This is for all the times you are dragging heavy bags around and think “seriously I don’t need all this stuff”. I will teach you how to travel light and worry-free 😉

Is it 7kg or 10kg? Get to know the airline policies

Whether you’re traveling around the world or going away for the weekend, airline luggage restriction is indiscriminate in its thoroughly annoying nature. If you’ve opted to go with only with carry-on luggage, and you’re taking that heavy pair of shoes without thinking, then you could stand to be charged an inordinate amount of money – the sort of money that can put quite a dampener on your trip, or leave you stranded on your way home. Weight and size restrictions, as well as the charges that will be incurred if they’re exceeded, vary from airline to airline, with some subsidizing their low ticket costs with high penalty charges. Well to be honest I didn’t complain about any restrictions when I only paid 500 AED for a 9 hour return trip Dubai – Manila.

And it’s actually quite easy to survive on just hand luggage and save money by avoiding either intentional or unintentional luggage costs. With a bit of thriftiness, you can undertake your travels with no fear, no shocks and no need to put up your property for sale when you get home to cover your charges. Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of space for everything you need.

Your bag, choose it wisely

As your bag is the thing that might land you in hot water, you need to pick a suitable one. This bag will be your everything: with you on every step of your journey and probably on plenty of subsequent ones. As such, you won’t want a rickety, patched old thing that is going to break while you’re hopping on to that all-important taxi/ferry/gondola, or one that will be a strain to carry. A hard case bag will protect your luggage while giving you a solid, permanent size that you know will fit into any luggage compartment – just make sure that it has wheels (preferably four) to allow you to transport it easily, and is not too heavy in itself.

Liquids? 100 ml refillable bottles to the rescue

Toiletries, especially liquid ones, are very heavy and take up a lot of space. When you’re trying to downsize your entire bathroom stuff in order to fit it into an airline-friendly bag, please consider that many toiletries can be bought at your location in a local supermarket, though you may have to make allowances for more specialist items. If you do wish to take your shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, sunscreen and everything else in your hand luggage, make sure that they are in small containers. In Dubai there are many supermarkets and shops like Daiso where you can buy refillable bottles of 100ml.

A zip loc bag can save your passport

An excellent way to remain organized when you’re away is by taking separate bags to keep dirty laundry in, and any other clothing that you may wish to keep separate. Also, three or so zip lock bags are an excellent way of keeping things safe and ensuring that your things don’t spill everywhere.
I almost ruined my passport after I spilled water on my bag so please always use a zip loc bag to store important documents and extra money.

Manage your cable mess

Depending on the nature of your trip, you may need to take various electronics with you to work, play or generally keep yourself in the loop. Obviously keep these to an absolute minimum and ensure that they are wrapped up tight and well cushioned – you don’t want any breakages in transit. A laptop doesn’t actually take up too much space, but bear in mind that it’ll probably be alongside chargers, a phone, universal plug adapters and USB sticks. Keep these very safe, hidden and protected at all times as they are each somewhat ‘desirable’ to those who may notice them. These will each be your lifeline if anything goes wrong! Use a small bag to collect all your cables so you don’t have to empty your whole suitcase to untangle a power cord from your shoelaces …
Never leave without a good power bank and a travel adapter, unless you want to disconnect off course. Make sure to compare some adapters, I  found a smart adapter for 10 USD with 2 USB slots + iPhone cable + Android cable! Just an iPhone cable can cost you that much so watch out 😉

Organize your travel documents

Now for the nerve-wracking part. Wherever you’re going, be sure that you have all of your paperwork in order before you set off and you know what each part is for. If your trip is in multiple stages, keep your tickets and documents in that order (those VERY organized travelers among you could color code them somehow) and keep them in a separate wallet to any other items. If at all possible, you can try and get your relevant documents on your phone to cut down on the more disposable, flimsy paper versions, but make sure that everything is fully charged when it needs to be. Finally, make sure that you’ve printed everything off in advance! Airlines, insurance companies, doctors and customs officials do not take particularly kindly to disorganized people who want to borrow their printer. Also, your credit cards are incredibly important wherever you are – don’t treat them any less so when you’re on holiday!

Dress smart and get your laundry done for cheap

Clothing is the issue that divides the luggage check-in from the carry aboard. If you don’t think you can survive without a larger amount of clothing, then that’s fine, but those who wish to take theirs as hand luggage will need to be ruthless in their packing. The trick is to keep things simple: underwear and a rough seven-day, interchangeable cycle of clothing is a must, with the odd item thrown in if you have a particularly special event planned. Keep shoes to a minimum, and try to keep to ones that are both comfortable, compact and lightweight. If you’re going in the summer months, then you’ll probably not need to take any particularly heavy duty clothing, but those of you who are Yeti goading/trekking the Himalayas will no doubt be aware that more serious clothing takes up more serious space. Don’t forget that airlines are not yet in the business of forbidding you from wearing multiple layers on their planes, so bear in mind that you’ll actually be wearing a set of clothes on your journey when you pack. If you acquire more on your travels, then be prepared for a multi-layered following journey.

My secret to survive with less clothes: cheap laundry. And I am not talking about hotel laundry. Just to go to a small laundry place around the corner. I often only paid like 3 or 4 USD to wash all my clothes in Asia.

You are now ready to travel light and worry-free

The overall trick is to be sensible: no one’s expecting you to go without the essentials on your trip, but the fact of the matter is that you’ll have to streamline. If you wish to avoid charges and travel light, you need to think ahead, plan carefully and be thrifty.

Feel free to leave a comment with questions or tips on traveling light 😉