Gift article from the NYT on ultra light packing

I’m in the neighborhood of ultra-light packing since I took 11 pounds for my last 3-week trip to Italy and did fine.

Some of the advice I hear and also read in this article are points I don’t agree with if I was giving advice:

1. Wear all of your heaviest items on the plane, so you have room in your small suitcase/bag. Okay, if you want it on the plane, but this advice is impractical when I am riding several trains. I don’t want to be forced to wear jackets, etc. every time I switch cities.
2. I don’t like to waste time, especially for these types of tasks that would need to be repeated 10+ times during my normal trips: Needing to roll my clothes vs. I just place them in my Cotopaxi, or needing to stuff socks & underwear into shoes, or using compression bags to squeeze out extra space - all of this is time-consuming. My Cotopaxi isn’t full, so I don’t have to play Tetris with my items.

The 10/10 advice is good. About the only extra just-in-case stuff I pack is over-the-counter medicine. Those that if I need them in the middle of the night, I want them available- headache, cold, diarrhea. I usually plan to buy a small toothpaste halfway through my trips because it’s fun to stop in a grocery store.

My goal to pack ultra-light was mainly because I had a leg slightly bothering me, and I didn’t want to risk making it any worse. The trip went fine, and my leg did well.

In 50+ years of international travel I've gone from a 26" suitcase and train case to an 18" duffle. Two things contributed to this downward trend: better and lighter luggage, and changing airline luggage policies .It hasn't been that difficult to pack lighter each trip, regardless of length, but I think I have bottomed out at around 11 pounds using the 5-4-3-2-1 rule. I don't miss anything that I haven't packed, and it's liberating to 'grab and go.'

The next step is to apply some form of the rule to my life at home. . . . . .

This was a useful article to peruse. So much has changed in travel. Airline requirements, purpose, culture, security, luggage design and materials, etc.. The steamer trunk was considered carry-on luggage by well to-do Victorians with servants. Hobos were closer to modern minimalist packers while hopping on the back of a train caboose.

I like the 10/10 rule also. I’m not a total minimalist, but close. Husband still insists on rolling checked bag.

Our strategy for family packing with a checked bag is as follows. Find out the largest dimensions and maximum weight allowed. Then, drag out our trusted old rolling 11 lb. rolling coffin. Then, we (3 people) all share it with packing cubes. Husband uses it as his piece. Daughter and I use underseat bags with extras going into the coffin bag. It has advantages. So, if paying for a checked bag - go for maximum advantage.

Wear all of your heaviest items on the plane, so you have room in your small suitcase/bag. Okay, if you want it on the plane, but this advice is impractical when I am riding several trains. I don’t want to be forced to wear jackets,

This advice is totally for airplanes with stringent luggage limits. It does not apply to train travel where you are essentially limited to what you can manage by yourself.

Thanks, Sam. Interesting article.

The 10/10 rule is interesting and worth me thinking about. Last Fall as I was getting ready to walk out the door I took out a long sleeve tee shirt for my month in France. Got to Paris and it was chillier than I expected (and seriously I check the weather obsessively AND have been numerous times during that Fall time frame) so yes, I had to buzz over to the Bastille Market and the stripy shirt vendor forum member Sharyn recommended. I spent 18E but that was fine. Oh, I might have gotten 2 shirts. And returned at the end of my trip for 2 more, hahaha!!

Most of the lighter packers on the forum do much of what is recommended. Many of us have curated our travel wardrobes down to washable, easily packable fabrics. I don't want to call anyone out (JEAN-hahaha) but keeping your eyes peeled for sales on your favorite brands and styles is a wonderful way to build options.

Flying a LCC to Vegas for possibly a weekend is different from a month in Europe so the OPs goal is not my goal. I don't fly any of the LCCs in the US but I do want to be able to handle my bag on/off trains and up/down hotel stairs in Europe so that is my personal base line.

My comment about the train was just intended as a bit of warning that if someone packs their bag completely full by wearing their heavy clothes on the plane, then each time they move locations, they’re forced to wear their heavy, bulky stuff , I.e. riding trains wearing their bulky stuff so the suitcase closes. Yes, the train has no restrictions on your luggage- just that you can handle it.

• passport
• phone
• toothbrush

that's all you need isn't it?

passport
phone
toothbrush
that's all you need isn't it?

I would add a credit card in case Apple Pay/Google Pay doesn't work.

You can buy a toothbrush on arrival.

I did an overnight in London one July (from Germany) and packed super light. Wore shorts, shirt, sandals, underwear (yes I checked the weather and it was going to be warm), took extra top, toothbrush/paste, contact stuff, deodorant, comb, 1 or 2 oz container of Neutrogena shower gel which I knew I could wash my hair with and of course my small crossbow purse with cc, DL, passport, couple bandaids, a couple Tylenol and a small 1 oz hand lotion. And phone/charger. It was great! I washed underwear out in the sink and the extra shirt was just in case I spilled something I couldn't get put in the sink. I was just wondering yesterday if I could do this again on a longer trip and I think I can with maybe an extra pair of shorts and underwear and maybe a bigger bottles for my toiletries. Of course I'd be taking a chance with the weather so this wouldn't work for everywhere.

Pam is correct. - LOL! I do tend to look at any new clothing purchase for my normal wear as “Could this item also be a potential travel item - lightweight, could dry quickly, etc.”. I was visiting my sister in Iowa last week, and it made my day to find my favorite travel dress hanging at their Dillards store at the mall! I bought the Asphalt Fern color, and I already had my navy one with me. I love a dress that dries in three hours after a sink wash. ; )

Royal Robbins’s Women’s Spotless Traveler Tank Dress is probably on someone else’s packing list, too, since they market it as: ”Our #1 women’s best-seller, the Spotless Traveler Tank Dress blends style, performance, and stain-away technology.”

I often switch from pants to a dress when I arrive at a city, and the B&B host said, “Oh, you look so nice!” when I switched into my navy one with some gold jewelry at Trani, Italy in May. So, packing ultralight doesn’t mean you can’t look nice.

I am really good at packing very light, but our trip next week will be the exception to being able to do carryon only. The only reason is because the flight from KEF to Greenland, the carryon weight limit is 13#. I usually come in at about 17 or 18#, but 13 would be hard. Who knows, I have everything laid out on the bed so might just weigh it all and see. Although I am pretty sure my husband's bag will be over 13.

I don't want to take time in vacation to shop for necessities. Plus I am a bit picky about my hair products and makeup, so I just have those pared down to exactly how much I will need.

Out of curiosity, I threw everything in my bag and weighed it. It was 17# on the dot, and a few of the items will go in my day pack. Now to not throw more stuff in just because I can;)

Just wanted to say thank you very much for posting this as unlocked! It’s that sharing attitude & attention to detail that makes this such a great little community. Thanks also to all who posted helpful additions to the thread!

Thanks for the article, Sam. One question, So if I wear my bulky hiking shoes and heavier clothes where am I supposed to put them once I arrive my destination? I guess this works if I stay in one place which for us, never happens.

Jules, unless you are traveling on more weight restricted flights, you can pack them away and travel. Trains/buses/local transport don't care about weight limits.

@Frank, obviously they can go in the suitcase, if they fit. That's the point. If I wear my bulkier items to economize on space, what do I do with the rest of my trip when they don't fit in my suitcase?