How to travel light?

[Granny O]

We’re just back from a two week break in the Cali, staying in B and Bs and friends houses as well as in the van in caravan sites. We needed smart clothes for going out for meals, clothes and boots for hill walking, cycling gear and more casual wear. We took a Khyam toilet tent and a Porta potti, as well as two lots of bedding and mattress toppers, as we needed a bed each. We could hardly move in the van! Any hints and tips how we can cut down on what we take, but still be comfortable?

 

[Hotel California]

Tip : less is more .
Things you don't use 2-3 trips ....trow them out leave them home.
Wear your shirt 2 days , do a small hand wash to freshen up your cloting.
Only 2 max 3 pair shoes each .
Oh ..and less is more....

 

[sapto]

Last year we washed our (2 adults&1baby) clothes twice: that helped us a lot.
We try to take 1 rainjacket, 1 thermojacket and some hiking shirts and add some merino t-shirts. Okay, we did go out for meals but never visited an „expensive“ place. I guess it depends ob where you‘d like to go. I use cubes and the wardrobe next to the fridge, my partner the underseat drawer. We took both some hiking boots, everyday sneakers (on running) and some plastic slippers. 1 helmet (stupid I know but we couldn‘t find one for her yet) stored underneth the multiflex....
However we are still trying to find out the best way. But as hotel california said...

May you share some details/pics of where you went?

 

[Granny O]

We travelled to Keswick via Go Outdoors store in Penrith, where we bought gas cannister and connector for our new Cadac Chef 2 ( haven’t used it yet). Then spent 10 days outside Swansea, staying with relatives. Used the van every day to visit beautiful beaches - Oxwich was my favourite as you can drive the van directly onto the beach, although Three Cliffs and Caswell were also stunning. Went to Llanartne gardens, which were magnificent, with magnolias and camellias in full bloom. Did a small tour of Carmarthen, looking for family graves for our genealogy investigations. Visited Dylan Thomas’s house in Laugharne - well worth visiting - has a lovely wee tearoom in the house with stunning views. Finally spent two days in Cardiff at the caravan site there, as we were visiting the RHS Cardiff Garden Show. The campsite is small but perfectly placed for visiting Cardiff, which is a lovely town. The campsite is in gardens near Cardiff Castle. It’s about 1.5 km walk into the centre of town, along the River Taff. The campsite is peaceful and the staff are very friendly. Cardiff is great for shopping too. Didn’t get any cycling done at all (as it was a bit chilly to cycle) although we had all the gear, including 2 bikes!

 

[WelshGas]

We travelled to Keswick via Go Outdoors store in Penrith, where we bought gas cannister and connector for our new Cadac Chef 2 ( haven’t used it yet). Then spent 10 days outside Swansea, staying with relatives. Used the van every day to visit beautiful beaches - Oxwich was my favourite as you can drive the van directly onto the beach, although Three Cliffs and Caswell were also stunning. Went to Llanartne gardens, which were magnificent, with magnolias and camellias in full bloom. Did a small tour of Carmarthen, looking for family graves for our genealogy investigations. Visited Dylan Thomas’s house in Laugharne - well worth visiting - has a lovely wee tearoom in the house with stunning views. Finally spent two days in Cardiff at the caravan site there, as we were visiting the RHS Cardiff Garden Show. The campsite is small but perfectly placed for visiting Cardiff, which is a lovely town. The campsite is in gardens near Cardiff Castle. It’s about 1.5 km walk into the centre of town, along the River Taff. The campsite is peaceful and the staff are very friendly. Cardiff is great for shopping too. Didn’t get any cycling done at all, although we had all the gear, including 2 bikes!

Town?
Don’t let the Cardiffians hear you calling it a “ Town “. It is after all the Capital City of Wales.
You’ll have to come back and cycle the Taf trail North to Castell Coch, the fairy tale castle, and then South to Cardiff Bay and the Barrage.

 

[Granny O]

We’ve cycled round Cardiff Bay before, but have not yet done the Taf trail. My apologies to Cardiff for calling it a town - it is a very well deserved capital of Wales!

 

[Velma's Dad]

We’re just back from a two week break in the Cali, staying in B and Bs and friends houses as well as in the van in caravan sites. We needed smart clothes for going out for meals, clothes and boots for hill walking, cycling gear and more casual wear. We took a Khyam toilet tent and a Porta potti, as well as two lots of bedding and mattress toppers, as we needed a bed each. We could hardly move in the van! Any hints and tips how we can cut down on what we take, but still be comfortable?

I think all the answers lie in your post. Smart clothes for restaurants?... just eat at casual places instead (well that's what we do). Cycling gear?...cycle in ordinary clothes (bikes were around for a hundred years before lycra). Toilet tent... what's wrong with having the P/potti in the van? Need a bed each... why? Mattress toppers...we don;t bother with them - when we want a deluxe bed we stay in a nice hotel.

Sorry to put it so bluntly, but a Cali is a small campervan as I'm sure is now obvious. If you really need all that clobber you may find you'll be better off with a bigger motorhome.

 

[GrannyJen]

I have one skirt, top and pair of shoes for being "smart". I try not to be smart most of the time.

My Cali slippers are a pair of Skechers go-walk slip on's that I wore to walk my dogs 6 miles a day on my last trip, as well as just being comfortable around the cali, useful for slipping on to pop to the loo and even smart enough with a pair of trousers to pop out to dinner in.

I run rather than cycle, (or will do again once I am 13 weeks post surgery,) and I need shoes, a top, a pair of crops ... that's it. Wear, rinse, dry, wear again. The shoes are a luxury item. No other uses unlike everything else.

Everything else I wear are all from technical, quick drying, non-creasing fabrics, easy to rinse and dry overnight. I use the underbid drawer, one shelf of the rear wardrobe, and the front wardrobe for clothes. If I need space for more then it doesn't travel.

Bedding sits on the parcel shelf. All of it. One duvet, one mattress topper, a couple of pillows that also have spare covers and make for daytime cushions. Duvet is 7 tog. Any heavier and I will find myself asking why did I bother getting a van with a diesel heater.

Towels are all microfibre and not very many of them. Wash, dry overnight, if necessary.

I use a BIAB and a folding seat that stows in the otherwise useless space alongside the rear bench seat. Out of the way until needed.

I am not short of space.

 

[Granny O]

I have one skirt, top and pair of shoes for being "smart". I try not to be smart most of the time.

My Cali slippers are a pair of Skechers go-walk slip on's that I wore to walk my dogs 6 miles a day on my last trip, as well as just being comfortable around the cali, useful for slipping on to pop to the loo and even smart enough with a pair of trousers to pop out to dinner in.

I run rather than cycle, (or will do again once I am 13 weeks post surgery,) and I need shoes, a top, a pair of crops ... that's it. Wear, rinse, dry, wear again. The shoes are a luxury item. No other uses unlike everything else.

Everything else I wear are all from technical, quick drying, non-creasing fabrics, easy to rinse and dry overnight. I use the underbid drawer, one shelf of the rear wardrobe, and the front wardrobe for clothes. If I need space for more then it doesn't travel.

Bedding sits on the parcel shelf. All of it. One duvet, one mattress topper, a couple of pillows that also have spare covers and make for daytime cushions. Duvet is 7 tog. Any heavier and I will find myself asking why did I bother getting a van with a diesel heater.

Towels are all microfibre and not very many of them. Wash, dry overnight, if necessary.

I use a BIAB and a folding seat that stows in the otherwise useless space alongside the rear bench seat. Out of the way until needed.

I am not short of space.

Thank you, GrannyJen- that’s been really helpful.

 

[Granny O]

Last year we washed our (2 adults&1baby) clothes twice: that helped us a lot.
We try to take 1 rainjacket, 1 thermojacket and some hiking shirts and add some merino t-shirts. Okay, we did go out for meals but never visited an „expensive“ place. I guess it depends ob where you‘d like to go. I use cubes and the wardrobe next to the fridge, my partner the underseat drawer. We took both some hiking boots, everyday sneakers (on running) and some plastic slippers. 1 helmet (stupid I know but we couldn‘t find one for her yet) stored underneth the multiflex....
However we are still trying to find out the best way. But as hotel california said...

May you share some details/pics of where you went?

Tip : less is more .
Things you don't use 2-3 trips ....trow them out leave them home.
Wear your shirt 2 days , do a small hand wash to freshen up your cloting.
Only 2 max 3 pair shoes each .
Oh ..and less is more....
[/

Tip : less is more .
Things you don't use 2-3 trips ....trow them out leave them home.
Wear your shirt 2 days , do a small hand wash to freshen up your cloting.
Only 2 max 3 pair shoes each .
Oh ..and less is more....

Thank you - I’ll remember that - my new mantra - ‘Less is more’

 

[Granny O]

Last year we washed our (2 adults&1baby) clothes twice: that helped us a lot.
We try to take 1 rainjacket, 1 thermojacket and some hiking shirts and add some merino t-shirts. Okay, we did go out for meals but never visited an „expensive“ place. I guess it depends ob where you‘d like to go. I use cubes and the wardrobe next to the fridge, my partner the underseat drawer. We took both some hiking boots, everyday sneakers (on running) and some plastic slippers. 1 helmet (stupid I know but we couldn‘t find one for her yet) stored underneth the multiflex....
However we are still trying to find out the best way. But as hotel california said...

May you share some details/pics of where you went?

Thank you - very helpful

 

[Granny O]

I think all the answers lie in your post. Smart clothes for restaurants?... just eat at casual places instead (well that's what we do). Cycling gear?...cycle in ordinary clothes (bikes were around for a hundred years before lycra). Toilet tent... what's wrong with having the P/potti in the van? Need a bed each... why? Mattress toppers...we don;t bother with them - when we want a deluxe bed we stay in a nice hotel.

Sorry to put it so bluntly, but a Cali is a small campervan as I'm sure is now obvious. If you really need all that clobber you may find you'll be better off with a bigger motorhome.

We don’t want a motorhome - we love our Cali. We just need to learn how to pack less stuff yet still be comfortable. Thanks for taking the time to reply. All thoughts are helpful.

 

[Zebedee]

Last Summer we did an extended trip France, Switzerland, Italy and then my daughter was going to a week-long house party in Dorset before returning home. I was very strict emptying all the stuff we wouldn’t use on the trip. Then we had 3 large really useful boxes in the back under the bed. Every couple of days transferred what we would need to the wardrobe. Did minimal smalls washing. Even had a really useful box between the front seats. I knew we wouldn’t use the topper, oven, or awning. Did use the Bog in a Bag though.

This Summer we are doing a “famous artists” tour and will pack the same. A plain t-shirt can be made smart with a nice necklace maybe a silk scarf and a pair of black trousers. (Robell) are brilliant, wash and dry no ironing, tough enough for dog walking and smart enough for swanky Geneva and Turin restaurants. I stick to one base colour (from my days as a fashion journalist and pr) either black or navy and then ring the changes. A linen shirt is a good standby doesn’t matter if creased, roll sleeves up if hot, down if chilly! Like GJ I have sketchers as go to shoes, tevas for everywhere else!

 

[Granny O]

Last Summer we did an extended trip France, Switzerland, Italy and then my daughter was going to a week-long house party in Dorset before returning home. I was very strict emptying all the stuff we wouldn’t use on the trip. Then we had 3 large really useful boxes in the back under the bed. Every couple of days transferred what we would need to the wardrobe. Did minimal smalls washing. Even had a really useful box between the front seats. I knew we wouldn’t use the topper, oven, or awning. Did use the Bog in a Bag though.

This Summer we are doing a “famous artists” tour and will pack the same. A plain t-shirt can be made smart with a nice necklace maybe a silk scarf and a pair of black trousers. (Robell) are brilliant, wash and dry no ironing, tough enough for dog walking and smart enough for swanky Geneva and Turin restaurants. I stick to one base colour (from my days as a fashion journalist and pr) either black or navy and then ring the changes. A linen shirt is a good standby doesn’t matter if creased, roll sleeves up if hot, down if chilly! Like GJ I have sketchers as go to shoes, tevas for everywhere else!

Thanks so much. Sounds like your holidays are as busy as ours! What size of ‘Really useful boxes’ have you got? Will look online for Robell trousers and Sketchers and Teva shoes.

 

[Barbara]

Town?
Don’t let the Cardiffians hear you calling it a “ Town “. It is after all the Capital City of Wales.
You’ll have to come back and cycle the Taf trail North to Castell Coch, the fairy tale castle, and then South to Cardiff Bay and the Barrage.

When I was a teenager in Cardiff we always said "meet you in town". The Taff trail is great and the Taff is now very clean. I think it was made a city in the 50s.

 

[GrannyJen]

When I was a teenager in Cardiff we always said "meet you in town". The Taff trail is great and the Taff is now very clean. I think it was made a city in the 50s.

I stop at pontcanna fields when visiting Cardiff, normally for the 10k and Half Marathon, two brilliant events, and the ability to walk right through the city, almost from sea to open countryside, along the Taff in beautiful surroundings is incredible. An amazing green and beautiful space cutting right through the middle of a large city. I love it.

 

[WelshGas]

When I was a teenager in Cardiff we always said "meet you in town". The Taff trail is great and the Taff is now very clean. I think it was made a city in the 50s.

From Wikipedia.
Cardiff did not become a city until 28 October 1905. And it was only proclaimed the capital of Wales in 1955.

 

[GrannyJen]

From Wikipedia.
Cardiff did not become a city until 28 October 1905. And it was only proclaimed the capital of Wales in 1955.

Ivor Guest, the sitting MP when it became a City. Later Lord Lieutenant of Ireland during the Easter rising. Related through his Mother to Winston Churchill with whom he joined in defecting form the Conservative party to the liberal party.

Interesting times.

 

[Barbara]

From Wikipedia.
Cardiff did not become a city until 28 October 1905. And it was only proclaimed the capital of Wales in 1955.

So it was a city all my life so I should have been saying "see you in the city" but is the centre of a city a town like London town? After all as I was already in a Cardiff suburb and we usual met at the museum.

 

[Velma's Dad]

a couple of pillows that also have spare covers and make for daytime cushions.

That's a great example. We do that - well actually it's the other way round, we have a couple of scatter cushions on the bench during the day that get pillowcases put on them to become bed pillows. As many things as possible need to be dual-purpose.

 

[GrannyJen]

We’re just back from a two week break in the Cali, staying in B and Bs and friends houses as well as in the van in caravan sites. We needed smart clothes for going out for meals, clothes and boots for hill walking, cycling gear and more casual wear. We took a Khyam toilet tent and a Porta potti, as well as two lots of bedding and mattress toppers, as we needed a bed each. We could hardly move in the van! Any hints and tips how we can cut down on what we take, but still be comfortable?

Wash bag has everything I need including Hair. I use a travel soap from Friendly soap, probably the purest and most environmentally friendly on the market. It contains Tea Tree for annoying bites, lovely shea butter and Castor oil for leaving the hair nicely washed. Lovely and soft as a body wash. As I air-dry my hair I do not carry a dryer so loads of space saved. All I do carry extra is a small "one hit" bottle of conditioner. One of those little benecol drink bottles recycles as a brilliant conditioner holder, also brilliant for holding laundry liquid, also brilliant for holding washing up liquid. A 6 pack of benecol drinks provides me with 6 very useful containers afterwards!

 

[WelshGas]

So it was a city all my life so I should have been saying "see you in the city" but is the centre of a city a town like London town? After all as I was already in a Cardiff suburb and we usual met at the museum.

It was the Hayes for us.

 

[Volky]

Have to agree with everyone about cutting back on the clothes - but we find vacusacs really useful for bedding and our more bulky clothes. The dyson handheld is a must, but we need that on board anyway to clean up after the kids!

 

[ejmoore]

One way of taking less stuff is to simplify your holidays - for example, if you are just going to the Lake District you don't need smart clothes (but maybe more waterproofs). And switching between staying with friends & staying in the van is always a business.
One option would be to just get an awning, then you can drive with as much stuff as you like & pitch it all out into the awning once you're at the campsite (including the p-potti).

 

[ejmoore]

If you want to practise going minimal, try a trekking trip where you're carrying everything on your back for a couple of weeks - you soon work out what you can manage without!