Packing Lightly: 8 Things You do Not Need
Is your luggage always heavy? Do you wish that you could stay within the luggage limit? Look no further, we have found a number of items that you definitely don’t need to bring when you are going on vacation. In our Alpine Hotel, we often see many travellers who bring excessive amounts of baggage, and we know that their lives could be easier if they could bring fewer items and enjoy what the Italian Alps have to offer. Carrying heavy baggage is a massive burden – if you can reduce, you could have better mobility and more space for souvenirs! Furthermore, heavy luggage is not great for the environment either – as it could use excess fuel in vehicles and planes – read our Easy Travel Tips for an Eco-Friendly Vacation to discover more. Without further ado, here are the items you can eliminate from your luggage when you go on your next trip!
1. Jewellery and Valuables
When you are on vacation, there is always the risk of losing your valuables - whether it unhinges itself, you accidentally leave it in your hotel room or even the possibility of your luggage being lost. Avoid losing valuables by simply not bringing them at all. But if you do, make sure you keep it in your carry-on rather than luggage so that you can always have your eye on your valuables.
2. EXTRA Toiletries
You can save a lot of space by not bringing an excessive amount of toiletries. Examples include; shampoo, conditioner, sunscreen, lotion and more. Many of these toiletries can easily be bought in the local shops in the country you are travelling to. In many instances, the hotel you are staying at will provide toiletries for free. For example, our hotel, Albergo Miramonti, supplies shampoo and conditioners for you to use.
3. Extra Clothing
Plan the clothes that you will definitely wear according to each day of your vacation. This will allow you to get dressed quickly, organise your luggage better and lay off the luggage weight. There are some people that like to stuff as much clothing as they can so they can plan their outfit later – try and avoid this if you are packing lightly because you will end up with unworn clothing. By planning and not bringing extra clothing, you can save so much more space in your luggage and make room for souvenirs!
4. Guidebooks
Yes, guidebooks can be very useful when travelling to another country especially when you want to decide what activities or excursions you want to do during the day. However, by bringing guidebooks, it can add extra weight to your baggage. It is better to immerse yourself into the country, ask the locals and go on an unguided exploration around the area - This is way more exciting and gets you to feel more present in the moment. If anything, just bring your mobile phone - nowadays, everything you need to know is on the internet.
6. Extra Electronics
Forget bringing your iPad, your laptop or even hairdryers. The purpose of your vacation is to relax and immerse yourself in the country, learning the cuisine, and enjoying the views. Don’t get distracted by electronics like iPads or laptops - just focus on your vacation! In terms of hairdryers, many hotels and Airbnb’s provide hairdryers so you don’t even have to bring one.
5. Lenses and Tripods
Unless you are a professional photographer, you can ditch the lenses and tripod. You will do fine with bringing one lens along with your camera. This is due to the fact that camera lenses can be very heavy (have you seen those massive zoom lenses?). To reduce the weight of your baggage, just don’t bring lenses or tripods - or even better, just bring your trusty mobile phone camera with you instead.
7. Shoes
You think that you need shoes for different occasions but in reality, you just need to learn to be versatile and reuse shoes for varying activities. Either you bring one pair of trainers or sandals - then wear them everywhere. You’ll be surprised to find that you can survive with 1-2 pairs of shoes.
8. Bulky Towels
Towels are the culprit of many overweight pieces of luggage out there. They are bulky, thick and very inconvenient to bring. More times than not, hotels will be extremely generous and offer you towels. So there won’t be a point bringing thick, bulky towels that take up so much space in your luggage.
Hope you found this guide useful, and have an even more minimal approach to your packing habits. In return, you get to enjoy your holiday even more without having to lug around excessively heavy luggage. For more tips and tricks for travel, Read our blog:
· 5 Destinations in the Italian Alps You Need to Visit This Summer
· Top tips for Solo Female Travellers in Italy
· 5 Easy Travel Tips for an Eco-Friendly Vacation
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