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Street Smarts
By: Lisa Horn, CAS
Issue: May 2010

Next time you hit the road for another business trip, remember the sale starts with your suitcase. Pack appropriatetly.

Whether you are a seasoned road warrior or only travel for business once a year, being a smart traveler is … smart. Making the sale starts with your suitcase, thus it is important to pack appropriately so you are prepared and make the right impression.

But what should you pack? How do you get the most out of what you bring? Is it possible to keep the suitcase organized? How do you get the most in the smallest bag? What’s the right bag for the job?

For those of you who know me, you may find it somewhat peculiar or perhaps even humorous that I am writing an article on successful packing, as I have been known to bring several suitcases to the PPAI Expo—including one for shoes alone.

But I must admit, I am changing my over-packing ways. It started with a European tour in 2008 when I was allowed only one 22-inch checked bag and one carry-on backpack—for a 10-day trip. Of course, the suitcase was stuffed to capacity and teetered on the brink of the 50-pound limit. Since we stayed in three different properties as we made our way from Rome to Naples and back again, lugging that bag around was a real drag.

With several business trips booked around the country and another European trip scheduled this summer, I am desperate to learn how to become an expert packer and improve my smart traveler IQ. So, I accepted the challenge to write this article, share my past mistakes and consult experts on how to do things right. Here’s what I learned…

Don’t Procrastinate
The day before leaving on any trip is a busy—and often stressful—time because of everything that must be done at home and the office before you leave. While I usually have good intentions about packing early, the day tends to slip away. As a result, I’ve been known to pack at 1 am for an 8 am flight. Bad!

In fact, Susan Foster, packing expert and author of “Smart Packing for Today’s Traveler,” recommends planning weeks in advance. “First, choose the right bag for the trip, then make a list of all the planned activities and what should be worn for each event,” she says. “Watch the weather at your destination and begin setting aside clothing and other items that are possibilities for the trip. As more information becomes available about the itinerary, add and subtract items. Begin packing at least two days before departure and edit to fit the bag. If the bag choice is wrong, you have time to either make a new choice and repack or edit again to fit the best bag.”

Don’t Over-Pack
Experts agree that over-packing is the No. 1 mistake travelers make. Why? Procrastination surely plays a part along with lack of organization and planning.

But what if I need… ? “To avoid ‘what if’ packing, the bane of intelligent travel, carefully develop a list that constrains what goes in your bag,” says Doug Dyment, travel speaker, author and “Go-Light Guru” who founded www.OneBag.com. “If it isn't on the list, it doesn’t get packed.”

Select The Right Bag
“Luggage is personal—everyone has his or her own needs and wants,” says Pete Mitchell, director of business-to-business sales for Mansfield, Massachusetts-based supplier Samsonite Corporation (UPIC: Suitcase.) “Selecting the ‘right’ bag is a function of how often you travel, typical means of conveyance (car, plane, etc.), length of trip and what you pack.”

Mitchell says there are two types of travelers—folders and hangers. “Folders neatly fold clothing and place them into the luggage,” he says “Most typical rolling luggage on the market today is designed for folders, and there are many choices. Hangers, on the other hand, take clothes directly out of the closet (still on the hangers) and place them into a rolling garment bag.”

Whichever style you choose, Dyment says choosing the right bag requires thinking about bag design as an engineering problem and then asking yourself these questions:
• What shape will hold the most for a given set of external dimensions?
• What material is best suited to extended travel?
• What kind of zippers (the item most likely to fail in a bag) work best?
• How many compartments do I need, and how can they be most efficiently organized?
• What does the bag weigh?
• What kind of warranty does the manufacturer offer?

Pack Properly
Have you put much thought into how you pack your suitcase? I haven’t. I fold the items neatly and put them in the bag. That’s it. Or so I thought. Sure, some items get wrinkled and sometimes that one item I need just happens to disappear into the cavernous depths of “the big green monster” (what I affectionately call my suitcase).

However, it doesn’t have to be this way. With proper packing, items should arrive safely and intact with minimal wrinkles.

John Holloway with www.PackingLight.com recommends using the bundle method. First, pack a shoes and toiletries bag to create a flat surface upon which to place clothes. Next, pack pants, shorts, skirts, dresses and shirts (in this order) and alternate direction on each item. You can also use a sheet of tissue paper between layers to further reduce wrinkling.

Using packing cubes or envelopes is another way to keep clothing organized while minimizing wrinkles. Use them to organize like items (shirts, pants, undergarments) or pack complete outfits together.

Whichever method you decide to use, packing the same way each time helps you not only streamline the process but also know where things are located without having to take everything out of the bag on an expedition to find that one illusive item.

Also, make sure to use every inch of the real estate within the bag. Foster offers these four tips:
1. Roll exercise wear, pj’s, swimwear and other small items to fit into the ‘valleys’ created in the bottom of the bag by the handle assembly.
2. Roll socks, underwear, jewelry and belts then tuck into shoes to use valuable space and help shoes retain their shape.
3. Bring only the smallest amount of cosmetics and toiletries. Minimus is a great resource for travel-sized items, from personal care and pharmacy items to food and beverage products.
4. Do some laundry during your trip, either by hand or locate a coin-operated laundry, to reduce the overall number of garments you pack.

Reform Your Ways
Planning for your next business trip goes beyond setting appointments with clients and booking travel arrangements. Appropriate packing plays just as important of a role in the process as developing your sales pitch. If you arrive disheveled and stressed, it won’t matter what you say.

“Different industries have varying dress standards, but you never get a second chance to make a good impression,” says Foster. “Make sure that you are not perceived as underdressed and, therefore, not serious about your work. As an outside salesperson, it is always safest to be more formally dressed.”

And it is possible to be impeccably dressed without over-packing. Dyment says, “Traveling lightly yields improved security, economy, flexibility and serenity: It is the single most important step a traveler can take to reduce trip-related stress.”

Lisa Horn, CAS, is president of Irving, Texas-based Spark!, a boutique strategic communications agency that helps suppliers, distributors and other promotional products organizations build their brands, position themselves in the marketplace and get the publicity they desire. A 15-year industry veteran and former editor of “PPB,” she is a frequent contributor to “Promotional Consultant” digital magazine.

Develop Your Own Packing List—And Use It!
A packing list is the foundation for making smart packing decisions. But one size doesn’t fit all. “My personal packing list is not necessarily one that would work completely for others,” Doug Dyment, founder of www.OneBag.com says. “The most important goal of every traveler is to develop a personal list and use it.”

To help you get started creating your own list, Dyment shares a basic packing list. The Universal Packing List is another tool that creates a packing list based on data you enter regarding trip dates, climate, type of activities, transportation options and personal preferences. Use these as the foundation for your list and customize for your personal preferences and specific needs.

Your packing list shouldn’t be static. After each trip, examine what you packed and what you actually used, then revise as necessary—you may not need as much as you first thought.

“For most people, in the vast majority of travel situations, everything necessary for an indefinite period of travel will fit in a single, carry-on-sized bag,” Dyment says. “It may not happen the first time you attempt to travel lightly, but there are far too many success stories out there to confirm it’s possible. Packing light, however, is a specific skill that needs to be learned.”

–Lisa Horn

Choose The Right Clothing
Keep in mind you’re only bringing a suitcase—not your closet—with you. “Remember mix and match from grade school: Let go of the idea that you must have a different outfit for each day of the trip,” Foster says. “Instead, pack basics that interchange to create multiple outfits using the fewest garments.”

In order to achieve the most wardrobe versatility, choose multifunctional, coordinating pieces with a neutral color base. “With either careful wearing or laundering, two pairs of dark slacks plus one jacket plus four shirts/tops (add color and interest here) will last for one week,” Susan Foster says. “Also consider items that pack small: a merino wool sweater packs smaller than a sweatshirt, flats pack smaller than boots and several lighter-weight layers are as warm but pack smaller than a bulky coat.”

Foster also recommends paying close attention to fabrics when making apparel selections. “To minimize wrinkles, choose fabrics that are blends—cotton mixed with polyester (a.k.a. ‘wrinkle-free cotton’) or high-tech synthetics such as polyester micro-fiber,” she says. “Wicking fabrics are perfect for travel because they are comfortable to wear yet can be washed in the hotel bathroom sink and hung to dry overnight.”
—Lisa Horn