How to Pack Light for a Three-Week River Cruise

Seasoned travelers know they can enjoy their trip more if they spend time exploring the destinations and marveling in the journey, rather than hauling a lot of luggage. For a three-week river cruise, you only need to pack seven or eight outfits. Alter them with well-planned accessories to create the appearance of an entire wardrobe. If you are more interested in sightseeing than being seen, you can still make a fashion statement while packing no more than a mid-sized duffle and a carry-on bag.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Soft-side luggage 7 to 8 outfits suitable for the climate conditions Accessories such as scarves, belts and neckties Formal outfit, if necessary Personal items Small plastic storage bottles (3 oz. or less) with screw-on dispenser caps.
Soft-side luggage
7 to 8 outfits suitable for the climate conditions
Accessories such as scarves, belts and neckties
Formal outfit, if necessary
Personal items
Small plastic storage bottles (3 oz. or less) with screw-on dispenser caps.

Step 1

Choose light, wrinkle-resistant clothes. Choose fabric blends over 100 percent cotton, because they fold flat, weigh less and smooth out easily. Pack shorts and shirts that are comfortable to wear, easy to wash by hand, and dry quickly from a clothesline strung across the bathtub of your cabin.

Step 2

Find out the fashion protocol for the cruise line to determine what formal clothes, if any, are needed. One black suit with five wrinkle-resistant dress shirts takes up a fraction of the space as multiple suits and 21 dress shirts.

Step 3

Select color-coordinated, interchangeable ensembles. A charcoal or navy skirt can be worn with virtually any blouse color, and a black suit can be worn with a variety of shirt and necktie combinations to create the appearance of many different outfits.

Step 4

Fold clothes along the seams to create compact bundles for packing while reducing wrinkles.

Step 5

Pack a variety of neckties, belts and scarves. These items take up minimal space in your luggage, but a change of color can create the effect of an entirely different outfit.

Step 6

Transfer small quantities of cologne, perfume and toiletries to plastic bottles with screw-on dispenser caps to decrease weight and volume in your luggage. Remove small first-aid items such as bandages and anti-itch ointments from boxes and place them in a resealable plastic bag to conserve space and weight.

Step 7

Pack only personal items that you expect to use daily.

Step 8

Pack entertainment items sparingly. Bring a digital media player instead of a portable CD player and compact discs. Extra batteries are handy, but can be purchased almost anywhere you travel. If bringing books, choose paperbacks over hardcovers.

Article Written By James Clark

James Clark began his career in 1985. He has written about electronics, appliance repair and outdoor topics for a variety of publications and websites. He has more than four years of experience in appliance and electrical repairs. Clark holds a bachelor's degree in political science.

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