How to Travel Light and Still Have Room for More

Guilherme Ribeiro | April 11, 2016

4. Think About Layers

When you get to a cold country or season and you don’t feel like buying extra stuff, it won’t be a problem as long as you pack smartly. So, although it seems like it makes sense to take that big windproof, waterproof, warm coat with you, it’s not really that practical.

What you want is layers! Yep, you can pack ultra-light and still be prepared for any type of weather. So ideally you’d have a base layer, which generally is a very light micro fleece, and a wind and waterproof light jacket. All these items together should easily weigh less than a kilogram.

These are some of my personal tips to make your packing easier. You just need one trip with a huge backpack in a hot country to fully agree with me.

:murb:

I remember in India once, when my backpack weighed 6.5kg (including the 900+ page book Shantaram) and I was traveling around Goa with this German lady. For some reason she thought she’d need to cook in India, so she brought a gas stove, pots, pans, cutlery plus a yoga mattress and a huge mosquito net — plus her clothes!

There and then I was pleased I was carrying so little. On some buses she had to pay for two tickets so she could have her bag next to her, while I had mine on my lap. I actually had to help her many times as she was rather petite, like an ant carrying a big leaf!

So the next time you set off on your big trip, you should follow the classic advice of seasoned travelers: “Take half of your clothes/belongings and twice as much money!”

Steven Zwerink

It’s not easy and you’re going to have to practise letting go, but once you do it and feel the freedom that comes with it, you will never look back!

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