Pack Less & Enjoy More

Readers of my travel blog will already know that, to utilise my time travelling to the upmost, I tend to youth hostel. The knock-on effect of youth hostelling, and travelling on a budget, is that you need to pack light.

Human nature is to pack more than we need because we invariably have the luxury of being able to do so. When I go hostelling, I only ever want to travel with a small rucksack and this has instilled a mindset in me to pack only what I ‘absolutely’ need. 

Minimalist packing can take time to get used to but it is worth persevering with; it will make you more comfortable, help you avoid lost luggage by having nothing to check-in at airports (and no baggage reclaim at the other end). It also makes navigating your new destination much easier.

I have to be honest with myself when I’m packing. I ask myself:

• Do I ‘really’ need it?
• Will I ‘definitely’ use it?
• What can I pack that can be used for more than one thing?
• What can I use multiple times?

When asking yourself these questions, you need to be strict with yourself e.g. you don’t need fresh make-up everyday (none at all will do a lot of the time – at the end of the day, who really cares?!). You don’t need a new outfit everyday (you’ll always find somewhere to do some washing). Society tries to force us to be materialistic and to care what other people think about us - absolutely nobody in this world will be liked by everybody else – I accept that and it allows me to be pragmatic in my approach to life. Don’t let any of that nonsense affect how you pack. Put simplistically, next time you travel; be simple, be sensible.