What to Pack for A Big Trip - Tips from Experienced Travelers

Traveling light is an important step towards accepting travel's unpredictability. With a tiny pack, you can travel on impulse, running down the platform to catch that leaving train, and hopping from boat to village bus without missing a beat. From the luxury of your own home, it may appear like you require everything but the kitchen sink, but when it comes to packing, less is definitely more.

One of the first things that new visitors notice is that items from their native country are readily available in other nations. Why bring it halfway around the world if you can pick it up when you arrive? The significance of having room in your suitcase is another important first-trip packing lesson—you never know when you'll come upon a Buddha statue or hand-embroidered wall hanging that you can't live without.

If your backpack is bursting at the seams when you get on the bus, you'll quickly find yourself battling with many bags while the light load passengers get the best seats Experienced Travelers carrying a single bag have less stress—these are the people you see whistling gleefully as they stroll out of the terminal building while you're still struggling to get your baggage off the conveyor belt.

Of course, packing is a highly personal experience. Everyone has their own definition of comfort and what they consider to be vital. Yet, by adhering to several tried-and-true principles of light travel, you may reduce your size and weight. Plus, as every seasoned traveler knows, you regret the things you didn't pack much less than the hardship of dragging around unnecessary items!

1. The First Law of Travel Physics

The contents of your backpack will grow to fit the available space, according to one unbreakable rule of Budget Airfare physics. If your luggage is filled at the departure gate, you're already on your way to a second bag if you see anything you want to buy when you arrive.

Start with a bag that fits into a plane's overhead compartment, and fill it with only as much stuff as you can fit in without shoving. Leave behind the rest. Do a second pass and delete everything you're not positive you'll use for ninja-level packing. Difficult decisions made on your living room floor will pay off handsomely afterwards.

2. Pack Densely

Since black holes are so small, light can now escape their gravitational pull. Your bag should work on the same basis. Folded is smaller than scrunched up. Folded and rolled is smaller still. If your clothes take up more than one-third of your bag, you are probably letting sartorial decisions take precedence over practicality.

3. Know Your Destination

The streets may not look like your street, but the stores sell practically everything you'd buy at home, from shampoo and sunscreen to camera cards and phone charging connections. You can certainly get plug adapters, the latest movies on DVD, and the candy bars you grew up with wherever Experienced Travelers congregate. A few items will truly not be accessible in your selected destination, but the vast majority will, so don't overpack with items you can get as and when you need them.

4. The Rule of Three

There are three pairs of socks. There are three pairs of underpants. There are three T-shirts. One to wear, one to wash, and one to dry. Leg wear lasts longer, so two pairs of pants and one culturally acceptable pair of shorts or skirt should be sufficient. Adhere to light, flowing cotton and mixes that dry fast and look attractive without requiring an iron to eliminate every wrinkle.

5. Pack Less, Wash More

It turns out that most societies have worked out how to wash their clothes. A clean shirt is generally only a few hours away, whether you use the hotel laundry or the local dhobi-wallah (clothes washer). Bring fewer clothing and wash them as soon as they get filthy, and the burden on your back will vanish. In an emergency, most motels have a sink with running water—bring a length of thread and you've got a quick washing line.

6. Travel-Friendly Tech

When you plug in most contemporary electronics (such as phones and cameras), they automatically switch voltage. If in doubt, look for a notation on the plug that says 'Input: 100240v' or something similar. Leave voltage-specific equipment that requires bulky, old-fashioned adapters at home. A three-way splitter put into a multi-country adaptor should be enough to keep all your gadgets juiced. If you have USB-powered devices, even better. You only need to bring a plug with multiple USB ports and the cords.

7. Only Bring What You Need

While you pack, remind yourself of this. The unknowns of travel cause us to want to surround ourselves with familiar goods, but this type of 'what if' thinking is a certain way to end up with a hefty load. You probably don't need it if you're not confident you'll use it. Recall that many goods may be rented, purchased, or borrowed as needed. That snorkel and mask? When you go to the beach, you can probably hire one. What about that hairdryer? The majority of hotels have one.

8. Don't Go Shoe Crazy

Veteran Experienced Travelers rarely pack more than two pairs: a comfortable pair of trainer-type shoes that are good for trekking, day-wear and running, and a pair of flip-flops (thongs) for beach wear and dubious-looking bathroom floors. Only bring smart shoes if you're definitely going somewhere you can't get away with trainers (or pick some up locally when and if you need them).

9. Let Tech Be Your Friend

Nowadays, your phone may serve as a music player, camera, and other functions while weighing less than a sandwich. Book Flights used to the bane of travel (though a blessing during long waits for transport). You may now put an entire library into an e-Reader and an entire record collection onto an MP3 player. Take a tiny portable power bank with you to keep your gadgets charged when you can't reach a wall outlet.

10. Be Weight Aware

Certain items, such as paper, glass, metal, and batteries, are just heavy, so avoid packing them unless absolutely necessary. Look for lightweight versions of battery-powered equipment; a head torch driven by a button battery weighs substantially less than a typical torch powered by bulky alkaline batteries. Carry a tiny, portable luggage scale to remain inside airline weight baggage limitations.

Function Over Form

Put helpful items first. A ball gown may be beautiful, but a crumple-friendly cotton dress that you can wear on the bus, beach, and disco will go you far further. These are some tried-and-true Experienced Travelers necessities:

A quick-drying pack towel: Fluffy towels are bulky and take a long time to dry; synthetic towels dry swiftly and compactly.

A sarong: It's a changing room, a blanket, a privacy curtain, a towel, a bag, a sunshade, and it's very likely the most flexible thing in your suitcase. Yeah, and you may use it to cover your legs as well.

Compression straps: They stuff items into your luggage, attach things to your bag, and attach your bag to other objects, such as the roof rack on back-country buses. They will also serve as a laundry line (or bring some string).

A cotton scarf or bandanna: It's a mosque and temple head covering, a sun hat, a dust mask, a neck and shoulder warmer, and even a fashion piece.

A frisbee: Aside from meeting new friends, properly putting it on the exterior edge of your bag gives hard-shell protection for breakables. Other uses include a chopping board, dish, bowl, bottle opener, fan, and a dry place to sit.