Traveling is an exciting experience; and packing for travel is a nightmare come true.
Do not let packing worries take the fun out of your holiday. Here are 10 golden rules of packing that will ensure that you have a hassle-free trip.
- The thumb rule for packing is to pack only half the clothes that you are intending to stuff in. And tuck in twice the money than you were originally planning to. There is definitely more truth in this time-tested statement than you can imagine.
- Pack only as much as you can carry. Check-in luggage can only compound your travel woes. One cannot explain the ease with which you can breeze through the airports if you have only carry-on baggage to deal with.
- If circumstances impose check-in baggage on you, then make sure that you have the airport authorities attach a ‘Fragile’ sticker on it. This will ensure that your baggage goes on top of the rest and so gets offloaded first, helping you avoid waiting for too long at the baggage counter at your destination airport.
- One other baggage rule is to make your check-in bag look different from the rest. This is not only a tip to save your time at the baggage carousel, but also one to tide over security issues. Just imagine heading towards the customs check with someone else’s bag. And worse still, try explaining this to the custom guys.
- Now coming to the actual process of packing, unless you are traveling to the Antarctic, packing jackets is a futile exercise. Remember that in most places of the world layers will work just fine. The amount of bulk that jackets and sweaters add to your bag is just not worth all the effort. And talk about lost baggage and recovery woes. For all you know you might not even get to wear your jacket when you need it most!
- If your carry-on does not fit more than 3 pairs of clothes, why not try 3 bottoms and 3 shirts. That makes it 9 pairs of clothes. So much for our knowledge of Math.
- Jeans as a clothing option is a packing dud. It is not just bulky, but also absorbs dust and grime and takes forever to dry. Cottons and khakis are a better bet.
- Do you really think you need to carry a vanity pouch, really? Just think about it. Soaps, shampoos andtoothpastes are available everywhere for free – from flights to the hotels that we stay in. So why fill up your precious baggage space with this stuff. In the worst case scenario they are available on sale in any store around the world.
- Your backpack that you carry along for sightseeing is a compact one –we suppose. The point is not to carry bulky, important and expensive possessions in it. Keep only things that you absolutely need and are prepared to lose. Leave the rest back home. Just imagine having to lug your day pack into everywash room on your trip – does it sound feasible?
- One last piece of advice. Be a gadget friendly traveler if you want to save yourself the trouble of buying and carrying books. In this age of geeks, the wisest way to carry entertainment is on your finger tips. An iPod and a Kindle loaded with all the latest books will do the trick for you.
