Whether you travel solo, as couples, or with family your luggage goes with you on your journey. It goes through all security checks and these days it travels on wheels with you. If you lose your luggage you go crazy finding it like you lost your child. If you are not careful packing, the baggage you carry becomes baggage on your head. A family of four packing everything in one big suitcase is a big no-no. A solo traveler on a 4 day holiday carrying one suitcase and a backpack is not wise either. Though these days all suitcases come with wheels it is still cumbersome to drag heavy luggage. At the airport, the same luggage is then kept on a trolley to make it heavier. You can move freely if you have less luggage, let discuss the best packing tips for travel.
You picked a suitcase and started putting it in the suitcase. Halfway through you thought you missed something. You take out everything and then you realize you have packed that item already. This might happen when you have packed the full luggage. The solution is simple; keep everything you want to take around the suitcase before you pack. This will also help you not to carry unnecessary things. Your luggage will include toiletries, shoes, medicine, and all that you need for the travel. All the documents, phone chargers should be carried in your handbag or backpack. The new normal also requires you to carry a face mask and hand sanitizer. This you should have with you all the time. You can read a full blog on documentation for travel here.
I love shoes, in my initial travel days, I carried five pairs of shoes. The worst part was I did not wear three of them. Under the best packing tips for travel, you should not carry more than two pairs. Yes, one walking shoes you will be wearing, one party shoe, and a floater. If you are going to beach destinations like Thailand, Bali, or the Maldives you just need additional pair of floaters.
For all the activities and tours you will use your walking shoes/sneakers. You will be using these shoes for most of your travel. Your party shoes are for nightclubs that don’t allow casual wear. Your floaters will come in handy for short trips to the market and the beach. Good hotels do provide room slippers so you are sorted there. Shoes use most of the space; remember this if you feel tempted to pack more. Also read, before going to the airport travel tips.
If you have a big suitcase you tend to pack more. A backpack is good and if you are opting for a suitcase choose which you can take inside the flight. The point is small luggage keeps a check on that you don’t overpack.
If you are traveling with the family split the load among family members. If your kids are old enough give them bags according to their size. This will make your kids new age travelers from a young age. Keep one master bag, not a big one, for clothing. You get the idea! With a small adjustment, you can do away with check-in luggage.
If you are a solo traveler, smaller luggage gives you better movement on the road. If you are staying in hostels it can be easily stored. You can also carry a sling bag with you. With a backpack, you can hop on busses and trains easily. If you’re doing multi-country traveling you become mobile very fast. You also reduce the risk of losing your luggage in transit. While in a hotel you do save the porter tip.
Best Packing Tips for Travel, another thing is airlines charge you for check-in luggage. You can do web check-in and bypass a huge queue. The other condition to bypass this queue is that you don’t have check-in luggage. A web check-in gives a boarding pass at home. You can simply go for the security check directly with your carry-on luggage. You can get more details here.
The new normal asks you to carry masks and hand sanitizer at all times. Two masks a day should be the norm. You will be traveling for long hours; you should change your mask twice a day. Surgical masks are good options if you are traveling with your family. 100 masks cost around INR 220. This way even if you lose your mask you have a backup. Solo and couple travelers should carry 3-4 washable masks.
Hand sanitizer for all occasions and hand gloves will help reduce risk. A face shield mask is also a good option to carry. If you eat a lot of street foods and like to visit night markets, a face shield works better.
Eccentric Blogger, Traveler and Consultant.