Pack for a business trip like a champ

There’s nothing worse than arriving at your destination with a suitcase full of clothes and noting to wear, or even worse, having to spend an obscene amount of money on excess luggage weight because you had to shop for all the things you could’ve brought with you.

As someone who has traveled extensively for my job, I was once asked what one item of clothing was an absolute travel essential for my suitcase. My response? A sarong.

Think about it, it’s handy for the beach as a swim suit cover up, as a scarf, a head covering if needed, a wrap on a chilly flight, it’s completely versatile. And after packing and unpacking a million suitcases, there are certainly many things I’ve learned, sadly by trial and error, in terms of what not to do when packing your suitcase.



5 Fatal Flaws:

Not making a ‘what to wear’ list. It might seem excessive, but sitting down and actually planning out what outfits you’re going to wear will save you a lot of room in the suitcase. Much in the same way that menu planning saves you money at the grocery. If it’s a work trip, remember that if you are seeing different clients on different days, parts of your outfit can easily be re-worn.

Taking ‘out there’ items. Sure that wild print dress looks great on, but taking items that are easier to mix and match. Clothes that can be both dressed up or dressed down will get you more mileage and take up far less room.

Taking your shoe collection with you. Every pair of shoes you pack will add at least a kilo to the weight of your bag. Let’s face it, shoes are awkward items in suitcases, making it tricky to pack around them. Think about exactly what you really need and what you can wear twice.

Taking too much gym gear. Yes making time for fitness, especially while traveling on business trips, is important. Too much room service and social drinks can certainly add up quickly, but so can the weight of gym shoes and the extra clothing. Think about it, will you really use the hotel gym on more than one occasion? If so, take the gym clothes. If not, think about maybe taking a swim suit instead. Less room in the suitcase and most hotels have useable pools year round.

Taking your bathroom with you. Yes, we all love our little comforts from home. The shampoo we’re used to, the moisturizer we love the scent of, but really we know we could go a day or two without it. Don’t waste space on shampoo, conditioners and lotions which could accidentally break open in your bag and cause a whole other headache when you know the hotels will always have them available. If you’re a frequent traveler and fussy about your brands, packing a travel bag of small sized toiletries and keeping it packed will make it easy for you to re-pack every time you go away as well.

Categories
#travel
#life_skills
#organization


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