Tips on travelling light-Part 2 

6. Dress it up or down. Light-weight, wrinkle-free separates that can go dressy or casual make the most of each inch of packable space. By day three semi-dressy tops go casual with cargo pants (when touring, stash your cash in the pockets to deter pickpockets). In the evening, pair them with a wrinkle-resistant tube skirt and ballet flats for a more polished look.

7. Teach kids to help. Young children are natural tourists. Pack too many toys, and you may wind up carrying their stuffed animals and picture books through museums, for example, while they find endless amusement in the audio guide and growing number of interactive exhibits. If they are old enough to help pack, let them choose which items to bring.

You don’t need as much other paraphernalia as you might think either. On trips to Malysia and India when my son was two and three respectively, a car seat turned into an extra piece of baggage since taxis there didn’t have the seat belts necessary to secure them. Nor did I need the 100 diapers and powdered milk I toted on the first of of these trips; the former were readily available, and he refused to drink the latter.

That said, a few extra clothing changes for the inevitable spills and spit ups don’t consume a lot of space. At the earliest opportunity, make kids responsible for their own belongings. Even a four-year-old can maneuver a small wheely–a skill mastered during the pull-toy days.

8. Use apps to the max. Even when traveling on business, I generally leave my laptop at home and rely on an iPad and iPhone to stay connected. During the past several years I have shed yet more baggage by using a variety of smart-phone apps, instead of toting weighty paraphernalia. Some of these apps are specifically designed for travel and touring. For example, I use the Camera+ app to take pictures, like the one at the top of this post and in the accompanying slideshow; convert currencies and measures of altitude, weight and temperature with Converter+; and wrote this article and kept background information about each destination on Evernote. (For more information, see my post, “Road-Tested Travel Apps.”)

9. Wear the bulkiest items in transit. This goes not just for shoes, but for clothing too. Jeans, which are heavy and take up a lot of suitcase space, are great for travel because they are so durable. Don’t travel in shorts or a skirt, which can be easily packed. If it’s too warm to wear the jacket or coat you’ve brought, sling it over your arm. 

10. Wash, rinse, repeat. You can’t beat the convenience of a hotel laundry service, but it can cost almost as much as certain items of clothing. In some locations, self-service laundromats are your only alternative. A drop-off laundry service (priced by the pound) is a happy middle ground. 

To tide you over, rinse things out in the hotel sink. (If you expect to do a lot of this, bring rubber gloves to avoid dishpan hands.) Pack a mild soap power for the purpose or live off the land if you’re staying at a place that provides shampoo or bath gel. Dry your garments on towel rods or the retractable clothes lines that many hotel bathrooms now have, or string up one of your own, like the Flexo-line available from Magellan ($10.50).

What about souvenirs? Truth be told, I bring back a lot more than photos and memories from my travels. My sweet spot is for inexpensive, everyday items, as I wrote here: custom-made clothing from Southeast Asia; musical instruments; local footwear; and textiles. Anything that doesn’t fit in my suitcase goes in what my husband calls “overflow bags,” also acquired along the way. The more unusual ones include a tote from the island of Mykonos in Greece made of the same fabric used to construct boat sails (I used it to bring home hand-knitted sweaters); an indestructible woven plastic bag from Oaxaca; and a Malaysian rice bag that I used to transport a lacquer tiffin from Myanmar.

Source: Forbes.com