Having been a travel consultant for many decades, this is the most common question we get asked over and over.
Ideally, you want to be as light as possible. Carrying 20+ kg around the world, over cobblestones and through crowded airports can be tedious. Many of you have heard the old quote, 'take half the amount of clothes and double the money' - but then, how many clothes do you start with?
My personal mantra is 6 tops, 6 bottoms and a little black dress. This can be modified depending on the destination, the season and the style of holiday, but 6 x 6, put together well, gives you 36 outfits. How many more could you need for a holiday? Some experts work on the rule of taking one week's worth of clothes and just cycling through them each week they’re away. Check the weather beforehand to ensure you’re packing climate-appropriate items. Trust me, until I point it out, no one who looks at my travel photos realises there are any outfit repeats.
Accessories like scarves or costume jewellery can change and enhance the look of an outfit. I never take any item of jewellery I can't bear to lose - nothing expensive or of sentimental value. Travel insurance usually doesn’t cover high-value pieces, so they’re best left at home.
There are some golden rules - the 6 tops must match the 6 bottoms and if a garment doesn’t, it can't go on holiday. This means colour themes work well. Some choose a base of black/white, navy, beige, brown tones or any variation of your favourite colours, but the pieces must coordinate with each other.
Another golden rule is layering. Ideally, you should be able to wear that singlet top with a blouse over it and a jacket on top if it gets chilly or remove layers if the day warms up.
Too many shoes can fill up a suitcase quickly. I try to stick to 3 pairs in the suitcase plus 1 pair I’m wearing, each of varying styles. Comfortable walking shoes are essential - you always walk so much more on holidays. Likewise, you don’t want a bag full of underwear. Five sets in your checked luggage are plenty, along with one set you're wearing and an extra set in your carry-on, just in case your checked luggage is delayed. Concentrated travel-size washing detergent can be purchased from luggage shops.
Cosmetics and beauty products should be sized down to match the duration of your holiday. There's nothing worse than taking a litre bottle of shampoo on a 10-day break. Cosmetic brands often provide sample-sized gifts with purchase, which are perfect for travelling, or you can buy travel-size bottles from chemists and decant your essential products to take on holiday. Definitely buy that small tube of toothpaste! A mini first aid kit is also a good idea, stocked with painkillers, hay fever tablets or whatever you think you may need. Sometimes finding a chemist on holiday or your product in a foreign language can be challenging, so it’s good to have a small supply with you, even if you don't end up using it.
In my in-flight wheelie bag, I pack a change of clothes and a pashmina, in case the in-flight air conditioning is running high. I also bring essentials like my phone and tablet, which doubles as a Kindle for reading and editing travel photos. Travel documents, any necessary medication, and a wallet with credit cards and local currency are included. I also add sunglasses, a makeup bag with moisturiser and a toothbrush, reading glasses, a multi-country power adaptor and some small snacks. Personally, I don’t bring a handbag on long flights, preferring to have only one item to manage during airport security checks. However, my carry-on bag has multiple pockets.
My favourite travel hack is 'one-way clothes' - these are not items included in the 6 x 6 but bonus garments intended to be worn and disposed of during the holiday. We all have clothing in our wardrobe that falls into this category: a t-shirt with a slightly stretched neck, a pair of pants that looks worn out or faded, your favourite jumper with a hard-to-repair hole or something you bought on sale that you don’t love and don’t wear. On holiday, I wear these items a couple of times and then donate them. This makes space for bringing home purchases and helps declutter your wardrobe. They’re sort of special (additional) items on the packing list that are going one way! This one-way hack also works well for shoes and underwear.
Writing down your packing list is invaluable for sorting everything out. You can adjust as you go and visualise everything you intend to take before you start packing. Ticking items off ensures you have packed everything you planned to bring. Once you determine which clothing works best on holidays, you can take them on multiple trips and reuse your packing list (with updates) from holiday to holiday.
For more assistance on how to travel well,
contact Kymberly at Travel and Cruise Professionals. Kymberly has completed 121 trips overseas and has worked on the front line throughout her entire career.
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