How to Pack for a Business Trip in a Carry-On

If you travel often you know that sometimes skipping the checked bag is the only way to go if you need to hit the ground running at your destination. Waiting around at baggage claim for 30 minutes to over an hour is not the best way to get a productive jump on your business trip.  Thus to circumvent this “checked-bag” fiasco, we have discovered several ways to pack for a business trip in just your wheeled carry-on bag.

1. Pack with fabrics that don’t wrinkle or can easily be steamed by hanging them in the bathroom with the shower on. Silk, rayon and polyester blends seem to travel the best and can be rolled up tightly and shaken out upon arrival – leaving you more space for bulkier items.
2. Pick a color scheme and stick to it for your entire trip’s wardrobe. This means only needing to pack one color belt, shoes, socks and watch.
3. Use travel size toiletries or if staying at familiar hotels, bring only those items not already provided by the hotel. This saves space and lets you avoid removing your ‘liquid’ items which slows you down through security.
4. Leave your fancy electric toothbrush at home and just bring the good old fashioned kind. It saves weight and bulk. And don’t worry- your gums and teeth will be just fine!
5. Download reading material like e-books, reports, etc to your mini laptop, tablet or Ipad and leave any physical books, reports or papers at home or in the office. Scan in anything you need to catch-up on during travel down time to save space and weight.
6. Pack 1 charger. This should be your laptop or IPad charger only.  Then just the cord with the USB plug can be used for this and your phone. It’s less space, less stuff to carry, track or lose,  and saves space.
7. Only pack enough under attire for the days you are there. We always tend to think ‘well I might need an extra pair’ but in reality you probably won’t.
8. Only pack one ‘comfortable’ pair of shoes for walking during down time if you plan to get out of the hotel and see the sights.
9. Use layers to change your look. Plan outfits to re-use heavier items like jackets and just switch out shirts and ties for a different look. For women do the same with different camisoles or tank tops and a few cardigan sweats or button-down shirts. The same pants can be worn for 2 days and no one will ever notice. Also accessorizing with scarves and necklaces can make a similar outfit look totally different.
10. Pick pieces of clothing that can go from day to night with a simple change of shoes or accessories. Often you can save room by adding a pocket square and bow tie to dress-up your regular black suit enough to go out to a fancy dinner. Women can re-wear the same dress with a different shawl or sweat and accessories to make it go from day to night easily.

Deploy these easy tips on your next trip and enjoy how light you’ll feel traveling without all that extra baggage. Share your favorite packing tips with us on Twitter @SmartCars1 with hashtag #packlight.