- Eddie Lucas works on a tugboat and also starred on Bravo's "Below Deck."
- He's learned how to pack for long stretches of time at sea, and shared some tips with Insider.
Eddie Lucas, a tugboat operator in Baltimore, Maryland — and an original cast member of Bravo's "Below Deck," now in its ninth season — is used to being away from home for weeks on end.
After 19 years in his line of work, Lucas has mastered the art of packing light.
Speaking to Insider to promote his partnership with boating app Dockwa, Lucas shared his top three packing tips.
"I hate bringing a lot of bags, and I hate checking bags when I fly," Lucas, 37, told Insider. "So I always try to pack as light as possible."
His strategy involves planning ahead, keeping things versatile, and sticking to only what's needed.
Wear your clunkiest pair of shoes when you travel
Lucas says getting TSA PreCheck has been a game-changer for him, and has helped him pack lighter when he's flying. Since travelers with PreCheck don't have to remove their shoes, they can wear their clunkiest pair instead of packing them.
"Before I had PreCheck I always just wore sandals so I could easily slip them on, slip them off, and move through security as quickly as I could," Lucas said.
But with PreCheck, Lucas said, he wears the footwear that takes up the most space to free up room in his bag for clothing and other items.
Bring fewer clothes you can wear multiple times
Lucas suggests packing clothes that can serve more than one purpose like quick-drying shorts, which he says can double as a bathing suit. "Even though they look really nice and informal, some of them have belt loops," he said. "You can put a belt on and easily wear it in a different situation."
Lucas also says materials like flannel are great for trips to cold climates and linen is a perfect choice for warm climates. "Flannel is fantastic because it could be dressed up or dressed down," he said. "It's very dynamic."
Stick to the necessities
If you're heading to a resort or out to sea on a yacht like the ones Lucas staffs on "Below Deck," the star says everything you could need, apart from your clothing and swimwear, is usually already there waiting for you. So he suggests leaving your pillow, shampoo, and toothpaste at home. And if you're heading out on a yacht, don't bother bringing your own towel as Lucas says that's usually provided.
"Just think about what you need, because everything else that you want is probably already going to be there," he said.
For general travel, Lucas says his necessities include a sweatshirt for the plane, headphones, a battery bank, and a phone charger. He also always brings along a good book as he's a keen reader.
And for long flights, Lucas stashes a toothbrush in his backpack. "Sometimes its nice to brush your teeth," he said. "It just kind of helps wake you up a little bit before you land."
Lucas suggests dialing back on items that would generally be annoying to carry around, though.
"Don't bring too much jewelry, and don't bring really bulky things unless you are going to a very cold climate," Lucas said, adding that he doesn't bring his laptop with him on his travels. He said he can do mostly everything he would need to on his phone instead, and recommends thinking about whether you really need the extra weight of a laptop.
Lugging a heavy suitcase around can add an element of stress to a vacation. So while packing light and keeping it to one bag is logistically helpful, it might also make your trip that bit more enjoyable — especially if, like Lucas, you're running to catch a yacht.