Are you tired of carrying a big, overweight bag whenever you travel for business? Great–you will find all the tips you need below, so you can finally start traveling light!
From restricting the amount of packing space to ditching printed files in favor of the Cloud, here are some great tips that will help you travel light on your business trips!
Get A Small Travel Bag
Perhaps the easiest way to pack light on a business trip is to get a smaller bag so you can’t pack stuff you don’t need even if you want to. Restricting the amount of packing space you have is a great start since it will really make you wonder whether you really need that twelfth pair of socks.
A great carry on for business travel could be anything–lightweight travel briefcase, a small suitcase, or even an excellent travel backpack. The best bag for you is the one that works best for the way you pack and travel. If you mostly just pack clothes and a couple of accessories, then you need a small suitcase or a backpack. But if you need something with great organizational features, a briefcase will be a much better fit.
Make A Packing List
A packing list is a great first step towards learning how to pack light. Get out your pen and paper (or open up the notes on your laptop if you’re that generation) and make a list of the items you consider absolutely essential. You can have some leeway when it comes to socks and underwear since we all tend to overpack those items.
But try to choose just one jacket and pack a pair of shoes that can go with everything. Decide between your smartwatch and favorite self-winding watch–you certainly don’t need both on a two-day trip!
It’s also a good idea to use compression bags for your clothes. This lets you pack twice as many items, but it does mean that you will need access to a flat iron at your destination. So, not a great idea for shirts and suits, but definitely viable for cotton t-shirts, sweaters, pajamas, jeans, etc.
If you’re flying, definitely put some good noise-canceling headphones on that list. But you don’t even have to pack those. You can simply wear them around your neck, saving some space in your travel bag.
Pack Smart
The beauty of the Internet is that you have access to all the information you could possibly need with just a few keystrokes, including dozens, if not hundreds, of different packing hacks and tips that can seriously make your life easier.
Perhaps the best packing hack that you should be using is to roll your clothes instead of folding them. It prevents the items from wrinkling and they take up less space in your bag. It’s also great to pack your socks and underwear into tiny bags, which you can then put inside your shoes for maximum space utilization.
Don’t pack your jacket in the bag. Instead, wear it to the airport or carry it in your hand. Doing so will save a lot of space in your bag. Ditch your bulky leather wallet for a convenient modern option that is smaller, lighter, and safer!
Don’t Pack Documents
The Cloud is one of the best and worth things that have happened to humanity. But its convenience is undeniable. Instead of having to print out 20 different files and then stuffing them all into your bag, you can just save them to a folder on your preferred Cloud service and access them whenever you want from any device you have. If you need paper copies for a meeting or for work, you can print them out at your destination.
Even if you don’t use or don’t trust the Cloud, it’s much better to download them on a USB stick than to pack actual papers. If you want to access them while you’re traveling, you can always save the files to your phone or just store them on your laptop. Anyway, you certainly have lots of different options when it comes to traveling with a bunch of files, and all of them are better than printing a hundred sheets of paper and packing them in your travel bag.
Interesting Related Article: “Effective Ways To Enhance Comfort On Your Next Business Trip“