Top 10 Work Trip Packing Tips

One of my most requested blog posts is about work travel and how I pack for it! As a consultant you often have to pack a bag and head off at least once or twice a month (some get lucky and get to travel locally). Constantly packing and navigating through airports, you pick up on little tips and tricks that make travel a lot easier! Even when I am not traveling for work I tend to stick to my routine to help me stay organized.

When I am on work trips, I like to be prepared as possible so that I don’t have to think about things too much when getting ready in the morning or going to bed at night. Our days are normally packed from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed so having everything organized means I can get ready quickly.

Here are my top 10 work trip packing tips!

1. Plan out your work outfits based on your trip agenda. This is a huge one for me as it means I don’t have to worry about what I am wearing that day and I know I brought the appropriate outfits. Each morning it is super easy to get ready because I just throw on what I have laid out. If I plan accordingly then I know when I can dress up or when I can dress down a bit.
2. Keep those purse covers to slip your shoes into. There is nothing worse than having shoes stink up your clothes or dirt from your shoes getting on your clothes. I love keeping those purse covers that come when you order a new purse and re purposing them for shoe covers. It keeps things organized and I know they won’t be damaged as easily.
3. Only pack the essentials. This is always so challenging but when you plan your outfits out or at least know what your agenda is then you don’t over pack. For example, I always love to try and get a work out in if I can. But there are some trips I know it simply won’t work. Either we are working late, getting up early and I would be way to exhausted. So for those times I don’t pack a workout outfit at all. Also over the years I have really slimmed down my morning/nightly routine so that I don’t travel with my full bathroom cabinet.
4. Roll your clothes. I always roll my clothes to help save room in my bag and it helps to not get my clothes so wrinkled. Plus when I open my carry on, I am able to visualize what is where. I lay the clothes flat on the floor, fold them in half and then roll them up starting at the bottom of the item.
5. Bring at least one blazer that is versatile. You can never ever go wrong with having a blazer with you. Even the most casual outfits look at bit more professional with a blazer thrown over the top. This trip I was able to bring 3 but most of the time I only travel with 1 to keep the bulkiness down. Even in the summer I bring one as sometimes the meeting rooms get chilly and I hate being cold more than anything haha.
6. Check to see if the hotel has a good hair dryer. I hate having to pack my hair dryer as it’s bulky and takes up so much room. I always go to the hotels website and look to see if the rooms provide a hair dryer or not. If they don’t then I pack the Revlon Round Brush Hair Dryer. This thing is a god sent as it gives a great blow out look!
7. Pack shoes that go with different outfits. Shoes can be super bulky so bring at least one pair that could go with multiple outfits. The winter is super challenging because boots/booties take up a lot of room. If I can get away with wearing flats during the week then I travel in my boots/booties and then pack my flats. During the summer when I wear more heels, I pack one pair of heels and then wear another pair of flats that I could wear during the week. It’s all about making your outfits interchangeable.
8. Wear bulkier items on the plane instead of packing them. This is my biggest tip for travel during the winter. Jackets are super bulky so I normally grab one jacket that I can wear all week. I wear in the airport and on the plane so I don’t have to carry it. Again going back to the boots/booties, I try to always wear this on the plane so I don’t have to cram them into my suitcase.
9. Bring items that can be worn to work and to dinner. A lot of people asked if I wear what I am going to work in to dinner. The answer is YES! Sometimes I will throw an extra pair of jeans into my suitcase just so I can switch my pants to be more casual with my blouse. But most of the time I don’t really change as my dinners are pretty casual. If I had to dress up then obviously you would want to try and style a dress/skirt during the day to help transition it to night.
10. Get a water proof pouch for your toiletries. I can not express this enough. If you have traveled and had your products explode everywhere then you know what a pain it is. Also it creates a lot of stress because your clothes are covered. I got a waterproof case for my toiletries and it changed everything for me. If my toilerties do explode then once I am at the hotel, I take the waterproof pouch out, empty everything and stick it in the shower to rinse it off. As simple as that. No panicking about my clothes!

Hope y’all found this helpful:) I really tried to narrow my tips down to 10 so if you have other tips that you would love to share feel free to leave them in the comments below! They will be so helpful to those looking for packing tips.