Traveling Light

Packing light means you can forget paying for a checked bag and worrying about lost luggage and instead always have access to your belongings. Traveling with as little luggage as possible gives you the freedom to change plans at the last second, and travel further because it costs less. If you build your travel kit well you can even use the same set up for trips of any length.

By buying mostly wool and good synthetic products I can get away with packing limited clothing even for longer trips. Merino wool is an amazing material! It prevents odor, dries quickly, and wicks moisture very well. Many people think of wool as a cold weather only materiel but because it regulates body temperature so well it actually makes some of the best hot weather gear too! Because of how well wool based technical fabrics stay clean and odor free I only need to bring two of each of my base layers, even on longer trips: two pairs of socks, two pairs of underwear, and two shirts.

One kind of unusual thing I always bring with me is the next two meals I'll be eating. Even when flying it's totally possible. I've found two is the magical number to make the trip a little cheaper without too much difficulty.

Here's my base packing list
2x underwear
2x socks
Wool t-shirt
Synthetic button down
Travel pants
Gym shorts
Merino jacket
Ball cap
Flip flops
Trail runners
Beach towel

Toothbrush/paste/floss
Alcohol wipes
Deodorant
Bug repellent/sunscreen
Shampoo Bar

Dance bag (it's an addiction, ok)
Next two meals
Utensils

Now, obviously, this will need to be added to depending on where you are going and what you are doing when you get there. But I've found that pretty frequently I just bring my base travel kit, my osprey day bag and that's all I need whether my trip is two days long or two weeks.