You can always have another chance

To leave that extra stuff at home

Whether it’s a business trip, weekend getaway, or trip home for the holidays, every time you travel is a new opportunity to pack light and pack small.  Ultralight travel doesn’t have to be with a backpack (although that’s still my favorite kind.)  Travel with a suitcase works, too.

A lot of us are used to just throwing a bunch of things into a suitcase and dashing off to the airport – but these days, with checked baggage fees piling on, taking less makes more sense than ever.  Packing your trip into a compact carry-on is more convenient, and it’s cheaper, too!  It always gets back to asking, “What do I really need for this trip?” For me, part of the fun of traveling is adapting to things as life happens.  You can’t prepare for everything even if you stay at home, so trying to play the “what if I need…” game while traveling, won’t get you very far.

No need to make it complicated, just try any ideas you have and see how it goes.  Learn from the last time. Practice for the next time.  Try a couple of the tips and techniques that you’ll find here on longwalking and see how it goes.  Some of the basics are:

• Plan to layer your wardrobe as the weather requires
• Take smaller instead of larger
• Repackage things to save space and weight
• Don’t take more than you need

Keep it simple – when in doubt, leave it out.

Wherever you’re going and wherever you’ll be for the holidays, have fun and be safe.  And have a heck of a hiking New Year!