Let us be honest, packing is not the most exciting part of traveling. It can be especially stressful when you are trying to travel light. The following are some of the best tips to help you travel light and enjoy your time.

For freelancers, traveling can be part of keeping work and life fresh. It can help you see the world, boost your creativity, and there are many freelancers have turned traveling into their full time profession via a blog or social media presence. The world is full of amazing places and interesting opportunities. As well, as working from beaches or the balcony of a luxury apartment or hotel, conferences, hang-outs, and meetings can all be great ways to broaden your perspective and turn up your career a notch. 

Traveling Light

Traveling is always easier when you travel light, particularly when you might not be away for more than a few days. We all know people who have taken enough clothes for a month on a weekend city break.

Traveling light these days is also budget-friendly, since you do not have to worry about the extra baggage fees. When you just jet off with a simple carry on you do not have to think about navigating public transport or creating a flight schedule around hotel check-out times. You can just go and do your thing!

Thus, how can you travel light? 

Here are our best packing tips to make traveling fun and smooth:

#1: Get the Right Luggage

You need to focus on three things when you want to travel light: size, weight, and movability. 

Your luggage should meet most airlines’ carry-on restrictions. They are similar for all airlines, but just make sure you check the airlines you tend to use more frequently to make sure.

Since you want to maximise the amount of stuff you can carry in your luggage, avoid buying luggage that weighs a ton on its own. Look for something light yet durable. 

Finally, your luggage should be easy to move around. Good wheels and a decent grip to make carrying easy are important qualities to focus on. It can help to try different bags in shops (before buying it online if it is cheaper to do so).

#2: Create a Packing List

Do not just start throwing things into your luggage the night before! 

While it can be tempting to simply go through a list of things you think you need in your head, it is far more effective to write things down. This also allows you to revise the list after each trip you take. You can notice the things you had with you but did not use, and over time will gradually find yourself with the perfect packing list that you tweak from time to time.

#3: Keep it Simple

What exactly should you include on your packing list? 

Your must-have items will always depend on your reason for travel. A trip you are taking purely for leisure will require different things to a business only trip, for example.

It is a good idea to focus on:

• The purpose of your trip.
• The plans you have for the trip.
• The season and weather conditions.

In general, for each trip, you will need only one pair of great travel shoes and another pair of more formal shoes. There is really not much point in carrying more. 

Toiletries are always a must-have and travel sized toiletries are always easy to find. Do not worry too much about remembering these though, every city in the world will have places you can buy them, while most hotels and other accommodation types will provide them free of charge too. 

That means all you have to worry about is picking your clothes!

Try to avoid going crazy with “extra” clothing for those “just in case” situations. Unless you are traveling to the Antarctic or one of the most remote villages in the world, you will be able to find fast laundry services or shops to buy more clothes if you really need them. 

#4: Weigh Your Luggage Before You Travel

The biggest mistake even seasoned travelers make is not being aware of what your luggage actually weighs when all packed. You do not want to have to pay any excess fees or pack so much that you feel like you are dragging a stone with you. Being aware of the weight will make you more mindful of what you are taking and ensure carrying your luggage does not feel like a heavy gym workout!