So you bought the bargain flight on Jetstar for the holidays. And you didn’t add a bag. You thought you would save the money.
You’re not alone. Some of us, in this office, have done it too.
You are going to need to travel light to only have 7kg. Picture: Shutterstock
If you are flying this Christmas holidays – beware. The airlines have wised up to your plan of stuffing more than 7kg in your carry on. They are weighing bags before you get on the flight. And if your bag is more than 7kg you can expect to pay to check it in.
David Galt is Webjet’s Country manager and a frequent traveller. We can thank him for these tips to keep your carry-on under 7kg.
Check out durable light weight travel bags
The weight of your actual bag is included in the 7kg, so you want to keep it as light as possible. Most lightweight bags will weigh around 2kg. So that leaves you 5kg for clothes and toiletries.
“Soft-sided suitcases are lighter but ensure that it is also durable with either metal or thick zippers,” David says.
“For suitcases; try Samonsite or for top-quality travel bags and backpacks; try Rushfaster.”
Just don’t be that person with the striped plastic bag. That’s not cool.
Consider lighter alternatives
“For laptops, usually anything between 2 – 2.7kg is considered light weight,” David says.
“Alternatively, you could opt for a tablet as they weigh around 800g, particularly if your trip is just for leisure travel.”
Or you could just leave the laptop at home and go tech-free these holidays.
Plan what you need and make sure it is less than 7kg. Picture: Shutterstock
Watch the weight of toiletries
“To travel light you need to limit your liquids,” David says. “Try some solid toiletries products as these are smaller and last longer than their liquid counterparts. Lush has a great variety of solid shampoos, moisturizers, face wash and soaps and some of these are as light as 45g.”
Remember, if you’re staying in a hotel, you will usually have everything you need so you can leave a lot at home. Or you can buy what you need in small amounts at your destination.
Prioritise items that have multiple uses
“The more uses an item has, the more it belongs in your bag,” David says. “Multi-functional items are key when travelling light. When packing your clothes everything needs to match, so choose two or three complimentary colours to stick to and pack clothes that work well in layers as well as standalone pieces.”
Ladies – that’s going to mean leaving some shoes at home.
Be a bit cheeky
“Take a jacket and use the zip pockets to carry some small but heavy items like a camera, phone or chargers,” David says.
“On travel days, simply layer your clothes and wear your bulkiest pair of shoes as shoes typically take up the most weight.”
Who cares if it is 35 degrees – you need that jacket.
READ MORE:
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How to get 10 days holidays for 3 days annual leave
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Travel allows you to get outside your bubble. It makes you realise there are other ways to do things, and that’s OK. Plus, I am a huge fan of skiing and for the best powder – you need to head overseas.