How to Fit Your Life Into a Suitcase
For Business Travel
Being on the road for two to three months at a time, I’ve learned a hard lesson or two about packing.
I normally bring one mid sized roller suitcase and one backpack on the road. Here’s how I do it.
Number 1: you can never bring everything you ‘think’ you want.
Let me be honest for a second about my un-minimalistic tendency with clothes. I love clothes. I love vintage clothes. I have too many pieces for my non-existent closet in my small studio, and definitely too many for a medium sized roller suitcase. Despite a somewhat honest attempt at downsizing via resale apps, the clothes piles are not getting much smaller. Lookin’ at you Depop, Poshmark, and desperately Ebay. Luckily I’ve got some sturdy containers to hide them all in.
When it comes to planning for travel, I envision myself in almost anything but a basic shirt and short combo. I want to look cool and fun! When realistically, after many uncomfortable trips, I should have been prepping for comfort and versatility. Not to fear! My advice is to pack your most versatile outfits: Pants that can be paired with multiple shirts! Things that don’t get wrinkly after 5 seconds! A good rain jacket is always nice as well.
For a month long trip, I normally pack 1 pair of sweats, 1 hoodie, 1 rain jacket, 5 shirts, 3 shorts/pants, 2 casual dresses, and 1 formal outfit. This will definitely change depending on what type of work you are doing, but the number of total outfits should be plenty as long as you have access to a washing machine during your travels.
Number 2: Use storage cubes!
For those unabashedly unorganized — these little cubes have saved me from previous packing nightmares. A small investment in these mesh cubes means a dedicated space for socks, underwear, shirts, and pants in your suitcase. Pro tip: I would recommend rolling instead of traditionally folding your clothes in these.
Number 3: Travel size everything.
This may seem obvious but people (myself included) often forget to purchase things like travel size hair dryers (which are a lifesaver on the road). Travel size electronics are a true space saver in suitcases.
Travel size hair and body products that I would recommend bringing include a wrinkle releaser, mouthwash, and a collapsible toothbrush. For shampoo/conditioner I would recommend buying travel sized bottles to fill, that way you don’t have to switch up your brand before leaving.
Number 4: Business in the back…pack
As I learned from a previous manager, you want to keep the important stuff (i.e., money, expensive printer, important documents) on your body. Don’t let anyone have the chance to take this from you. Clothes are replaceable, but your plane tickets/passport/fancy camera? Not so easy. Learn to divide your backpack’s usable space and compartmentalize what you need. I have a Timbuk2 backpack and the brand is well known for being durable and great for dividing up space.
Number 5: Stay supercharged!
Bringing not only one, but two portable chargers is my go to when packing. You will not always have time to sit at a coffee shop while your phone charges for 30 mins. It sets my mind at ease when I have a back-up, and a back-up to my back-up when traveling. Similar to carrying around a photocopy of your passport in a different pocket than your passport. This may not seem like a minimalistic tip — but it’s a time saver when you have a battery crunch and don’t have to make a detour to outlet land!
These tips may not fit with everyone’s travelling lifestyles or plans. I would love to hear how you pack differently or what you find to be more efficient!
June is based in Portland, OR. She started writing about her travels and experiences in 2018 and hopes to educate and entice her fellow readers into stepping out of their own neighborhood more often.
