Packing efficiently, before you go

Before you travel, knowing what to bring is a pretty tough thing. But once you've arrived, knowing what you shouldn't have brought becomes the most obvious of tasks. I declutter my bag at almost every stop, it's easy knowing that once I leave Chiang Mai, I won't need any more long sleeved tops/thick trousers/socks because I'm just island hopping until the end - so they're out. For a 3 month trip, my backpack weighs around 11kg, which I have been told is very light, but I assure you, I'm not without anything. Here's how I try to pack - optimistically - only what I'll need:

Think about whether you need 7 different pairs of shorts/skirts or whatever your obsession is with. You're likely to be wearing the same things over and over again so try to cut back and only pack things that will match together - unless you don't care about that.

Make sure your hand luggage contains all the essentials. As I learnt from experience (still not over that, Emirates) your hand luggage needs to be able to get you through the day, just in case. Pack a change of clothes and underwear, some basic toiletries, all your electrical/expensive goods, chargers, passport and money. Then you'll be good to go in the event of delayed baggage.

Buy toiletries out there. Unless you have very sensitive skin, you can get everything you need when you arrive. You do have to be careful in Asia with these sorts of products containing skin whitener - a lot do - but you can find a fair share that won't so long as you read the label.

Remember you can do laundry out here. Don't bring a pair of knickers per day, bring a dozen or so and wash them. When it comes to doing laundry, decide whether it's worth washing something that's a bit tatty already only to throw it out before you get a chance to wear it.

Most surprisingly, you don't have to bring a backpack. Whilst I've been out here I've seen a lot of people with suitcases and convertible backpacks. It's quite likely that the latter is the way forward; when it's less busy in the street you can wheel it along, and when it gets narrower and busier, you can put it on your back. Voila!

Do you have any packing tips?

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