No matter how carefully you pack, something will have to stay behind. This is putting it mildly, of course. Even experienced travelers fall into this trap, and they either overcompensate by becoming minimalist travelers, or chronically try to fit a small caravan into their limited luggage.
On the other hand, if you play your cards right and invest in strategically designed traveling essentials, you might manage to sneak in more than you might have expected. Planning ahead is, after all, one of the pillars of stress-free travel. If you want to travel in style without sacrificing extra space in your luggage, take a glance at these 7 fashionable yet cozy essentials and accessories.
A pair of multi-practical walkers
If you are going on a week-long trip, you should pack no more than two pairs of footwear. The essentials are one pair of multi-practical walkers and another pair of sandals or slippers so your feet can breathe. Everything else is excess.
If you are looking for a comfortable pair of walking shoes, always go for a cushiony footbed and durable yet elastic soles, with excellent arch support. The style you choose depends entirely on your needs and the time of year, but it’s always advisable to bring a pair with a neutral dominant hue, so it can go with any outfit.
Travel-friendly clothes and matching styles
When packing your clothes, you’ll save a lot of space if you choose items that can easily cross-match. Look for fabrics that don't wrinkle easily, since the clothes will be spending a lot of time tumbling in a suitcase.
That being said, light cream pants that work well for all seasons (except harsh winter) might be the ultimate answer to your prayers. They can look both elegant and casual, and they typically combine well with everything. Remember: always bring the lightest clothes possible but try to imagine whether you’ll mind being photographed in them.
Pack an e-reader
Among the items and accessories that you shouldn’t bring, you can count an extra camera (you already have one on your phone, and they are constantly getting better), a big box of cosmetics, and bulky paperback books. You have an e-reader for that.
Honestly, e-readers have turned into the ultimate essential for fashionable trips. They are light, they can look sleek, and they pack whole libraries in such small frames.
Seriously, you never know if your flight will be delayed, or if a bus ride to a landmark is going to take forever. One thing’s for certain: intervals of lost time are inevitable during travels, and an e-reader can be a true godsend in that regard.
A scarf
Whether it’s for summer or winter, made of silk or wool, scarves are a designated go-to accessory for looking glamorous. They hardly take up any space, they’re not fragile, and if you tuck one into a corner of your suitcase, there is a high possibility that you’ll take it out at least once during your trip. Quite simply, they can add a spark of style to almost any outfit, and you’ll probably even forget that you are wearing one after a while.
An extra purse/backpack
There are types of purses and backpacks out there that are made from cotton and other pliable, light materials. They can be your ace in the hole during your travels, and, once folded into the corner of the suitcase, they take up just as much space as scarves. This additional purse can be an appropriate addition to your light, ‘organic’ outfit, and you can fit a lot of items into them for your daily trips.
Conclusion
When it comes to packing for a long vacation, function should come before style. This doesn’t pertain strictly to clothing, but also to those bulky items that might hog too much space.
As you search for the essentials and accessories that you can’t travel without, always choose the ones that are designed to take up less space and, preferably, that have several functions. Then, you have to make sure that they look good, and by the love of everything under the sun, never pack white clothes! This is how you can have the cake and eat it.
Biologist by day, writer by night, and a huge geek. My fields of expertise could be summed up to health, psychology and lifestyle-related topics.
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