How to Pack Light Even When Traveling on Long Multi-Week Trips
The more experienced you become as a traveler, the less you carry with you. With good reason!
I love to travel, but I hate carrying a lot of baggage.
Emotional or factual. Since I do most of my traveling on my motorcycle, I have to pack light. Weight is the enemy of motorcycle riding. Packing and organizing are the enemy of speed and flexibility, especially if you like to move around like I do.
You’re a traveler on an adventure. It doesn’t have to be comfortable the whole time. Sweaty and stinky is the name of the game!
Even when I’m not on my bike, I travel light.
I never carry more than the carry-on luggage.
First, I’ve heard too many horror stories of mistreated and misplaced baggage and
Second, you do not need to be loaded like a mule when traveling. It just ruins the experience.
When I first told my girlfriend how little she is “allowed” to pack for our grand tour of Greece on the back of a motorcycle, she nearly fainted. One measly side case of about 30 liters. Luckily, she’s no princess and can be reasoned with. I know. I’m a lucky man.
The funny thing is, after the trip, we both realized we overpacked by at least a factor of two! You’ll find the proof in the image at the end of the post. Many items were unused, and the following year, we packed half less for a trip that lasted twice as long. And guess what - we were much happier! Still, there was room for improvement.
“Yeah, but you can’t travel light when you have kids, smartypants!”
This year, we went on a road trip across Sardinia with our daughter of three. The plan was to camp most of the time, so we had some strategizing to do. We needed to pack a tent, table, three chairs/beds, and everything else one would need for such a trip with a small child. There were overnight ferries involved, and we had two weeks planned for the trip.
It was also our first adventure together as a family. I didn’t dare go too Spartan, fearing I would frighten my ladies. I wanted them comfy and happy, so this would only be the first of many such trips.
When I was packing, I had one simple rule: I didn’t want any luggage items anywhere in the car’s cabin.
Why? Because the first time you pack, you take your time and pack like a pro. Then the amount of luggage gets bigger with time spent on the trip. Every time you collapse your camp, you notice that everything grew with exposure to air (you just can’t pack it perfectly). We had planned to do a lot of moving about, so I had to keep it manageable.
Anyway, we had everything we needed, and apart from a bag with lunch for the journey, everything was packed in the boot of our car. It’s a reasonably large boot, and I’m pretty good at Tetris, but still.
I dream of an overlander setup with a roof tent. However, I’m nowhere near there financially, nor would we use it enough to justify the cost, unfortunately. Damn, those evil influences seeding such dreams of freedom and exploration with cars costing ten times my own and setups more luxurious than my apartment.
When I mention overlanding, proclaiming we should do some extended adventuring, my girlfriend quickly points out her minimal standards, and we stay home watching Itchy Boots on YouTube. These days, I adventure mostly vicariously.
The secret to packing light for a long trip is this:
Pack the same for a few days as you would for a month.
You might be thinking, that can’t possibly be true, but I assure you it is. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
You can and will pack as much luggage as you have space for. If the only thing is a twenty-liter backpack, you’ll fill that up. If it’s a van, you’ll pack it up to the roof.
You can wash your clothes as you travel. Carrying a little pack of washing gel or laundry deterrent takes much less space than carrying an infinite amount of clothes.
Some clothes can be washed and dried quickly and don’t need ironing. There are also items of clothing that have multiple functions and can handle different weather conditions, like soft-shell jackets. Use them to your advantage.
You don’t need to look like a superstar on every trip. In fact, I would strongly advise dressing down when visiting new places as a tourist. The less you stand out, the less the “bad guys” will single you out.
There is nothing wrong with being dressed the same way for the whole trip. No one will notice. No one cares. Don’t complicate your life any more than you have to.
If you’ve miscalculated, you can always buy more stuff on the way.
I know this is a dirty little secret, but you can wear the same underwear for a few days if needed. No, you won’t die, wolves won’t smell your blood, and there won’t be a sign on your forehead announcing it.
Dress in layers. You don’t need a sweater or a jacket for cold weather if you can combine a few items from your luggage to achieve the same effect. Dress like an onion. For motorbike travel, the jacket you wear in the evenings can also be used as a heating element on the colder days under your riding jacket unless you’re a poser in a tight leather suit. Then, well, you may be freezing and wet, but at least you look good!
Traveling light is by far the better way to go.
You’ll be free to move around, packing will be a breeze, and you’ll always know where everything is.
On a motorcycle, the riding gear is far more important than the afternoon attire.
Make sure you won’t be too hot or cold and that you have a good rain gear layer. I always suggest a separate jacket and pants (rain gear), ideally with some rubber gloves and shoes. It will keep you nice and warm through anything the weather Gods may throw at you. Nothing is worse than being cold and wet for a few days on a motorbike. Nothing!
If you’re traveling by plane and can’t fit large clothing items into your carry-on luggage, guess what?
There’s another place you can take them across the check-in. On your body! Jackets, big boots, and extra sweaters can all be worn for those few hours, and you’ll have saved yourself paying for an additional item of luggage and having to carry them around like a loaded mule. Just put them on. You’re hot? Boohoo! You’re a traveler on an adventure. It doesn’t have to be comfortable the whole time. Sweaty and stinky is the name of the game!
With experience, you’ll notice what you need and don’t need.
It is almost inevitable that you will pack too much stuff the first few times around. There might also be things you’ll add, as you’ll have learned they’re smart to have around. It’s all part of the fun of traveling.
Amateur packs for his first big trip. No, you do not want to know how much this beast weighed:
A seasoned adventurer for the same destination, again two up, lasting twice as long (3 weeks, Greece). The top box was just for food, basically:
In short, pack the same way for a month as you would for an extended weekend trip.
Keep it simple.
When you’re done packing, take half away.
Make sure that you’ve minimalized and optimized your clothing choices.
Plan to wash your clothes at some point in your trip.
Know your priorities and think in terms of possible combinations.
Most importantly, don’t complicate things and have fun! Less is more when packing, and more is more when experiencing the wonders of this world. Go out and see the world while you still can!
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