How To Pack Light For A Long Trip

Just because you’re going on a long trip doesn’t mean you have to take all your worldly possessions with you. Chances are you’re not going to use, wear, or need half the stuff in your backpack, but what you will get is a lovely radiating back pain that’s going to be your constant companion as you lug the giant monstrosity that is your luggage around your destination. So, how can you pack light for a long trip without compromising or forgetting anything you might need? Let’s find out.

Pack your carry-on first

This might seem backwards as a lot of stuff that ends up in your carry-on are items that you use right up until you leave for your trip, but they’re also essentials. If you start by packing the essentials – passport, tickets, visas, money, chargers, toothbrush – all that kind of stuff, when it comes to packing your hold luggage, you’re going to be in a better headspace to think “well is this actually essential?”. 

Also when I pack my carry-on, I always put one or two clothing items in just in case my luggage gets lost (again!), or if the cabin gets unusually cold. It’s something that helps to work out what I can actually survive with if my bigger bag doesn’t show up for whatever reason or if flights get delayed and you’re stuck at airports longer than I realised. 

Invest in a lightweight backpack

Okay, they might be a bit more expensive but honestly, a lightweight backpack is so worth it. Especially if you’re travelling around a few different places or countries, taking a heavier or bulkier case on and off trains and buses can really put your body through it. The last thing you want when you’re travelling is an injury – it’s definitely not fun and can stop you from enjoying your destination in the way you wanted to. 

Also, with airline weight limits both there and back, you don’t want to be wasting those precious kilograms on the weight of the bag itself. At the end of the day, you’re the one who’s going to be carrying it around, so make sure it’s as light and as comfortable as possible, even if that means spending a little bit more money. 

They have supermarkets there

Right, I know you love your specific brand of tea, shampoo, sun cream, whatever, but wherever you’re going, they’re going to have shops there too. I pretty much never take shampoo, shower gel, or conditioner with me when I fly. The bottles are big and bulky and prone to leaking all over the place. I’ve taken shampoo bars before in those little tins and they work just as well if you’re going somewhere a bit more off-grid. I will always bring toothpaste, but that’s in my carry on for the flight. 

Unless you need a specific brand or strength of sun cream for skin sensitivity reasons, it’s pretty likely your location is going to have sun cream more suited to your environment. In Sri Lanka I took some UK-equivalent factor 50 and it did nothing against the UV and sun strength out there. They had sun creams from factor 15 all the way up to 100 and separate face-specific cricket-style sun blocks. I ended up ditching my one 2 days into the trip.

Hostels & AirBnBs have washing machines too

If you speak to anyone who’s been traveling for a long while, they’ll tell you to always have change on you. Why? Because hostel washing machines are the worst and will only accept exact change. Just because you’re traveling for 30+ days doesn’t mean you need 30 pairs of underwear. It’s exactly the same as at home – just put a wash on. Make sure you’re about when it finishes though, because like at university, clean clothes end up on the floor if you’re taking up valuable washing machine space and others are waiting. 

Remembering this as you pack helps to stop you from throwing everything you own into your bag. You don’t need 20 bikinis, just wash the ones you have. You don’t need loads of “options” – every other traveler is in the same boat and they’ll be re-wearing outfits all the time. Get used to it.

Pack items with multiple purposes

This brings us to what you’re actually going to pack. Make sure that you can swap and change items for different purposes. If there’s a t-shirt you can wear casually for exploring and then wear it with a nice pair of jeans or skirt to hit the bars in, then pack it. If you’ve got a posh outfit that you can only wear with heels and you’re going somewhere that is full of cobbles or sand or snow – maybe don’t pack it. 

This definitely works for shoes. Footwear is the heaviest thing that most people pack and I’ve been guilty multiple times of packing “just in case shoes”. Just in case we go somewhere fancy. Just in case I suddenly want to wear heels on a surf trip. Rarely does it happen. Think about what you’re actually going to be doing on this trip and pack for that. If you know you’re going to be going out a lot, then maybe don’t just pack hiking boots and trainers. If you’re going to be on the beach a lot, heels and warm boots aren’t going to be useful.

Only bring one book

Now as someone who loves to read, especially when I’m traveling, only bringing one book can be a problem. I’ve tried Kindles and reading apps on my phone and they’re just not the same. Instead, bring one book that you’re not too precious about leaving behind. Many hostels and cafes have book swap shelves so you can ditch yours once you’re done with it and pick up something else that another traveler has left behind. Environmentally friendly, social, and saves your back a lot of grief.

Look to see if you need bedding or towels

One thing that can bulk up your bags is bedding or towels. Most hostels will include bedding but not towels, but there are still a fair few that tell you to bring a sleeping bag and pillow with you. If you can, avoid these unless you’re planning to camp. You can get lightweight sleeping bags that pack down to next to nothing – these are your friends. Same for microfibre towels. My trusty blue microfibre was probably the best travel purchase I’ve made. It dries super quickly, it’s small and lightweight and it fits in my daysack with no problems. It might not feel as luxurious as those fluffy towels and duck feather pillows, but what hostel offers that anyway?

So, there you have my tips for packing light for a long trip. There are so many ways to get around bring loads and loads of unnecessary stuff, and it’s actually pretty cool and freeing to see how little you need to survive and enjoy yourself!