Clothes and items for heavy B-travel
Hey all,
Soon I'll be beginning sales focused role requiring upwards of 70% travel per week. I've already got a solid briefcase and suitcase and am planning to get a few pairs of Bonobos (thinking I can use these for pleasure as well). While I'm traveling I'll probably bring a pair of oxfords, running shoes, and a mix of polos/dress shirts to wear on site. Already have TSA pre-check plus lounge access.
What are some travel friendly clothes (dry fit, no need to iron, etc...) or travel items you guys use to make life on the road a bit more accommodating?
Make sure your briefcase has a slip on the back to slide over the handle of your suitcase. Also make sure you have a solid suitcase which will be a carry-on on every plane you take. You likely have both already, but those are biggies.
Is your job casual enough to wear polos and Bonobos? I'm assuming you are getting the cotton pants, not the wool suits. Also, if there's any chance trips will run long and you need to utilize hotel laundry on the regular, I'd focus on building a travel wardrobe which is not dri-fit/polyester/elastane, etc. unless you want to get some Fels Naptha and take up sink washing. Even nice hotels suck at laundry and anything you give them should be something which can withstand dry-cleaning and an iron.
Aside from that, a dopp kit + 3oz toiletries should be everything you need. Focus on getting shit as close to 3.4oz as you can because a 3oz tube of toothpaste from the toothpaste aisle lasts a heck of a lot longer than the little .75oz tubes in most travel sections.
look into more low profile running shoes to save space. if you're staying for a week, you really only need 3 dress shirts, if that. if you're wearing undershirts and don't spill shit on them, you can wear the same shirt 2-3x in a week, just hang them up as soon as you get back to let them air out. goes without saying, but wear a suit on the plane (saves space).
also, little known fact: hotel irons can be a death sentence on a shirt. before you start steaming your clothes, dump out the water, fill it up, and iron a pillowcase or something that's not your shirt. see if any dissolved solids or rust water comes out. buddy of mine didn't do this and ended up essentially painting his white dress shirt orange because the iron that was in his room had rust buildup from the water left in it.
depending on where you're travelling, also look into Clear, it's even better than TSA pre check from what I've heard.
Major key alert on the iron protip. I discovered this one the hard way during my past B-travel.
Should go without saying but inspect/test the iron the night before. In my experience, 50% of hotel irons are hot garbage and will spew iron oxide on your shit, have deep gouges in the iron surface from God knows what and will tear your shit up, and/or will leave your shit crusted with cheese from the panini the last tenant was pressing with it; and the other 50% are missing in action. If you find that any of these conditions is true, you won't have time in the morning to wait for the housekeepers to bring you a new one (which you will also need to inspect in the same fashion).
If your suitcase has room, Amazon sells $20 travel steamers which can eliminate your reliance on hotel irons, I travel with one every week. They can't press a crease but if you use a packing folder that shouldn't be a problem. The only caveat is that if you wear fused suits you need to be careful steaming the jacket and keep it at a minimum to prevent bubbling. However, if you wear fused suits that is a whole other discussion on this forum.
The ironing test tip is worth its weight in gold. I've ruined multiple shirts when I forgot to test the quality of the iron. +1 SB sir
Pro tip, if you turn on the shower and hang your shirts/suits in there for five minutes, you'll have no need to iron at all. It will steam almost all of the wrinkles out.
Micron Associates Travel Guide: What NOT to pack (Originally Posted: 04/21/2015)
I'm sure you were convinced of the need to bring that pair of boots, but frankly, you can't find the need for it now that you've arrived at the beach.
Then comes the cringe-inducing question: "Now, why on earth did I bring that?"
Why can't we help but feel the need to bring stuff those we merely HOPE we could use on a trip? Well, for one, people like to run scenarios through their minds for when they might need this or that -- but ultimately they go unused.
For some odd reason, it is comforting to know that you've packed the portable fire extinguisher, the portable coffeemaker and about 10 extra battery packs (all inside waterproof bags of course), you know, just in case.
But excess baggage comes at a price we are rarely willing to pay. So for the clueless (and the helpless) when it comes to packing 101, Micron Associates Travel Guide have suggested some of the most useless things better left out of your already bulky travel bag:
Water bottles Chances are, you won't trust the tap water abroad anyway so you'll still be forced to buy purified water all the time. Besides, you'll never be allowed to fill up your water bottle for a flight.
Torch Maybe you're worried a power outage will suddenly occur and you'll desperately need a quick light. Okay, but how is a torch going to help when it's so cumbersome you can't keep it on you at all times? Don't be that guy who has to fumble his way around the room and inside the bag before getting the so-called emergency light. (It has irony all over it.) That's what the torch app on your phone is for.
Travel pillows These so-called travel pillows are anything but travel-friendly. Even the popular neck pillows tend to take up more room than you can spare. You'd be better off just rolling up your jacket as a makeshift pillow so you can still lean on something soft while you try to sleep upright.
Rain poncho It's one of those things that sound like a smart thing to bring -- you know, when you're packing your bag and suddenly thought "what if it rains?". Take Micron Associates Travel Guide's advice and use your hoodie jacket instead. That should keep you from getting drenched and from getting uncomfortable stares.
Passport wallet It is hardly considered an organizer in a real sense for it brings more hassles than convenience. There is absolutely no need to bring something fancy to hold your passport when all you would ever do is hand it over to officials anyway. Worse, you could even hold up the line just taking your passport out of the wallet then putting it back in. I'm sure passport wallets look really nice and all but their practical use is equal to nil.
Money belt Unless you're a vendor, this is totally out of place in a traveller's must-haves. You couldn't be more obvious as a tourist with a bulky bag around your waist that you have to open whenever you're making a purchase. It totally screams I-have-my-valuables-here. (Surely that's not the look you're going for.)
This is a basic must do for all business travel. When I settle in the first night I start the steam process before checking email/tv.
i found myself nodding in approval to every single thing in here. As someone who travels a lot, I can totally relate to hits and misses of packing
srsly, who brings fanny packs these days? lol It's true tho that we often go on packing-panic mode esp when we think of the what-ifs
which could trap you in a really vicious cycle..XD just stopping short of bringing your whole room huh?
whenever i travel, I feel kinda bad seeing people going around with a huge luggage. shakes head Wish all of them could read something like this and have their eyes opened
Well what's wrong with bringing a lot of stuff on your trip? It's your choice! Better than to feel dumb for leaving something behind that it turns out you'd need
If you're going to be traveling internationally (and since this is WSO I assume you're in finance related sales/capital markets, etc.) go and apply for an APEC travel card. Additionally, you can get fast track reciprocity through Global Entry with a number of EU countries. Immigration is hell. I still feel dumb for forgetting I was eligible to register for e-channel the last time I was in Singapore.
While your United Club Card/Amex Plat/AAdvantage Exec card may give you status-lite benefits and lounge access (and therefor access to premium customer service) it's no replacement for having actual status. Status has repeatedly been the reason I get home or where I'm trying to go when things go wrong. See if one of the big 3 will give you a status match/challenge or if your company already has corporate status programs in place.
Also get a quality flask - you can fill it up at the self-serve bar in a lounge (airline or hotel).
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