PACKING LIGHT – MY TRAVEL LUXURY

My travel luxury comes from packing lightly. My husband may well laugh as I have been known to take an umbrella and multiple jumpers on a desert holiday. You can’t be too careful just in case, you know, it is like the UK winter while you’re there… But over the years I’ve done some careful analysis of unworn clothes after such trips…

And I’ve become pretty good at packing lightly.

I was thinking about what luxury I have in every single trip. Since I am often flying here or there with work or with Mr P, I figured there had to be a constant that means I’ll happily toddle off with next to no planning.

And let me tell you it’s really simple.

Not having to drag around a 25kg bag. Or to wait an age for hold luggage to arrive on the baggage belt. That my friends is a luxury. It saves time, saves effort and definitely reduces the risk of something going missing.

There’s plenty of other luxuries to travel, and I wrote about some earlier in the year – about the things it is too easy to take for granted, like access to travel and time and money to make it happen. But for this post I was thinking about what has made travel easiest when I am tired, and need an easy life.

So a few tips:

The cabin bag

Having the right cabin bag is essential. Mr P and I have different cabin bags but importantly they are both under the maximum size that European carriers will allow in hand luggage. He’s got a Briggs and Riley (which I prefer as it is so well thought through) and I have a Samsonite. Importantly, both only have 2 wheels. I used to envy travellers with the cute 4 wheelers… So easy to manoeuvre. But look inside those cases, the extra 2 wheels take up so much space! My blood does still boil when I see how many people blatantly break the rules on cabin baggage size.

The handbag

Having the right size handbag is also key. I have a lovely big Mulberry tote that holds a laptop as well as a great deal besides. It sits atop my wheeled bag which means I can fill it to the brim but don’t need to carry it separately. So it doesn’t get damaged from being overladen! And it fits under the seat in front, just like it should. I also always travel with a Longchamp le Pliage shoulder bag scrunched up small. They don’t crease, and it means I have a smaller bag to use day to day.

The packing

I have had my packing cubes for a while. I don’t use them all the time, but if I am moving regularly between hotels or may need to dig something like a computer out of my bag on a business trip without revealing my knickers, then they’ll be deployed. They don’t really take up much of their own space but allow ultimate bag organisation. Mr P is a bit of a pro-traveller and he’s started using them too now. In fact he got to them before me on our last trip! Whether or not I’m using my cubes it is all about the rolling… And the stuffing of smaller things into little gaps.

The travel outfit

I travel in the thickest and chunkiest clothes and shoes I’m taking. Normally either the UK or the plane is the coldest part of the trip anyway so it makes sense to! There’s always a hook on the seat for a jacket or if it’s business class then they’ll take it away and put it in a wardrobe for you.

The basics

The reason I can pack lightly is because I tend to wear blues, whites and greys and thankfully these all go together pretty well. Someone stylish would call it a capsule wardrobe, I just call it simple! I can take one scarf, jacket, skirt and pair of trousers and they’ll go with any of the rest of my packing. I avoid linen because it creases. For dresses I travel with those that have jersey in them. They’re still smart but don’t hold their creases!

The little plastic fluid bag

Given that I travel with non-dairy milk sachets my fluid bag has very little space for anything else. I always used to pack all manner of toiletries (just in case) but all I ever used was moisturiser, eye cream, eye concealer, tinted moisturiser and a roll on perfume. If the Duchess of Sussex can work the minimal make up look at her wedding then I am pretty sure it works for a business trip or a holiday. The last thing anyone wants in the heat is a heavily made up face! We always grab Boots travel size sun cream at the airport and use it up whilst away.

The shoes

I always wear my Superga’s on the plane. Comfy for strolling through the airport and if you get any swelling in the air then when you land they are still comfy. If I am travelling with work then it is one pair of heels for the week and Superga’s for the airport. Since I stick to colours, one pair of heels is easy to match. If it is a holiday there will be no heels – it’s a holiday. QED. Instead I’ll pack flip flops and a pair of pumps which are comfy enough for walking in and smart enough for evening wear.

The other life savers

Getting a Kindle was a game-changer for me. I used to need to take 4 books for a week away, and now I just slide my Kindle into a side pocket of my handbag. I always decant my medical tablets into little pots, these are essential so would never go in the hold. And thankfully Mr P bought me a compact camera that takes great photos, so the DSLR now only comes with us on big adventures (or if he has space)!

Probably my least noteworthy packing effort was having to take hold luggage with me to Crete last year… For the inflatable unicorn and pump. A totally justifiable reason! #Eyeroll… On the other hand, my proudest effort was a two week business trip in the US with only hand luggage. Yes, I used hotel laundry for a few basics over the weekend. But as I had internal flights most evenings, being able to wiz through each airport each evening was a game changer. And these days it is quite common that I’m packed and ready to go before Mr P!

As much as I love luxury when I get to where I am going, every trip I take with hand luggage only is so much simpler and swifter. Business or pleasure. So packing light is a luxury in itself. Much as I love not needing help with my luggage, I’ve also found that the less you have the more likely a chivalrous Mr P will carry it!!

I’m linking this up as part of the much-loved travel linkup. This month we’re thinking all things opulent – what are your travel luxuries? The whole shebang, ephemeral moments that you’ll always treasure or perhaps something in-between? Just pop your post up over the first week of the month (the 1st – 7th June 2018), add it to the link up widget found on Adventures of a London Kiwi, SilverSpoon London, Follow Your Sunshine or Sarah from More Than Just A Cupcake Lover.

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