Packing Light: Not Just a Business Travel Trick

Since we started the new “Business Traveler Interview” series here at WhyGo Business, one thing keeps coming up among the many tips that frequent travelers have on offer – and that’s the idea of packing light.

It’s a concept most business travelers are familiar with, and something most travelers aspire to – but as most of us know, it’s often easier said than done. Now that airlines are charging more and more for checked bags, however, traveling carry-on-only is something a growing number of people are trying to do.

Packing light for short trips can be fairly easy, especially if you’re visiting a beach somewhere and you’ll be spending lots of time in a swimsuit. Sunny destinations usually make for smaller clothing, which makes for simpler packing. But when a trip is to a colder destination, or you’ve got several meetings that require more formal business attire, packing light becomes more of a challenge.

Generally speaking, how you pack a bag should be the same whether you’re going on an Alaska cruise, or you’ve got 3 days in Barcelona to kill between meetings. One tip you often hear is that you should plan on wearing everything at least twice on your trip, and that you can wash clothes in the hotel sink. That doesn’t work for everyone, however, and thankfully there’s another option. Business travelers often have the luxury of dropping off a few shirts at the dry cleaners and having them ready within hours – and typically for very little money, too – but that doesn’t mean leisure travelers can’t use the local laundry service, too. In many places, it’s just as cheap to let someone else do your wash than for you to do it yourself.

If packing lighter and traveling carry-on-only is your goal, one of the best investments you can make is in a good piece of luggage. Some of the best carry on bags, aren’t fancy suitcases, but they’re designed well and are often feather-light when empty. The other thing to keep in mind is that even the best-designed bag can be over-packed – so if you’re a chronic over-packer then perhaps you need a little more practice.

There are all kinds of guides and even demonstration videos online to help you learn tricks for packing more efficiently, so hunt around until you find one that works for you – and then put your new skills to use. Whether it’s a business trip that requires airline tickets to Orlando or you’ve scored a great deal on international airfare, you’ll travel more hassle-free by traveling light. And hey, if you’re successful, reward yourself with a nice souvenir from your trip – just make sure it’ll fit in your bag for the flight home.

photo by millicent_bystander