Ready to pack your bags for Thanksgiving? Well, wait... how many bags?
I’ve learnt this the hard way. I consider myself an organized person (!) and used to carry multiple bags, which had everything I needed, and anything I would ever want during my vacation. But, I ended getting a porter everywhere, luggage carts, paying an overage on my baggage limit, as well as paying for oversize bags (you don't want to visit somwhere and not shop!).
So, ended up paying a lot of $$ for nothing. And now, with the airlines industry in a deep hole and being charged $15- $25 for checked bags, all the more reason to travel light!
A packing list helps a lot when it comes to traveling light. If you write down what you need, you can eliminate the extras, and enjoy your vacation more. When I went to Europe (not backpacking), it was very easy traveling from one country to another, getting on and off trains, keeping my bag under the seat, when all I had was one carry-on size bag, instead of the gigantic bags I was used to carrying.
Depending on your destination, get a clear and categorized list, and carry just enough to last your through your stay. There are several websites that can help you with packing lists (!), no seriously, you definitely need one, especially if you are traveling with a baby/kid.
How to pack
Most folks don’t think about this. Iron your clothes, or fold them flat, and you’ll be able to carry more clothes. Roll up your socks, night pyjamas, or anything that you can, and line them along the edges of the bag- that saves space. Flatten everything, roll press or sit on it, whatever, but just flatten it. You can carry more clothes this way. Again, there are websites that can help you. Ridiculous? well, not really.. not when it can save you some money!
If you are traveling with a child, chances are you will have to check a bag or two, because of the contents. And chances are your child’s bag will be bigger than yours! That’s fine, make most of the space available. Carry one bag instead of two, that is a $50 saving right there for a roundtrip.
Depending on your destination, restrict stuff like baby foods, diapers, and buy it where you stay. Carry plastic containers, instead of glass for baby food. Dump any extras in your child’s car-seat bag (we usually dump our jackets/ woolens in the bag- great volume reduction!)
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