Travelling light

Never mind what to take on holiday; here's what you should leave behind 

Whenever the summer holidays roll along , magazines and newspapers are quick to run the now almost-mandatory pieces about what you should pack when you head out on vacation. 

Well, this week I am taking a very different tack to that. I am going to make a list of all the things you definitely do not need to pack when you are heading out for a summer holiday, based on the many packing mistakes I have made over the years. So here’s a short list of all the stuff you definitely need to leave behind when you head out to have a good time. 

• You absolutely do not need two coats/jackets even if you are heading to a cold climate. Just pick one that can do double duty for both day and night (black, red or any neutral shade will do). And if you can carry it along with you on the plane you can save precious space in your suitcase. 

• I have been guilty of this on many an occasion but believe me you do not need to carry your entire hair paraphernalia with you on vacation. Your hair will benefit from using a different shampoo and conditioner (it prevents build-up of product on your hair) and a good hotel will provide a hairdryer as well. Just carry your mousse/spray and you are all set (see what I did there?).

• Wear your bulkiest pair of shoes/boots while travelling (another great space-saving trick) and pack your evening sandals/heels. But only one pair, mind you. You don’t need anything more than that no matter how many fancy dinners you have booked. 

• You may absolutely love a certain top or pair of trousers but unless you can mix and match them with several other pieces in your packing list then you must harden your heart and leave them behind. Every outfit in your suitcase absolutely has to earn its place. 

• Are you thinking that your vacation would be the perfect time to read that big fat book that has been languishing on your nightstand for months? Maybe it will. But the odds are that you will be having too much fun to even open it. Much better to leave that weighty tome behind and load whatever you want to read on your Kindle instead. 

• Even if you are the most finicky of dressers, you really don’t need to cart a portable iron or steamer along with you. Most hotels have an ironing board and iron in the room — or available on demand; as are steamers. Though in my experience if you unpack as soon you arrive and hang up all your clothes in the wardrobe the creases will have miraculously fallen away by the time you are ready to get dressed the next morning. 

• And ladies, last but not least, it is not necessary to carry your entire make-up kit and face care potions along. Pare it down to one or two lipsticks, one moisturising foundation, one blusher, an eye pencil or eyeliner, mascara and a nourishing night cream. Just add a bottle of SPF 50 sunscreen and you are good to go. Happy holidays everyone!

Travelling light

How do our fictional heroes and heroines manage to holiday with just one tiny carry-on?

 

There are many things that are completely unrealistic about movies and TV shows: how the hero/heroine always finds a cab cruising by conveniently when they need to follow someone; how all the women wake up with perfect hair; how the children never ever get truly messed up no matter how long they play in the garden.

 

But the one thing that strikes me as most unrealistic of all is when I see people packing to go on vacation. Without fail, they take one small wheelie bag and a tiny carry-on, which in itself is not worthy of comment. But once they get to their destination, they unveil a wardrobe that could not possibly fit into even two large suitcases. They never repeat an outfit; they have matching shoes and bags with every change; they show off more costume jewelry that you can shake a cocktail ring at. And if it is winter, they manage to pack more than one overcoat and a range of jackets, thus defying the very laws of physics. 

 

Given that we mere mortals could never do that, I think we should give up aspiring to travel as ‘light’ as our fictional heroes and heroines do. Yes, I know, all the fashion magazines never tire of running articles on how you can travel with just one bag by packing clothes that go effortlessly “from day to night” with the addition of a sparkly scarf or a pair of glittery heels. Well, if you can do that, then you are a better person than me. I am afraid I can’t manage without cramming a giant suitcase to the brim and then stuffing in a hold-all that I break out on the return journey for my dirty laundry and any new purchases I make.

 

Of late, though, I have been shamed into packing a bit lighter, after a particularly embarrassing episode when I couldn’t quite lift my suitcase off the carousel and needed the help of two able-bodied men to help me wrestle it onto my trolley. So, just in case you need the tips, here’s how I managed to lighten my load.

 

·       I know it’s a bit of a palaver to wear boots at the airport and have to take them off at security, but given that they weigh down your suitcase, it’s best to keep them on when you travel. Ditto, heavy jackets and overcoats.

·       I can’t do without my brand of shampoo and conditioner, not to mention my various lotions and potions. But instead of carrying the full bottles, I make do with sachets or small bottles into which I decant tiny amounts that will last my trip.

·       No physical books go into my bag; instead I download all I want to read on my Kindle. I leave my laptop behind, carrying just a lightweight tablet just in case I need to do some writing.

·       Sticking to one colour palette when packing clothes is a huge help because you only need to carry one pair of shoes and one handbag that will go with everything.

·       I can’t do without my Dyson airwrap entirely but I have pared down the number of accessories I travel with. And my portable steamer stays home; a few wrinkles are a small price to pay for a lighter bag.