Have ever tried to squeeze the kitchen sink into your luggage? I've seen what some people take on holiday...

Have you ever wondered how much is too much?

It’s incredibly funny to watch people at the airport dragging around those huge bags on wheels huffing and puffing. They finally make it to the check in counter to be told that there are talking to the wrong airline and theirs is at the other end of the terminal. They struggle off again with their jumbo bag in tow.

Why is this funny?

Well it reminds me of me, back in 1997 with my very first trip to Russia of all places.
Marching up to the counter and then discovering what “Excess Baggage” means. Thank heavens for a generous parent who coughed up the extra $375 as all I had was tied up in travelers cheques.

I planned to go to Russia in November and took heaps of warm clothes as Russia is always cold right?

Wrong, ….So wrong. Inside the buildings were as hot as a mid summers day and here I was in wool shirts and heavy jeans with wool socks.

My total luggage weighed 32kg, that’s 12kg over my limit and to be honest half the crap I didn’t need and because of my ignorance to the Russian climate and living culture I was as uncomfortable as hell.

Your probably wondering what the heck this has to do do with Thailand?

Everything!

Pack what you need then throw half of it out.

Here’s a picture of my entire kit for Thailand
Total weight:  6.2Kgs

What to pack for a 3 week holiday in Phuket

 

  • 3 T-shirts (plus the one I will wear in the plane)
  • 3 Shorts (plus the one I will wear in the plane)
  • Swimming Board Shorts
  • 5 Underwear
  • No socks – Hot country and the shoes have holes for ventilation
  • 1 Baseball cap
  • Sunglasses
  • SLR Camera and Tripod & Bag
  • Small Camera
  • Chargers
  • Mobile Phone
  • Nexus 7
  • Wallet
  • Travel Papers
Ditch the toiletries
Lets face it you can’t take a lot of toiletries on the plane as carry on these days so what’s the point of packing them, buy them when you get there.
Do you really need a nail file on the plane? Are your nails going to grow that fast on an 8 hour flight?
Same goes for bottles of shampoo, are you going to wash you hair? Oh that’s right your dryer is in your packed luggage in the cargo hold.
OK so you put on your best deodorant to impress your loved ones when you departed, but why put it in your luggage? You’re on a plane with people farting, coughing and sweating, so trust me when I say  EVERYONE is going to stink by the time we all get off the plane.
All of your toiletries you can get once you reach your hotel and they are complimentary.

Benefits of having a small amount of gear:

  • I don’t need to spend so long at check in
  • My bag won’t get lost as it will be with me on the plane.
  • No waiting and searching for your bag on the carousel
  • Easy transit between airlines
Face the fact that you’re on holiday, you’re a million miles from the office and 5th Ave and no one else knows you where you’re going so forget all the make up, hair dryer, 20 pairs of shoes and 1 million outfits.
Wash your underwear each evening and who cares if you wear the same shirt for two days. Wash it when it smells, hell you might even start to blend in.That’s it, I’m packed…
Head down for sleep and travelling from the Gold Coast Australia in the morning….Phuket here I come.