Tip for Packing Light: Dress Up the Way You Need to

A multifaceted traveler's activities vary distinctly from one destination to another. One day, you might just feel like lounging in Sagada; on other days, you might just feel like beating up the summer heat and be a beach bum in Boracay; still, on other days, you might just want to fly far just to climb a major mountain.

With the varying destinations and itineraries comes the need for different sets of appropriate clothing. Hence, before a trip, you should do research on the appropriate clothing for the destination that you intend to go to (if you have no idea yet).

Knowing what you need to wear in a given destination will guide you in packing only the clothes that you really have to bring. Say, spending three days in Sagada would require you to pack heavier than you would in beach bumming, because you have to have thick clothes to keep you warm.

Also be mindful of the number of days that you will spend on a location. On my early travel days, I have been guilty of over-packing - just throwing in appropriate clothing in my luggage without actually matching them with my days of stay at a given location. Now, I carefully plan and schedule my outfits before the travel date.

A foolproof tip I could share is upon leaving your house, already wear the clothes that you intend to wear for your first activity on your destination. This does not only help you save much needed space on your luggage, but will also let you save time, especially when you are in a jam-packed itinerary. I always follow jam-packed itineraries so it is a must that upon arrival at the destination, I am already geared-up for the activities that I have to do. I just throw my stuff at the accommodation and I am good to go.

Another tip is if you intend to wear a jacket sometime during the trip, wear it upon departure (unless it is freaking hot on your departure). Same goes if wearing closed shoes is essential to your itinerary. A pair of flip-flops is lighter and easier to pack than a pair of shoes.

I only wear light clothing, say, shorts and flip-flops if the itinerary involves heading straight to the beach. In that case, I also wear my swimwear underneath, thus still being consistent with my pack light attempt.

The photos below show how I dress at the airport. I doubt if there is a hint of fashion in the way I dress. Regardless, this is consistent with my tip to already dress the way you would on your first activity. In general, I am a fan of closed flat shoes, by the way. The number one rule is to keep yourself comfortable. As long as you look decent, that would be alright.

a glimpse of how I dress at the airport