Knowing a Few Travel Secrets to Packing Light
Keeps You Footloose and Fancy-Free
Travel restrictions on baggage has reached the point where you've got to be really smart if you hope to whiz through all of the checkpoints and inspections with ease. At the same time, you want to pack just one carry on bag to avoid those hefty surcharges on extra bags. Your third objective is to have sufficient clothing and travel items at the ready, so you can spend your time enjoying your vacation. Sounds like a tall order. However, you can fulfill all three objectives with ease, with the right packing-light travel secrets.
Inexperienced travelers are notorious for packing too much. The thought of leaving home, traveling thousands of miles away, puts the novice traveler in a panic. Thoughts of day wear, night wear, makeup and foot wear to suit a variety of activities soon has your carry on bulging way beyond today's strict limits, on both weight and size. How can you pare this list of essentials down to meet airline restrictions while also satisfying your travel needs? Here are a few travel secrets that will help you save money and time at customs and check-in, while maintaining a stylish appearance and practical convenience.
If you're traveling overseas, fix this thought in your mind: you can visit several upscale restaurants in the same dress, with no one the wiser. Choose just one classic dress as your "party" dress. A change of jewelry, a belt or scarf makes this single garment a fashion chameleon, making the switch from clubbing to formal dining, museum and church visits with impeccable ease. One is all you need for a month of traveling.
Many travel sites recommend a week's worth of undies and socks. Here's a great travel secret for packing light and loving it. Textile technology has produced wonder garments which are lightweight and wash and dry in a heartbeat. With just ten minutes of effort, you can wash these garments each night, fresh and clean for another day's duty, with a backup always on hand, should you miss a night. All you need in this department is two pairs of each. Believe me, it works. Additional undies are just taking up space. Ten minutes is a pittance.
If you're traveling in the off-season and anticipate cold weather, invest in a couple of pairs of silk long johns. Again, these wash and wear quickly. Two pairs will keep you clean and warm.
For hot weather trips, forget that outdated advice on shorts. "You'll look like a tourist!" Gasp, or not, but you'll soon discover that locals enjoy comfort as much as you. They'll be wearing shorts too. Our travel secrets are practical, intended to lighten your traveling load, while fitting right into the local landscape.
Here's a gem of a travel secret: many a woman overloads her bag with makeup. Remember that, wherever you might travel, there are stores which sell makeup, toiletries and the like. You can buy shampoo and razors anywhere. Besides, this is your vacation! Why spend an hour applying makeup in order to meet the outside world? Excessive makeup can even doom you to looking out of place! When you arrive at your destination, take note of local customs. Lip gloss may be all you need for your face!
Travel guides are treasured traveling companions, which also take up a lot of space, and add significant weight to your suitcase. When you consider how quickly travel information changes, it's easy to see that current info may well be outdated next year. Bite the bullet and disassemble your travel guide into neat little sections that match your travel plans. That wonderful travel guide to France may hold every last detail of every district of France, but is unnecessary baggage for this trip. When you pack, extract just those pages you'll really use and leave the rest at home.
One of the most valuable travel secrets is this: invest in a money belt. Keep a copy of your passport and other important documentation zipped inside this handy belt, along with traveler's checks and the bigger cash on hand. Keep your pocket money for the day in your handbag. Pickpockets abound in some countries, so minimize your potential losses with a money belt, strapped safely around your waist.
Most of the best kept travel secrets are really no more than common sense. When you're vacationing in a foreign land, you are there for the experience and enjoyment of tasting a new culture. Don't get bogged down with the fashion police! Think light. Every travel item you need is available at your destination, so don't worry too much about being stranded without mascara or a nice pair of dress shoes. It won't happen. Your dream vacation proves to be far more enjoyable when you employ the travel secrets of savvy travelers.
