Travelling and packing light

Travelling and packing light

Travel gear doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, however there are a few tricks that are good to consider. If there’s one piece of advice I would give to any traveller is to pack light, most specifically pack one small backpack. You don’t need more! Thanks to laundries. Honestly, the first time I travelled so light when going on a big trip, was on our way to Japan from the UK.

Our friends thought we were crazy but we had the best time of our life. The benefits are many:

1. You don’t have to queue at the airport to check in your luggage.
2. You don’t have to queue when getting off the plane! This is my favourite one as I’m normally so excited to go out and explore that every minute gained is precious.
3. Public transport is not an issue when you don’t carry around a massive suitcase.
4. You are more mindful of what you pack, there’s no space for those 3 pairs of shoes that you will never wear (I do ALWAYS carry my Hawaianas though, it’s gross to shower in hostels barefoot, don’t you think?)

That said, I am not a big consumer, since as you can imagine, I spend all my money on experiences. And if I buy things I tend to buy decent quality stuff because they DO last longer. I have had my Quechua backpack (you will have seen it in many of my posts) for over a decade, I am not joking.

This is the backpack I went to Japan with too, but it has been my companion for every other trip and hike. I had bought it in Decathlon at the shopping centre La Illa in Barcelona, I don’t know why but I still remember. And it is still in perfect conditions, not even a hole. Impressive. Also worth saying I am a bit of a clean freak and I wash it every time I come back from a trip.

Another thing I cannot go without is a pair of Hawaianas. Although I am obsessed with the brand and all the patterns they release, I am good as I only buy one pair every 5 years or so. I do not buy a new pair until the old breaks, and so I only had 3 or 4 pairs in my full 32 years.

What about you? Which things do you find essential for your trips?

Thanks for reading.
xxx
Sara