Traveling Lite

Spring is almost here—the months we yearn for but that never quite seem long enough. It’s time to make the most of them and get away to enjoy the sun, surf, and maybe a few beverages on a banana lounger under an umbrella.

In-store, we’re seeing more and more people wanting to travel lighter. Whether it’s tiredness from lugging a large bag, the rising cost of travel, or the expense of purchasing a bigger suitcase, the reasons vary. But if you want to travel lighter, you need to travel smarter.

I recently met a customer who travelled to Europe for two-week stints with only a Samsonite 55cm carry-on case. It’s proof that minimising your luggage is doable.

Here we go with some tips:

1. Use hotel toiletries. Most hotels provide more than enough toiletries in the room, so leave the full-sized bottles at home. Take the essentials you can't do without—and your toothbrush, of course.
2. If you're going to spend half your holiday in the pool, pack accordingly. Take your togs and live in them! Throw in a light shirt, dress or cover-up and you've got most of the day sorted.
3. Wear your bulky items on the plane. Sneakers, jackets and heavier clothing take up valuable suitcase space. Wear them while travelling and save your bag for the lighter stuff.
4. Pack clothes that work together. Rather than packing an outfit for every day, choose a few tops and bottoms that can be mixed and matched. Neutral colours are particularly good for this. Three tops and three bottoms can give you far more combinations than you might think.
5. Shoes are the enemy of travelling light. They’re bulky, heavy and surprisingly good at filling a suitcase. Wear one versatile pair and, if necessary, pack one other pair. Unless you know you'll use them, the "just in case" shoes can stay at home.
6. Make use of every bit of space. Socks, underwear and other small items can go inside shoes or into the little gaps around the edges of your case. Packing cubes can also help keep everything organised and make unpacking at the other end much easier.
7. Ask yourself: can I buy it there? Sunscreen, shampoo, toothpaste and other everyday items are readily available in most destinations. You don't necessarily need to take enough supplies for the entire holiday.
8. Pack for the trip you're actually taking—not every possible scenario. This is probably the big one. We all pack things "just in case". If there's only a small chance you'll wear it, leave it behind.
9. Leave some room in the bag. There’s nothing worse than leaving home with a suitcase that only just closes. Apart from making packing stressful, you've got nowhere to put anything you buy along the way. A little spare room on departure can make the trip home considerably easier.

The goal isn't to take nothing—it's to take the right things.

Travelling lighter means less to carry, less to keep track of, and potentially less to pay for. It can also make moving through airports, train stations and hotels considerably easier.

And once you've done a trip with a smaller case, you might wonder why you ever travelled with so much stuff in the first place.

Need a hand choosing the right bag?

At David Mills Ltd in Pukekohe, bags and luggage are what we do. We've been helping travellers find practical, good-quality luggage for generations, and today we're continuing that tradition with a carefully selected range of suitcases, carry-ons, travel bags, backpacks and accessories.

More importantly, we're here to help you work out what actually suits your trip. Sometimes that's a large checked suitcase. Sometimes it's a wheeled duffle. And sometimes, as our Europe-bound customer proved, a good 55cm carry-on really can be enough.

Pop in and have a chat with us before your next adventure. Bring your itinerary if you like—we'll help you find a bag that fits the journey rather than simply selling you the biggest suitcase we can.

Travel lighter. Travel smarter. And make the most of spring.