Why Savvy Travelers Travel Light
March 27th, 2008If you travel much at all, particularly on airlines, it almost goes without saying that not checking luggage does more to save time and headaches than just about any other action. Yet a majority of folks continue to subject themselves to the likely aggravation that checking bags will cause them sooner or later.
Frequent business travelers know that traveling light, taking along only a single carry on bag can often be the difference between the success or failure of the trip. Likewise, doing so can result in a pleasurable vacation or one thats ruined.
Bottom line is that if youve got to have it at your destination, then dont check baggage, carry it on. Otherwise the statistical probability of the things you need and counted on, becoming damaged, stolen or even lost completely, are quite high.
Even if your bags were to arrive as advertised, theres time and hassle saved by not standing in line, either at a ticket counter or kiosk, or later at baggage claim. You neednt arrive as early at the airport, youre faster to the head of the line at car rental counters and taxi queues, or just get on away from the airport sooner.
However, actually receiving your bags in the condition in which you parted with them means not only do a whole bunch of things have to happen right, but those things are the responsibility of low-wage agents and handlers, who in conjunction with luggage eating conveyer systems, may or may not choose to treat your bags with care, not rifle through them stealing any of the contents, or even bother getting them on the right plane.
Call me jaded, but that seems like a fairly lofty expectation. Actually personal experiences, plus those of others, along with observation of the process, thoroughly substantiate the fact that checking luggage is risky.
So how does one pull this off? Simply by not trying to bring everything but the kitchen sink along for the ride. For some folks, just leaving the kitchen sink behind would be a substantial improvement.
Seriously though, we dont really need near as much stuff as we think. First step is to realize youre not trying to replicate your closet or bathroom at wherever youre going. Next visualize your stay a day at a time thinking through what youre planning to do. That will tell you what to pack.
If you miss something, its not the end of the world. Either substitute, buy another or just do without.
After the visualization process, there are 2 approaches to packing. Either lay out everything you can think you might need, then eliminate the excess until it fits in a carry-on, or better yet, only lay out items youve visualized using.
Most people dont take time to perform this thought process with the inevitable result that they pack tons of stuff to be sure they can cover any contingency. Funny thing is, that even using this shotgun approach, they forget something important.
People will say getting everything in just one bag cant be done for long trips. My response is that, even if true it doesnt mean your bags get treated any better or have any more certainty of showing up. The risks remain.
Personally, 2 weeks is no problem for a carry on luggage solution. Other folks mileage may vary, but there are still better choices than checking bags.
Learn the secrets to traveling light and find more travel tips and tricks at our Caribbean vacations website.
