Does your job require you to go on business trips all the time? Do you travel most of the year? Do you spend more time in a hotel room than in your own bedroom? Most people are envious of people with careers that take them to places. They don’t know, of course, that this also gets tiring. Sometimes, you just want to lie down and enjoy a nice dinner with your family. Packing for business trips is almost always a nightmare, too.
Fortunately, there are many tips that will help you pack smartly. Using a carry bag from a good supplier will organize your luggage better. While you can invest in those mini travel bags that have labels for your underwear, socks, shoes, and clothes, you can also use reusable bags. These come in handy because you can use them to carry souvenirs when you do some shopping during your downtime.
Never Check Your Bag
Airlines are now charging for checked baggage. They used to be free, but many budget airlines are now charging a fee for checked luggage. That should not be an issue for you because you should look into never checking in your bag. Savvy business travelers will enumerate the benefits of never having to check your luggage in. You don’t have to wait for your bag. You don’t need to go through customs. You also don’t need to deal with the possibility of lost luggage. This reduced hassle will make you a believer in putting your bags in the overhead bin—no matter how uncomfortable it may be for some.
Bring Liquids in Mini Containers
Ziploc bags can break during the flight. Invest in those mini containers. Transfer your contact solution and other liquids such as lotion and facial cream in them. You don’t need to carry the whole bottle with you. That will take too much space in your luggage. A two-ounce sampler container will do you good. Airport officials will question containers bigger than that.
Pay for Hotel Laundry
Don’t you know that you can have the hotel laundry your clothes? It might be expensive, especially if it’s a rush order, but you’ll save time and space. Besides, you can just reimburse that from your office. Just make sure that you’re staying in the same hotel for more than a night. Many hotel laundry services need at least 24 hours to get your clothes back to you. This way, you need to bring only a couple of clothes with you.
Use Digital Documents
You don’t need to present printed airline tickets or hotel reservations. Airlines and hotels can scan the code from your digital wallet. Make sure that you have a government-issued ID with you so that they can verify the information that you provide. Also, make sure that your phones are fully charged. You don’t want your phone dying when you need to show the clerk at the airport counter your airline reservation.
Consider Black Clothes
Black clothes go with everything. There’s no point bringing bright-colored shirts and pants that you cannot mix and match. Black is the unofficial business suit, anyway. You can reuse it. No one will even notice it’s the same suit from two days before. As a general rule, businessmen bring a pair of black jeans, two black shirts, a black blazer, and black shoes.
Reduce the number of things you want to take with you on a trip. Think long and hard if you need these things. There’s a big chance that you don’t. You’ll be surprised how easy your trip will be if you’re not carrying bulky luggage.
