Traveling light is the smartest thing to do these days. You never know whether you have to carry your own load. Often you may not find trolleys or porters at the airport, railway station and other places. Sometimes, while taking the subway or metro, you have to climb up or down the staircase. While traveling light, you do not have to unnecessarily pay for heavy baggage. This you might encounter before boarding airlines (domestic and international). Depending on the purchased air ticket, you enjoy limited baggage allowance for first class, business class, and economy class. A lighter travel bag is certainly helpful in these cases. Here are 8 inspired packing tips to make your travel bag lighter:

{ 1 } Make A List and Pack Accordingly

Preparing A Travel-ready Bag By Simply Sage

Take a page from the spiral notepad and jot down using a pen. Make a list of all essential items that you require while traveling and at your holiday destination. Your list should include essential items to guard you delicate skin from the scorching sun. In your list, add a straw hat, sunglasses, and sun-tan lotion that would protect you from UV rays. Other essential items include your night suit or nightgown, bedroom slippers, and toilet bag. These would take care of the nights you spend in the hotel/motel rooms. Ensure you carry all emergency and prescribed medication. You should keep two or more copies of your prescription handy packed in more than one place.

{ 2 } Use A Smaller Travel Bag

Packing and carrying a small bag is always advisable for those wishing to travel light. This is because a smaller travel bag when filled is always lighter than a large travel bag. While packing a smaller travel bag, you do not fill it with unnecessary objects for vacation. These days, most international airlines allow passengers to carry hand-luggage with certain restricted weight. As a light traveler, you can carry warm coats, sweaters, and umbrellas at no extra cost. If the weight of your hand-luggage is more than what is allowed, then you have to pay. The rules and terms of conditions vary from one flight to another. Hence, before reaching the check-in counter ensure you are carrying less than allowed weight.

{ 3 } Use Packing Cubes And Airless Bags

Packing cubes are available in rectangular shapes and varying sizes. These cubes are always made of mesh material so these are see-through. You know exactly what is inside the packed cube. Organize and pack all your clothes in separate packing mesh cubes. Keep your socks, underwear, jeans and trousers and tops, shirts, in different cubes. You can see through the mesh cube to decide which one you need to open. This is an advantage since you do not have to go through piles of clothes. It is recommended that you keep an extra empty packing cube handy to store clothes for laundry.

{ 4 } Pack Only Essentials And Must-Haves

While traveling light it is extremely important to carry only what is essential and must haves. Pack your leather bag with several convenient pockets to carry all sorts of modern electronic items. You can carry your mobile, iPod in its case along with headphones to listen to your favorite numbers. You should carry your special DSLR camera along with the lens you have. Otherwise, you can always carry your compact camera for taking multi-purpose shots.

You would definitely need multiple adapters if you are traveling from one continent to another. The voltage used in the USA, Canada, and South America is 120-130V. Meanwhile, in the UK, Australia, and Europe it uses 220V. All electronic devices should be charged appropriately. Carry a two-pin plug too. The power bank is another item you need to carry for charging devices enabled with USB ports. Include the most important items you cannot do without – black sneakers, dark sunglasses, and purse.

{ 5 } Pack Less and Functional Footwear

While packing footwear, select two comfortable pairs of shoes fit for all occasions –casual and formal. Carry a pair of sneakers to wear all day. You can walk in them while roaming from one place of interest to another. In most countries, there are restrictions on traffic reaching the center of town. Hence, you would be forced to walk while sight-seeing. Later, in the evening when you get ready for dinner or entertainment, wear your formal pair. Your formal shoes with hues of tan and black would match with all colors of clothes.

{ 6 } Pack A Document Organizer

Packing the document organizer is popular amongst all travelers, especially those traveling abroad. The document organizer is available with lots of convenient pockets or pouches. These are handy in segregating all travel documents and storing them in different pockets. The important documents travelers have to keep with them at all times are their Passport. Other important items while flying are air tickets, boarding passes, baggage tag details of checked in suitcases. Also, visitors need to keep foreign currency (US dollars), tickets (air, train, cruise, and more). Travelers require keeping papers on health insurance, tour-guide in case of taking conducted tours.

{ 7 } Reconsider Your Toiletry Essentials

There are certain toiletries you cannot do without. Hence, you have to carry them at all times. These include your toothpaste and toothbrush, face wash, body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. You might want to carry your favorite branded deodorant, lotion, lipstick, and perfume. These days, all three-star hotels worldwide provide you with shampoo gel, body wash, and towels.

{ 8 } Neutral Colored Clothes And Lightweight Accessories

What you pack also depends a lot on where you are going. If you’re going on a business trip, you can’t roll your clothes. However, if you’re off to an amazing vacation you can pack more clothes by rolling them up! While packing for light travel, carry neutral colored clothes that you can wear for all purposes. Pack your black, blue and faun colored jeans that you can wear in rotation. On top, along with your jeans, you can wear contrasting colored T-shirts. The colors include black, blue, grey, grey and orange striped, light cream, light salmon pink and white. You can wear blue, light blue and white and blue socks.