What I Pack.

For business travel, I usually take a backpack and a carry-on suitcase. I try to avoid taking a checked bag for trips less than a week in duration. As an engineer, I sometimes have to take along safety gear. I'll discuss that below.

My Backpack

I always take a backpack with me when I travel. It is big enough for a laptop, but I don't always take my computer with me... it depends on the trip.

• Cell Phone(s) - I usually carry a work phone and a personal phone.
• Cell Phone Charger(s)
• Headphones and/or Blue Tooth Earpiece
• Headphone Charger
• Point & Shoot Camera - Less important with smart phones now.
• Reading Glasses, if needed
• Pen
• Tissues - travel pack
• SeaBands - for motion sickness/vertigo
• Gum - for equalizing pressure in your ears during take-off and landing
• Sweet Snack - like candy or chocolate
• Protein Snack - peanuts (if allowed), jerky, fruits or trail mix
• Imodium AD - nothing is worse than diarrhea on an airplane.
• Ibuprofen or other pain reliever of choice
• Tums or other antacid
• Neosporin for cuts
• Band-Aids
• Any Personal Medication - at least 2 days' worth, more if you checked your bag.
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste - travel size
• Passport
• Emergency Cash - How much you need depends on where you are going. You should have at least enough for a taxi, gas, a bus/train ticket and a meal or two. If you are traveling in a foreign country, you might want some emergency money in the local currently.
• Emergency Credit Card - In case my wallet is lost.
• Airline/Hotel/Car Reservations - with hotel addresses
• Embassy/Consulate Address, Email & Phone - if traveling overseas
• Bank Phone Numbers - To notify bank if wallet is stolen or card is denied.
• Emergency Contact Emails and Phone Numbers - In case of an emergency.
• Membership Cards for Airline, Car Rental, Hotels - Less important in the electronic age
• Mailing addresses for postcards
• Local Currency - if traveling to foreign country. Often you can use your debit card to get cash from an ATM at your destination, but bring some money for tips and taxis.
• Extra Pair of Underwear - Just in case if you have a checked bag. If your flight is delayed or you miss a connection, you might not get your suitcase back.

If you are an engineer, like me, here are some additional items to pack:

• Calculator
• Red Pen
• Highlighter - you might want multiple colors
• Pencil
• Quick Reference Sheets/Unit Conversions
• Safety Glasses
• Earplugs

My Suitcase

Below are some items I put in my suitcase or toiletry bag.

• Shampoo
• Bar Soap
• Deodorant
• Hairspray
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrush
• Nail Clippers

Again, if you are an engineer, here are some additional items:

• Work Gloves
• Safety Shoes - When I was at Cabot, our manufacturing sites often had visitor shoes available... but not always in Size 13!
• Hard Hat - This is usually something that forces you to checked bag. I try to borrow one so I can keep carry-on. Ask ahead of time.
• Hard Hat Liner/Hat/Earmuffs - If working outside in cold weather.
• Lockout Locks, if required

Clothes

Here is my standard list of clothes to pack:

• Underwear
• Work Socks
• Workout/Exercise Socks
• Dockers or Work Pants - I am an engineer, so my normal dress is blue jeans or dockers depending on the site.
• Belt - Because a belt buckle may set off a metal detector, I will put my belt in my carry-on bag until I clear security.
• Polo Shirt - Again, my normal dress for a business casual engineer.
• Boat Shoes
• Pajamas/Sleep Gear
• Sneakers - if working out, hiking or exercising.
• T-Shirt - for lounging or working out
• Small Backpack - for workouts or hiking
• Bathing Suit if desired
• Wet Bag for holding wet bathing suit

If you do need to bring safety shoes or a hardhat, you can stuff small items inside them instead of wasting that space.

If you are an engineer, here are some extra items:

• Long-sleeve shirt or FR clothing

Dress Clothes

If you need to dress up, here is the additional list of items (for a man):

• Undershirt
• Dress Socks
• Dress Shirt
• Dress Pants or Suit Pants
• Sports Coat or Suit Jacket
• Dress Shoes
• Tie
• Tie Clip
• Cufflinks, if applicable
• Dress Belt
• Dress Watch
• Overcoat - if I am driving, I take an overcoat if it may be cold or rainy. If flying, I'll carry this on and take a lighter coat in my checked bag.
• Lint Brush
• Shoe Shine Brush - just a little foam touch-up sponge.