Travelling is sometimes quite stressful – especially when airports are involved, and if you have loads of luggage to be dragging around, then it can even more stressful and crazy, so although most people do aspire to pack light, it’s often not the easiest of tasks (just ask the His & Hers team!)

As you probably already know, there are many benefits to packing light – aside from it being less stressful, it can save you time and money, since you won’t have to wait around at baggage claim for your suitcase to show up or wait in line to check it in, nor will you have to pay to store it on the plane like so many airlines nowadays are now asking people to do, and you certainly won’t run the risk of excess baggage fees.

So, in this post we’re going to share with you some of our top tips for packing light.

Make a packing list:

Planning ahead is always the best thing to start with since most people will just pack everything they think they need instead of what they actually need, and this means that most of the stuff going into the suitcase is stuff that you end up bringing back with you, so making a packing list is a good way to keep yourself on track. You can either find a packing list template online that you can download, use a simple spreadsheet, a tool like Trello, or even just plain old pen and paper – the point is finding something that works for you and keeps you from overpacking.

Plan your outfits:

Again, like when making your packing list, you should take into account the number of days you’re going to be away, then look at the activities you’re going to be doing during that time, and also the time of year. Summer will require lighter clothing than winter, but that doesn’t mean you need to take 4 outfits per day.

Now that you have this information, then plan out the outfits for each day – of course you can mix and match and you don’t need to wear the allocated outfit for that day, but the idea is to have only what you need for each day and not 3 weeks worth of stuff for a 5 day break.

Since shoes are actually the things that will take up most space in your luggage, then you need to choose these carefully. Instead of taking a pair for each day or occasion, why not take 2-3 pairs that could work for multiple occasions, such as a pair of Mens wide fit shoes that could work during the day and at night.

Use travel-sized cosmetics:

Travel-sized cosmetics will allow you to save space in your luggage, and they’re often more than enough for what you need during your trip, so even if you’re not just carrying hand luggage, in which case travel cosmetics will be required, then you’re going to find these a lot more practical and convenient to travel with anyway.

Use hand luggage:

Although it’s not always going to be possible – especially not for longer winter trips, you should try to travel with hand luggage as much as you can since it will save you so much stress, but also save you time and money.

We’re very proud to bring you this feature in association with Wide Fit Shoes.