Packing Light

The speaker has been traveling as a nomad for over 10 years and has developed strategies for packing light. They initially used to carry a checked bag along with a carry-on, but when they realized the high cost of the checked bag, they decided to buy a new wardrobe instead. They only have a carry-on suitcase and a shoulder bag now. They pack clothes, papers, treasures, and electronics in the limited space. They rely on secondhand shops and discount stores to fill out their wardrobe in each destination. The speaker travels with two pairs of pants, four or five tops, scarves, closed-toed and open-toed shoes, a dress or skirt, underclothes, travel-sized toiletries, jewelry, a sweater, and a coat if needed. They roll their clothes tightly to maximize space. Their shoulder bag holds essentials for transit. They also have a small kitchen bag with coffee and instant soup. Upon leaving a destination, they leave behind any unnecessary clothes for the landlord to share I've been traveling as a nomad for over 10 years, which means that all my possessions go with me. Everything, clothes, important papers, treasures, electronics, everything I own goes with me. Nothing is left behind because there is no behind. I have no base, not even a storage unit. So I've been packing light for a long time because of that and I have some strategies to help me do that. So in the beginning of my travel years, I did take a checked bag along with the carry-on. But when I booked a flight that charged 200 U.S. dollars for that checked bag, I rethought the strategy. My first thought when I saw the cost for that checked bag was I could buy an entire new wardrobe for that amount of money. So that's what I decided to do. Oh, did I mention I'm also the bargain queen? By the way, only half of the carry-on suitcase, which is all I have now, carry-on suitcase and a shoulder bag, only half of that contains the clothes. The other half has to contain the papers, the treasures, the electronics, and all of those things that also go with me. So having very little space for clothes, I determined what I'll need in order to get started in my next destination. Once I get there, I'll find a secondhand shop and discount stores to fill out any wardrobe if I need to. As bargain queen, I pride myself on never paying full price for anything. So here is the basic list of items that I travel with in that carry-on suitcase. Two pairs of pants, one casual like jeans or stretch pants, and one dressier pair, both in neutral colors. And one, of course, will be worn on travel day. Four or five tops appropriate for the climate I'm going to. Most will be plain colored because they can be worn with multicolored scarves to make up different outfits. So I carry several scarves of different patterns and colors. And those are very easy to travel with as they have no weight or size in the suitcase. I take one pair of closed-toed shoes and one pair of open-toed shoes. Both are going to be comfortable for walking in, but nice enough looking to wear with both pants and dresses. That can be a challenge, but that's how I do it. And, of course, one will be worn on travel day. I bring one dresser skirt. I bring enough underclothes and socks for a few days. These are easy to wash out at night and wear the next day. I bring travel-size toiletries, partly because with carry-on, you can't bring full-size toiletries through security. And it's not a big deal because when I get to my destination, I'll go and buy full-size shampoo and toothpaste and all of those things. I do like jewelry, so I have a small container of jewelry. And jewelry also helps to create more outfits out of fewer items. Of course, a sweater for layering, and I also wear this on travel day over one of my tops. If the climate is cold, then I carry a coat on my arm and I use it as a cushion while traveling or, you know, a wrap or whatever. So to make the most out of the space in my suitcase, I roll my clothes very tightly. I've seen all the packing tubes and vacuum bags, et cetera, but in my experience, they just take away space and add weight. If I have a plastic bag maybe from a clothing purchase, I might put a few tops in that and sit on it to squeeze the air out. But I find that I can squeeze a lot of rolls into small spaces. I can organize by placing pants in the back of the suitcase, tops in the front, or things like that, so that I know where I'm reaching for things when it's time to unpack. Then my shoulder bag holds things like that I might need in transit. For instance, the all-important emergency chocolate and nuts, my small laptop and cord, as well as my purse all slide into that bag. And that fits under the seat. I have a Biagi, which I just happen to love. It can be carried on my shoulder with a long strap, held at my side by short handles, or wheeled along with that long strap, which is really handy. It also expands to become a carry-on suitcase if I would need another one. And then there's a back strap on it that fits over the suitcase handle for stacking as I walk along with both. So those are the two things I have, that small carry-on suitcase and my shoulder bag. One other thing I fit into the carry-on is my little kitchen bag. It's just a flat, zippered bag that contains coffee grounds and my filter. I like a real cup of coffee, an instant soup packet, and a few other little sundries in case I arrive very late at my next destination. I can have a little soup before bed, and I have my all-important cup of coffee in the morning. And then I can get started. This strategy has been serving me well for a long time and has saved me money. I do enjoy shopping, so with the money I save on the checked baggage, I can spend on a fun new local wardrobe. When I leave a place to move on to my next home, I leave behind any clothes I will not need going forward. Typically, I let the landlord know I'm leaving a few things behind, and they're welcome to share them with whomever might want them. Landlords always express gratitude for this, and they're happy to have them. So that's how I manage to travel from place to place with one carry-on and one shoulder bag. You can download the list that I've made up here, and happy light traveling!