No matter how much you manage to pack into your suitcase, chances are you will actually only use about 34 per cent of it – at most.
So why not save yourself the space and the weight by taking less in the first place?
Here are three clever bits of travel advice to help you travel light (without compromising) from the get go – leaving you more space to fill up with shopping or even ditch the oversized suitcase and opt for a smaller one entirely.
Seasoned traveller or not, you’ll look like one.
1.Go mini.
It may seem like just the basics – shampoo, conditioner, face wash and your go-to cosmetics, but you’d be surprised just how quickly your ‘minimal’ toiletry bag can get seriously heavy and bulky. The easy solution? Swap your full-sized for minis.
Not only are they incredibly cute and dinky, they hold the perfect amount of product for your time away and will save you trouble with liquid restrictions too if you want to take them in your carry on. (Post continues after gallery.)
Mamamia's favourite travel minis.
2. Pack a scarf.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re going somewhere hot, cold, modern or traditional, a scarf is your number one travel essential (besides your passport of course.)
You can wear it on summer nights when the weather gets cooler as a shawl, wear it to keep your neck warm in winter, tie it up as a makeshift sarong, cover your shoulders for modesty, whip it up into a makeshift bag or even where it round your head to hide dirty hair. Talk about a hard worker.
Image: Columbia Pictures
3. Focus on inner layers.
It's the bulkier items like jumpers that take up the most space and weight, so instead focus on taking more inner layers - the clothing items that actually sit on your skin like singlets and t-shirts - instead.
Image: iStock
They can be easily washed in your hotel or hostel bathroom sink and will dry faster plus they fold into nothing in your suitcase. It's an easy way to take less but still have clean clothes at your disposal and allows you to get more wear out of your outerwear items.
Image: iStock.
Top Comments
I'm going to India at the end of the year, and scarves are definitely a must. Covering up shoulders and cleavage, cover up hair when entering temples, cover the mouth and nose to block out pollution and bad smells, and spruce up an outfit. I've worn mine to some functions in Australia and gotten compliments on it.
Don't pack too many clothes - this goes for domestic travel too. You need room to bring all your shopping home!
All good ideas - especially the scarf.