As a seasoned business traveler, you might feel like you spend more time on airplanes and in hotel rooms than in your own living room. While you don’t mind going out of town for work, you often come home feeling tired with a sore neck and back from toting around so much luggage and work supplies.Top tips on how you can reduce the number of things you pack for a business trip.In this article, you will learn my business trips tips.
To give your body a break and allow you to get through your business trip with a minimum of physical stress on your body, it’s important to pack as extra light as you can. Fortunately, there are a number of tips and tricks you can try that will lighten your load:
Consolidate Your Tech
If you normally pack a laptop, video camera to record meetings with clients, tablet and smartphone, you know how challenging it can be to keep track of — and charge — all of that heavy tech. Instead of lugging around all sorts of devices for work, see if you can downsize to one smartphone that can handle the work of multiple gadgets. As a bonus, you don’t have to shell out big bucks for the newest model; for instance, you can purchase a pre-owned smartphone like the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. Its 5.5 inch screen and 2560 x 1440 display resolution offers great clarity and when connected to the internet, you can use the smartphone much like you would a laptop. With its 32BG of storage, you can also download and store documents on the phone, and its built-in wireless charging feature means it will power up from zero to 100 percent in no time. The Galaxy S7 also includes a decent video camera that can be used to record meetings and other business transactions, and you can also take photos of invoices and important documents with the dual pixel 12.0 MP camera.
Choose Your Clothes Carefully
Ideally, all of your clothes should go together so you can mix and match. Then, make sure you are not packing for too many days. If you will be away for a weekend business trip, you really only need one suit jacket, two pairs of pants or a pair of pants and a skirt and two cotton shirts or blouses. You will also need a pair of socks for each day, underwear and possibly a tie as well as something to sleep in; instead of a bulky robe and jemmies, pack a t-shirt and lightweight sports pants, which you could also wear in the morning to run out and grab coffee and a pastry. To make your suitcase as light as you can, wear your suit on the plane. For extended business trips, make reservations at a hotel that has on-site laundry and do a load or two while you are there; this way, you can still pack as few clothes as possible.
Skip the Shampoo and Work Supplies
Most hotels supply shampoo and conditioner, lotion, an iron, umbrellas and office supplies like pens, staplers and more. Unless you are super fussy about what type of health and beauty products you use, leave the liquids at home and use what the hotel provides; as a bonus, you won’t have to worry about finding those tiny TSA-approved bottles for your carry on, or hoping your fave shampoo doesn’t open up in your suitcase. Check the hotel’s website or give the front desk a jingle to see what they supply and leave those same items at home.
Traveling for work can be stressful enough. You don’t need to add to the burdens of business trips by overtaxing your body by packing things you don’t really need. Let your smartphone multitask and do the work of multiple tech gadgets, choose your clothing with mathematical precision and take advantage of the hotel’s amenities and you will return from your next business trip more relaxed than ever.
