The Most Efficient Way To Pack a Bag [0:00:00]
Now, this first tip to packing light seems obvious, but it seems everybody forgets to
do it.
Seriously, nail this one thing and you can reduce the weight of the luggage you’re
taking by like 50% or you can show up prepared and not freeze your ass off.
So, if it’s not obvious, gents, what I’m talking about here is checking the weather.
[sound effect] So, awhile back, my sister from California
came out here to Wisconsin and expected it to be freezing cold.
So, accordingly, she packed an entire extra bag of warm clothing, which you can probably
guess when she showed up, we were having above average temperature.
And, in fact, she didn’t even break into that piece of luggage that she paid like an
extra 75 bucks for.
[Music] All right, gents.
To be clear, if you want to travel light, this is not how you pack a bag.
Seriously, grabbing everything in your closet and throwing it into your bag is a recipe
for disaster.
[sound effect] No!
There’s a much better way to do this and that leads us to the next tip, which is to
plan out your outfits for the entire trip.
Most people when they pack, they just throw in clothing they think looks good that they’re
going to use that they’re somehow going to wear.
Instead, actually go through and look at the shirts, look at the trousers, look at the
jackets, look at everything you’re going to wear, putting together an outfit before
you even leave.
Now, gents, this is a really powerful concept for two reasons.
One, you’re only going to bring clothing that you’re actually going to wear, so you’re
not going to pack things that you don’t need.
Second, you can go through and you can see which items can I wear multiple times.
You’re going to be able to identify, you know what?
This pair of trousers is going to work with multiple shirts.
I only have to take two pair of trousers for a four-day trip.
You can just simply switch them out.
So, again, you’re going to take less clothing.
Now, how to specifically choose which items to take?
Well, guys, I’m going to cover that here in a few minutes when I talk about color blocking.
Now, gents, if you’re enjoying today’s video, do me a favor and smash that like button.
Seriously, the legend says when you hit that like button, you’re more likely to get an
upgrade next time you travel.
All right.
So, I got no data backing up that last point, but I’d like to think if you’re subscribed
to the Real Men Real Style channel, you’re dressing sharp, you’re on your way to being
more successful.
You are on your way to flying first class.
The next tip to traveling light is to choose the right bag.
If you want to travel lighter, then choose a smaller bag.
Again, this one sounds obvious, but so many people choose a bag bigger than what they
need, so guess what?
They find a way to fill it with things they don’t need.
Now, personally, I find I don’t need anything more than a simple carry-on even when I’m
traveling for up to six weeks.
Seriously, here’s me traveling to Europe for six weeks and you can see, I just have
one simple carry-on with everything I need inside of it.
If I’m just traveling for the weekend or a couple of days during the week, I take a
weekender, a bag designed specifically for those shorter trips.
Now, speaking of bags, let me show you this beautiful piece of luggage from today’s
sponsor, Carl Friedrik.
Now, gents, this is their new Carry-on Pro and I got to tell you, this is now my favorite
piece of luggage in my collection.
And, you guys probably know for years I’ve been talking about Carl Friedrik because I
love what these guys do, quality craftsmanship, beautiful design at a price that, yes, is
not cheap, but is easily some of the best on the market for the quality you get.
So, for three years now, I’ve been using the classic carry-on from Carl Friedrik and
I’ve used this to travel all over the world for both business and pleasure.
They are beautiful pieces of luggage that are durable, well-made.
And what I love about this new Carry-on Pro is it’s even better.
So, what they did with the Carry-on Pro is they kept all the best features of the original
carry-on, but they made it even more functional.
They did this by adding an external hard shell pocket.
Basically, it makes it so that your laptop and your essential gear, documents, any paperwork
that you need to be able to grab, you can do it easily and it secures it.
So, basically, you zip this thing right back up, nothing’s going to come out, but you
have easy access to the things you need when you’re traveling.
They did all these while keeping that very durable aluminum frame.
They used a polycarbonate around it, so it’s very lightweight.
It’s got a little bit of gib, but this is not going to bend, it’s not going to break.
This is an incredibly tough suitcase that looks amazing.
Seriously, details like the Japanese Hinomoto spinning wheels, these are silent wheels that
are incredibly smooth.
When you’re going through the airport, you just noticed, wow, they don’t catch on anything.
They just – it moves like butter.
The Carry-on Pro also gives you the option to connect a power bank, you’ve got the
TSA-approved locks, really smooth, just really a nice connection right there.
This thing, again, is built like a tank, but designed like a Ferrari.
Like I said, guys, Carl Friedrik is not cheap, but I think they’re the best value out there
when it comes to quality construction and getting a bag, getting a piece of luggage,
getting a wallet that is going to last you a lifetime.
That’s why they’ve got a lifetime guarantee and a 100-day trial period.
Seriously, you know a company is doing something amazing when they let you try the product
risk-free for a hundred days and you can get a full refund.
But, they know once you get this in your hands, that you’re going to become addicted to
it and you’re going to go buy a whole bunch of bags and wallets because, guys, they’re
just amazing quality.
[0:04:57] Now, gents, I’m putting a link down in the
description of today’s video.
If you want to get the best deal on the planet when it comes to Carl Friedrik, use that link,
go over to their website.
Again, one of my favorite companies when it comes to quality, when it comes to build,
when it comes to design.
Use that link in the description of today’s video to get the best deal on the web.
The next tip to travel light, search your bag for stowaways before you pack.
What am I talking about?
So, one of my bags has a hidden pocket and I had packed a whole bunch of coins.
I was going to an event and I knew I’d meet up with people that follow the channel.
I put like ten of them in there.
Well, guess what?
That weigh like half a pound and I took three trips forgetting those coins were hidden in
there.
Guys, it adds up, so make sure to go through your back and make sure there’s nothing
in there that, yeah, you don’t need to take on this trip.
And by the way, if you like a Real Men Real Style challenge coin, in the comments down
below, let me know the tips and tricks that I missed that you have on how to travel light.
I want to hear from you down below after you watch this video.
The next tip to traveling light is to choose your shoes carefully.
Easily, one of the bulkiest and heaviest items that you’ll be carrying are shoes and if
you take too many, it’s going to add up in weight very quickly.
Do you need to bring the running shoes?
Unless you run every day, maybe it’s time you can wear something a little bit more casual.
You can wear this into the gym and focus in on weights.
Skip the cardio for a couple of days.
When it comes to your everyday shoe, can you go with something that’s incredibly versatile,
something you can dress up and something you can dress down?
Yes, it’s not going to have any laces, which make it easy when you’re going through security
and just want to be able to slip it off.
A loafer not dressy enough for you?
Then, check out the chelsea boot, one of my favorite types of styles, again, slips on
and off and very – a simple clean, you can go with a dark leather.
This right here, a very dressy boot that you can wear even with a suit.
But, does that logic apply when you’re dressing casually?
I’d say it does because these right here these loafers, perforated, so they’re going
to be very breathable.
They’re going to be as comfortable as sandals and they’re going to look a lot dressier,
so you can wear this with slacks, maybe with a t-shirt, with shorts.
Yes, it can be worn and it looks good.
Now, let’s jump over to color blocking and I alluded to it whenever I talked about going
through and putting your outfits together.
But, color blocking is a deeper concept within the interchangeable wardrobe.
Now, the interchangeable wardrobe, I’ve talked about many times here on the channel,
but that’s the idea that you could own less and get more outfits if everything matches.
So, if you have four pairs of shoes, if you have four shirts, if you have four pairs of
trousers, and you have four jackets, 16 pieces of clothing.
But, if they’re 100% interchangeable, you have a total of 256 outfits.
Now, how is this powerful and where does color blocking work in?
Well, for my shirts, I choose colors which I know simply look good on me and are going
to be very easy to match.
So, I’ll bring in whites, I’ve got grays, but, usually, I’m going to stick with blues
whether it even be a t-shirt, I have a gray t-shirt here.
Occasionally, I’ll bring in a black, but you guys know I love blue shirts especially
with collars.
Here, I’ve got a short sleeve polo or I’ve got a long sleeve, but I can also go with
lighter colors.
I can even go with combinations patterns like this.
They’re going to make it a little bit more complex.
Then, I color block my trousers.
I can go with two main colors in my trousers.
I’ve got variations of grays, depending on also the surface.
I can go with a napped weave like this and a flannel or a flat surface.
I also go with browns.
This one right here, a khaki, but you can go with darker brown, you can with lighter
brown, they’re all browns.
And what’s great about that is it look great with blues.
Now, what about blue trousers?
I really don’t wear trousers, but I do bring in denim when it comes to blues.
This is such an easy color, it’s just universally accepted.
You can dress it up, you can dress it down.
And, again, it works with any other shirts here.
Now, when it comes to color blocking my jackets – and when I say jackets, I want to include
hoodies, I’m going to have sweaters, I’m going to have suede jackets, I’m going to
have windproof jackets, I’m going to have leather jackets.
You know, we’ve got all different types, sports jackets here.
I like to have a little bit more fun.
So, I will bring in green, I bring in maroon.
The average guy, though, he can keep it really simple, just go with a blue jacket.
What I love about this is it’s interchangeable, it’s going to work with all these items
here, you know, bringing in with these trousers or dress it up with a darker gray.
Blue and gray work perfectly fine, bringing in with any of these shirts, you want to dress
it up with this one and even wear a t-shirt if you got a little bit of confidence and
you know what you’re doing.
But, gray is also a great option for a jacket.
Again, a guy maybe just getting started off.
But if you want to have a little bit more fun, you guys have seen me in many of my videos
bringing in this maroon suede jacket.
I love it because I can wear it with a t-shirt, I can wear it with a button down, it looks
really good.
This right here, we’ve got a simple sweater, but the color is what’s going to make it
stand apart.
That being said, the best and one of the most versatile one I think a guy can start with,
again, is going to be gray, a V-neck, it slips on.
You can even wear a t-shirt underneath this and it’s going to dress up the whole look
if you’re wearing this with jeans.
Even with hoodies here, this mint green, not so much interchangeable, but, again, it sticks
with the colors that I like to keep here.
For me, greens, blues, grays, and occasionally a maroon if I’m having fun.
Now, really quick let’s talk about style.
The best advice I can give you here, go classic that’s not going anywhere.
Both of these jackets, classic, got a lot of pockets.
The design is actually similar, but the colors, the materials very different.
[0:10:00] Again, depends on the weather, depends on
where you’re going.
This one here for colder weather, made from a wool, going to be very tough, durable, warm.
It’s going to be pretty resistant to weather to wind.
This one right here, specifically very lightweight, can be great if you just have a bit of a wind.
But maybe you’re going to an area that has a little bit of rain, this is going to be
nice to be able to layer both of these and I would wear this if I’m traveling.
Again, they’ll be heavier bulkier, I’d wear this on the plane, but when it comes
down to it, either one of these pieces is going to be great to add onto all the pieces
I just talked about.
Now, that color blocking advice also applies to footwear, keep it simple.
Go with one color, change up the styles, but one color is going to make sure that it works
with everything in your wardrobe.
And it doesn’t have to be boring.
One of my favorite colors that I think is really underutilized, oxblood.
It’s a maroonish reddish color and it works great with black, it works great with lighter
colors.
You can really do a lot with this.
That being said, my go-to color is brown.
I just simply like the shade, it works with a lot of my trousers and I like the way it
just makes the shoes pop.
Gives them a bit more contrast versus just going black.
That being said here the key is versatility.
Look, is this going to work with the outfits I’m packing and those are the shoes you
want to take.
Now, for this next part of the video, I’m going to call this the traveling light lightning
round, a bunch of quick hacks that you can use to travel lighter.
Never pack shaving cream in a pressurized can.
This is an accident waiting to happen.
Instead, travel with a shaving cream that’s not under pressure.
Or better yet, pack a shaving soap.
Now, the difference between a shaving soap and regular soap is usually going to be amount
of glycerin.
That’s going to make it very slick and it’s going to enable the razor to go across the
skin without nicking you.
That being said, if you are taking shaving cream that’s not in pressurized container,
make sure to use saran wrap or plastic to seal up the top of the container.
Just take the lid right off, put the plastic on, then seal it again.
This is going to make sure it doesn’t leak in your bag.
And speaking of fluids, never travel with a big bottle of cologne.
No, instead, grab one of these little travel sprayers.
What I love about this is they can be easily filled up, they got a little opening at the
bottom.
Put about 8 ml in there, that is going to be good for two to three weeks.
And speaking of travel sizes in your grooming kit, this is one of the biggest areas where
you can save weight.
When it comes to your toothpaste, go with a travel size.
When it comes to your hair product, go with a travel size.
Just look around, they sell these in stores all over the place.
Yes, you’re not getting as much product for your money, but it is something when it
comes to travel and convenience, it’s perfect.
And if your favorite brand doesn’t make it in a travel size, then you can make your
own.
Grab these go tubes.
These are small containers that are going to seal really well.
And, again, you just put enough in there for your trip.
And another quick hack, if you’re going to a store that sells all of these products,
ask for samples.
They don’t always have them, but when they do especially when it comes to fragrances,
you get 2ml, 5ml here or there, this is more than enough for a few days, sometimes even
a full week.
Now, I know some of you guys are saying, “Come on, Antonio, I got a great looking dopp kit,
I want to fill this thing up.”
Remember what we talked about at the beginning of this video, you will fill things up if
you got a big bag.
So, I recommend that, yes, it’s nice to have that dopp kit, but just go with that
simple quart plastic bag and the goal is not to fill this thing up.
The goal is to travel light.
And, gents, this stuff adds up.
Look at the difference right here between all the full size versus the travel size.
We’re talking a 3-lb difference.
Now, what about all your grooming tools?
We’re talking nose hair trimmers, nail clippers, nail files, nail scissors.
Do you need to take all these stuff?
Well, I think if the trip is under ten days, don’t worry about it.
Instead, do all that maintenance right before you leave and when you come back, you’ll
just be able to take care of it, but you don’t need to take those tools with you, unless
you’re going out for, yeah, more than a couple of weeks.
Now, this next part of the video maybe the most contentious part and that is my opinion
on the difference between rolling your clothing and folding your clothing when it goes to
putting it in your bag.
And, honestly, I don’t think that there’s much of a difference.
Some people are going to argue that rolling prevents wrinkles.
I haven’t seen that in my time.
Folding also creates wrinkles.
The worst thing you can do is just bunch your clothing and stuff it in there, that’s going
to create the most wrinkles.
But, I always try to give myself time when I travel to arrive a bit early and just lay
out all my clothing and iron it or press it or at least run it by a steamer to get rid
of the wrinkles.
If I had to make a case for anything, I would say place and fold your clothing in a way
that it’s going to fit strategically in your bag.
That’s the biggest issue with packing is that people have this really fully packed
spots, like the middle of the bag and then, over on the sides, it’s loosely packed.
Basically, there’s a lot of excess area.
And that’s why whether you’re going to fold whether you’re going to roll, what
you want to look for, treat it like a game of Tetris.
You want to make sure that you’re using every bit of dead space in that bag to put
something in it.
So, on the inside of your shoes, yeah, that’s where you may be rolling an undershirt, you’re
putting some underwear in there, you’re putting a sock.
You’re filling every dead space with something, that’s how you’re going to be able to
maximize the space in the bag.
[0:14:52] And when I say fold to fit, I mean that don’t
fold your jacket and then try to place it in your bag.
Look at the size of your bag and then fold the jacket pretty much in the bag.
Why are you doing this?
So, it fully uses all of the space and it has as few creases as possible.
Now, at this point of the video, let’s talk about some clothing that you should probably
leave at home.
There’s nothing wrong with these pieces, it’s just they’re not going to be as functional
they’re not going to be as versatile.
So, first up, do you need to have duplicate pieces?
No, I’d say just simply wear the item, you know, two to three times on the trip.
Maybe find a place to do laundry if it doesn’t smell too bad or you’re wearing undershirt.
I just find that t-shirts, there’s no reason to take two of the same thing.
Let’s also talk about light-colored clothing.
Light-colored shirts, I try not to travel with them.
If I’ve got a very formal event, I will take one, but you really got to be careful
with this.
It’s so easy to stain and get this dirty.
And I just don’t find that you can get the same type of wear you can out of a dark-colored
shirt.
And the same logic applies to bright-colored shirts to loud pattern clothing.
Why don’t you want to pack this?
Well, it’s hard to wear this basically twice in a period of just a few days without people
noticing it and that’s why my opinion, it’s just not as interchangeable.
Again, a great piece to have at home to stand out, but this isn’t something if you had
to, you wouldn’t want to wear this two days in a row, but you could with a darker colored
shirt.
Another way to save room to save weight especially if you’re traveling internationally is to
go with an adapter that just basically can do everything.
What I love about this one, it’s not only an adapter if I’m going to be traveling
abroad, needing, you know, a different type of connector.
But, it’s also got USB, it’s got USB-C ports right here, just really makes it easy
to be able to plug and charge anything.
That being said, as you guys know, I’ve got a large family, so I used to have to take
tons of these adapters, but now, I realized, you know what?
I can just take a power strip and, boom, everyone is taken care of with just one or two adapters
in my entire family.
All right, gents.
So, what video to watch next?
How about five accessories that men should never go cheap on?
Seriously, if you are cutting corners on these accessories, you are doing it wrong.
What am I talking about?
Find out, gents, in this video right here and I’ll link to it down in the description
below.
So, yeah, go watch it, it’s a good one.
Go check it out.
[0:17:01] End of audio