When it comes to packing for a trip, it can be easy to start to put all sorts of things in your bag that you imagine you might need.  Before you know it, your allowed 25 pounds of baggage quickly becomes 75 pounds and you find yourself having to pay extra baggage fees and haul around a heavy bag which slows you down on your travels.

In order to have a stress free experience getting from location to location, you should ensure that you pack as light as possible.  When you have various connections and flights, a heavy bag which you need to get from baggage claim each time you land is the last thing you want.  A carry-on is the best solution for simplifying your trip.  Here are the best rules for packing your bag if you want to make sure it stays light.

Limit Toiletries

One of the biggest culprits for weighing down a bag and being required to check your luggage as opposed to carrying it on is because you have too many liquids.  When it comes to what you need for toiletries, the best rule of thumb is only to pack the absolute essentials.

This means if you wear contacts, you may pack your solution and lenses, however perhaps your special mousse or styling cream can be left behind as they aren’t really necessary in the big picture.

Try to buy your toiletries once you arrive at your location rather than hauling it all with you.

Don’t Pack Too Many Shoes

Shoes are the worst possible thing to pack when you are trying to keep your bag light.  An average pair of shoes weighs at least 5 lbs or more.  Therefore, when you start adding up several pairs, you will quickly have a bag that’s well above your goal weight.

Try to pack only 2 pairs of shoes total.  They should be able to be worn for a formal occasion or casual, and good for hot or cold weather.

Use a Light Carry On Bag

A big reason why many people’s bags are heavy is that the bag itself is heavy.  Try to find a bag which weighs under 3lbs itself.  Otherwise, if you start with a bag that’s upwards of 5 pounds just on its own, then you are already reaching your limit before you have already begun packing.

Leave Behind Electronics

Rather than packing all of your individual electronics from cameras, to phones, to laptops, try to combine everything into one.  Opt for only your phone or tablet which has all of the capabilities of these three things.

This will ensure that you keep your weight down and minimize your risk of theft or breaking your precious and expensive technology.