• By inspireui-demo
• November 26, 2019May 10, 2022
• With 15 comments

Section 1.10.33 of “de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum”, written by Cicero in 45 BC

Packing light can seem like a herculean challenge if you’re the kind of person who’s regularly paying excess baggage rates. Yet many of the how to travel light tips will have packing two weeks’ luggage into a palm-sized rucksack. Don’t worry, there is a middle ground.

What I have for you is 25 quick swaps and changes you can make to your packing system to trim down you packing weight and save space in your suitcase without having to agree to wear the same pair of knickers four days in a row. You may find some of these packing hacks easier to commit to than others. That’s fine. Possessing bone straight hair, I see no need to pack straighteners. Meanwhile, my friend would rather go barefoot than not take her GHDs on holiday.

My point: travelling light doesn’t have to mean travelling ultra-light. For every reduction you make, your bag will get lighter and if you’re not ready or able to make all these changes in one go, add a few more each time you pack for travel. I’ve made these changes over the years rather than in one go and I can’t believe I used to be that person that checked a 23kg suitcase for clothes…and another carry-on suitcase for shoes and miscellaneous items.

And my travels are easier for it. Not yet convinced, here’s a quick list of..

1914 translation by H. Rackham

“On the other hand, we denounce with righteous indignation and dislike men who are so beguiled and demoralized by the charms of pleasure of the moment, so blinded by desire, that they cannot foresee the pain and trouble that are bound to ensue; and equal blame belongs to those who fail in their duty through weakness of will, which is the same as saying through shrinking from toil and pain. These cases are perfectly simple and easy to distinguish. In a free hour, when our power of choice is untrammelled and when nothing prevents our being able to do what we like best, every pleasure is to be welcomed and every pain avoided. But in certain circumstances and owing to the claims of duty or the obligations of business it will frequently occur that pleasures have to be repudiated and annoyances accepted. The wise man therefore always holds in these matters to this principle of selection: he rejects pleasures to secure other greater pleasures, or else he endures pains to avoid worse pains.”