VelvetKennedy

When I first started traveling for work, I hauled along a HUGE suitcase filled with spiral notebooks, full-size rollers, multiple pairs of shoes, etc. I am astonished to think back on it. I was very prepared for anything that might happen and anything I might need.

Over the years, I've really grown sophisticated in my travel packing habits (at least I think so!). I can go two weeks in Europe in the winter for leisure with a single small carry-on. I can go for one week in the US for business with a small wheeled tote and a laptop bag. Hotel and local drycleaners are my friends on the road. My toiletry items are small and travel-sized.

Anyway, I'm pretty proud of how light I can travel. My husband has a harder time of it. Usually before trips I grill him on how much of the huge pile of stuff he is planning to bring he actually needs. He will whittle it down and then bring a smaller bag. He's even commented afterward that he really didn't need all the stuff he ended up bringing and could have brought even less.

Its so great when there are flight disruptions and that sort of thing, and you don't have a checked bag. Its nice in general, to travel light, I think. My back is doing much better now, for example, even though I'm older!

So... how do you travel light? What have you learned to do without? Do you have tricks and tips? I'd love to hear!!!!

LapLap

Bad back? Me too.

1st tip is to get the right shoes. One pair worn, second pair in luggage. Important now that every other thing you pack goes with one of these pairs.

2 washable suits with matching trousers & skirts that hardly wrinkle
evening wear - two pieces preferred
one or two of casual trousers/skirts/one of each
a range of shirts/tops to mix and match with above

4 knickers, 4 pairs of socks, 2 bras, 1 swimsuit, knicker purse

A coat which I carry/wear

deodorant, lip salve, tweezers, razor, foundation, powder, mascara, 1 medium compact (with a blush and several eyeshadows/powder eyeliner), 2 lipsticks, 1 large brush for powder and blush, 1 eyeline brush, 1 hair brush/comb, scent (decanted into tiny atomiser)

1 tiny bottle of shampoo/conditioner (emergencies only as hotels have these)

1 abrasive stretch glove for scrubbing

1 piece of L'Occitane Marseiiles soap (I cut it to size with a warm knife)
1 sock and a couple of portions of nuka rice bran

green tea

1 very thin pair of washable fabric slippers

*luxury item = ceramic hair straightener (universal power) and plug adaptor.

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The soap cleans both my skin and my clothes (my Spanish grandmother has used Marseilles soap all her life to launder clothes by hand) and this way I always have clean knickers, socks & tops.

The rice bran is one of the best moisturising products I've ever found, and it cleanses too. I put some in a sock, wet it with water and rub over my skin after srubbing with soap. (helps razors glide too) Even my husband notices that my skin is softer after I use it.
But don't leave it in the sock for more than three days as mold could grow.

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Caveat - winter in Japan is tougher as it is COLD inside the houses I stay in and visit. There are ways of reducing bulk, but not of weight of heavier trousers, jumpers and boots. The 20kgs allowance (40lbs) that gets imposed on me does cover it - it's the gifts I need to take with me (and take back with me) that are the killer. Not easy to travel light when you have family abroad. Unlike you, it's easier for me to travel light when going on business and the list above reflects that purpose (mind you I don't take any cosmetics when travelling for pleasure, or that hair straightener)

HereAndThereSC

I used to work in BOS but lived in Columbia SC. I had my own place in Columbia, and a small 1 BR in BOS.

I'd get on the plane with nothing at all on a weekly basis. Just myself and whatever I was wearing that day.

JP

adamak

Interesting. I should try the soap. Does this soap dry quickly? I don't like putting mushy soap in plastic bags.

And where do you buy rice bran? And do you mix it into a paste form and use it like a mask? Or more watery like toner and splash on face?

These are great tips. Thanks.

VelvetKennedy

I have got to add Marseilles soap and rice bran to my shopping list. Cool!

travelmad478

I am going to nominate myself for "lightest of them all." For example, I just did a one-week trip to Russia with one 19-inch rollaboard. The reason: I routinely fly via LHR. Although I was a carry-on-only fanatic before, now I have to do it with a much smaller carry-on. I have managed to deal with this, amazingly.

My strategies:

1. Preposterous level of clothing/shoe planning, down to making a list of every item to be worn on every day of the trip, cross-referenced with what I will be doing that day and whether I will have the opportunity to do laundry on each day. I re-wear everything I bring at least once on a trip--my goal is to wear everything three times--and have accumulated many "proven winners" in my wardrobe that don't wrinkle much and can be worn for more than one purpose (business meeting, plane flight, going out at night, sightseeing, etc.)
2. Break the bank and use hotel laundry. It is a lot cheaper and easier to do that than to buy new clothes when your checked bag gets lost, or try to wash clothes in your hotel sink and then have them dry and ironed by the time you need to wear or pack them again. I have been known to do laundry twice on a one-week trip. Since you pay only by the item anyway, doing laundry on more than one day in a hotel doesn't cost more than doing the full amount in one load.
3. Forget about brand loyalty to toiletries. I am quite happy to wash my hair in whatever shampoo the hotel provides. The only toiletries I bring, and those are in travel sizes, are conditioner (since many hotels don't provide it) and my SPF 15 facial moisturizer. BA gives me toothpaste and body moisturizer on the plane. And I don't wear makeup. My luxury is bringing two hairbrushes...I like to dry my hair with the round kind...but I always use the hotel hairdryer to do it!

My fanaticism about carry-on-only comes from (1) the fact that LHR is a checked bag Bermuda Triangle, (2) I am small and hate having to drag around heavy stuff, (3) my trips are usually multi-city, multi-flight extravaganzas that are very tightly scheduled with no time to waste on waiting for checked baggage or (God forbid) having to scramble to buy clothes to wear to meetings if my checked bag gets lost.

b1513

I go to Europe for a week or so with a carry-on, but my husband is a different story. He wears size 14 shoes and needs a separate suitcase just for his shoes.

LapLap

I've not had a problem with mushiness at all with this soap, keeps its cohesion well and dries out quickly.

Rice bran you can get for free from many of the shops in Japan that specialise in rice - this is the best kind as its pure. However, you can get nuka cheaply from Asian markets - if your skin isn't over sensitive and you can deal with some salt and a few other things in the mix you could give this a try. But it's probably better to source some purer bran
Several places in North America sell it in bulk
http://www.jimmykat.com/shopping/gou...Pack_of_8.html

Just pop a few tablespoons in a sock, tie the sock up, pour some warm water over the sock and a milky fluid will ooze out. Just rub this over your face and skin after washing and rinse off. It seems to work just as well as soap though.

But do rinse out the sock after 2 or 3 days.

I do hope you get on with this. There are places which will sell it to you much more expensively
http://chidoriyaworld.stores.yahoo.n...ukurowash.html This site explains the benefits of nuka better than I can.

LLM

What brand and how much does it weigh empty and "loaded"? Did you have to triple-fold your pants or are you petite?

oldpenny16

I am proud of traveling light. In fact the wardrobe I use when home is similar to my travel one. I do have brand loyalty to some products (I love LUSH) and also do a great deal of hand laundry when traveling.

In fact doing so calms my nerves. Zen laundry!

I am a great fan of Eagle Creek packing cubes, but am still looking for the perfect suitcase. Open to ideas!

I have found that Ex Officio Dry-Lite shirts are wonderful for travel. I am also fond of other items of Ex Officio clothing, but they are too casual for business.

SkiAdcock

Nope, I'm not a light traveler unless it's for a weekend trip. Life's too short to schlep luggage & I like having options on what to wear. So I do not qualify for the who is the lightest traveler of them all crown

Cheers.

obscure2k

Then there are the times when an expected short trip turns in to an unexpected long trip.
I arrived in RST 2 weeks ago, expecting to stay one week. Packed one pair of blue jeans, wore my black jeans on board. A couple of silk blouses,couple of tee shirts. 2 pair of shoes, undies, a sweatshirt and a thin sweater. For the past 2 weeks the weather has been sizzling. Now, it appears that the seasons are changing and it is cold and rainy and I am unprepared. Will probably be here a couple of more weeks.
I may have my husband ship me some of my sweaters and rain gear. Not a lot of great shopping options in RST. I hate when the seasons change on me in the middle of a trip.

WineIsGood

This is a good point - shoe size is an issue! I wear a 6.5US and can pack 5 pairs of shoes in a rollaboard for a 1 week trip, plus all my clothes, toiletries, etc. My friend who wear size 9.5US has to choose between variety-of-shoes and carry-on.

faerieloch

for day/overnight trips, just what i'm wearing + computer and purse.

for anything longer than that (1 week to 1 month) 1 carry-on size duffle, and one carry on size backpack (for computer, purse, coat, passports, food, etc).

that's it. no soap, no makeup, no shampoo... it will all be wherever we are going.... flipflops on my feet, one pair of shoes in the carryon.

and no lists... its supposed to be easy, fast, and fun!

VelvetKennedy

Do you get it from the L'Occitane website? They're reporting "out of stock". They have a lot of the little scented bars though. Which kind do you use -- the large unscented one? Any other place to buy it?