With many folks like us planning our trips and business travelers constantly on the road it can sometimes be tricky finding a wifi spot that's safe and secure. Skyroam has the ideal hotspot in which you only pay for what you use. This is just one of the ways to save on your trip. Of course, optimizing your plans and knowing how to pack well are essential skills too. After all, pack too much and you’ll feel burdened and disorganized, pack too little and you’ll be scrambling to find what you need - believe me - this happens. We packed for the warmth once on a trip to Michigan in July - We were sent scrambling to find warmer clothes when the temperatures dropped unexpectedly.
The best part of packing appropriately for your trips is it can help you feel at home, even if you are in the most foreign of places. For our friend, Eric Plam, GM Skyroam, traveling light has always been his golden rule - his thought is to pack less rather than more while not forgetting important necessities. To help us make the most of our trip planning and packing, Eric has these helpful travel hacks that make packing for a business trip as painless as possible:
Packing Tip #1: Keep devices charged and chargers on hand
For business travelers, staying plugged-in has become synonymous with productivity. Make sure the battery life of your Skyroam global hotspot and other electronics are at 100% before embarking on a trip, and keep all charging devices in one place for easy access. This way, you can pull out your laptop and get some work done on a flight. Also, it’s a good idea to make sure you have WiFi on-hand if you need to arrange ground transportation when I reach my destination.
Portable battery packs are a great backup plan for faltering battery life. Swiss Mobility has a great variety of power packs to keep you connected on-the-go, and you can purchase a selection of Swiss Mobility products directly at Skyroam global hotspot rental vending machines located in SFO, LAS, and IAH), and Flux makes a slim power bank - perfect for travel.
Extra Tip: When packing be sure to bring foreign adapter plugs for each country you are visiting — or get universal adapters that cover the four main types of plugs.
Packing Tip #2: Choose your luggage carefully
It’s important to have the right luggage for a trip. Avoid the expensive Italian leather in favor of modest black nylon so you won’t be a target for theft. Research and take into consideration your airline's weight limits and size standards. Ideally, your luggage should comfortably fit into the overhead compartment so you can avoid checking it in.
As a rule, Eric never, ever, check’s bag, especially not on international flights. As frequent flyers are well-aware of, being able to fit everything into a carry-on saves valuable time and prevents the nightmare of lost baggage. Always make sure to put your name on 2-3 parts of your luggage, just in case!
As a rule, Eric never, ever, check’s bag, especially not on international flights. As frequent flyers are well-aware of, being able to fit everything into a carry-on saves valuable time and prevents the nightmare of lost baggage. Always make sure to put your name on 2-3 parts of your luggage, just in case!
Packing Tip #3: Keep in mind that you can do laundry
Doing your laundry is a great solution for those trying to travel with less on a long trip. If your hotel does not have laundry facilities, you can easily find US laundromats using Findalaundry, an online laundromat directory. For international travel, try using Tripadvisor to find locations.
Packing Tip #4: Save the cutting-edge fashion for home
Two words to live by — pack lightly. Unless you are a banker, travel with simple outfits. For men, pack jeans, non-iron dress shirts, polo shirts, wingtips, a dark blazer, and workout clothes. For women, pack versatile pieces you can easily mix and match. Black clothes work well for both sexes and can be worn with pretty much anything.
A good rule to stick to is packing three of everything — three pairs of pants, three pairs of shoes (workout, casual, business), three shirts, and one sportcoat. Wear the sportcoat on the plane so that it doesn't get wrinkled or take up space in your bag.
Want To Save Space? Nest your socks and belts into shoes!
Packing Tip #5: Don’t forget important documents
I.D. Check. Passport. Check. Visas. Check. Driver’s license. Check. Credit cards. Check.
Another great travel hack by Eric is that he highly recommends making copies of all-important documents in case of an emergency — it could prove to be a lifesaver if you are robbed or accidentally lose anything. A friend of mine had his passport stolen along with his backpack at a train station in Beijing, and spent the rest of his trip running around the city to embassies and consulates in-between meetings. Having both physical and digital copies of important documents readily available can significantly speed up replacement processes, and act as an effective insurance policy. Make double-sized copies to use less paper.
Another great travel hack by Eric is that he highly recommends making copies of all-important documents in case of an emergency — it could prove to be a lifesaver if you are robbed or accidentally lose anything. A friend of mine had his passport stolen along with his backpack at a train station in Beijing, and spent the rest of his trip running around the city to embassies and consulates in-between meetings. Having both physical and digital copies of important documents readily available can significantly speed up replacement processes, and act as an effective insurance policy. Make double-sized copies to use less paper.
Explore More Travel Tricks And Check Out Skyroam Global Hotspot
Thanks for Eric Plam for sharing these great travel hacks!
Photo credits: Skyroam