5 Hacks to Pack Light and Travel Far this Summer

1) Use a packing checklist and stick to it!

Think about all the times you packed a hoard of clothes and ended up using only half of the items. This is usually the result of going through your wardrobe when packing instead of using a well thought out list. Think of the potential activities on your trip and define the essentials. For instance, if you are going on a hiking trip, you may need a few extra layers of tops for temperature regulation vs. a beach vacation.

2) Select clothing items that can be used everyday in multiple combinations

Choosing clothing items with a complementary colour scheme and consistent style will help you create more outfits with less pieces (thanks to easy mixing and matching!). Here is an example capsule wardrobe consisting of 8 key pieces of clothing suitable for a trip of up to a week:

• 3 tops: Tee, cami, tank top
• 2 bottoms: 1 pair of jeans, 1 pair of shorts / skirt
• 2 outerwear: a jacket / sweater and a cardigan for layering
• 1 “other”:  A dress or a romper

*Sample wardrobe & combinations courtesy of Travel Fashion Girl.

If you are planning on going out somewhere fancy, you can easily dress up your outfit with a stylish lightweight scarf (see Tip #5 for ideas) or a dressy cardigan.

Wear your bulkiest clothing when you travel to save up on luggage space (e.g. wear your boots or sneakers instead of flip flops or light sandals, which can be more easily packed in your bag.) If you are packing heels, pack them last and place them separately in the remaining free spaces in your bag.

3) Roll clothing when packing, Mary Kondo style

This packing method will take up a lot less space in your luggage and minimize creasing. When you place your rolled clothes next to each other you will also be able to see all your items at a glance.

For smaller items like undergarments, swimsuits and socks, you can use compression packing cubes to neatly separate and section the items in your bags.

4) Get airport security friendly & reusable travel sized containers for your self-care products

It is no secret that hotel shampoo is not suited for all types of hair and can often dry or damage hair. If you want to travel light, it is better to pack a few squeezes of the products you love without packing the entire container by using reusable travel sized containers instead.

Alternatively, if you are really optimizing luggage space you can also bring a refillable pouch that is airliner friendly to pack your SPF lotion or creams. As long as the pouch is 100 ml, or below 3.5 oz, you can bring it on board without checking in any baggage!

5) Select travel accessories that are versatile and can fulfill multiple functions

Luggage space is precious! Therefore, compact travel accessories that combine style & function are essential. A wonderful example for this is the Turkish towel, a.k.a. "hammam towel", “fouta” or “peshtemal”. This item is great because it is extra large, yet takes up only 20% of the space of a normal terry towel its size. Its flat-woven texture means it can be folded or rolled up super compact. As Turkish towels are made of durable Turkish cotton -known for its superior quality- they are extra absorbent and will dry in a matter of minutes, not hours.

If you are going on vacation and need an exceptionally versatile, stylish and compact item that can be used as a beach or bath towel, a pareo, a scarf or a shawl for chilly afternoons, look no further - Turkish towels are the ultimate lightweight and versatile travel must-have!

Discover Turkish towels here