How to pack for a long weekend getaway on a budget airline

Pull up any article on ultra-light packing and it’s likely your reading material will be chock-full of affiliate links trying to get you to purchase something. All I care to sell to you today is the notion that traveling without extra baggage might give you a type of freedom that’s hard to give up once you’ve experienced its unfettered, weightless charm.

Budget airlines love to charge an arm and a leg for any little extra they can think to slap a price on, and nowadays, that free baggage limit is pretty teeny-tiny. Ryanair, for example, offers fee-free carriage of a bag not to exceed 40 cm x 20 cm x 25 cm (16 inches x 8 inches by 10 inches). And while the supplemental charge for an extra bag is admittedly not exorbitant, there’s something rather liberating about breezing by that baggage carousel wearing a pint-sized backpack and snagging the first seat on the public bus headed into town. An added bonus? Should you arrive hours before you can check into your accommodation, or you’re making an intermediate stop before reaching the place you’ll sleep for the night, you’re not wasting an ounce of your time or energy looking for a place to stow your bag in the meantime.

Of course, you need specific gear to fit an itinerary heavy on a specific sports activity or camping. However, if you’re going on a long weekend easy getaway, there are two keys to traveling light: thoughtful dressing on departure day and taking along items capable of multi-tasking. 

What to wear for your flight: Layers upon layers. My typical outfit on travel days will include plain black athletic shoes, leggings (a Lycra pair can be used for a run and as tights under a dress for nights on the town), a black skirt (shorts by day, going-out outfit by night), tank bra (suitable for running or swimming), tank top, T-shirt (nightgown), cardigan sweater, thin fleece, waterproof outer shell and large cotton scarf (sarong, beach blanket). 

What to pack: A single change of socks and underwear, one lightweight summer dress, one T-shirt, one half-armed shirt, one small towel, shower shoes, plastic cutlery for meals on the go, phone charger, minimal make-up, comb, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo/shower gel and a light fabric handbag for toting around essentials while the backpack remains at the hotel. Clothing is tightly rolled, secured with rubber bands and squeezed into a zippered plastic bag to minimize space.

Build a base of travel staples: Black is a great travel color, but browns, grays, wine, navy blue and khakis make fine bases too. Choose a shade you love for an accent color and accessorize accordingly. Scarves can change a look completely, yet they fold into a space next to nothing.

Bulky items to be avoided: Hairdryers, curlers or straighteners; boots or any second set of footwear; hardback novels; guidebooks (snap photos of the pages concerning your destination); thick beach towels. 

Shopping is allowed: Should your destination be a shopping mecca, advance purchase the transport of a bag for the return trip only and pack a lightweight foldable duffle bag or utilitarian plastic bag with a zip.

Ultra-light travel isn’t for everyone, and a desire to look perfectly turned out in your travel photos will, of course, necessitate a very different packing list than this. Every traveler has their valid travel priorities, and who’s to judge what’s right or wrong? You do you and pack accordingly.