Sensible Packing

Talk to any veteran traveler and you will find out that among themany things you can learn by traveling around the world, packing well and packing light are right there at the top of the list. With so many things to takeinto account as you travel to new destinations, precautions andinformation you must acquire beforehand, you might wonder why packingseems to be so important for many people. Packing, it turns out, meansmuch more than carefully crafting the size and contents of what youwill carry around on your back (although that alone makes it a highpriority.) Careful and light packing means that you will be able tohave all the items that are absolutely required for your trip ineasy-to-carry luggage that doesn't undermine your ability to travel andexplore.

You will never meet a seasoned traveler boasting about his heavybags, so the first thing you will need to do is to cut space and weightto the minimum. A great and palpable limitation is to use acarry-on-size bag and limit yourself to about 20 pounds of luggage.Getting a small bag that can fit under most airplane seats means thatyou won't have to worry thinking about your case getting lost, broken,or even stolen, since you will have it with you. Getting a small andlight bag also means that you will have constant freedom and mobilityand you won't depend on a place to store your luggage in order to beable to go out.

Packing light, however, is not just about throwing everything outthe window. The secret of light packing is to pack smartly: make sureyou take the essentials along and leave behind everything you don't need or can easily buywhile you travel. First things first: call your airline of choice andget a list for things that you are not allowed to carry on theirplanes. You will be surprised at how restrictive things have gottenafter the incidents of 2001. In case they force you to check your bag,make sure you include your name, address, and phone number on theinside (marked or even sewed in); you can seal bags at most airportsand you might want to do so if you're worried about security.


What to Carry?
The key to sensible packing is to scrutinize every item you thinkyou might need. Ask yourself if the possible use you will get out of itmakes it worthwhile to carry it around for the whole trip. Do not overpack. Don't pack for the worst possible scenario: the price you pay forthat heavy coat "just in case it gets really cold" is just tooexpensive for the cost that you'll have to pay for it. Even if you want to feel like a stag do yourself a favor and go for functionality: your bulky leather jacket might be cool, but doesn't work to keep you warm and light. If you aregoing with friends and are really thinking abouat stag night abroad, remember that a nice shirt and perhaps a tie or scarf can giveyou instant respectability and take very little room in your luggage.Think about the things you can do without and how can you manage tosurvive if you eventually need the things that you just can't takealong.

Keep in mind that almost every place on Earth will have shops thatwill let you acquire the essentials. After all, if there are peopleliving there, they are getting their stuff from somewhere. Nowadays,everything from soap to your favorite brand of razors can probably be found abroad, sodon't neglect that option when trying to save room in your travel bag.