原文: The OnSimplicity Guide to Packing Light

As new airline baggage fees are added every few weeks, packing light isn’t just a lifestyle choice, it’s a survival skill. Lightening up has extra benefits, though. The very first time you pack light, prepare for a special kind of high. As you fly through the airport, unburdened by massive bags, you’ll wonder how you ever traveled any other way. As Antoine de Saint Exupéry put it, “He who would travel happily must travel light.” Whether you’re a veteran one-bag champ or an overpacker ready for conversion, it’s time to learn how to pack light no matter where you’re traveling.

The Five Commandments of Packing Light

1. You need less than you think.
   
2. Anything that doesn’t fit can be purchased later or lived without.
3. The amount of luggage you’re carrying is inversely proportional to your level of travel enjoyment.
4. Your bulkiest items should be worn on your travel date.
5. Your carry-on should be small enough to fit under the seat.
   
   

The Ugly Truths of Packing Light

Okay, so you’re convinced. Now how do you actually go about cramming everything you need into just one bag? First, you’ve got embrace a few key traveling truths. First, most overpackers don’t use everything they pack. All those “just in case” items? Well, the “case” rarely ever comes up. Second, you may not get to wear everything you normally would, and that’s totally okay. By sticking with “travel weight” items, you maximize space while keeping your options open. Third, you need the right suitcase or travel bag for your needs. You’re not traveling light if you have just one bag, but the entire contents of your closet fit into it. Finally, unlike a lot of things in life, packing a suitcase really is a zero-sum game. Every time you add something in, you take away room for another item. That means each item you load in needs to have a specific purpose.

One Bag Magic: Fourteen Tips to Live By

1. Limit yourself to three pairs of shoes, at least one being flats. I recommend wearing sneakers and packing a pair of dress shoes (if needed) and sandals or flip-flops. Place shoes in a plastic bag to keep them separate from your clothes.
2. Pack separates instead of “outfits.” This way, you can pack fewer items (plan on wearing some pieces twice) and have more versatility.
3. Pick one jacket or coat and stick with it. I usually pack a black jacket that looks trendy with jeans and but nice with dress outfits as well.
4. Photocopy any information you need instead of packing entire books.
5. Keep toiletries in your suitcase (if checking) so you can zip through security with your carry-on. (I know this isn’t the standard recommendation, and I certainly wouldn’t do it on American because of the standard fee, but I love checking my suitcase for domestic, non-stop flights. It makes everything between the check-in counter and the carousel a breeze.)
6. Don’t skimp on underwear, no matter what any guide tells you. It takes up very little room, so there’s no reason not to have all you need, plus some extra.
7. Stock up on sample size toiletries; they fit the TSA guidelines and take up less space. The most frugal option is to snag hotel room shampoos and soaps and simply refill the containers as needed, but you can also find cool travel size items at stores like Target. (I love the cotton swabs that are filled with eye makeup remover!)
8. Choose travel clothes that can comfortably be worn more than once. Most notably, dark colors wear better than light colors and wrinkle-free fabrics are ideal.
9. It’s okay to buy some items at your destination. Items like sunscreen, “just in case” weather gear, and extra books are great to leave at home. You could even take Tim Ferriss’s 10-pound packing approach and allocate a specific portion of your travel budget to “buy needed items once they’re 100% needed” and not a second before.
10. Use small items like underwear and socks to fill nooks and crannies (like between shoes).
11. For women, packing a few pieces of costume jewelry is a good use of space. These pieces perk up your separates, giving you more style for far less space than additional clothes. Plus, if they get lost, you don’t have to worry about it.
12. Unless you know you’ll be attending a formal event, skip the evening clothes. They’re often a “what if” waste of space. Besides, being casually dressed is pretty widely accepted anymore.
13. You don’t have to fill every space in your suitcase. You might even consider buying a smaller suitcase to head travel clutter off at the pass.
14. Finally, live by the Chanel rule: When you’re ready to head out, remove one thing.

If you’re interested in an expert traveler’s advice on what specifics to pack, head over to OneBag.com and be sure to check the Annotated Packing List. It’s an incredible resource, even if you don’t follow the guidelines 100 percent.

Know Your Enemy: Troubleshoot These Bulky Items

Even if you’re a suitcase superhero, be on the lookout for carry-on kryptonite. Some of these can be worked with, others should simply be avoided if possible.

• Sweaters: They’re bulky and take up tons of space. Avoid thick wool and cotton sweaters in favor of lighter weight merino wool and cashmere.
• Jeans: Again, they’re bulky and take up tons of valuable real estate. Plan on wearing each pair at least twice or pack lighter pants.
• Sneakers: Want to see 25 percent of your available space disappear? Pack a pair of sneakers. If you’ve gotta have ‘em, just wear them. Or, go for sneakers with a thinner profile, like Converse All Stars and Vans.
• Hoodies and Sweatshirts: If you can wear a bulky sweatshirt on travel days, that helps to keep your suitcase light. If not, stick with zippered hoodies that can be worn with different shirts underneath; this gives you more options with fewer pieces.

Travel at the Speed of Light

So, as you cruise through the airport for your next trip, take a minute and enjoy the freedom. Unlike all the folks with two suitcases and a massively overloaded carry-on, you’re actually having fun! I’ll end with a perfect quote from John Flinn’s SF Chronicle article, “Carrying off the art of one carry-on“:

“It’s a chance to pare down and simplify our lives, to discover what is truly essential and what is not. It’s a reminder that we’re more than the sum of our possessions… It’s always a revelation to discover how much of our impedimenta we don’t really need.”

photo credit: richard winchell

译文: 轻装上阵的简单指导

    随着新航线的行李托运费每隔几周就上涨一次，轻装上阵已经不仅仅是一种生活方式的选项了，它成为了一种生存的技巧。减轻负重还有很多额外的好处。当你第一次打包好了轻便的行李时，也要准备好享受一种特殊的兴奋。当你敏捷地在机场行动而丝毫不受沉重行李的拖累时，你会好奇你以前是怎么用其它方式旅行的。就像Antoine de Saint Exupery说的那样：“想要愉快地旅行的人，必须轻装上阵。”不管你是个一包走天下的老手，还是个习惯了大包小包但想要来点变化的新人，无论你当下在哪里旅行，都是时候去学习一下怎么减轻你行李的负担了。

      轻装上阵的五大戒律

      你需要的比你想的要少

      不合适的东西可以晚一点再买或者干脆就不要

      行李的数量和你旅行的愉快程度成反比

      大件行李应该成为你旅行计划上的过去式

      随身行李应该小到可以放到座位底下

    轻装上阵的残酷事实

    好，那么你已经被说服了。现在怎样实际地把每一件你需要的东西塞进一个包里呢？首先，你已经掌握了一些旅行的诀窍。第一，大多数负重旅行的人并没有把他们包裹里的东西都翻出来用。也许你会问：那么那些“以防万一”的东西呢？哦，实际上，这些“万一”很少出现。第二，你也许并不会穿你平时穿着的所有衣物，而那也是完全没有问题的。当你坚持带着那些白白增加“旅行重量”的物件时，你就把你的选择面开放到最大化了。第三，你需要适合你需要的行李箱或旅行包。如果你把你的整个衣橱都塞进去了，那么即使只有一个包也是不能称之为轻装上阵的。最后，和生活中的很多东西不一样，打包行李是一个零和的游戏。你每放进去点什么，就是在拿走其它东西可占有的一部分空间。也就是说你放进去的每个物件都应该是因为有它特殊的用途而必须放的。

      单包魔法：靠14个技巧为生   

    给自己一个三双鞋的限制，同时其中必须包括至少一双平底鞋。我的建议是穿运动鞋并且准备一双在正式场合可以穿的鞋子（如果需要的话）然后再准备一双凉鞋或拖鞋。把鞋子放在塑料袋里以同衣物隔开。

    准备单衣而不是套装，这样，你就能用尽可能少的物件（某些衣物计划穿两次）获得尽可能多的搭配。

    挑一件夹克或外套并且一直带着它。我通常是穿一件黑夹克，那样和牛仔裤搭配起来会很新潮，而配正式的套装也很不错。

    把你需要的信息影印出来而不是带着整本大部头的书。

      把化妆品放在行李里（如果需要检查），这样你就可以带着你的随身物品通过安检。（另外——当然我知道这是不标准的——但由于标准费用的关系我在美国还是不会这样做的，但我喜欢为了安宁、不间断的飞行而检查我的行李。这也给登记柜台和喧闹的酒会之间留下了一点空间。）

      不要节省内衣裤，不管什么导游要求你这样做。反正这又占不了多少空间，完全没理由不带上你需要的东西而增加一些额外开支。

    收集一些化妆品的小样（试用装），它们符合培训服务局的指导方针并且占的地方也小。最节省的选择是用酒店房间里的洗发水和肥皂来简单的满足你的需要，当然你也可以在像Target这样的商店里找到不错的旅行装化妆品。（我个人喜欢吸满了眼妆卸妆液的棉签！）

      选择一些穿起来舒服的旅行服饰多穿几次。最简单的就是挑选深色而不是浅色的衣服，还有不怕褶皱的衣服也很理想。

      在你的目的地买一些东西是没问题的。像是防晒霜和在“以防万一”会出现的天气里需要的东西，多余的书么就留在家里好了。你甚至可以带着《Tim Ferriss的10磅打包法》，并在你的旅行预算里留出一部分“当100％需要时购置必须品”，但别在包里提前放着备用的。

      把内衣裤和袜子之类的小东西塞在隐蔽处和缝隙里（比如在鞋子之间）。

      对于女性来说，准备几件装饰珠宝可以很好地利用空间。这些小件的东西既可以隔开你的不同物件，又可以给你比多带几件衣服好得多的妆扮效果。而且，就算弄丢了，你也不用担心。

      除非你知道你将会出席一个正式的场合，否则就把那些晚礼服给省了吧。它们经常都是那种为了“以防万一”结果白白浪费空间的东西。何况，随意一点的妆扮也是被广泛接受的。

    你用不着把行李箱的每个角落都塞满。你甚至可以考虑买一个小一点的行李箱来把混乱的旅行留在过去。

      最后，记住夏奈尔规则：当你准备出门的时候，还可以再丢掉一些东西。

      如果你对一个专家级旅行者关于哪些东西需要打包的建议有兴趣，请访问OneBag.com并检查打包清单注释。你会发现这是一个很有用的资源，即使你没有100％按照它的指导去做。

      认识你的敌人：检查这些笨重的东西

    就算你是个旅行箱的超级英雄，也要当心手提行李这个克星。它们当中有些问题没关系，但有些则需要尽可能的避免。

      毛衣：它们很笨重，并且占据了很大的空间。轻便的美利奴羊毛和羊绒要好过厚厚的羊毛或棉绒衫。

      牛仔裤：它们同样很笨重并且占据了大量有用的实际空间。要么就每条裤子最少穿两次，要么就带轻一点的短裤吧。

      运动鞋：想要让你可利用的空间中有25％消失么？那就准备一双运动鞋吧。如果你已经准备了，那就穿着它们。或者，就带薄底的板鞋，像Converse All Stars和Vans（板鞋品牌）。

      带帽上衣和运动衫：如果你可以在旅行的时候穿一件厚重的运动衫，那么这就可以帮你减轻一点箱子的重量。如果不行，一件可以在里面穿不同的衬衣的有拉链的带帽上衣就比较好；而这也给了你用少量衣物作出更多搭配的空间。

      用轻便的速度旅行

      现在，当你在机场考虑你的下一站时，花一分钟享受一下自由的感觉吧。和那些带着两个箱子和大包超重的随身行李的人们不同，你才是真正享受乐趣的人！我将引用John Flinn的旧金山编年史“减重，单包的艺术”中一句最恰当的话来结束本文：

      “减少和简化我们的生活是一个机会，让我们去发现什么是真正重要的而什么不是。它是一个暗示：我们比我们拥有的总和还要多……它是一个启示，让我们发现有多少我们不需要的东西成为了我们的绊脚石。”