How To Pack Light For A Long Trip, by LOST iN on YouTube. 4 min 11 s.
- Video length
- 4 min 11 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Check your airline's carry-on size and weight limits, then measure your bag against them. Weigh the empty bag so you know how much of the allowance is left for clothes.
Lay everything you plan to take on the bed. Build outfits around two or three base colours, so every top works with every pair of trousers, then put half of it back.
Roll soft clothes instead of folding them. Rolled clothes take less space, crease less and let you see everything at a glance in the bag.
Pack the heaviest and bulkiest items at the bottom, near the wheels. Fill gaps around them with socks, underwear and small items rolled into shoes.
Wear your bulkiest clothes on travel days: walking shoes, jacket and thick jumper. They take up the most room and save weight in the bag.
Decant toiletries into travel-size bottles and seal them in a clear bag. Take only what you will use for the first few days and buy refills at your destination.
Add a small laundry kit: a sink plug, a travel wash bar and a laundry bag for dirty clothes. Washing a few items every few days lets you pack far fewer clothes.
Put passport, tickets, chargers and adapters in one pouch at the top of the bag, so you can reach them without unpacking.
Leave about a tenth of the bag empty. That spare space is for souvenirs and anything you buy on the way.
Tips and common mistakes
Choose quick-dry fabrics like merino wool or synthetics, which you can wash and wear again the next day.
Skip anything you packed just in case. If you have not worn an item on the first few days, you probably did not need it.
Weigh the packed bag at home on a luggage scale, since overweight carry-ons get checked at the gate.
Keep the liquids bag within the airline's limit, usually 100 ml per container, and put it on top for security checks.
Questions
How many outfits do I need for a two week trip?
Aim for about five to seven days of clothes and plan to wash halfway through. Mixing a few tops with two pairs of trousers gives you far more combinations than packing full outfits.
Do packing cubes really save space?
They do not shrink clothes, but they compress them and keep the bag organised. Cubes also make it quick to find things without emptying the whole suitcase.
How do I stop clothes from creasing?
Roll soft items and fold structured ones like shirts with tissue paper between the layers. Unpack as soon as you arrive and hang anything that creases.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
