{"id":2658,"date":"2017-10-09T15:51:02","date_gmt":"2017-10-09T04:51:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/?p=2658"},"modified":"2018-11-21T14:37:15","modified_gmt":"2018-11-21T03:37:15","slug":"pack-light-touring-asia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/pack-light-touring-asia\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Pack Light When Touring Asia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With millions of adventurers flocking to the East for months at a time, it seems almost a rite of passage to travel Asia at some point in life. The chances are that you\u2019re interested in backpacking the region \u2013 but how exactly do you pack for the unknown? Whether you\u2019re an over-packer or an under packer, being in the capital of China one month and rural Vietnam the next does demand that you think carefully about the things you\u2019re going to need throughout your trip. This means that at the same time as you want to avoid packing too much, you\u2019ll also want to ensure that you\u2019re not missing the essentials. Luckily, it\u2019s entirely possible to find a happy medium \u2013 start by considering these handy tips on how to pack light when touring Asia.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Carefully choose your travel bag<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Before you start the packing process, think about how many litres your backpack holds, and weigh the empty bag itself to see how many litres you\u2019re starting with &#8211; backpacks can often be deceptively heavy even before you\u2019ve filled them with your belongings. And, as a matter of fact, just because you\u2019re going backpacking doesn\u2019t actually mean that you <em>have<\/em> to use a backpack: often, traditional roller bags are a more appropriate option and make it much easier to compartmentalise clothing. They\u2019re lighter, too, with Antler Luggage\u2019s Oxygen range boasting an 85 litre capacity for its largest case, and weighing in at a mere 2.5 kilograms.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2660\" style=\"width: 970px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2660\" class=\"wp-image-2660 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/image2.jpg\" alt=\"Image Source: pixabay.com, how to pack light\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2660\" class=\"wp-image-2660 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20960%20720%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Image Source: pixabay.com, how to pack light\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/image2.jpg\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-2660\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Source: pixabay.com<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Define the essentials<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s exponentially helpful to understand first and foremost the prerequisites for a light travel packing list, and fortunately, we\u2019ve brought them together for you. Experienced backpackers commonly recommend the following things for travel in Asia: a good (but light) waterproof jacket (especially for monsoon season); loose linen pants and shirt; sandals and an easy-dry pair of sneakers; a swimwear set; a small toiletry set (including toilet roll, hand sanitizer, sun-cream, and mosquito repellent); sunglasses and hat; a microfiber towel; a fleece jacket; and lastly, all of your travel documents (preferably held in a secure lanyard). This list obviously comprises only the bare essentials, but it\u2019s useful to have a baseline idea of the utility-rich things that you actually require overseas before you contemplate adding anything that\u2019s merely decorative.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Keep clothing as light as possible<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The weight of your clothing will largely depend, of course, on where you\u2019re travelling. If you\u2019re planning on jetting to Japan in the midst of winter, for example, your pack will be a touch heavier than a summer traveller\u2019s. What you can do if you\u2019re travelling in a colder climate, however, is to opt for clothing that traps your body warmth without burdening you with the weight of wool. Polyprops and light fleece are obvious options material-wise, but puffer clothing is just as effective \u2013 just take care to punch the air out before you fit it into your pack.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re travelling to a country that experiences scorching temperatures year-round \u2013 the most likely option if you\u2019re off to Thailand or India, for example, then what you need to consider is how your sweat will react with materials. Cotton gets damp quickly, and stays damp, meaning extra weight for you to carry (as well as an unwelcome smell, if \u2013 or more correctly, when \u2013 you don\u2019t manage to do laundry for a while). Quick-dry fabrics are the solution here, with sportswear-type pieces sure to keep your bag lighter in hot conditions.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2659\" style=\"width: 1276px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2659\" class=\"wp-image-2659 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/image1.jpg\" alt=\"Image Source: pexels.com, how to pack light\" width=\"1266\" height=\"844\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2659\" class=\"wp-image-2659 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201266%20844%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Image Source: pexels.com, how to pack light\" width=\"1266\" height=\"844\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/image1.jpg\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-2659\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Source: pexels.com<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Plan out your timeline as best you can<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>It helps to know what situations you\u2019ll most likely be dressing for when you\u2019re packing your bag for a trip like this. For males and females alike, the formality of dress is bound to be a consideration for events like cultural dinners or for sacred sites like mosques and temples, and you\u2019ll probably want to pack at least one more \u201cdressy\u201d outfit even if you haven\u2019t intended on anything of the sort. It doesn\u2019t take much to look presentable \u2013 a nice scarf might do the trick \u2013 and it\u2019ll leave you feeling a lot more human for nights out.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Condense everything that can be condensed<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Have six dense books in the bottom of your pack because you want to keep entertained for the entire time you\u2019re away? Ditch that extra couple of kilograms by bringing along a Kindle instead \u2013 or better still, download the texts onto your phone and rid yourself of all that extra weight. It\u2019s solutions like these that will keep your pack full of what it needs to be: specifically, clothing and hygiene supplies. Anything else \u2013 especially technological items or other \u201cmaybe\u201d bits for your leisure \u2013 is somewhat immaterial. There\u2019s no danger of being left with nothing to do when you\u2019re in an entirely different region of the world, so keep the entertainment resources at home and immerse yourself in the local culture.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Don\u2019t pack anything unessential <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>This is an obvious one, but necessary nonetheless: don\u2019t make your life harder by packing things that you think you \u201cmight\u201d find useful. Trust us \u2013 a backpack can start to feel <em>really<\/em> heavy after you\u2019ve been travelling with it 24\/7, and before you know it you\u2019ll be cursing yourself for packing that extra face cream or pair of flippers. Of course, it\u2019s not a massive issue if you do end up packing what you don\u2019t need, as you can easily rearrange or remove items as you travel.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Don\u2019t skimp on self-care items<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>As you can probably tell by now, there\u2019s a lot you <em>can<\/em> leave behind while travelling; what you might justify packing a larger supply of when you\u2019re crossing a more remote area of Asia, however, is medical and hygiene goods. Whether you\u2019re struck down by a dodgy meal, unclean water, or a flurry of unfamiliar bugs, the extra medicines that the doctor recommended to you are sure to come in handy during your travels \u2013 they\u2019ll definitely be worth the small amount of extra weight and space that they take up.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Sofia Lockett is a freelance writer from New Zealand with a passion for travel, technology, and fitness. Sofia has experience writing for various <\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.industrialathletic.com\/\"><em>fitness companies<\/em><\/a><em> and travel blogs.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With millions of adventurers flocking to the East for months at a time, it seems almost a rite of passage to travel Asia at some point in life. The chances are that you\u2019re interested in backpacking the region \u2013 but how exactly do you pack for the unknown? Whether you\u2019re an over-packer or an under [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":2671,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"spay_email":""},"categories":[184,7,231],"tags":[119,121,130,131],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/how-to-pack-header3.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2658"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2658"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2658\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4191,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2658\/revisions\/4191"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2671"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2658"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2658"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2658"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}