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Business travel can be stressful. Even more so if you don’t have a handy list of what to pack. Add on to that our natural tendency to want to fill space and you end up with a carry-on, a checked bag and a personal bag hanging over your shoulder. If you have looked at the Conveyor belt and thought to yourself again and again, why oh why, do I choose to check a bag, perhaps its time for you to leave that checked bag at home.

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Besides helping reduce stress, going the carry-on route also helps you save time. Packing everything you need into a little bag might seem like an impossible feat, but with a handy list and a little trick for maximizing space, you can be rolling with your carry-on in no time.

Packing list

Documents

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Passport

Going abroad, don’t forget your passport.

Itinerary

It’s convenient to keep a print of your flight tickets, Hotel stays, rental car confirmation and other important information like important phone numbers, a map of your destination in case your phone battery runs out or worse you lose your phone.

Electronics

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Smartphone

As long as you have a Cell Phone you’re never alone

Smartphone charger

Don’t leave without it.

headphones

Headphones on, World off. I use Jaybird X3 In-Ear Wireless Bluetooth Headphones. These are great as they are light and provide 8 hours of battery on a single charge.

Power strip, Converter, and Adapter combo

Trying to plug your electronics into international outlets and your plugs won’t fit into their outlets. Travel adapters help you connect the products purchased in your country in another country.

The story doesn’t end there. Converters convert the voltage of electricity to match the voltage of our device. If you traveling from North America to another country, you will need to carry one of these.

Power strips are useful in case you need to charge more than one device from a single outlet. Here is a link to one of the Powerstrip, Converter, and Adapter combo on Amazon.

Power bank

A compact power bank can keep your devices charged when you don’t have access to a power outlet. I recommend Anker power bank as it is the smallest and lightest 10000mAh portable charger.

Laptop

If you have a choice, the smaller and lighter, the better. MacBook Air is an obvious choice. A lot of 10” laptops are standards for business travel across companies.

Laptop charger

Well, you don’t have a choice there.

Travel Gear

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Carry-on bag

Choosing the right Carry-on bag is of very importance. Hence reading a few reviews online before buying one is a good idea. I recommend Travelpro Luggage platinum, which is one of the highest rated Carry-on bags.

Laptop backpack

Laptop backpack acts as your personal item and can be used not only to carry a laptop but to carry most of your electronics and travel accessories. I recommend AmazonBasics Backpack for Laptops up to 17-inches as it has sufficient space to carry both your laptop and travel accessories.

Packing Cubes

Packing cubes can be used compartmentalizing both your Carry-on and Laptop Backpack. They help keep you organized and compressed. I recommend the TravelWise Packing Cube System.

Travel accessories

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Kindle

Kindle is great for reading, lightweight, screen works great in sunlight and you can carry hundreds of books in it. You can buy one here

Water bottle

Almost all Airports have a water dispenser. Use the dispenser and stay hydrated, while saving money otherwise spent on the water.

Travel blanket

An Airplane’s temperature often fluctuates from freezing cold to very hot. A travel blanket can add an extra layer of comfort to your travel. I recommend Cocoon CoolMax Blanket.

Eye mask, ear plugs, and travel pillow

You will need them on long flights.

Clothes: Packing list for Women

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Tops

• 2 blouses or collared shirts
• 1 t-shirt

Blazer

• 1 jacket or blazer

Bottoms

• 1 pair of dark colored jeans
• 1 pair of pants
• 1 skirt or dress (optional)

Underwear

Pack enough for each day of your trip, plus two extra pairs of each.

Shoes

• 1 pair of business appropriate shoes
• 1 pair of athletic shoes to wear while traveling and in gym

Pajamas

• 1 shirt
• 1 pair of shorts

Workout clothes

• 1 exercise outfit

Toiletries

Pack toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, hairspray, facial cleanser, toothpaste, toothbrush, a razor, and make-up in resealable plastic bags or a toiletry bag.

Clothes: Packing list for Men

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Tops

• 2 wrinkle resistant formal shirts
• 1 casual shirt

Blazer

• 1 jacket or blazer

Bottoms

• 2 pairs of pants
• 1 pair of dark colored jeans

Underwear

Pack enough for each day of your trip, plus two extra pairs of each.

Shoes

• 1 pair of business appropriate shoes
• 1 pair of athletic shoes to wear while traveling and in gym

Pajamas

• 1 shirt
• 1 pair of shorts

Workout clothes

• 1 exercise outfit

Toiletries

Pack toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, hairspray, facial cleanser, toothpaste, toothbrush, a razor, and shaving gel plastic bags or a toiletry bag.

Pro tip: You can use your pajamas as workout clothes. Keep a quick-dry outfit and wash it in your room after early morning sweaty workout and it’ll be dry before you hit the bed at night.

Its also good to read reviews about your place of stay as most of the accommodations do provide basic toiletries items like shampoo, conditioner, body soap, toothpaste, and toothbrush.

How to pack

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Are you wondering, how am I going to pack all this stuff in a carry bag? Let me share a few tricks to maximize the space in your bag.

Use space inside of shoes

Use the space inside of shoes to put your smaller items like electronics, chargers or even your sunglasses. Plastic wrap these items before stuffing them inside of your boots or shoes.

Roll clothes as tightly as possible

Make a base of the heavier, bulkier items because these are sure to take up more space. The smaller, lightweight pieces can be rolled on top or you can shove them into any space between the bigger items.

Packing Cubes

Use packing cubes to save space and keep your clothes organized. You can arrange clothes by day or by the occasion in these cubes.

1-quart zip-lock bag rule

Do remember TSA’s rule of 3-1-1 for Carry-ons. The TSA’s 3-1-1 rule caps the size of any liquids, gels, creams, pastes or aerosols that you carry on at 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters for each container. You can take as many of those small bottles as will fit into a 1-quart zip-lock bag.

Now, go ahead bookmark this page and come back to this page before your next business trip. Do tell me in the comments section, your thoughts on the post.

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