This post was written Warren George, part of our marketing team who works with Sarah behind the scenes at AWS. As a frequent traveller, he volunteered to share his personal take on packing light – we hope you find this guide useful!
Are you looking to travel light on your next trip? Maybe you’re undertaking some adventure travel, or are just tired of waiting for your checked bags to arrive at the reclaim area when you arrive somewhere. In this guide I set out my top tips for packing light for men, and include a host of personal tips based on years of experience
Full disclosure, I am not a natural light packer. I like my home comforts too much, and don’t mind admitting that I like taking enough clothing options on trips so not feel restricted.
That said, I do, and can pack light. I travel on average once per month, often for around 5 days to a week (and sometimes more) away from home.
Frequently these trips have to be with carry on luggage only as I am time-restricted on arrival or will be moving around a lot while away, so I have to travel light and don’t want to deal with the extra weight of a large bag.
Last month I gave myself a challenge. In part to write this guide, but also to see if I could really cope with traveling light. My challenge was to travel for 8 days in the UK (I live in Italy) with only carry on bags – this would be the longest trip I’ve undertaken in a while without checked luggage.
The trip was a success, and while packing I started creating the below guide in the hope that my experience could be useful to others.
Before we jump in, while the title of this post says ‘for men’, a lot of the recommendations are universal and my girlfriend follows them (or developed them originally, and I adopted them).
This guide assumes you are looking to travel with only a carry on bag or small suitcase at a minimum, potentially with a rucksack/backpack as a secondary bag. This guide is not about ultralight packing – if you are looking for tips on this I recommend you check out this video from Sarah.
Here is my five step guide to packing light for men – tried and tested:
1. Make a packing list
Create yourself a ‘master’ packing list which you can refer to while packing and then reuse on all trips.
Include everything from clothes, shoes, toiletries and electronics – details mean you won’t forget anything.
How you format this isn’t important, it’s the process that’s important. You could use pen and paper, a note on your phone, or a spreadsheet, whatever works for you.
I use Typeform where I have created a custom form to follow as I pack (whether light or not). Here is a general version which you can use if you wish, it’s totally anonymous and the data is removed shortly after submission.
2. Remind yourself what you are traveling for
Business?
Pleasure?
Will you be active or relaxing mostly?
Will you be seeing friends and family, traveling solo, or meeting strangers?
As you pack, remind yourself of why you are traveling and ask yourself ‘is what I’m packing relevant to this trip?’. Unless the answer is a definitive ‘yes!’, don’t pack it. To travel light means to cut out non-essential items.
I personally tend to travel within climates and seasons not too dissimilar to my home base in Rome, Italy. As such weather is less of a consideration for me (being British, I always pack an umbrella and rain jacket).
However, if you are traveling somewhere where the weather is more of a consideration, you’ll want to check the weather conditions at your destination at this point.
Keep these conditions in mind as you think about why you are traveling, and add any relevant items to your packing list.
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3. Have the right bag/luggage
This is something that I’ve been very bad at until recently.
Packing light is about being smart with your luggage. You have limited space, and sometimes a weight allowance, so you need your bags to work for you as efficiently as possible.
I recently invested in a backpack specifically designed for travel. I was on the fence about doing so as I had a perfectly good, mostly practical, and stylish (in my opinion) backpack.
However, after the first use of my new travel backpack, I’m never going back to a ‘regular’ bag. Like anything designed for a specific purpose, travel backpacks are suited to, well, travel.
My new-ish bag by Nordace features an expandable (but robust) design, compartments for separating your stuff (and then accessing it easily as and when needed), a USB plug to which you can connect a battery pack internally, and an exterior water bottle holder.
Reading that back, it doesn’t sound impressive, but when I compare to my previous backpack which had just one main compartment, one exterior compartment and nothing else, it makes a big difference. Being able to maximize space in a bigger bag that has supportive, comfortable straps has made traveling much easier.
Carry on suitcases are something, inversely, I have always seemed to get right which makes me believe it is hard to go wrong.
Of course there are a huge range of options out there, but providing you don’t go for the cheapest (it will fall apart after a couple of uses) and it is within the average size restrictions for airlines, you’ll be fine.
The key to packing light with a carry on suitcase is how you pack…
4. Now we pack!
For clarity I’m going to breakdown how I recommend packing by each major ‘group’ of items, according to how I have organized my master packing list:
Underwear and sleep wear
If you’re not going to have access to laundry services while travelling you will need a set of underwear for each day away from home.
Underwear is a deeply personal thing and there are not many things worse while traveling than being uncomfortable, so pack what is right for you.
If you wear socks, I recommend packing only trainer socks which are extremely compact, but provide comfort and protection for your feet just as much as regular socks. Remember that every bit of space saved is less weight, meaning you can pack more.
Of course, if you are going away for a specific activity such as hiking, pack the right socks to avoid discomfort.
With all clothing you of course could buy extra when away, but this can become expensive and inconvenient.
Some people prefer to wash their underwear but I personally like knowing I have 1 pair a day of everything I need.
General clothing
For clothing, I follow a 3 day-rule based on the following:
- 1 pair of trousers/pants per 3 days of travel
- Two outer tops such as long sleeve sweaters or shirts (depending on why and where I am traveling to) per 3 days of travel
For t-shirts, I pack one t-shirt for each day that I will be away from home. This might seem like a lot to some people but my trips tend to involve a lot of activity and a fresh t-shirt each day makes a big difference.
Spares can also be used as sleepwear, and if you have anything unworn when you get home, its less laundry to deal with!
Simplify your travel wardrobe by sticking to neutral colors or simple and classic combinations such as black/white/grey or red/white/blue.
Jackets and Coats
I aim to travel with just one jacket or coat unless I’m heading to colder climates.
To save space, wear your jacket/coat to the airport and on to the plane (you can take it off and put under your seat or on the hook in front of you if you get too warm).
If you’re traveling somewhere where it may rain, be sure to bring a jacket that is at least part water resistant!
Toiletries
Depending on your personal preferences, this category can make or break your packing.
Toiletries are often bulky and heavy, and pose a challenge to anyone attempting to pack light.
Thankfully there are a number of things you can do to reduce your toiletry packing and it starts with thinking about your accommodation:
- If you are staying at a hotel there is a strong chance that they will include complimentary toiletries in your bathroom. If you use these up, don’t be afraid to ask for more; I’ve yet to be told ‘no, sorry sir, we have no more mini shampoos available’.
- If you are staying in a rental there’s less of a chance you’ll find free toiletries in the bathroom, but it’s possible. Check with your host in advance.
- If you are staying with friends or family, ask them nicely if you can use their stuff, or if they can get you what you need in advance of your arrival – reimburse them accordingly.
If none of the above work for you, more tips include:
- Buy toiletries at your departure airport, after security. This way you will not be obligated to store your purchases in your carry on bag. Of course, this is dependent on your airport having the right shops, and anything you don’t use you can’t bring home on your return flight, but I’ve used this method at points for convenience, especially when travelling solo.
- Consider investing in reusable containers (like these) which you can fill up at home with your day-to-day toiletries and wash out when you’re finished for multiple uses.
- Think about switching to solid toiletries including old fashioned soap bars. Many types of beauty products are now available in solid form including shampoos, body wash, conditioners, face scrubs and more. One consideration with this option is that these can take up a good chunk of bag space, especially when brand new.
Remember that solid toiletries don’t have to go in the transparent travel pouch that airport security insists we use. Those are just for liquids!
Gifts and miscellaneous things
A lot of my travels combine work with seeing friends and family, and as such I routinely find myself stuffing gifts and the odd personal item or two into my bags.
If you have to give someone a gift, why not get it at the airport after security? This will save you stressing about bag space on your return journey.
For miscellaneous items – think books, speakers, technology – ask yourself if you really need those items if you are struggling to fit everything in. If the answer isn’t ‘absolutely!’, don’t pack it.
5. Follow my pack hacks
In no particular order, and assuming you’re curious to know more, here are a few pack hacks that serve me well on most trips:
Take a mini lint roller with you on every trip. Clothes can quickly become linty when travelling, and I seem to find that they attract hair and dust at a much faster rate…who knows why! Freshen up your clothes and remove bits with a lint roller. They take up next to no space and the bonus of feeling a little fresher is worth it!
Wear your bulkiest items during your journey. Now, I’m not advocating turning up the airport looking like Joey Tribiani in episode 2 of season 3 of Friends, but I am recommending to look at things like your sweaters/jumpers as you pack and opting to wear the chunkiest/heaviest during your journey. You can always take off this extra layer if you get too warm but you can’t magic additional space in your bags out of thin air however!
Take a few laundry sheets with you. These little slips of paper-like material are a game changer for light packing as they enable you to wash smaller items in your hotel/apartment, providing a surprisingly good outcome. Get yours here.
Vacuum pack it. If you’re serious about minimizing the space your stuff takes up inside your bags, invest in some vacuum pack bags. Myself and my girlfriend discovered this approach by accident one summer where we were moving home and having to place a lot of our belongings in storage for a period. We vacuumed packed everything for protection more than space saving reasons, and then one of us (she) had a eureka moment for an upcoming trip where we were attending a wedding (and packing everything that that would entail) – let’s vacuum pack it! Note that once you arrive and unpack, you will need a vacuum to repack, so I only advocate this approach if you are staying in an AirBnB or hotel that can provide you with a vacuum.
It’s worth investing in some compression bags/packing cubes. Not only are these great for saving space and maximizing your luggage potential, they are a game changer when it comes to organization. Designate a cube/bag to a specific group of items, i.e. underwear, so you can quickly find things as and when you need them on the go. Here are some recommendations.
There is a science to packing light and everyone has different requirements, but hopefully this guide proves useful to you on your next trip!
Have your own tips for traveling light? Leave a comment below to let us know!
