Fewer things, chosen better

Packing light tips

Packing light is not discipline, it is arithmetic done in the right unit. Change how you count and the bag gets smaller without the trip getting harder.

6 tips
  1. Count outfits, not days

    Nine pieces make far more than nine outfits when they are chosen to combine. Days are the wrong unit, and they are why bags get packed twice over.

    The 3/3/3 method
  2. Pick one palette and stay in it

    Everything matching everything is what makes a small bag look like a wardrobe. Two neutrals and one accent will carry two weeks.

    Build a capsule wardrobe
  3. Compress the bulk, not the essentials

    Jackets, fleeces and anything filled with air are volume rather than weight, and that is where vacuum packs win. Compressing your daily basics only makes them harder to reach.

    See what goes in each pack
  4. Weigh it at home, once

    The scale at the check-in desk is the expensive place to learn your bag is three kilos over. Weigh it packed, the night before.

    Luggage weights compared
  5. Laundry replaces half your clothes

    On anything over five days, a single wash lets you carry five sets instead of seven — the biggest cut available, for the price of one afternoon.

    Ways to wash on a trip
  6. Let the plan do the counting

    Trip length, weather, where you are staying and which airline you fly all change the quantities. Enter them once and read the numbers instead of guessing them.

    Build my packing plan
Next step
Turn the advice into a list

The calculator takes your trip and returns the packs you actually need — weight, size, and the rules of the airline you are flying.

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