Green Travel Tip: Reduce Your Weight – Pack Light.
With the airlines charging you extra for your luggage, now’s the perfect time to learn how to pack light. Not only will it save you money, but it’s also a ‘green travel’ thing to do.
After all…
less luggage = less weight = less fuel usage
But packing light is not always easy, so I’ve been do a little research to find out the best ways to pack light.
Here’s what the experts suggest…
1. Make a list and check it twice. Think about where you are going and what you are going to need. Make a draft list, put it aside for a day, and then edit it aggressively. All of us think we need so much more than we do.
2. Choose the right bag. I was talking with friends the other day who are in the process of packing for a two month European holiday. Flying from New Zealand, they are only allowed one 20 kg bag each. Pulling their old suitcases out of the cupboard, they decided to weigh them before packing and were surprised, and dismayed, to find that each suitcase weighed 4 kg - almost 25% of their weight entitlement.
3. Fold the clothes. Carefully folded clothes take up much less space, and also require much less care before wear.
To find out just how easy it is to pack light, check out How to be a Suitcase Swami: one week, one carry-on over at Perceptive Travel Blog where Sheila packs up her husband for a week long conference trip.
For further reading, check out Go Green Travel Green’s Ultimate Guide to Packing Light: 45 Tips to Lighten Your Load which is packed full of great links to information on packing light.
3 Comments
Thanks for the linkback — I actually frequently refer back to that post when preparing for a trip!
The thing that really makes all the difference I’ve found is shoes. Wear your biggest pair and don’t bring too many other pairs. It’s amazing how much shoes weigh.
Hi Elizabeth, it’s a great resource list. And you are so right about the shoes. I always wear the shoes and pack the sandels.
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