Tips for traveling light

Dutchies in NYC!

When I’m on a vacation or weekend trip, the last thing I want to do is struggle with my suitcase or backpack. I like to travel light. Take no more than you need, no more than you’ll use. Sounds easy enough, but I know it’s not. We all want to bring at least 5 pair of shoes, right? Let me share some tips and tricks to travel light.

Wouter and I in Toscane.

Tip 1: Check the weather and pack according to.
Make sure you check the weather about two days before you go on your vacation. Maybe it’s bit colder than you thought, so you maybe need an extra cardigan and a bathing suit less. When you’re going to a sunny place, you don’t need a pair of boots or a thick sweater, which take up lots of space in your suitcase.

Me in Gent, Belgium

Tip 2: Wear heavy items to the airport
Even though you’re going to a warm place, you always want to have a coat with you, maybe a pair of sturdy walking boots or sneakers and maybe even a warm vest. These are big items and take up lots of space. So you’ll wear them to the airport. You’ll be cosy and warm in the airplane, you’ll have those warm items with you just in case and it doesn’t take up any room in your suitcase. Perfect.

Dutchies in Kopenhagen, Denmark.

Tip 3: Preselect outfits, make a capsule wardrobe
Something that really helps me packing light is making a capsule wardrobe, preselecting outfits. And I’ve got a couple of tips on how to do this. I’m gonna share my own capsule wardrobe for my 17 days vacation to Florida, USA soon, but here’s a few tips to start with:

1. Pick a color scheme. I like to add 2 colors to the basic colors (black, white and denim). For Florida I packed clothes with the colors coral and mint green in them, perfect for a sunny vacation!
2. Make sure items are versatile and easy to layer. That makes it easy to mix and match all of the clothes you pick, so lots of different outfits with just a couple of items.
3. Make sure the items you pick are wrinkle resistant and light weight. It’s always good when you don’t have to iron your clothes on vacation and light weight is always a plus.
4. Select shoes on weight and size. Make sure you have a pair to walk in all day long, but lightweight. Shoes with multiple purposes are even better, like a pair that looks great under a dress and in which you could walk all day. Or cute sandals which you could wear on a day at the beach or to a fancy dinner.

That’s it! I hope these tips are helpful for you, it sure works for me. Do you have more tips to travel light? Please let me know in the comments, thanks!