As you plan your travel itinerary, the next thing to do is to plan what to bring with you.
It can be incredibly easy to overpack when you're going on a trip. Then it may be difficult to manage to keep that load as light as possible as your trip progresses. Just take the time to really think out what you need versus what you want to pack.
Traveling light is packing the bare essentials. This is where you will pack what you know you will need and use.
These benefits will inspire you to lighten your load:
1. It will save you money
Traveling light will save you money. If you are flying with a budget airline, baggage fees for checked bags are only getting more expensive with airlines. Budget-friendly airlines are famous for imposing strict requirements - and extra fees for carry-on and checked luggage - which can really add up. Domestic flights can charge up to $100 per bag, depending on the airline. Baggage can come at a steep price once you compute the total for your round-trip flight, and can even go higher if you have connecting flights.
US domestic low-cost carriers charge for checked bags as well as carry-on luggage. It is best to weigh your bag beforehand when you pack your essentials to avoid paying for excess baggage.
Also, most people carrying heavy and/or multiple bags opt for the taxis whereas traveling light will make getting around on public transport easier.
2. For flexibility
The aisles are quite narrow when boarding a plane. With only little things you carry with you, the greater maneuverability you will have. Dodging other travelers in the terminal can be done with greater maneuverability when you're only carrying a backpack or a small, wheeled carry-on. You might be able to fit your carry-on under your seat, which almost always has guaranteed free space, unlike the overhead bins, which are first come, first served.
Traveling light makes you flexible in a way you can just hop on a train or bus easily or take a trike to get to where you want to be.
3. Your Bag Will Always Be By Your Side
Packing light and carrying your bag onto the plane yourself is the easiest way to avoid the whole possibility of losing it. You don't have to wait and wait at the baggage carousel.
Also, it's so much easier to pack your stuff back or find something in your backpack in a dark hostel room or sleeper train compartment at 4 am. Everything that you are bringing with you is safely stowed in that overhead compartment, within reach at all times.
It's difficult to lug bags around, but a backpack and a small duffel are easily manageable. When you pack fewer things, this can result in being able to do more things, and not being as physically exhausted as you would otherwise.
Most people hate standing in lines. You will be able to pass a lot of lines, like those for checked bags.
Now, are you ready to travel light?
