographer by profession or you’re on a business trip, you don’t need to bring all of your devices because you probably won’t have time to use them.

Packing smart and light is always the best option when you’re traveling. It allows you more freedom to move and definitely removes the hassle of carrying multiple bags. The next time you go backpacking with friends or on a solo travel to several countries, you’d be thankful your bag is easy to carry around.