Hands up, who wants to be spending time hanging around an airport waiting for baggage just about now? No one! Even before the pandemic hit, waiting in a stuffy airport for your bags to come around on the carousel was no-one’s favorite thing to do.
So how can we avoid this seemingly inevitable problem?
The answer is in packing light, swapping your heavy items for light items, and saving weight where you can.
The only problem with that is that most ‘lightweight travel tips’ are aimed towards backpackers who can wear sports clothes and T-shirts, not so easy when you’re packing for a business trip that requires smart casual at best.
Packing Smart
Packing lightweight and packing smart can be a bit of a challenge, but with these five tips below, you are sure to find a way to get your packing done and not break your back trying to lug the bag around with you!
Don’t Pack Everything
One of the smartest tips we’ve ever heard about packing light is to simply not take lots of stuff with you. It may seem counterintuitive not to take your things with you, but have a look at your pack and decide, ‘what can I pick up at my destination?’
If your business uses a travel management service like AmexGBT, you’ll have a whole network of service providers in the country you’re visiting, and you’ll have the ability to pick up practically anything you need. Now you might consider it easier to leave the toothbrush and shampoo at home and get one while you’re there, but even things like power adaptors can usually be sourced at your destination, saving weight and space.
Wear as much as possible
It might not be possible to leave some things at home to get your bag any lighter, but can you wear them?
The baggage weight rules have seen more and more travelers opting for things like jackets with many pockets or even fishing vests with pockets to wear their heaviest items. Some of these travel vests, as unattractive as they are, have pockets even big enough for a small laptop. Certainly, worth considering!
Swap Your Work Laptop
Those old Think Pads notoriously weight a ton, so why not see if your employer will swap it out for something smaller and lighter? Even a good tablet would be able to handle most business settings and lighten your load.
Limit Yourself to A Carry On
If you promise you’ll only take a carry on, then you’re usually limited to 10-15kg in weight. With that kind of limit, you will suddenly find many things you can either wear or leave behind to save weight!
Be Smart Casual
There’s nothing wrong with travelling in a suit, but it can be uncomfortable; why not pack the suit but travel in smart causal clothes that can serve you well for the business coffee as well as evening exploring in your destination town?