Are you heading off on a ski trip? Maybe you’ve decided to visit your relatives living in Moscow, or would like to experience the Northern Lights of Iceland. Either way, you’ll have to pack some warm clothing and since luggage allocation on airlines is getting smaller, you’ll need be creative and efficient with your winter packing. How so? Read our tips for how to pack light with winter clothes below.
For starters, it’s important to choose light and warm fabrics. Merino wool and cashmere have a very good warmth to weight ratio. Merino wool is known for its anti-odor and temperature-regulating properties, therefore making it the best fabric for any winter clothing item, including socks. Silk is also a great option for a base layer. For your winter coat, you should opt for down rather than wool in order to avoid bulkiness.
When choosing your outfits, it’s important to think in terms of layers. If it’s very cold, you insulate with silk or merino wool thermal underwear. To that, you can add a long-sleeve t-shirt, a thin sweater (depending on how cold it is) and top your ensemble off with your down jacket. If you’ve chosen your fabrics correctly, the layers you remove can be easily stuffed in a small backpack in case you get warm. If you want to take your layering one step further, there are a variety of convertible jackets on the market, many of which offer the benefit of a waterproof shell to go with your down filled jacket.
Unfortunately, when it comes to boots, there is no way of avoiding bulkiness if you expect your feet to stay warm and dry. The solution to this is to wear your bulkiest, heaviest items on the plane. The same goes for your winter coat. Any additional footwear could be packed in your luggage and stuffed with socks and underwear to save space.
Finally, we highly recommend the use of compression bags or packing cubes. These press out any excess air from your clothing, ultimately minimizing the space they will occupy in your luggage. If possible, consider renting or borrowing larger items at your destination, like sporting equipment.
Now that we’ve completed our list of recommendations on how to pack light with winter clothes, we hope you feel there is one less thing standing in the way of your snowy vacation destination.
Until next time, travel safely!
Written by: Nadine Ishak
