4 ms·

The advantages of packing light aren't always obvious[1] until you experience them, so you can pretty much tell someone's level of travel experience by how smal

by gensym 2mo ago

The advantages of packing light aren't always obvious[1] until you experience them, so you can pretty much tell someone's level of travel experience by how small their luggage is. I've yet to meet someone who packs more and more stuff based on past experience. As the article mentions, good fabrics (like merino wool) can go a long way. (1) Reliability and flexibility being foremost. Not having to worry about lost luggage. Itinerary changes are much easier when all your stuff is with you and can fit on your lap or under your seat. Then comes the comfort and speed. Being able to take the stairs or not blinking an eye at walking an extra half mile go a long way towards making travel enjoyable.

popalchemist 2mo ago
For people without children, yes; with children, often, the opposite.
- coldtea 2mo ago
  Same exact principles apply. You just add the children's stuff, taking care to pack those light too.
- jjulius 2mo ago
  That's just relative, no? Surely people with children pack more, but the concept is the same - you pack a lot the first time you travel with them, and then narrow it down the more you travel with them. (Said as a parent)
  - popalchemist 2mo ago
    There's a bell curve. Infancy is the left, age 4+ is the right. The swell is toddler age.
- gensym 2mo ago
  For me, it was having children that really forced me to learn to travel light. We lived in Chicago and going to the airport meant walking to the transit stop to get to the airport, so I needed a way to carry luggage (I did so on my back) for a mile while also being able to push a stroller.
pgwhalen 2mo ago
As someone raised as a light packer, I've come to the opposite conclusion a little: I'd prefer packing "medium" to have a lot of flexibility to be dressed well for whatever may come up. A small half-full duffel bag isn't that much better than a full one, so if I'm on a short trip I've found that I'll often appreciate having the extra options. That being said, I literally do not own a roller bag, and am quite happy taking the stairs.
pc86 2mo ago
I've been on both extremes - single carry-on (with no personal item, or a laptop in a bag solely to watch movies on the plane) for a two week vacation, and checked bag for a 3-day work trip. It depends entirely on context. Purpose of the trip, length of the trip, optionality with extending the trip, how locked in your itinerary is, all can play a role in whether it makes sense to pack a little, pack a lot, and whether you expect to use everything. I took a checked bag on my last < 1 week work trip and didn't use 2/3 of what I brought but I'd bring the exact same bag if I had to because you never know what might come up.
shaftway 2mo ago
I've been going lighter and lighter and am down to a backpack that I carry (mostly just meds and electronics) and a small suitcase that I could carry-on, but I usually check. But my spouse packs heavier and heavier every year. It's a way to cope with anxiety; you think of everything that can possibly go wrong, and you make sure you have that mitigated with something in your carry-on. And that's why on our last trip we had 9 pounds of dog food for our service dog, in cold packs, in our carry-on. "But what if there's a problem with the flight, and we lose our luggage, and we can't get to a pet food store for the whole two weeks?" Spoiler: The cold packs didn't last, the food spoiled, and we had to go to a pet store.
- pavel_lishin 2mo ago
  > It's a way to cope with anxiety Yep. That's why I tend to overpack, though I've been mostly traveling with a single backpack these days if I'm traveling solo. I'm trying to convince myself that I can afford to buy many things when I arrive somewhere, including paying for laundry. The biggest annoyance is time - if I have to do laundry on a trip, that means either sitting next to a washer and dryer for a few hours, or findind a wash-and-fold laundromat - which comes with its own set of anxieties.
  - gensym 2mo ago
    I have had success with washing wool or technical garments in the sinks of hotel rooms. I don't actually do that very often but knowing that I can helps with the anxiety of running out of clothing.
Eddy_Viscosity2 2mo ago
Light packing is great for the travelling part, but has disadvantages once you're at the destination and a need a thing you didn't bring. So neither is always better, it'll be trip and person dependent.
- Ferret7446 2mo ago
  Depends on where you are and what you're doing, but you can usually get what you need at the destination. People live there after all, and those people are able to get what they need.

by gensym 2mo ago

popalchemist 2mo ago

For people without children, yes; with children, often, the opposite.

coldtea 2mo ago
Same exact principles apply. You just add the children's stuff, taking care to pack those light too.
jjulius 2mo ago
That's just relative, no? Surely people with children pack more, but the concept is the same - you pack a lot the first time you travel with them, and then narrow it down the more you travel with them. (Said as a parent)
- popalchemist 2mo ago
  There's a bell curve. Infancy is the left, age 4+ is the right. The swell is toddler age.
gensym 2mo ago
For me, it was having children that really forced me to learn to travel light. We lived in Chicago and going to the airport meant walking to the transit stop to get to the airport, so I needed a way to carry luggage (I did so on my back) for a mile while also being able to push a stroller.

pgwhalen 2mo ago

As someone raised as a light packer, I've come to the opposite conclusion a little: I'd prefer packing "medium" to have a lot of flexibility to be dressed well for whatever may come up. A small half-full duffel bag isn't that much better than a full one, so if I'm on a short trip I've found that I'll often appreciate having the extra options. That being said, I literally do not own a roller bag, and am quite happy taking the stairs.

pc86 2mo ago

I've been on both extremes - single carry-on (with no personal item, or a laptop in a bag solely to watch movies on the plane) for a two week vacation, and checked bag for a 3-day work trip. It depends entirely on context. Purpose of the trip, length of the trip, optionality with extending the trip, how locked in your itinerary is, all can play a role in whether it makes sense to pack a little, pack a lot, and whether you expect to use everything. I took a checked bag on my last < 1 week work trip and didn't use 2/3 of what I brought but I'd bring the exact same bag if I had to because you never know what might come up.

shaftway 2mo ago

I've been going lighter and lighter and am down to a backpack that I carry (mostly just meds and electronics) and a small suitcase that I could carry-on, but I usually check. But my spouse packs heavier and heavier every year. It's a way to cope with anxiety; you think of everything that can possibly go wrong, and you make sure you have that mitigated with something in your carry-on. And that's why on our last trip we had 9 pounds of dog food for our service dog, in cold packs, in our carry-on. "But what if there's a problem with the flight, and we lose our luggage, and we can't get to a pet food store for the whole two weeks?" Spoiler: The cold packs didn't last, the food spoiled, and we had to go to a pet store.

pavel_lishin 2mo ago
> It's a way to cope with anxiety Yep. That's why I tend to overpack, though I've been mostly traveling with a single backpack these days if I'm traveling solo. I'm trying to convince myself that I can afford to buy many things when I arrive somewhere, including paying for laundry. The biggest annoyance is time - if I have to do laundry on a trip, that means either sitting next to a washer and dryer for a few hours, or findind a wash-and-fold laundromat - which comes with its own set of anxieties.
- gensym 2mo ago
  I have had success with washing wool or technical garments in the sinks of hotel rooms. I don't actually do that very often but knowing that I can helps with the anxiety of running out of clothing.

Eddy_Viscosity2 2mo ago

Light packing is great for the travelling part, but has disadvantages once you're at the destination and a need a thing you didn't bring. So neither is always better, it'll be trip and person dependent.

Ferret7446 2mo ago
Depends on where you are and what you're doing, but you can usually get what you need at the destination. People live there after all, and those people are able to get what they need.