The Art of Packing

To those who have travelled with me, you might have noticed I travel light. So light I can fit all the things I need in one backpack. This includes clothes, netbook, camera, toiletries, etc. the basic. This how I do it..

1. Roll don't fold

It’s the number one rule when travelling. Roll your clothes. Don't fold. Folding takes a lot of space in your backpack and rolling them saves a lot.

2. Bring personal items in small quantities

I have all my toiletries in one small pouch. Don't bring the family size toothpaste, shampoo. etc. Instead, buy a 50-100ml (the smaller the better) container and fill those with your shampoo, lotion, facial wash, etc. Buy the foldable toothbrush. Invest in that quick dry pocket towel, which I recently acquired, thanks to Franz, as a Christmas present. Aquazorb towels are also good; they're half the size (when folded) of the normal towels. Netbook instead of a laptop. Point and shoot camera instead of an SLR. Think small. 

Regular sized towel, Aquazorb and Sea to summit

Smaller than the palm of your hand

3. More than what’s intended for

Buy clothes that you can wear in two or more ways. I buy the top-to-toe wash (yes, for kids!) which can be used as soap and shampoo as well. Moisturizers can doubles as a lotion. Bring things that can be use more than what it is intended for. More like Swiss knives. 

4. Organize your things

Pack your things in separate compartments, be it in a ziplock or any compartment. I prefer ziplocks so I wouldn’t worry about my things getting wet. With our crazy weather, you can never guess when it’s going to rain. Separate your clean clothes from your dirty ones. Put all your gadgets in one compartment. Sort. Packing your things this way makes unpacking easy. You don’t have to go through all your stuffs if you just need a new shirt or the sunblock.

Yes, I can fit all my things in my regular sized Jansport bag :)

5. Prioritize

If you're to choose between pants, shorts or skirt, choose one. You don’t have to bring all your clothes. You're not gonna wear all of them anyway. The goal is to pack light. Bring what you need, not what you want. 

I stuff all my things in one backpack. And if I find I can't fit everything, I prioritize. Do I really need the extra clothes? Do I have to bring my netbook? Do I need all these stuffs? 

They say, whatever is in your backpack says a lot of who you are as a traveler as well as a person. 

So the next time you pack, ask yourself, can I carry it on my back?