How to Pack in Just a Carry On

traveling light with just a carry-on is an appealing idea but many people hesitate to give it a try it's often easier to stick with what we know packing everything just in case rather than embracing a new lighter way of traveling but those who have made the switch to packing lighter often find the benefits far outweigh their initial uncertainty in fact I used to be a pretty heavy Packer our family of four would always check luggage at the airport whenever we flew home to see family twice a year for us the Journey of Shifting travel habits began when I was first introduced to minimalism as we began owning less at home it seemed reasonable that a Next Step would be to apply the principles of minimalism to my travel habits and while I don't remember exactly the first vacation that we decided to bring just carry-on luggage I do remember how easy it made traveling and committing to never going back to the way we used to travel similarly I went on an international trip recently with a friend and told him that we were not waiting at baggage claim and the idea had to pack in a carry-on for the trip as we completed the trip and breezed through customs back home in the states he turned to me and said you were right this is so much easier I'm never checking luggage again as a family we followed the same practice on almost every trip each of us packs a carry-on and no more even on last Summer's book tour which was close to three weeks long we all packed our individual belongings in individual carry-on size suitcases this not only makes it easy to pack up and unload it also eliminates the chaos of individuals shuffling through a large suitcase with multiple people's stuff inside the prospect of making this switch intrigues you you'll love it here are some practical steps to help you get started number one you've got to believe it is possible break free from the mindset that traveling lightly is unattainable or that your specific circumstances make it impossible people do it all the time in fact folks from every Walk of Life manage to pack lightly every age every gender every length of trip every family size if they can do it so can you number two be thoughtful my mom once said to me over packing is lazy packing and she's right adopting a minimalist packing approach requires careful planning thinking through your daily needs and choosing items that fulfill those requirements without excess a thoughtful effort made on the front end of the trip saves physical and mental stress and effort during the trip number three plan your outfits avoid the common Pitfall of randomly tossing items into your suitcase plan your outfits according to your activities for each day as I'll mention later consider opportunities to mix and match and repurpose especially outerwear number four you'll want to pack versatile clothes choose clothing items that offer flexibility pieces that can be mixed and matched neutral colors here are your friends consider the potential for layering for example a light sweater can instantly transform any summer outfit into a suitable one for chilly evening number five repeat outfits it might seem unconventional but most people aren't going to notice it all I mean I'm not suggesting you wear dirty clothes over and over again but most articles of clothing especially pants can be worn more than once between Washings so don't be afraid to wear the same outfit more than once especially if you're mixing and matching different pieces number six prepare for laundry if necessary for longer trips washing clothes will become a necessity so look for accommodations with laundry facilities or locate nearby laundromats many hotels have washing machines available as do most airbnbs if necessary you can even hand wash items number seven skip the souvenirs you won't have room to bring back a bunch of souvenirs but you'll love not having to spend time shopping on your trips anyway remember travel is about the experience not the material possessions you bring back you need to prove to yourself or someone else that you went on a trip photos or small mementos like postcards or magnet can be as meaningful if not more than bulky souvenirs number eight pack Travel size liquids you won't be able to bring large amounts of liquids in your carry-on at least not if you're flying so make an extra point to think this through most toiletries are sold in travel sample size nowadays that's what I take but for very specific items there are TSA compliant items to help you keep below the legal liquid limit number nine if necessary learn to roll your clothes if you find that you're really close but can't quite fit in a carry-on suitcase try rolling your clothes to save space rather than folding them flat you'll be surprised how much more clothing you can pack with this method now it does require an iron on the other end of the trip so I don't love the method all the time but if you're super close to making it happen and there's an iron on the other end give it a try personally I'm more likely to roll my clothes for the return trip where there's a washing machine waiting for me when I get home but you can do it either way number 10 limit your shoes choose by far are the biggest suitcase Hoggers so stick to a couple versatile pairs that work for different occasions and consider wearing your bulkiest pair while you're traveling one common justification for over packing is the fear of running out of clothes the thinking is I'd rather have more than I need on a trip than to be lacking something on the surface this argument seems logical but dig a little deeper and you'll find that it overlooks the drawbacks of excess baggage extra clothes mean more weight to carry more items to keep track of more time spent packing and unpacking more worries about losing luggage and more time wasted arriving earlier check your luggage at the airport time waiting at the baggage carousel for your bags to appear can trust this with the benefits of a minimalist approach Simplicity convenience and the joy of focusing on the Travel experience rather than managing your luggage with careful planning the benefits Saving Time reducing stress and the joy of traveling lightly far outweigh the minor inconvenience of potentially doing a little laundry if you've never tried it I recommend it I can almost guarantee at the end of your first trip you'll think to yourself you are so right this is so much easier I'm never checking luggage again I hope you found value in this video to share this inspiration with others consider giving it a like share or comment and to keep up with our weekly content Please Subscribe your encouragement absolutely encourages me [Music]

Channel: Joshua Becker

Views: 57,848

Keywords: how to pack light, how to pack less, pack in just one bag, Joshua Becker, minimalism, minimalist, becoming minimalist, simple living, decluttering motivation, minimalist living, decluttering and organizing, how to get rid of stuff, clutter

Id: UoZyv96irco

Length: 8min 31sec (511 seconds)

Published: Sat Sep 02 2023