Making the best of routine corporate travel means knowing how to pack efficiently. Efficient packing starts with packing your stuff into a quality suitcase and packing your suitcase correctly will be extremely beneficial when you arrive at your destination. Pack Light This is the most important part of packing. You don’t need nearly as much as you think you do. Eliminate extra weight you will have to lug around and the possibility of having to check your luggage. Skip the extra pair of jeans when you can wear one pair twice. Never – Ever – Check Your Bag Eliminate waiting. Waiting to check your bag in, waiting to claim your bag or worse, waiting for your lost bag to be returned to you. The only reason a corporate traveler would check a bag is due to an extended trip or the need to carry supplies or materials needed during the trip. Never check your baggage containing clothing. Good Luggage If you travel a lot, you should invest it good quality luggage. Leisure travelers might use a suitcase two or three times a year as compared to the corporate traveler who will likely sling that bag in and out of overhead bins hundreds of times a year. Quality suitcases include things like garment bags, built-in USB charging ports and compartments to separate dirty laundry. Take your time to research ratings for luggage. Personally, we prefer the Away brand. They aren’t cheap, but they do come with a lifetime warranty. And, always get the 4-wheel spinner model. You can stack stuff on top of them and they won’t fall over. You can always lean it and use it in 2-wheel mode for steep inclines if needed. Personalize Luggage Always attach an identification tag on the handle of your luggage and use a tag holder that is unique to you so when you look at an overhead bin full of black suitcases, yours stands out. To go even further, you can attach decals or artwork to the exterior that personalizes it and helps you identify it quickly in a crowd of other suitcases. And, why buy black? There are many unique colors today including pink, purple, green and red. Don’t forget to toss a business card in your bag just in case your handle tag comes off. Roll Clothes The best way to maximize space is to roll your clothes. For pants, fold in half and roll from the bottom up, smoothing any wrinkles as you roll. Your pants will not need ironing. You can do this with almost all of your clothes and there are many videos on YouTube that can show you how to do it right. Pack in Groups To be more efficient, pack a complete group of clothes together for a particular day with pants, shirt, underwear and socks together. Pack the clothes you will wear for the trip home on the bottom and the clothes you will wear on your arrival go on top in a logical order. This will save you time and you don’t need to unpack. Pro tip: Stick a dryer sheet in your suitcase for fresh smelling clothes and to eliminate static cling. Suits & Dresses Leave suits and dresses in the garment bag the dry cleaners put over them. Place them in a garment bag just the way they came, including the hangars. Fold the garment bag in half and carefully lay over the top of your packed bag just before closing. When you arrive at the hotel, hang the garment bag up and remove clothes as needed. Pro tip: Wear one of your suit coats on the plane to free up luggage space and ask the flight attendant to hang it for you or fold it carefully and place it in an overhead bin.