Not until we are lost do we begin to find ourselves
So, the best thing that you can do to yourself is get lost in strange places. Explore, learn and understand yourself as you understand the world and everyone around you.
Not only are people in contemporary time willing to travel, but they obsess over it. Willing to turn themselves into a better person, the backpacking trend has taken root. This is where the traveler carries only a backpack to travel.
Why People Travel
But not everyone would give the same reason for traveling. While 25% of people – the highest percentage – travel only to relax, most other categories do fulfill the criteria of “finding oneself.”
Men vs. Women
But you see, your motivation for travel is less important than the fashion you travel in. And the fashion of your travel depends a great deal on one of the age-old factors: gender.
Contrary to what most people might think, females rather than males make up most of the population of solo travelers. With solo travelers made up of about 80% women and barely 20% men. And since men are on the backseat here, it is only fair that we give them some advice about traveling.
How to Pack
While traveling itself can be a daunting task, everything that comes before it is too. And while you may compensate for the stresses of travel by the pleasure you get out of it, you may not find the same pleasure in pre-travel work.Of the most important responsibilities to take care of before you set out on adventures, packing is by far the biggest. But again, we see the same gender divide here as observed in travel habits.
However, it seems men stress over packing much lessor than women do. While that may seem like a good thing at first, the real insight is that less stress over packing means inefficient packing. Packing right and light for everywhere is art men are yet to learn.
So, what are you waiting for? Let’s dive into these great tricks for the perfect packing:
1. Listing is Never a Bad Idea
Using a list sounds like one of the oldest tricks in the book and one that often seems unnecessary. But old is gold, and lists can be a huge blessing for clearing out your pre-travel stress. However, given that your list is defined categorically and smartly, it won’t be much of a help.
Organizing it correctly means that you have all your similar items under the same heading and a checkbox next to it. This way, you will never forget your bn3th boxers in your cupboard. The same goes for all your travel essentials like technology, necessary documentation, travel gear, and so on.
1. Restrict Yourself
If you were to pack everything you need, you would be taking much luggage with you. But you do not want that. So, what you should do is restrict yourself to just one carry-on bag. Once you do, you will automatically find yourself disregarding all unnecessary belongings.
Besides, traveling with lesser luggage means that there is little probability that it gets lost (*wink*). And do not believe airlines when they say your luggage is safe with them, because clearly (figure below), it is not.
2. One Week it is
When packing, most people are largely confused about what clothes and accessories they want to take with themselves. While you may want to always have your outfit on point during your travel, you should try to do it with as little clothes as possible.
But that is a bit of rather subjective advice because everyone has a different idea of little clothes. Some might be happy carrying just their essentials; others might not even be satisfied carrying their entire wardrobe.
The trick to packing light here is only to carry clothing for a week. In doing so, pick a diverse range of colors and do not forget to consider the weather when packing your essentials. With this advice, you will hopefully be able to stay on point with your clothing game.
3. Electronics
While it may be a necessity for people traveling on business to carry their personal computers, it isn’t for you. In such a case, experts suggest taking just one essential piece of electronic along with you on your adventure: an unlocked smartphone and sim card.
Having a smartphone means you are covered for when it comes to stuff like emails, skype, messengers, cameras, notebooks, maps, books, and mp3 players. Having so much in one means you do not need to pack everything separately, and your luggage stays light.
4. Light Shoes
Shoes are by far the most difficult to fit in your luggage. Unlike your bare essentials, you cannot fold your $100 loafers to squeeze into your bag. So, the recommendation for shoes is that you pack a maximum of two pairs of shoes; no more.
Of the two, when it comes to adding one to your luggage, make sure it is the lighter pair. The more massive, more bulky pair goes on your feet, and you wear it on the plane, train, bus, whatever.
5. Versatility Instead of Exclusivity
You might be tempted to carry your handmade leather loafers along with you when you travel, but think about what use it might be off. If you are planning to run and hike, a loafer is entirely useless.
A great pair of joggers, on the other hand, is not only perfect but will also work with your everyday clothing. Packing the more versatile products helps you not only stay light but also convenient.
Final Word
With all these tricks, it might seem relatively simple to pack. However, it is much easier said than done, especially when you have to leave behind your favorite pair of shoes or your best jeans.