| What clothing should you pack when you must carry | | | | I'll use one bag for clean clothing such as underwear |
| all of your luggage yourself and you want to travel | | | | and socks, a separate bag for dirty ones (if I have |
| light ? Take a "bare" minimum of clothing with you. | | | | to move on before clothing can be washed and |
| Dress comfortably and casually. Choose your clothing | | | | dried), plus a third for items of clothing that have |
| for its practicality. In warm climates loose lightweight | | | | been washed, but are still damp when the time |
| cotton clothing will feel better against your skin than | | | | comes to vacate a hotel room and tackle the next |
| sticky synthetic fabrics and tight-fitting clothing. If | | | | leg of a journey. At the next stop they can be hung |
| you plan to visit tropical regions you can protect your | | | | up to finish drying. By the way, washing clothes with |
| skin from too much exposure to strong sunlight and | | | | ordinary soap eliminates the need to transport any |
| disease-carrying mosquitos if you resist the urge to | | | | additional type of cleaning agent. |
| wear as little clothing as possible. You'll be far safer | | | | If you'll need some sort of warmer clothing to wear |
| with long-sleeved shirts, high necklined tops and long | | | | on cooler days or on cool evenings, carry one item |
| trousers. Just keep to light colored, lightweight natural | | | | only. It can be used whenever you need it. Keep it |
| fabrics and loose-fitting clothes to maximize the | | | | lightweight, nonwrinkling and non-fussy. For example, |
| comfort of your clothing. | | | | a single cozy sweater or sweatshirt in a color that |
| Casual comfortable clothing, especially if you veer | | | | does not show off dirt is a very practical, soft and |
| towards the sloppy, will also decrease your odds of | | | | warm choice, far more practical that a bulky jacket |
| being marked as a wealthy target by local thieves | | | | (unless you're doing some real cool weather or winter |
| who work the tourist spots. If you want to look a | | | | traveling). When not in use, you can tie your sweater |
| bit more dressy for the evening, add a thin, | | | | around your waist. That way you can keep it with |
| weightless, colorful scarf to your simple | | | | you while you sightsee on days when the |
| neutral-colored day clothes. Leave your jewelry at | | | | temperature is variable. If it remains tied around your |
| home. It's heavy, bulky and could attract thieves. If | | | | waist you'll feel it less than if you add it to the |
| you're a clothes horse, try to resist the urge to pack | | | | weight of your backpack and it can even double as a |
| one set of clothing for casual daywear, a fancier set | | | | pillow on long, drowsy train rides. |
| for restaurants at dinnertime and a third set for an | | | | If you're traveling at a time or to a place where you'll |
| elegant evening out. You'll just wear yourself out | | | | need rain gear, a thin fold-up plastic poncho or rain |
| trying to be fashionable if you must drag all of these | | | | coat is the least onerous thing to take with you. It |
| outfits around from locale to locale. Don't worry | | | | can go right into your pocket and can easily be |
| about being seen in the same set of clothing two | | | | whipped out in case of a sudden shower. For city |
| days in a row. No one but your travel partner (or the | | | | travel it's very easy to duck under awnings or into |
| hotel clerk) will see you more than once anyway and, | | | | shops, making bulkier rain gear unnecessary. Sturdier |
| if your partner is practical, he or she will also be | | | | rain gear or umbrellas are only needed for places |
| wearing one set of clothing throughout the trip. | | | | where you expect serious rain or a lack of quick |
| As to clothing choices, in general I wear one | | | | access to shelter. |
| comfortable, loose-fitting pair of casual trousers and | | | | Keep sleepwear light and minimal, as well, and if you |
| assume that if I get caught in the rain, it won't kill | | | | absolutely must have slippers to wear while in your |
| me. I'll dry out soon enough. I pack no spares. Extra | | | | hotel room buy a pair of cheap, thin, weightless fabric |
| pairs of pants or skirts can add considerably to your | | | | slippers that can be slid into your pack without adding |
| luggage load. Pick something in a neutral color that will | | | | extra bulk. |
| go with anything else you'll be wearing. Trousers with | | | | Do not pack an extra pair of shoes. Shoes are the |
| plenty of pocket space are a plus, especially if you | | | | ultimate in unnecessary extra bulk and weight when |
| might be buying small odds and ends in souvenir | | | | considering travel clothing. In the movies the leading |
| shops, or a little junk food, as you stroll around | | | | man and leading lady who are off on a journey |
| sightseeing each day. | | | | appear in a different set of clothing and a new pair |
| To travel light, I just pack one or two spare tops | | | | of shoes in every scene. Clearly, they are not |
| that are lightweight, comfortable and can easily be | | | | carrying their own luggage around with them and, in |
| rolled up, as folding causes more creases than careful | | | | fact, their bags never look quite large enough to |
| rolling. I pack just two pairs of underwear and socks | | | | even hold everything they wear. So much for the |
| for an entire trip. It's easy enough to wash out | | | | difference between movies and reality. I never pack |
| underwear, socks and shirts in hotel rooms and hang | | | | extra shoes. I take my chances and figure that if my |
| them up to dry for later reuse during the same trip. | | | | shoes get wet, I'll find a way to dry them out. I |
| The choice is simple. For a two week trip you can lug | | | | simply wear one pair of thoroughly broken in |
| fourteen pairs of underwear everywhere you go, or | | | | sneakers that offer good support in the soles. |
| you can lug just two and regularly wash them out | | | | Nothing could be less practical than tight shoes or |
| with soap and water in a hotel room sink. I suggest | | | | high heels, and the toll that they take on your feet |
| packing two pairs, not one, so that there is still a | | | | may severely limit your enjoyment of a trip. How |
| fresh change on hand for days when you may arrive | | | | long can you walk around picturesque towns or stand |
| in a place one evening and plan to move on to | | | | around in museums when your feet hurt ? Wear |
| another town the very next morning, allowing for too | | | | low-heeled sturdy, but presentable, shoes with solid |
| little drying time. When you hit a larger city like Paris | | | | arch support. Wear shoes that have already been |
| or London or Rome, where you plan to stay put for | | | | broken in and are comfortable enough for hours of |
| at least a couple of days, you can catch up on all | | | | daily walking but - beware - even shoes that you are |
| your washing and know that clothing has plenty of | | | | accustomed to walking in daily can cause blisters |
| time to dry, even if the air is damp. | | | | when you're suddenly walking far more hours each |
| Pack thin, lightweight natural cotton underwear and | | | | day than normal. Keep a few bandaids or callous pads |
| socks that breath and won't require as much drying | | | | handy. Be sure that the shoes you choose for the |
| time as heavier cottons or other fabrics. In summer | | | | trip are lightweight. Hold them in your hand and |
| weather clothing can dry out very quickly. In cooler | | | | compare the various pairs of shoes that you're |
| damper months you might be running a radiator and | | | | considering for the trip. When you expect to take |
| that can double as a heat source for drying. Just be | | | | thousands and thousands of steps each day of a |
| careful not to put wet things directly against | | | | trip, plus carry a backpack around each time you |
| radiators or electrical appliances and be careful, too, | | | | travel from one tourist destination to another, it's |
| not to let wet items of clothing drip onto hotel room | | | | extremely counteractive to do it in a pair of shoes |
| carpets. Wring clothes out well and keep them | | | | that themselves are heavy and require additional |
| hanging in the shower until they no longer drip. Don't | | | | effort for every step that you take. |
| use new brightly colored clothing items that might | | | | Try out some of these tips for traveling light by |
| drip colored dyes that can stain bathroom floors, | | | | packing very little clothing, and then see what you |
| floor mats or carpets in hotels. | | | | think. You may never want to pack all sorts of stylish |
| Pack plenty of plastic bags. They take up little space, | | | | outfits again. You and your clothing can still look nice, |
| are weightless, and will be useful in a hundred | | | | just focus on quality and not quantity. See your |
| different ways, from storing opened packaged foods | | | | clothing more for its function than for its fashion and |
| to keeping your laundry well organized. For example, | | | | you'll be free to enjoy the joys of traveling light. |