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Packing light as a traveller is a hardcore skill. How many times have you headed out on a vacation, only to return having not even looked at half the contents of your bag? Or ended up sweating and in pain due to an excessively heavy pack? Life can be so much easier with a bit of pre-planning and a spot of optimism! If you’re still not sold on the idea, this is the place to be – I’m almost fanatical about it!
As I spent more time with a backpack on, it became a personal challenge to reduce not just the weight but size of my pack too. I’ve got it down to about 7 kilograms (or around 15 lbs) now. I’m 5′ 9” and not super-small, so fitting me and a pack on a bus, train or back of a bike can be hilarious.
I need my pack to be light and slim (like I wish I was!). Nobody wants to lug around a bag the weight of a body in stifling south east Asian heat, right? Check out this guide to packing light, where we detail ten of our favourite practical things for keeping the weight down.
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1. FIRSTLY, CONSIDER THE BENEFITS
The first point in this guide to packing light is more of a motivational one. Every time you want to pack an extra shirt, hair straighteners or four pairs of sandals, consider this:
◊ An airline cannot lose your bag if you don’t check it.
◊ You won’t get stranded without your stuff for many hours in an airport due to delays.
◊ No crowds and queueing – both of which you get at baggage check and claim at either end of your flight.
◊ It is much easier to travel overland on buses when your pack isn’t bigger than you are!
◊ You will be more environmentally friendly: less weight on flights = less carbon used. If you are interested in becoming a more conscious traveller, check out our introduction to sustainable travel.
◊ Your back will thank you. Endlessly.
2. WHAT WILL YOUR BAG BE USED FOR?
You bag is the biggest and most important purchase of your trip. Buy one that reflects the activity you will be doing and what you are carrying. Consider the following:
◊ Are you backpacking, hiking, camping?
◊ What weather are you expecting?
◊ Will you be packing a tent, sleeping bag, cooking gear?
◊ How many seasons will you be travelling through? Will you want just lightweight warm-country backpacking clothes?
◊ Will you be carrying a laptop or heavy-duty camera equipment?
◊ Do you want an attachable daypack? (for minimalism I’d suggest not having one but some people swear by them and it depends on your trip).
3. CHOOSE A SMALLER BAG
I think every guide to packing light will have this point, but it’s so important that we can’t miss it out!
The bigger the bag, the more it is tempting to overfill it. Minimal space forces you to prioritise exactly what will be essential and what is luxury. If you haven’t chosen your bag yet, be cautious with your size choice. No matter what you choose though, remember to leave some space for extra stuff like souvenirs. More space also makes it quick and easy to repack when you’re in a rush or need to find something quickly.
The volume of the first bag I ever bought was 70 litres. It was almost impossible to carry when full, was cumbersome and honestly, a thing of absolute nightmares. I dreaded picking it up.
Now I travel long-term with the 40-litre Farpoint backpack from Osprey which I love so much and cannot recommend enough for lightweight travelling. Another similar pack you could consider is the Tortuga Setout 45. These are not great for carrying camping gear, so if you’re considering that, we have written a separate post for camping recommendations.
4. LIQUIDS ARE NOT YOUR FRIEND
First, most airlines have strict limits and restrictions for carry-on liquids – 100ml maximum per container. Second, liquids are heavy. A litre of water weighs a kilogram, so the less the better. Fewer liquids also reduces the risk of leaks and mess.
We use a variety of products to keep liquids to a minimum, such as:
Shampoo | Solid shampoo and conditioner bars save on plastic, water and space and last far longer than a 100ml bottle, making them very cost efficient too. One bar can be the equivalent of 2-3 standard sized bottles. So, depending on how often you wash your hair, it could last you six months or more. I wash my hair daily and my bar normally lasts about 2.5 months. Check out our reviews of shampoo and conditioner bars if you are interested. Pro-tip – conditioner bars can used as a shaving cream substitute.
Deodorant | this can be bought as a powder or a bar. I personally prefer the bars. We’ve mentioned our favourite ones on the shampoo bars post.
Solid soap | (although you can just use your shampoo bar if you’re so inclined). This saves space, money and the environment if you don’t use all those little hotel soaps and lotions that get used a few times and thrown away.
Solid toothpaste tabs | there are loads of these out there and you can even get them with fluoride now. Our favourites are from Lush.
Sunblock | this one depends on how much skin you’re going to be showing off. I use a sunblock stick because I don’t ever use it on my legs (keep them covered generally). The stick is great for arms, face, ears, neck and feet. The rest of me avoids the sun – we’re super white. Our preference is the Banana Boat Sports range. You can’t sweat it off and it can be immersed in water for hours without any issues. Most of their products are now reef friendly too (including my stick).
5. GO MINIMAL ON CLOTHES
In terms of packing light, clothing initially can seem quite lightweight, but we weighed our clothes (I know this is weird) and they were a massive majority of our bag! Clothes take up the most space in backpacks. So, if you can reduce them by say, 50%, you’ll make a huge dent in your pack weight and size. Having said that, we have a few staple things we never leave home without:
Hippy trousers | these are the typical Thai ‘hippy’ trousers with elasticated waist and ankles. I know it’s shameful but we both love them. They wash/dry quickly, are extremely lightweight, cheap, perfect for exercising and can be rolled up to the knees like shorts. They also compress down to almost nothing. You can get plain ones too rather than the typical elephant pattern, so you don’t have to look like a complete hippy-hobo if that’s not your jam. My favourites are from Forgotten Tribes, a small company in London.
Fleece | a thin, good quality fleece without plastic microfibres by Patagonia. They’re expensive but ethically made, friendly for the environment and incredible quality. Preferably get one with a hood so it can be used for multiple things.
Merino wool | I have a hoodie, t-shirt, strappy tops, socks and even underwear made from wool. The material is actual magic and perfect for travelling, keeping you cool when warm and vice-versa. It stays fresh for so much longer than cotton and quick-dries too. The only issue is the price tag! For comfort though, the price is worth it. Our stuff is from Icebreaker, we love them.
Other clothes | I take thin, lightweight merino wool socks and leggings from Sweaty Betty (best leggings in the world). Apart from underwear, I only take a few of each item, even for a multi-month trip.
Scarf/sarong wrap | I normally take two and tie and strap them to the outside of my bag when they’re not in use. They’re good at covering your shoulders or head, keeping warm on buses or mopping up spillages. One trip I even used them to wrap an injury; they’re so versatile and cheap.
Buff | these are so flexible and great for keeping your hair back, covering your head, protecting your neck from the sun, protecting from dust when on a bike and more. They are also tiny and light. We highly recommend travelling with one if you are trying to pack light.
For cold | if I take a warmer jacket or jumper, then it gets securely tied and strapped to the outside of my pack. I’ve never had any problems with this method, my clothes have never been stolen or damaged. We are currently travelling with thin Icebreaker Merino Wool jackets, a men’s REI down jacket and women’s Rab Neutrino down jacket.
Shoes | Nick has a pair of lace-less trainers, like the type you can get from Sketchers. These are perfect for slipping on and off if you’re hanging around beaches or temples where you are constantly taking your shoes off. They dry quickly, squash down and weigh less than 300g. I am wearing Altra Lone Peak 6 Trailrunners which can handle everything from running marathons to wading in rivers. I also pack flipflops. Hiking boots (currently Keen Targhee 3) get tied to my bag if they are needed on a trip.
6. NON-NEGOTIABLE ELECTRONICS
The problem with laptops, cameras and charging gear is that you can’t reduce the size of them much and depending on your trip, you’ll potentially need them all. It might be a controversial opinion, but we choose to invest in good quality gear to save space where possible. Laptops can be extremely thin – the last time I travelled I actually forgot my laptop was in my backpack. My current one is a Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon. It weighs less than a kilogram and was not crazy expensive like a Mac.
If you routinely travel with a laptop, ensure the backpack you choose has a nice, safe padded place for it. This means you don’t need a case and saves weight and bag space. If you have a DSLR and lenses, these are best stored in a special bag (ours is from Peak Design). All other gear like chargers, power blocks and adaptors we keep in the front pocket of our pack. With USB-C charging, we can charge our cameras, phones and both laptops all with one cable.
7. TRAVEL ISN’T ALWAYS PRETTY, SO WHY DO YOU NEED TO BE?
Who wants to spend time applying make-up instead of getting out and about? Not me, that’s who. I carry exactly zero makeup because honestly, I’ll just sweat it off anyway. It costs money, can be hard to replace and the added weight is more than I want to carry. Also, I’m way too lazy to apply make up (or learn how to). I do take a hairbrush and a few hairbands – that’s the extent of my efforts.
The same goes for contact lenses – I have a spare pair of glasses and that’s it. Tip – you can often buy contacts on the road extremely cheaply depending on your destination so remember your prescription.
Also, I’m not suggesting that you are less pretty with or without makeup, just FYI. You do you.
8. REMEMBER OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE SHOPS
This statement might seem obvious, but we made this mistake; most people do.
What scared me most when travelling long-term was that we wouldn’t be able to buy stuff abroad. The thing is though, people exist all over the world and, apart from a select few things, everybody needs the same stuff to function.
There are some items that can be difficult to obtain, so we’ve listed any we have had problems sourcing in other countries over the years (including western ones):
◊ Spray deodorant/anti-perspirant (none in the U.S.A at all until recently!)
◊ Sensibly priced sunblock
◊ Certain clothes for taller or larger people
◊ Specific medications, e.g. malarone
◊ Feminine products to a standard that you are familiar with (and no tampons at all in many places)
◊ Specific brands. If you need/want a specific type of make-up remover/sunblock/moisturiser, you may struggle in some places. In large cities you will have a good chance of finding most things though. Try to be as flexible as possible.
Almost everything else will be widely available if you need it. Remember this when you’re packing light and avoid making the same mistakes we initially did!
9. ONE FOR THE LADIES
As mentioned in the previous section, specific feminine products can be difficult to find in certain countries. They also take up lots of space in your bag. Instead, consider using a Mooncup/Divacup. They’re also much better for the environment.
Side note: even in the depths of rural Ethiopia we saw lady products, if it’s an emergency. It is not that things are not available; they just may not be exactly what you are accustomed to.
Travel hair straighteners (this one can also apply to guys, but more often than not it’s women): this one is my little weakness. If it is absolutely necessary to take straighteners travelling (because your hair looks like a startled scarecrow in the mornings like mine), there are a bunch of tiny ones on the market designed for travel. I’m currently long-term travelling without them now though and it’s fine. So, I’d suggest leaving them at home if possible.
10. OTHER MISCELLANEOUS SPACE SAVERS
Here are some other things that are in our bags right now as I look at the contents spread over the floor of my hostel room:
Battery powered fairy lights | in case the room we’re staying in is super-bleak or we go camping
Tiny head torch | for power cuts, accommodation with intermittent power and camping
Cutlery | to save on using one-use plastic stuff wherever possible! Plus we can chop our own fruit and veg
Microfibre travel towel | super, super tiny and light
Reusable face pads | can be washed and reused to help the environment
String and a plug | for hanging washing and a plug for filling up sinks to do our laundry
Compressible Platypus Water Bottles | save so much space when empty and roll up to about the size of a sausage
FINAL THOUGHTS – GUIDE TO PACKING LIGHT
Everyone has different preferences when it comes to packing for a trip, so don’t let anyone tell you that you are packing too much stuff. Fundamentally, whatever you need is the correct amount!
I hate the fact that people are shamed for the size and style of their bags. This post is more about introducing small ideas that can make a big dent in the weight and size of whatever you choose to carry with you, whether it be a big suitcase or a little daypack.
We hope it gives you some ideas. Happy packing!
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Thank you, Claire + Nick
