Get Organized: Travel Tips for Packing Lighter

Whenever friends pick me up from the airport, their reaction is always the same. "Where's all your stuff?" they ask. What can I say? I travel light. And when people ask how I do it, well, I'm not really sure. Packing light is second nature.

Seeing as I can't easily find the words to describe how, exactly, I organize my travel packing and minimize the amount of stuff I bring on vacation and business trips, I reached out to some of the biggest names in tech travel to find out what they do.

kjellberg-henrik_hotwire Henrik Kjellberg, president of Hotwire
"As a seasoned traveler, keeping my tech organized is key. I never know when I'll need to plug in next. Although simple, my must-have item for business and personal travel is a small zip-up pouch that easily stores your gadgets and cords, so you never have to worry about digging through bags between flights or arriving to a destination without the right cord. When it comes to apps, I couldn't live without Yahoo! Weather and always check it before a trip to make sure I packed appropriately."

zacharia-giorgos_kayak Giorgos Zacharia, CTO of Kayak
"Pack half the amount of clothes you think you'll need; you can always do laundry while traveling."

goldstein-adam_hipmunk Adam Goldstein, co-founder and CEO of Hipmunk
"If you're going to a foreign country, leave your cell phone and charger at home and buy a cheap 'dumb' phone when you arrive. In addition to saving weight in your bag, you'll also get cheaper minutes than if you were roaming. Plus, you're less likely to have that phone stolen."

pinnell-will_tripcase Will Pinnell, director of mobile strategy for TripCase
"First pack all your clothing, then, add one white dress shirt (they go with anything) and a black sports coat that can dress up even a t-shirt. Take a single pair of shoes that can be dressy or casual. If you need workout shoes, pack some of the new ultra lightweight pairs. Use universal USB chargers whenever possible to cut down on the number of cords you carry. And ditch the printing of paper. Use one of the better itinerary planning apps, such as TripCase."

Amy Jackson, director of public relations at TripIt
"From a woman's perspective, I have a few tips for stuffing a week's worth of clothes into one carry-on bag. Alternate the same pant or pencil skirt with different tops and pack versatile shoes that are comfortable enough to stand all day in. Pack one light jacket or blazer that can be worn day or night. Bring flip flops for the gym and airport. Take advantage of the hotel's same day laundry service. And buy extra toiletries when you get to town."

Malte Siewert, co-founder and managing director of Trivago
"I use the toiletries that the hotel offers and just bring my tooth brush. Most hotels have them. If they don't, I just repack the shampoo I always use in a smaller tube that fits for traveling."

katz-travis_gogobot Travis Katz, CEO and co-founder of Gogobot
"Go all digital. When I used to travel, I would have a guidebook, newspaper, a magazine, a paperback book. That can add 10 pounds to your bag! These days, I don't carry guidebooks because I have Gogobot as my digital guide. I have an ereader, too, a Kindle that I load with newspapers, magazines, and all my e-materials. The last book I read while traveling was The Road by Cormac McCarthy, which was totally gripping but horrifying. I wouldn't recommend it to lighten up your vacation, but I finished it in two days. A book I would recommend to read while traveling is The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy.

For more travel tips, see:

Get Organized is a weekly series of articles on PCMag.com to help you keep your digital files and online life organized. Check back every Monday for new tips. For more from Jill Duffy, follow her on Twitter @jilleduffy. And check out the Get Organized book:

"Get Organized: How to Clean Up Your Messy Digital Life" by Jill Duffy on Ganxy

About Our Expert

Jill Duffy

Contributor

My Experience

I'm an expert in software and work-related issues, and I have been contributing to PCMag since 2011. I launched the column Get Organized in 2012 and ran it through 2024, offering advice on how to manage all the devices, apps, digital photos, email, and other technology that can make you feel overwhelmed. That column turned into the book Get Organized: How to Clean Up Your Messy Digital Life. I was also the first product reviewer at PCMag to test fitness gadgets, including everything from early Fitbits to smart bras.

Currently, I'm passionate about the meaning of work and work culture, and I enjoy writing about how managers and employees can communicate better, with or without software. My most recent book is The Everything Guide to Remote Work. I also love a good workplace drama.

In addition to writing about work, I cover online education, focusing on learning for personal enrichment and skills development. I have a soft spot for really good language-learning software. Although I grew up speaking only English, some twists and turns in life led me to learn Spanish, Romanian, and a bit of American Sign Language. I've studied at the university level, as well as at the Foreign Service Institute, where US diplomats and ambassadors learn languages.

My writing has also appeared in WIRED, the BBC, Gloria, Refinery29, and Popular Science, among other publications.

Follow me on Mastodon.

The Technology I Use

Squeezing every last bit of usage out of the devices I already own is the only way I can tolerate my personal consumption. In other words, I do not own the latest cutting-edge technology. I buy things that will last and try to take care of them.

My life is organized by Todoist, and my notes live in Joplin. Where would I be without Dashlane as my password manager? Probably locked out of all my many online accounts—I have more than 1,000 of them.

When I share my contact information, it's an excruciatingly long list of phone numbers, messaging apps, and email addresses, because it's essential to stay flexible while also remaining somewhat mysterious.

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