Minimalist Packing

I always thought I could be a light packer, but as a lover of fashion, changing my clothes a million times, I've always found it quite difficult. This year though, when going to Mallorca in Spain, I had to really cut down on my packing when our taxi and flight had huge size restrictions. Whenever I go on holiday, I always found that I didn't wear at least half of what I brought. I knew I could do this, if I just did it right.

I did my research, and made a packing list of the essentials (not including an exhaustive clothes list, like I normally do). This could be split up into several sections, and while mine was focused on beach-related holiday things, it can be altered for anything, really.

General travelling essentials

• Passport (of course) and boarding pass, if you're checking in in advance.
• Phone charger, and phone.
• Earphones (for flight).
• Books (I took five with me, but this number should be adjusted based on how much you can actually read).
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, other daily toiletries.
• Travel shampoo/conditioner/body wash.
• Pyjamas (suited to whatever the climate is of wherever you're going).
• Underwear and socks (bring enough underwear for each day, no more, and if you're going somewhere sunny, only bring enough socks for how frequently you'll actually wear closed shoes).

Beach travelling essentials

• Bikini or swimsuit (bring two—I took one bikini and one swimsuit, then one can dry out while you wear the other).
• Beach towel, if they're not provided.
• Hat (preferably, a small cap that can compact in a suitcase).
• One cover-up (I took two, I only wore one).
• Beach dress.
• Sunglasses.
• Beach bag.
• Suncream.
• Sandals and flip-flops (one pair each, or if you have easy slip-on sandals that won't be damaged by water, just one pair entirely).

Clothes

On top of this, clothes are pretty easy. Look through your summer (or winter) clothes, and try find things that are as versatile as possible, and that can be worn with every other item you bring with you.

On my eight-day holiday, I took one pair of shorts, one skirt, and one pair of long, loose trousers (I didn't end up wearing them, but they were a useful just-in-case). For tops, I brought two vests, and one t-shirt. Never go anywhere sunny without a t-shirt. I also brought one beach dress. One of the cover-ups that I brought (the only one I ended up wearing) is a full-length, wrap-around mesh kind of skirt. I could wear this over a bikini or swimsuit, or I could pair it with my regular skirt to make a more formal outfit for the evening.

Did I wear the same few outfits over and over? Yes. Did I get bored of it? Not at all. Actually, it made life a lot easier. Normally on holiday, I spend far too long staring at the wardrobe trying to decide what outfit I should wear that day, mostly being drawn to what I wore another day already. Now that I'm home, I can genuinely say I felt like I had far too many clothes in my wardrobe. I had no idea what to wear, after just being able to pick from any six items, and know they'll look good without putting much thought into it.

I'm annoyed I've spent so many years traveling with such heavy packing. Now that I've started so minimalist, I can never go back. There's enough stressful factors that come into traveling and being in a different country, so this at least removes a few of them.

Plus, if they lose your suitcase, at least you don't lose every single item of summer clothing you've ever owned.