An Interview with the Queen of Packing Light: Katherine Leamy
Do you dare to pack light and travel solo?
Katherine aka ‘The 5 Kilo Traveller’ is in her own words OBSSESSED with packing light. Her forays into packing light began on her first solo trip to Italy and Croatia, and she became hooked on both.
I came across Katherine on Instagram a couple of years ago and I have since then marvelled at her tips on packing light for all manner of travelling occasions from tropical packing to the Islands in Fiji, hiking for changeable weather in her home country of New Zealand and even handbag packing for an overnight trip to her daughter’s graduation!
Like myself, Katherine is a keen solo travel advocate and is on the verge of releasing her book ‘Dare to Travel Solo’ – a memoir of exploring Croatia and Italy with a light carry-on bag and ton of determination! I can’t wait to read it, and will be sure to update this post with a review when I have – if Katherine’s Instagram and blog posts are anything to go by, it will be packed full of down to earth stories told with a whole heap of humour and practical tips along the way.
This interview covers:
Travelling solo
Safety & packing light
Tips for light packing
Midlife solo travel
An Interview with the 5 Kilo Traveller: Katherine Leamy
Katherine, you’ve recently written a book titled ‘Dare To Travel Solo?’ so very clearly you’re a passionate advocate of solo travel! What inspired you to take that first solo trip to Croatia and Italy and what lessons did you take back home with you?
My travel companions’ circumstances changed and so I had a choice of putting the trip off for a few years or going ahead by myself. I think I thought about putting it off for all of about three seconds!
I’d done a couple of solo trips back in the 20s, but other than that it was always with friends, then the family. Solo travel really wasn’t on my radar at all. So, travelling solo was as much as a surprise to me, as it was to others.
I think at the time my big key learning was that I could actually do it. Fear was the only thing stopping me. Even now when I get stuck…it’s often fear of the unknown. Once I’ve done something, I think, wow that wasn’t so hard. What was I worried about?
I also learnt by travelling alone, that if I slowed down, whether that be my thinking or moving, I made better decisions. Ducking into a doorway or shop, gave me the opportunity to decide whether I was going in the right direction or not. Slowing down has helped me avoid making some big mistakes. I really do need time to think things through.
I was fascinated to read on you blog ‘The 5 Kilo Traveller’ that one of your main reasons for initially travelling light was safety which is not something I’ve really considered. How does travelling light improve your safety when travelling solo?
Safety really was my biggest fear. I think I needed to know that I didn’t have to hand over my bag to anyone to lift it up, or ask for help, or put it in the boot of a car or on luggage racks, or someone to watch it while I went to the bathroom – all of which (in my suspicious mind) were opportunities for someone to run off with it!
I even bought a bright blue bag so if anyone stole it, I would see it in the crowd of black bags. The chances of me catching them was fairly slim, but at least I could spot it disappearing into the crowd!
My bag was strapped to me, so if they wanted the bag, they got me too.
I thoroughly enjoy your travelling light tips popping up on Instagram, what are your top five tips for a travelling light newbie like me?
Make sure everything mixes and matches. Three tops, three bottoms, three top layers, and three pairs of shoes that all mix and match will give you 20+ different looks. Add a scarf and some cool jewellery to change it up even more.
Reduce the amount of toiletries and cosmetics down to the amount that you will actually use and pop that amount in a tiny container.
Pack clothes that are multi-purpose – like leggings that can be worn for sport, as nightwear, lounging around in your room at night, or a warm layer under your trousers or a skirt.
Observe your travel wardrobe before you go. Looking at your gear will help you think about whether you will have the right things for different occasions.
What can you leave at home? Do your homework on what will be provided at your accommodation. Most places have soap, shampoo and conditioner, hairdryers, towels…so you don’t need to pack these.
In your own words – you’re somewhat obsessed with all things light and are always on the look out for new ideas. Is there anything you’ve tried which has not worked out, and that perhaps you’ve had to adapt?
Shoes and jeans! Both are so bulky and heavy. My first trip I had a pair of black sneakers that were so heavy. I’ve since replaced them with lighter, white sneakers that look great with everything.
I travelled with a heavy pair of 7/8 jeans that were a slim cut. I’ve replaced these with lightweight denim jeggings. I love jeans and I’m in the ‘travel with jeans’ camp.
Every time I travel I come back thinking, “what worked, what didn’t work, what would be better?” It’s a learning process.
One of your tips for a multifunctional light wardrobe is to create a selection of clothes, shoes and accessories that are complementary in order that you can mix and match. I love this idea, but when I look at my wardrobe it’s a bit of a cacophony of colour. I don’t really want to spend a lot of money on new clothes, what would you advise?
Wearing clothes you normally wear is perfect. You already know how they go together, if they’re comfortable, and how they perform in different conditions. You probably already mix and match everything everyday without even realising.
If I’m buying something new, I always make sure it fits with my general travel colour , which is navy blue. But that doesn’t mean it all has to be blue. Loads of colours go beautifully with blue.
And I admire that you have a wardrobe of colour – that’s your personality and you can travel vibrantly with your own wardrobe outfits.
Are there any occasions when you don’t travel light?
Not really. I’ve just been staying with family for two weeks. I took a minimal wardrobe…but the car was full of food, drink, and bedding. You can do that with car travel.
There are occasions where people need to travel with more – like moving country.
I know that I travel ultralight with my 5kg, but my message is really for people to think about what they travel with and whether they could pack less stuff. Lighter bags (even a 15kg bag) are easier to manage than say, a 23kg bag. It’s all relative. A 10kg bag is easier still. Less stuff means less decisions, less lugging, less panicked packing and more relaxed travel.
You began solo travel at the age of 49, which is the age I am now and I have noticed that my travel habits are changing. Do you have any midlife tips for a great travel experience?
Just get out and do it. Be daring! Don’t wait for others to be ready.
I do suggest that people think about what kind of travel they like, their budget, and what will work for them. Knowing your personal travel preferences helps to make it that much more enjoyable. I really love the social aspect of hostels but prefer having a single room. That way I get the best of both worlds. Privacy and meeting travellers from all over the world. Hostels have changed a lot since my backpacking days in the 90s. The last one I stayed at even had hair straighteners!!
If you want to travel solo, try somewhere closer to home for a start, or a country that speaks your language, or a place you’ve been to before.
Of course, I did none of this, but you’ll have to read my book to find out how that worked out for me. Needless to say, it was a bit of a shock to the system!!
Thank you Katherine!
If you want to learn more about the 5 Kilo Traveller, you can find her here:
Website: www.the5kilotraveller.com
Instagram: @the5kilotraveller
Facebook: the5kilotraveller
If you want to learn more about Katherine’s soon to be published book, check out her website here:
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