After traveling nearly 3 years with a huge Deuter Quantum that had a capacity of 80 litters plus an 18 litters day pack, I decided it was time to downsize and finally learn how to pack light. If you want to learn how do I afford to travel the world, check here.
Why you should not have a big bag
I started my trip in Switzerland with 13 kg and I remember reaching 25 kg when I was in Kenya. This is the main issue of having a big bag, because If you have space you will fill it with stuff.
Another problem of a bag this size was that only the backpack had a weight of 3kg and a heigh of 86 cm, always being categorized by airlines as out of standard sizes. The only good thing is that I never had issue with space and I could fit a sleeping bag, camping tent for 4, mosquito net, huge coat, and many other things that I never touched.
With the increase of low-cost flights having a small backpack has become a must to reduce the total travel costs. A small bag gives you mobility to explore a city without being worried of finding a place to keep your belongings. I bought a 40L hiking bag from Columbia and handled easily 3 months traveling from Peru to French Guiana overland.
Nowadays I use a Osprey Farpoint 55, check her here. Traveling has never been so easy!
Having a smaller bag means changing your mindset to a minimalist lifestyle. Nowadays I only have the really necessary stuff and I use all of it! To organize the items inside the backpack I use transparent bags that allow me to see the contents. Spending money with high-end and light equipment increase the possibility of taking even more, using less space.
How to pack light
Here is a list of what I usually take in any trip: 5 shirts; 5 socks; 5 underwear; 1 short; 1 jeans; 1 pair of flip-flops, 1 pair of shoes (most of the time on my feet), 1 dry-towel, 2 swim shorts, 2 lightweight/foldable jackets, toiletry, documents bag, electronics and cables bag, 1 laptop, 1 GoPro, 1 external hard drive and a 13 L dry-bag.
It is important to notice that I’m always traveling to cold countries in the summer, this way I guarantee that only 2 thin jackets will be enough to keep me fine in temperatures such as 10 degrees or more.
Use of dry-bag
The dry-bag is very useful in case I go for water activities and I also use as a day bag for hikes carrying food and water.
Many moments of my South America trip I could spent 100% of the time with my backpack, increasing the safety of my valuables. Even in crowded transports I always had it on me. I remember arriving one day in a city and spending the entire day exploring the place with the bag; then getting a bus at night to another city. Beside becoming more mobile I was also more comfortable carrying less weight, between 7 and 10 kg.
Nowadays I use a Osprey Farpoint 55, check her here. Traveling has never been so easy! Traveling light is up to you and I totally recommend.
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