THESE ESSENTIAL ITEMS TO PACK FOR BUSINESS TRAVEL SHOULD BE YOUR FORGET-ME-NOTS:
Do you know the essential items to pack for business travel? I mean, you’ve got that big business trip all planned. You know your flight schedule, your daily itinerary and where you’re staying. You’ve packed your best business attire (or your nicest hoodie), some underwear, socks and basic toiletries. You’re all set. Or, are you?
There are a handful of items you may want to remember to toss in your bag for that next business trip. If you own any of the following and travel often enough, you might even consider buying two of each item so that you don’t have to remember to pack them again. That way, these essential items for business travel will always be in your suitcase.
SNACKS:
Whether it’s on the plane or in the hotel room, you’re bound to feel the pangs of hunger and want a little snack. I always have a few granola bars, Clif Bars, and bags of nuts with me to avoid purchasing the $12 tin of peanuts from the mini bar.
I usually toss the items out onto the desk of my hotel room upon checking in so it’s the first thing I think to grab rather than wasting money on mini bar products that might also be over THREE YEARS old. (There are several mid-level hotels that simply forget to rotate out their mini bars. If you choose to purchase an item from a mini-bar, always check the date.)
BOOZE:
As above, the booze in the mini-bar is exorbitantly expensive. I’ll usually toss in a small bottle of my favorite vodka (Tito’s) into my bag before I leave. No, I’m not an alcoholic, but I like a drink or two after a hard day of business meetings and I’m not always in the mood to head down to the hotel bar.
If you don’t want to put in a whole bottle of liquor, consider putting a small amount in a water bottle and packing that with you instead.
NOTE: Remember, that you can only do this if you’re CHECKING your bag. Otherwise, unless you’re planning on packing under 3oz, it will be taken from you.
NAIL CLIPPER:
Small thing, but it sucks showing up to your destination and realize your nails are a bit unkempt. In these days of casual wear no one will likely notice. But it might be more annoying to you. But if you pack a nail clipper, you can quickly resolve this issue.
FIRST AID KIT:
You might argue that this is not an essential item to pack for business travel, however, more than once, I’ve cut myself or needed an aspirin for a mild (or not so mild) hangover. Consider buying a small first aid kit that you can always keep in your luggage. If you’re a parent, this is even more essential as you kids will at some point manage to hurt themselves.
CHARGER:
Make sure you have an extra charger in your bag. How many times have you found yourself digging through your purse or briefcase for that charger you SWEAR you had only to realize you left it at home. So, end this problem once and for all by storing a charging cord in your luggage.
BATHING SUIT:
Personally, I love to swim. I also love to Jacuzzi. I try to be keenly aware of staying at hotels that have pools. But sometimes I forget to check and am disappointed when I discover that there IS a pool, but that I have forgotten my bathing suit. So now, whenever I buy a new swim suit, I now buy two and toss one in my luggage.
PLASTIC BAG/LAUNDRY BAG:
I always try to throw in a few empty plastic shopping bags in case I need to pack something that’s wet and/or dirty. In some of the nicer hotels, they have thicker plastic laundry bags that I take and use to keep my dirty laundry separated from my clean laundry. It’s also nice to come home and not have to decipher what’s still clean versus what’s dirty by smelling it. (Gross.) I just take the dirty clothes bag and dump the whole thing into the washing machine. Easiest way to unpack.
EAR PLUGS:
You never know which room you’re going to get when you check into a hotel, but sometimes you get the one next to the crying baby, the “honeymooning” couple (you know what I mean), or the one that’s right next to the elevator/ice machine/maid service closet. Having a set of ear plugs will make your stay much more comfortable as your sleep won’t be constantly interrupted.
EYE MASK:
I don’t use an eye mask at home, but not every hotel has black out shades. So, I’m always grateful when I remember that I packed myself an eye mask.
WINE OPENER:
I’m a big wine enthusiast and when I travel for work, I use my free time to explore some of the wine options in different parts of the country and the world. I inevitably buy a bottle or two and will often invite a friend up to my room to enjoy it with me. Having a wine opener at the ready is always a smooth move.
BINOCULARS:
No, I’m not a peeping Tom. But, I have been lucky enough to stay in several hotels that have some truly beautiful views. Having a pair of binoculars with me makes the view even better as I can zero in on some of the more intriguing elements.
TOILETRIES:
This is a bit of a “duh,” but how many times have you unpacked everything only to discover you forgot these essential items? By keeping an extra set of toiletries (including your toothbrush, tube of toothpaste and dental floss and maybe a razor?) in your luggage, you’ll never have to worry about this again.
POWER STRIP:
There’s nothing more frustrating than having to climb under a desk to look for yet another plug. So, one absolutely essential item to pack for business travel is a Power Strip. Buying an extra power strip that you can leave in your bag allows you all the plugs you need — any time you them, anywhere you are.
TRAVEL UMBRELLA/RAINCOAT:
It might be nice where you are, but often we forget to check the weather where we are going. I once packed for a December trip to New York and completely forgot to pack a jacket! So, make it a habit of putting a travel umbrella or lightweight raincoat in your bag. You just never know.
TRAVEL FOLDER:
When you’re distracted, it’s sometimes a challenge to keep track of your travel documents such as your plane/train tickets, passports and the like. So, have a folder — preferably one that can close — that you use ONLY for your travel documents. This way, you’re likely to always know where they are and they are much more easy to carry around.
Further, when you’re in your hotel room you can easily put all of your documents in the safe.
WHAT DID WE FORGET TO REMIND YOU NOT TO FORGET?
What are your essential items to pack for business travel that didn’t make the list? Provide in the comments below and maybe we’ll do a part 2!
