Picking the best bag for traveling light is a very personal choice. We all have different objectives and goals. So you need to find a bag that's right for YOU.
Human nature has us filling our bags!
Give me a massive suitcase and I'll fill it! I think we can all relate to that. "Hey, I've got all this room, why not just put a few more things in it!"
Are you tired of ...
- Carrying too much stuff?
- Lugging heavy bags?
- Over packing?
- Filling your bag to the brim?
- Losing luggage?
- Paying luggage fees?
- Waiting at luggage carousels?
- Negotiating transport with difficulty?
With the right bag, you can brag to your friends and family how easy and simple your latest trip was compared to the old days of travel.
This 24L bag works for me. But would it work for you?
The right bag is a light bag!
Picking the right bag is not just a case of going into a shop and picking what you THINK will work.
Different bag types have different pros and cons. But most importantly, we as individual travellers have our own specific needs and uses for a bag.
But one thing is true for all bags when traveling light:
The right bag is a light bag!
Traveling light will have you experiencing:
- Freedom of movement
- Ease of getting around
- Faster exits through airports
- …and so much more!
The bag options are endless!
"I've tried traveling light, but it didn't work."
When people say this to me, I ask them, "Why did it not work?"
They can usually explain quite easily that they took too much stuff, clothes didn't work well together, they took too many shoes, they carried books or technology.
But I encourage them to try again. Take some different steps and see if it can work better next time.
An analogy I use is,
You go to a doctor with pain and they give you some pain relief. But that pain relief doesn't work. For a number of reasons it might not be the right pain relief for you.
But do you accept that result or do you go back and tell them?
No, you do not accept it, and you go back and tell them. And they change the drug to make sure your pain is covered. Or they look at it differently as to why the original pain relief isn't working.
You want the pain to go away, so you persist until it does.
The same is with travelling light. You may not get it right the first time, but don't give up. Things often need tweaking.
So many options and sizes.
Confession time: I wasn't always a light traveller.
Yes, the evidence is below. In the 90's I lived in London and had a fabulous time exploring the world - but lightweight wasn't a thing then (actually it probably was - just not to me).
So I had a 70L pack. The irony of the brand name is not lost on me...Karrimor!!!! Subliminal messages were encouraging us to literally carry more!
I've blogged previously about my travelling days of lugging around (and bragging even) my 15-20 kg bag (that's 33-44lbs!). Or translated to plain English, bloody heavy. So I think it's good to remind myself of how far I've come, and to remind you, my readers, that I once was a heavy traveller too.
We've all been there.
Gotta love the blurry photos of the old days! So young - OMG, that pack looks so heavy!
The best travel bag is the best one for you.
We all have different ways of traveling. We all do different things on our travels. We all have our own personal style and ways of doing things.
Remember, travelling light takes time to plan. Don't rush it. Keep learning!
Happy travel planning,
Katherine.
