When we travel, many of us like to pack for every possible situation and occasion. We bring way more than we need and often don’t even use half of the things we packed. It doesn’t have to be that way. Minimalist packing and one bag travel can make your traveling so much less stressful and easier on the mind and body. How does one pack for a long trip overseas and fit weeks worth of clothing into one bag? It’s not as hard as you might think.
Here’s a minimalist packing list for those who want to make the trip without all that baggage.
Electronics: Do you really need your laptop? Can you get by with a tablet or your phone? Only bring what you really need as far as electronics go and you’ll need the necessary charging cables of course. Organize your cables and wrap them up nice and neat so you’ll be able to find them when you need them.
Clothing: Pack 3 – 4 changes of clothes and no more. If you visit REI or other sports stores you’ll find shirts and pants that are light weight, take up almost no room in your suit case or back pack, and are easy to hand wash and will dry on their own in a matter of hours. For women, linen is my favorite travel fabric. It pack up nice, looks good wrinkled, and is very light weight. Linens can also be hand washed and hung out to dry quite easily. A linen dress can work for casual shopping during the day and a fancy dinner at night. Never underestimate the power of linen. You’ll need a good pair of walking shoes, and depending on where you are going some sandals, or maybe a cute pair of shoes for dinner. You really don’t need much more than that.
Hygiene: You’ll need your basics like shampoo, your favorite hair product, brush, razor, tooth brush, body soap, deodorant, toothpaste, travel fork, any tools you think you may need, toe nail clippers, and any other small items that are necessary for you to get through the next few weeks. Small travel containers are available at your local department store. Also, remember that you can buy much of this stuff when you arrive where you are going and most hotels will provide you with the soaps and products you need free of charge. Hotels will usually have a hair dryer for you to use as well. No need to pack bulky products that you can easily find at your destination for free.
Documents: Find a small waterproof pouch for all of your important travel documents like Passport and anything else you’ll need on your travels.
If you simply leave everything at home that isn’t really necessary you can easily live quite comfortably for weeks or even months with one small roller bag or backpack.
Companies like Tom Bihn and Red Oxx make amazing travel bags for fit any occasion. They are my favorite personally. Strong, well designed and they come in great colors.
Minimalist travel isn’t for everyone but if you are going to be moving around a lot, going from one location to another, you may find it to be a life saver. If you give minimalist travel a try, you will be pleasantly surprised to find that it’s stress free and makes travel that much more enjoyable.
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