I was talking to a friend this past weekend about packing for trips. We were polar opposites. I was telling her I can pack a backpack and be on my merry way. She however, travels like most of her family does. Packing way too many bags for the simplest of trips.
When I was 30 I started my travel adventures, vowing to take a trip someplace new every year that I'd never been to before. My travels have taken me to San Francisco, Jacksonville, Jekyll Island/Savannah, Corpus Christie, South Padre Island, New Orleans, Biloxi/Gulfport and Toronto. There have been a few skipped years due to money being tight, but overall, it's been a blast exploring these new places.
One of the most annoying things when travelling is the whole feat of having to lug your bags around, thus the reason I pack uber light. One small backpack or suitcase usually includes jeans and shirts that all match with each other so you can mix and match everything. If it's a summer trip, I might take one pair of jeans and opt for 3 or 4 pairs of very matchable shorts instead. The less I have to wear pants, the better! Of course you can't skimp on clean undies and socks. I always take a plastic bag along as well to keep dirty laundry separate. I'll also save all my change during the trip, and try to find a laundromat nearby to do a load in the event of a longer trip or just wanting fresh clothes to go home in. The change jar might also come in handy should you be needing to pay for any transportation like busses or subways.
Shoe-wise, I keep it pretty light too. Generally I'll have a pair of "travel" shoes to start things off. These are comfy, clean shoes that aren't too restricting for those days you might start swelling up a bit during flights, yet comfy enough that they're something you feel safe wearing all day for bursts of walking as well. If it's summer, I'm all about my travel shoes being a pair of flip flops, providing they're not a ratty old pair that smell like dog. Summer trips usually include 2 pairs of shoes - flip flops and a pair of runners for lots of walking days. But if you have any dressier events on your agenda, a pair of flexible ballet shoes that easily can be folded or stuffed into your suitcase work well as well. My rule of thumb for trips: don't buy new shoes for a trip! If you attempt to break in shoes on a trip, you're just setting yourself up for blister hell!
I don't seem to pack very light when it comes to personal hygiene products, but you can never be too safe in this area can you? I ensure the usual hairspray, toothpaste, brush, makeup bag, facial cleanser and toothbrush. One thing I always forget that I strongly encourage, take your own soap and hand lotion! The hotel soaps and products are a nice touch, but they tend to be full of perfumes and dyes and whatever else. I came home with a nice rash from Toronto recently from using the hotel stuff. It's easy enough to go to a store to buy products, but you may have a hard time finding a place that just sells single bars of soap anymore, and some places charge a fortune for smaller sample products, nor is the selection very good. In regards to the blister hell quoted above with the shoe section, taking along a few band-aids isn't a bad idea either. Gravol and Motrin are also on my must-pack list.
The rest is pretty standard and based on the individual. Obviously if you're travelling with kids, it's a lot tougher to pack light, but that doesn't mean you can't be efficient about it. Just keep it simple stupid as they say. And my last rule of thumb - never leave home without a good tube of chap-stick on you! It will be a life saver I promise. Happy travels!
Tia
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