Did you ever play Tetris as a kid? It was my computer game of choice for a long time because it appeals to my bento box-sense of organization and aesthetics. As I’ve grown older I’ve realized the parallel between my Tetris fetish and obsession with the perfectly packed suitcase. I love to geek out on techniques for packing light and honing my game!
Of course, the perfect pack is not the same for everybody. We all travel in different ways, with differing needs and priorities. Here I’m sharing packing videos from travel gurus who all bring something a little different to the table. What these pros have in common is a good measure of both practicality and style, which I admire. No fluff here folks! Some of these videos are on the longer side, so grab your favourite beverage and make yourself comfortable. I guarantee you’ll learn something useful from them these business and leisure travellers on how to pack light.
For more packing goodness, see these posts:
- Travel essentials I recommend packing every time I leave home
- Revealing the hardest-working items in my travel wardrobe
- How to pack a suitcase – the ultimate guide for leisure travellers
Pack smarter with Alex Jimenez
Alex Jimenez has made a living out of showing women how to pack smarter, lighter and more stylishly through her website Travel Fashion Girl. After leaving a corporate career in fashion, she has been travelling full time since 2008. This video below is a thorough sixty minutes in which Alex covers the foundations of a great pack, including considerations such as weather, local customs, security, and fabric selection.
Organisation with Colin Cowie
Event planner and lifestyle guru Colin Cowie gives some great tips I haven’t seen anywhere else. This video focuses on general packing tips for any type of travel and how Colin keeps organised so he can pack a bag with a moments notice.
Selecting the right luggage with Sarah Murdoch
Tour guide, traveller, and “Adventures with Sarah” blogger Sarah Murdoch has been working for Rick Steves since 2000. This video is a talk Sarah gave at a Rick Steves event about choosing the right bag and packing light. I laughed when I heard her reflect my Tetris sentiment – comforting to know I’m not the only one! Unfortunately the audio in this recording isn’t great, but it’s worth persevering for Sarah’s sage advice.
Packing light with Rick Steves
Next up is Rick himself. For those from North America, Rick probably doesn’t need an intro. For the rest of us, Rick is considered America’s foremost expert on European travel. He is a guidebook author and tour guide who has hosted his own travel tv-series and radio programs. Rick is an all-around travel geek and as he puts it in this video, “there are two types of travellers: those who packed light and those who wished they packed light”.
Business travel with Hitha Palepu
Hitha Palepu wrote the book “How to Pack – Travel Smart for Any Trip.” In this short packing video, she talks specifically about business travel along with some general travel tips.
Packing a suitcase efficiently with Anne McAlpin
Anne McAlpin has jet-setted over 2 million miles, travelled to over 78 countries and cruised the Panama Canal 90+ times. She is the author of the book “Pack it Up” and has appeared on Oprah, The Today Show among other recognisable television shows as a packing expert. In this video, she shows us one technique for how to pack a suitcase efficiently. This won’t suit all types of travellers, but if you are a cruiser or planning to stay in one place for a while, this approach is great for minimising wrinkles. Please do the planet a favour though, and reuse those plastic bags or you can use recyclable tissue paper instead.
I’d love to hear from you… feel free to share the most useful tips for how to pack light in the comments below.
Peace, love & inspiring travel,
Madam ZoZo
