Mastering the Art of Traveling Light
“He who must travel happily must travel light.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Baggage can take many forms, mental, emotional, psychological, cultural, social. All of them weigh us down, but in my opinion, the worst is physical baggage, especially while travelling.
In today’s world, travel is already stressful. Add to that the task of tracking multiple bags, monitoring their weight, worrying about airline restrictions, and the experience quickly becomes exhausting. In this edition of The Wanderlust Lens, I’m sharing some tried-and-tested tips for travelling light, tips you can easily implement without making radical changes.
This article is not for those travelling with small children, for business travellers, people carrying specialised equipment, or for those with medical requirements.
One may ask, why this obsession with travelling only with a carry-on or a backpack?
The answer lies in lived experience.
Imagine travelling by train with bulky luggage stored in a distant luggage bay. You spend the journey half-asleep, half-anxious, dozing off, waking up, checking again. If you’re lucky, your bag is still there when you arrive. With a small bag, life is simpler, it fits under or above your seat, and you travel peacefully.
Or consider the hotel tucked away in a narrow lane, inaccessible by transport. You drag your suitcase over cobbled streets, damaging the wheels, only to discover there’s no elevator and your room is on the fifth floor and with no alternate rooms available. Situations like these are far too common.
So how do we have it all and travel light?
Choose the Right Luggage
Personally, I’m not a backpack or soft-luggage person. I prefer a hard-shelled, cabin-sized suitcase with sturdy, 360-degree double wheels. Even if you’re forced to check it in, there’s less chance of damage. Clothes stay in place thanks to built-in straps and compartments.
Many travellers swear by 45-litre backpacks, a style I have yet to try!
Packing Cubes?
Many travellers love packing cubes for compression and space optimisation. I didn’t find them particularly useful. While they may create extra space, constantly unpacking and repacking becomes tedious if you’re hopping cities every couple of days.
They work best if you’re staying longer in one place and not moving frequently.
Devices and Documents
Carry devices only if you must. Today, a single smartphone can handle almost all travel-related tasks like booking tickets, checking in, managing hotel reservations, navigation, and even posting on social media. Travelling with fewer devices also allows for a degree of “disconnection” from screens, while reducing the risk of loss or theft.
Keep all essential travel documents — tickets, hotel bookings, visas, and your passport — as electronic copies on your phone. Back these up in a dedicated folder on the cloud so they remain accessible even if your device is lost or runs out of battery.
Toiletries
This is often the most annoying part with all the liquid limits and security regulations.
Most hotels and B&Bs provide toiletries, so carry only the basics: a toothbrush, toothpaste, a small tub of all-purpose cream, and a roll-on deodorant. Keep liquids in a TSR-compliant plastic bag.
Buy additional items at your destination if needed, especially if you’re travelling mostly by train.
Ladies, I know this one is tough. Keep only your essential makeup, ideally no more than five items. I once carried 15 makeup products and used only three: eyeliner, eyeshadow (we do need to look good in photos!), and a neutral lipstick that doubled as lip balm.
Clothes
This depends entirely on the climate.
For cooler destinations, carry a lightweight jacket, puffer jackets offer excellent insulation without bulk. For layering, opt for cashmere or merino pullovers and breathable cotton or wool blends.
For warmer climates, choose lightweight fabrics and wrinkle-friendly patterns so ironing isn’t a concern.
If climates vary, pack a mix.
Here’s what I packed for my mid-April Europe trip, where Germany was cool and Italy was warm. I used a capsule wardrobe with neutral colours:
10 tops (6 cotton / merino knits, 4 lightweight cotton)
5 bottoms (could easily have been 4)
2 scarves for colour and variety
5 sets of underwear
5 sets of socks
2 pairs of walking shoes (1 worn, 1 packed — flexible, bendable styles like Skechers)
1 compact three-fold umbrella
Basic makeup (5 items)
Basic toiletries
This was with the assumption of doing laundry every 10 days.
This approach worked very well for my husband and me (he carried only 1 pair of good quality sneakers). The one thing I would change? Lightweight cotton and linen don’t survive general laundry cycles well, they came out hopelessly crinkled, with no iron in sight. Handwashing and bathroom drying might have worked better. Carrying a couple of lightweight hangers could help.
Avoid denims, bulky sweaters, and heavy fabrics — they eat up space quickly.
Laundry
Wash lightweight and delicate clothing by hand in the washbasin. You can carry a small amount of detergent or purchase it locally, then hang the clothes to dry in the bathroom over the tub or on the radiator or in the balcony if available. and do your bit for the environment and sustainability!
While travelling in Europe, public paid washers and dryers are widely available. Many apartment hotels also offer self-service laundry facilities, usually for a fee.
As a last resort, and ideally only in emergencies, hotel laundry services are an option, though they can be quite expensive.
Not everything you wear is “dirty”, they may just need refreshing so hang up these clothes in the wardrobe and spray some perfume or deo on it and its ready for the next one.
Shoes
Unless it’s a beach holiday, carry at least two pairs of walking shoes. You may end up walking 25,000 steps a day, and your feet will thank you.
Alternate between pairs to reduce fatigue. In colder climates, pack one heavy and one light pair. In warmer weather, a sandal and a covered shoe work well — or simply two walking shoes.
Pack the lighter, flexible pair in your suitcase. Gel heel pads can add extra cushioning when your feet need relief.
Protecting Valuables and Documents
It is no longer necessary to carry your passport with you when visiting monuments or places of interest — an electronic copy is usually sufficient at entry points. Whenever possible, lock your passport, extra cards, and important documents and other valuables in the hotel safe or securely inside your suitcase.
If you prefer to keep essentials on you, consider using a money belt worn discreetly under your clothing. What worked well for me was leaving all documents locked in the hotel room and travelling without a wallet. We carried just one credit card and a small amount of cash, tucked into a hidden jacket pocket or a money belt.
This approach reduced both physical bulk and mental worry, allowing us to focus entirely on the experience rather than on safeguarding our belongings.
And the Rest
If your carry-on exceeds cabin weight limits, it’s not a big problem — you can check it in. Most airlines allow one personal item (usually up to 7 kg, though limits vary).
Carry one set of clothes, medicines, and essentials in a personal bag. I used a sling bag for this, which doubled as my sightseeing day bag for carrying water, an umbrella, a cap, and snacks.
Remember to okeep some space for the mementos you bring home!
Ultimately, travel, at its heart, is an exercise in trust that you will adapt, that you will manage with less, and that what truly matters cannot be packed into a suitcase. When you travel light, you create space not just in your bag, but in your mind. You move more freely, notice more deeply, and engage more fully with the places and people you encounter. Perhaps travelling light isn’t about minimalism at all, but about choosing presence over possessions.
Bon Voyage!
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