How To Travel With Just Carry On
It’s a real talent to travel with only a travel on suitcase.
It’s also sometimes a smart move, especially if cost is a factor to you—your flights will often be significantly cheaper if you don’t require checked in luggage. It also makes traveling more streamline and practically easier. It’s easier to move from place to place if you’re not lugging 30kg of your belongings around after you.
My first tip for packing just a carry-on case is be ruthless. Thing about what you really really need to take with you. I don’t take anything that I think I could buy if I was in a pinch and really needed it. Toiletries often take up so much space but really, where would you be going that you wouldn’t be able to buy a small tube for your time away once you arrived?
Edit your packing. Don’t pack the night before, if you pack a week before you leave, it gives you time to go over and revise what you’ll need. This means you have longer to remember to pack everything you need, and time to take out what, on second thought, you might not actually require.
Another thing to consider is obviously where you’re going and how long you’re going away for. You won’t necessarily need a whole weeks worth of different outfits, for instance, and if you’re going to be lying on a beach most days then the amount of space you’ll need for clothing will be greatly diminished.
The key thing when packing just a carry on is packing smart and really thinking about your travel context and what it calls for.
Getting The Most Out Of Your Economy Seat
Flying economy can be a smart way of traveling and getting the most of your money. Spending less on getting to your destination gives you more to play with when you arrive. Economy seats can be a tight squeeze though, and particularly on long haul flights they can be uncomfortable and arduous. We’ve perfected the art of economy travel though, and here are our top pieces of advice for surviving small spaces at 39,000 feet.
Giving yourself plenty to do on the plane is a must. If your mind is occupied then you’re less likely to sit there being annoyed that you don’t have very much personal space. I always make sure that I have back up films or television shows, because if you rely on the in-flight entertainment you might not always find something you’re particularly interested in. If you’re someone who can’t read with noise going on around you (as I am) then books usually aren’t a good option on a flight. Find something that will keep you engaged and pass the time faster for you.
Get up and move frequently. This can be easier or harder depending on whether you have an isle spot or not. If you keep your muscles and body comfortable and mobile, the jittery bored feelings will remain at bay for longer. Making sure that you’re moving around enough in a flight is an excellent way of breaking it down as well, if you set a goal to get up and move around at least once and hour they’ll tick down much faster!
Relax. Which can be hard when you feel like there are a hundred other people too close to you. But finding ways to tune out of the environment as best you can you’ll find is the only way to survive with your sanity in tact.
Remember that as soon as you arrive at your destination you will have forgotten about the discomfort of getting there very quickly.