How to Pack Smart

Have you ever experienced lost baggage? Most of us had and I have to admit - it’s nightmare.

That’s why I pack brutally light. 

5 years ago I had a stop over in Rome, Italy. I wanted to see some concert and

I knew that I had a very short time to change into my concert clothes so I took a nice pair of pants, tunic and scarf with me in carry on luggage. Mind, I didn’t know that my ‘real’ luggage will be lost.

Usually I travel in Yoga pants, t-shirt, and zip up hoodie and that’s exactly what I did that day. Hat on to Air France though. I got, as their sign of apology for the lost baggage, a plastic zipped bag with white T shirt ( with their logo), tooth brush and paste, make up remover, mints, nail filler, comb, small package of Kleenex,  band aid, QTips, tampon, small bottle with some nice, light l’eau de cologne and a – condom!!! French as they are – being prepared for every occasion is always a necessity.

Thank you Air France! That was great.

I got my big suitcase in the morning of my fourth day in Geneva and I had it back in Toronto, no problems.

But, that was a day I learnt my lesson: pack smart which means - pack light, as little as you can and believe me everybody can pack light.

So, my first rule is - make a list.

Samsonite

Second would be – buy a small, light, carry on luggage on wheels.

 




Third rule is to pack essentials in 2 colors- decide what you like the most. I like navy and white.                                           
                                                                                     

Fourth rule is - Don’t forget your passport and other documents or medications.

Everything else you can buy or find wherever you travel. Well, OK, not if you travel to South Pole…Obviously, there would be some additional rules when you travel to uninhabited parts of the world during the extreme temperature.

Most of the time we don’t need much when we are going on a vacation. I would say 95% of the time we are over packing. Being a traveller most of my life I realized that I need just few things, especially if I travel to some warm destination.

 

This would be my first choice...

I do my list and my list for – warm destination -  is not changed in last 5 years. I have my small suitcase, carry on to be precise and I put these things inside:

1. Two T shirts

2. One longer skirt.

3. One shorts

4. 2 underwear and bras

5. One light, long sweater

6. One pair of socks

7. Two swimsuits

8. One scarf and one hat

9. One pair of flip flops

10. One ballet shoes, preferably silver

11. documents, mini I pad

12. Moisturizer

13. Exact amount of vitamins

14. Credit card

15. IPad and

16. Yoga outfit and my converse – which is always on me not in the suitcase.

That’s it!

If I need more clothes, jewellery, sun screen, toothpaste etc. I can always buy it at my destination.

... and this is second...

I am an artist and I always pack my camera but I do only, and only photos of something that I know would inspire my work. Everything else, beach photos, town photos, all of these you can get in a good book shop, and done better then we can ever do. I used to buy postcards, as my ‘memory stock’ and some of them I would mail to myself as a small, crazy memorabilia. Long time ago I decided that I don’t need to overload my camera and computer with photos that can be found in every book store anyway… not to mention Google images…

So, I travel light and free. I am NOT waiting at the airport for the luggage, I am not going, ever, to be a victim of another ‘lost baggage claim’, condom or not coming with that, and I simply don’t want to worry about anything when I am ‘out there’.

And – who cares if you are wearing the same thing every day? As long as it is clean – that’s not important.

I’ve read this somewhere and it became my motto: 

When in doubt, leave it out.

By Lena Stefanovic
Geneva, Switzerland