Sign in Using FacebookBrice's Packing Tips
An inveterate traveler, 10Best CEO Brice Bay regularly hits the road for much of each month, attending business meetings, participating in industry conventions, and scouting out new opportunities. With such a hectic schedule, he's learned through experience and by necessity how to get the most out of his time and how to travel smartly.
For this installment, discover Brice's personal packing tips, along with his suggestions for making sure you have everything you need and aren't weighed down by things that you don't. For more details, take a look at his packing checklist.
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Tip 1: Make a list and stick to it.10Best CEO Brice Bay documents on individual index cards his suitcase's contents for every trip he takes. Laying out his needs this way ensures that he doesn't forget anything important. Strategies like this that make the packing process more tangible go a long way toward keeping any traveler on track; it also serves as a helpful reference for future trips. |
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Tip 2: Invest in quality clothes that wear well.Whether you travel frequently or not, buying well-made clothes is important. Straight seams, matched patterns, shape-keeping linings, and strong construction help you weather the vagaries of life on the road. Wearing quality clothes and feeling good in them also means that your attention can stay focused on the business agenda rather than worrying about whether you look presentable from moment to moment. |
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Tip 3: Consider the climate of the destination.It's easy to get caught up in "here" and "there" weather and pack for all contingencies. Resist the urge! Check the forecast, and stick to it. If it's going to be warm, a swimsuit is easy to take along, and a dress shirt can serve as a cover-up as the evening progresses. If it's going to be cold, pack a warm coat, scarf, gloves, and a hat. There's no need for excess, and it's likely you'll be inside most of the time anyway. Figure out what you can get by with, and leave the rest at home. |
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Tip 4: Be mindful of the fabrics you pack.Choosing the right fabrics can help immensely with packing. While all-cotton or linen are easy to wear, they immediately show the effects of packing. If you're at a beach or resort, that's not a problem. But, for business purposes, consider lightweight wool or blended fabrics that incorporate rayon and other forgiving fibers. They resist wrinkling and ensure that you look good, even when circumstances work against you. Workout clothes and underwear made of high-performance fabrics are also ideal because they wick away moisture; they have the added benefit of being easily washed in the hotel sink and hung up to dry within a few hours' time. |
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Tip 5: Color-coordinate your wardrobe.Being upended by travel is to be expected. Whenever you can, though, simplify your wardrobe to keep everything in hassle-free order. Keeping your travel clothes to a basic color palette is a great way to ward off unnecessary stress. A foundation of black, grey, or navy means that you can get dressed quickly anywhere without thinking about it. It also means that any color you add is likely to be an effortless match. |
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Tip 6: Pack clothes and toiletries in resealable plastic bags.Taking a "divide and conquer" approach to packing heads off any en route confusion. One of Brice's favorite tricks is to separate garments and supplies in zip-close plastic bags. For obvious reasons, he separates liquid toiletries from dry ones. However, he also packs two folded (not rolled) shirts per 3-gallon bag to avoid wrinkles and mishaps. Then, he tucks underwear and other flat clothing into other bags as necessary. (Socks are stashed into any shoes he packs in order to save space.) |
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Tip 7: Take advantage of hotel cleaning services.Hugely helpful in minimizing what you pack is letting your hotel clean your clothes. There's no reason to cart dirty laundry from place to place or to pack something new for each day. Mix, match, and let the pros help you out. It's worth your time and your aching back to hand off garments you've already worn to the hotel and start off fresh again. |
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Tip 8: Condense everything into a single bag.Whenever possible, consolidate your belongings in a single bag – two at the most – and preferably a carry-on. Keeping track of your own luggage lets you move rapidly at will, and it prevents you from losing track of personal items. Plus, in the end, you should be in control of the direction your trip takes – luggage struggles should never dictate your plans. |
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Tip 9: Wear what you can of bulky items.In travel, efficiency is king, and being fleet-footed and agile is key to keeping your schedule. What this means in terms of packing is that you want to carry as little as possible. To ensure that your load is light, make it a point to wear the heaviest and most space-consuming articles that you're taking. That includes, most obviously, your coat and your shoes. Ditto with sweaters, jeans, boots, etc. The added benefit is that with these items out of your luggage, you'll have more room for other necessities. |
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Tip 10: Opt for carry-ons rather than checking luggage.We all want options, and our sense of vanity is strong. Even so, trips are not the time to show off your extensive wardrobe or to pack for dreamy "what if" moments. Keep everything to a minimum, and delight in the opportunity to travel unburdened. If nothing else, travel light as an exercise to see if you really can manage it. Moreover, pack just what you'll need in a carry-on. If you think strategically, you can find a way to take it all, absent the superfluous and the repetitive. Better yet: Just picture yourself exiting the airport, small bag tossed over your shoulder, while everyone else makes the tedious, dragging trek to baggage claim! |
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