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Why a day bag is better than a suitcase!

For those of you who travel with a suitcase - I feel your pain! On my recent trip to New York, I was reminded very clearly as to why I don't travel with a suitcase.  My travel companion travelled light with 12 kg (26 Ibs) of gear, but this still meant it needed to be checked in.  So while it was indeed light, and she had a well organised and minimal wardrobe, she didn't get the true benefits of travelling light with a carry-on daybag....

How to pack light with toiletries and cosmetics.

Toiletries can take up so much room in your travel bags. But I've got some great tips for you to get around this issue. With some thought and planning you'll be replacing your huge toiletry bag with something so much smaller!Have you seen the hashtag I use a lot #takewhatyouneed ? It's fast becoming my catch-phrase, but it's such an essential rule. And it's achieved by decanting things down into smaller containers. It's tips like this that had me able to hike for five hours between the village o...

Top travelling light tips (I was once a heavy traveller too, you know!)

When I went on my big OE (overseas experience) from New Zealand to London in my early 20's I was backpacking for three years. This was never going to be a 5 kilo moment. I needed gear for every season, and all my daily needs. We're talking massive luggage overload. In huge contrast now, my 24L daybag is my perfect travel companion. Let me show you how......

How not to get lost while travelling solo.

Getting lost is the most awful feeling and it's amplified when you are travelling solo. But I've been there, done that, and now I have the solution. Flashback: Perast, Montenegro, 2017 Away for 4 weeks, carrying 5 kilos, that's 1 crazy lady!...

Don't go without - go with less!

I totally get it that we need to take stuff when travelling - but just take less of it!It's hard to believe that this bag contains everything I needed for four weeks of solo travel in Croatia and Italy. And even more unbelievable was that there were a couple of things I never even used! One of my key tricks with travelling light is to take smaller versions of normal everyday items. Rather than taking a heavy coat, take a puffer jacket instead. Not only is a puffer jacket lighter it also compacts...

How I started light travelling.

Where it all began...  So where did this travelling light come from, you ask?  Well, in 2013 we went on a family trip to the US for five weeks with a focus of visiting their amazing National Parks. As we watched the rock climbers in Yosemite National Park we got talking to a guy who had cycled across America seven times.  He told us how he had reduced his gear to the size of a small mailbox. Admittedly, he was staying in hotels each night which negated the need to carry much toile...

Why packing light is the best way to travel.

In 2017 I departed on my first (for many, many years) solo adventure. I was super-excited to be spending four weeks exploring Croatia and Italy. I left behind my husband and two teenagers in New Zealand and launched myself into an amazing journey. I was however nervous as hell at the start! But the trip was amazing. It was incredibly liberating and I've never felt such freedom to do as I wish - quite a contrast from being a mother, wife, and nurse. However, because I was by myself, I wanted to b...

How to plan for travelling light.

"I love spontaneity as long as it's carefully planned!" Travelling light requires a bit of organisation... I quite possibly took this quite a step further...  I had thought that my solo trip to Europe would be a bit like a dandelion seedling floating thru the air at the whim of the air currents. However there was far too much organization, spreadsheets, bookings and lists for this to EVER be the case. My husband complained that by the time I went away, I would’ve spent more time planning,...