In Packing Light Part 1, I mentioned taking a twelve-day, six-country Europe trip in January with a carry-on and a backpack. While we had laundry facilities in one of the countries we visited, we didn't take advantage of it as we should have.
Bugger.
That's okay! We packed laundry detergent sheets, like these (paid link) , and decided the best course of action would be to clean our clothes in our hotel, by hand, in the bathtub. Live and learn.
First, it was January, so the weather wasn't exactly prime clothes drying weather. The video below gives you a slight glimpse into our first day of touring Amsterdam. Side note - the weather was much better the next day. :)
Second, our room was tiny and didn't accommodate hanging clothes around to dry.
Third, we didn't have a lot of extra clothes, so we had to be very careful what we decided to wash and when we'd wash it. Finally, we were only there 3 days, so we had to work quickly!
We hung all our clothes in the bathroom and kept the fan on constantly. My fellow traveler also had a small fan and plugged that in and we had that blowing on the clothes all day.
The floor was heated, so at one point, we laid a towel on the floor and laid our socks on it to dry faster.
Unfortunately, it still wasn't good enough and our clothes took forever to dry! In fact, sometimes, we'd opt for a slightly damp shirt and hoped it would dry as we wore it. Not the best experience when walking around Amsterdam in the winter, but it worked and we survived.
Wet socks were not an option for me, so imagine me, sitting on the floor of the bathroom using the hairdryer to quick dry my socks. It was a process.
But we made it and had an amazing time. We probably could have found a laundromat in the city, but I think we actually enjoyed the hilarity of what we were attempting. It offered us some fun stories when we get home.
How does this help as you learn how to pack more practically? Knowing what you need when you get to your destination is incredibly important. We figured, at some point, we were going to do some of our own laundry by hand, so we packed our laundry detergent sheets. We had a place where we could have had our laundry done, but we passed it up. Knowing your needs before you travel will help you pack.
I've talked about laundry pretty much this entire time, but there are a few other things to think about when it comes to knowing what you need.
Packing for Personal Needs
I don't have a lot of "extras" that I need to bring on trips, but that's not the case for everyone. Take into consideration the personal needs you have as a traveler.
Then, take the smallest amount with you.
Hair Care and Makeup
Think through your trip day by day and consider the following:
Do you wear make up? If so, do you need to take ALL your makeup or can you get by with slimming down how much you would normally use?
Can you enjoy your trip without all your haircare supplies? If not, can you purchase smaller travel-sized options?
I know when I travel, I have a few things for my hair I absolutely must have, but thankfully, they all can be purchased in small travel-size bottles. The travel sized bottles will last me over three weeks, so unless I'm going on a super long trip, I can downsize.
Do you use a hairdryer? If so, does the location you're traveling to already supply one?
Most places supply hairdryers. I've seen this to be especially true in Europe. The voltage is different from the US to many other places around the globe, so it's in their best interest to offer a hairdryer to spare them having electrical issues.
One place I stayed at in France had a hair dryer, straightener, and curling iron. That was the most I'd ever seen before! It was an Airbnb, but still. I appreciated it! I purposely didn't have any of those things with me, so it was fun to use them when I could!
Medication or Medical Equipment
Having to take medication or medical equipment on a trip is unavoidable for some people.
In this case, just think about the number of days you're traveling and make sure you have all the medication and equipment you need for your time away.
If I ever travel with medication, I always make sure I have enough for at least a day or two more in case I'd get stuck somewhere.
Dietary Items
Do you have dietary restrictions that require specific food each day? Do you have to take this with you or is it something you can purchase at the location in which you're going?
Specific dietary meals, such as packaged dietary shakes, will inevitably take up quite a bit of space in your luggage, so you may need to opt for a larger bag.
The most important thing is that while you're on your trip, you adhere to your diet! It's tempting to go on vacation mode and forget about all that food you took with you. If you have to take up the luggage space for the food, at least eat it so you have the souvenir space for the way back! :)
All-in-all, think about what you absolutely need to take with you. Leave the things you don't need. They will just take up space.
Packing List Prep Part 2 = Complete.
Read the Packing Light Part 3 for the final considerations before packing!
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