Pranav Dangi, CEO and founder, The Hosteller tells Mid-day.com, “Packing light offers several advantages. It increases your mobility, reducing the burden of hauling heavy luggage around. This is especially valuable when navigating through crowded airports, public transportation, or uneven streets. Lighter packs also mean fewer fees for checked baggage and less risk of lost luggage. Additionally, it simplifies your travel, allowing you to focus more on the experience rather than managing your belongings."

Dangi shares below some friendly hacks to help you pack light for your next vacation:

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Create a packing list: 
Before you start packing, make a detailed list of everything you need. This helps you prioritise essentials and avoid packing unnecessary items. Divide your list into categories like clothing, toiletries, electronics, etc., to ensure you don't forget anything important.

Use packing cubes: 
Invest in packing cubes or compression bags to organise your clothes and maximise space. Group similar items together in separate cubes (e.g., tops in one cube, bottoms in another) to stay organised and make unpacking easier at your destination.

Opt for travel-sized toiletries: 
Instead of packing full-sized bottles of shampoo, conditioner, or body wash, use travel-sized containers or refillable bottles. You can also buy toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, and sunscreen at your destination to lighten your load.

Digitise entertainment and documents: 
Instead of carrying physical copies of documents like tickets, itineraries, and reservations, store digital copies on your smartphone or tablet. This saves space and ensures you have important information readily accessible. Instead of packing books, and magazines, use digital versions on your smartphone or tablet.  

Select multi-purpose clothing: 
Choose items that serve multiple purposes to minimise the number of things you need to pack such as pants that zip off into shorts, a scarf that can double as a beach cover-up, a towel, or even a picnic blanket, or a jacket with plenty of pockets that can eliminate the need for a purse.

Limit shoe selection: 
Limit yourself to two or three pairs of shoes at most – one casual, one fancy, and one for specific activities (like hiking or the beach) if necessary. Choose versatile colours and styles that match multiple outfits. Wear your bulkiest pair during travel to save space in your luggage. 

Roll clothes instead of folding: 
Rolling clothes instead of folding them can save a significant amount of space in your luggage. This method also reduces wrinkles and makes it easier to see what you have packed without digging through layers of folded clothing.

Plan laundry: 
If you are travelling for more than a week, plan to wash clothes on your trip. This allows you to pack fewer items and re-wear your favourites. Many hostels, hotels, and even cruise ships offer laundry services or facilities.

Utilise ziplock bags: 
These are great for organising smaller items like chargers, cables, and even snacks. They can also be used to keep liquid toiletries contained and prevent spills.

Wear bulky items on travel days: 
To save space in your luggage, wear your bulkiest items, like hiking boots or a heavy jacket, during travel days. This approach reduces the volume of items you need to pack and can help you stay warm on cooler planes or in transit areas.

All are AI-generated images for representational purposes only.