Packing-light For Business Travel

 

All of the travel guides recommend it, and with airlines charging fees for checking bags, everyone is trying to do it – but how do you really pack light? Last year, I flew over 75,000 miles for business meetings and a thousand more for fun. When I travel for meetings, I never check luggage. I pack my carry-on bag and my personal item (laptop bag) and zip on and off the plane. Furthermore, I want my trips to be efficient and that means having everything I need – and some things I just want - close at hand.

 

Most of the time, I use a Costco brand carry-on bag which has several compartments to separate various items and fits in the overhead compartment on all except the smallest of planes.

 

In the large main bag, I pack:

·         Up to 5 shirts, underwear, handkerchiefs, and socks (less if I am staying fewer than 5 days)

·         1 pair pants

·         1 sweater if I am going somewhere cold

·         Electric razor

·         Toiletry bag containing

o   Cough drops

o   Pepto-Bismol, Claritin, Aspirin   

o   Sewing kits, Band-Aids, Q-tips

o   Travel towel, lint-free shoe shine towel

o   Small tape measure

o   Toothbrush, toothpicks, floss

o   Travel hair brush and comb

o   Deodorant

o   Prescription meds and vitamins

o   Breath mints

·         In the pockets, I keep

o   Hands-free cell phone headset and charger

o   Power chargers for my cell phone and camera

o   Small notepad

o   2 Power Bars

o   Thin magnifying card

o   Laundry detergent and fabric softener for 1 load, in Ziploc bag

o   A number of spare, clean Ziploc bags in varying sizes

o   A plastic laundry bag

·         Small point-and-shoot camera

 

In the front pouch, I pack

·         Travel umbrella

·         3 books

·         1 quart sized Ziploc bag with all of my liquids and gels (as mandated by TSA)

o   3 oz toothpaste, in refillable container (much more affordable than the travel sizes)

o   3 oz shampoo

o   2 oz hand sanitizer

o   Newskin liquid bandage, hand lotion, Neosporin, Chap Stick,

o   4 days worth of Dayquil and Nyquil gel caps

·         Snacks (either trail mix or beef jerky)

 

In the small front pockets I pack

·         Electrical tape (smaller than duct tape J )

·         Assortment of pens (different colors and a Sharpie)

·         Power Bar and a chocolate bar

·         Handi-wipes

·         Post-it notes

·         Batteries for headset

·         Breath mints

·         Business cards

 

In my laptop bag, I pack

·         Laptop & power supply

·         Security cable to tie down laptop

·         Wireless mouse and batteries (both AA and AAA)

·         Notepad

·         Power Bar, chocolate bar

·         Chocolate muffin

·         USB sticks, air-card (for network access over cell phone service)

·         Itinerary

·         Book (the one I am currently reading)

·         Business cards

 

I also use carabineers to clip on

·         A small Pelican Case containing my Bose noise-canceling headset and batteries

·         A refillable water bottle

 

That’s it. I wear my jacket and cell phone so I have easy access to them on the plane and they do not take up any space in the luggage. However, unlike those who truly pack the least amount possible, I have everything I need to handle bad weather, extended layovers, and minor problems such as a missing button.

 

For trips where I have to dress up, I switch to a garment bag instead of the carry-on and pack the suit and shoes instead of the sweater.

 

Clearly, this is not a small list – and I could eliminate many items if I had to (e.g., I really only need one sewing kit and probably don’t need the towel). However, it all fits in my carry-ons and I have ready access to anything I need. I have found that rolling clothes helps save room in the suitcase and allows for more items to be comfortably packed – I am not sure why, but it works well.

 

It would be easy to eliminate things you don’t think you will use on a given trip, but I find being prepared for the unexpected has advantages. You can also reduce the number of clothes you pack by using quick-dry clothing that you can wash in your sink. This tends to be relatively easy if you have access to water, however I only do that when I expect to be on the road for multiple weeks without easy access to a laundry (e.g. on our trip to Africa).

 

Of course, for adventure travel, or even trips where you need a variety of clothing options (e.g. from suits to hiking equipment), you will probably need to pack a broader variety of things and therefore check your luggage.  Otherwise, for standard business trips this should work fine.

 

With a little planning, you can enjoy your trips and keep your travel fees down!

 

Terence

City Escapes Nature Photography

 

P.S. – A Woman’s Perspective

 

As a woman and a photographer, I pack differently than Terence does.  For example, I have a greater variety of liquids that must fit into my one-quart bag, from conditioner and hair-styling products to sunscreen and liquid make-up items.  I also take such things as saline solution for my contacts (which does not have to fit into my one-quart bag, but will need special screening by TSA screeners), a hair dryer, a straightening iron, baby powder, etc.  These extra items do not mean, however, that I cannot also still get everything I need to fit into my two carry-on approved bags.  I simply have to be organized and discriminating about what I choose to bring, especially if I am also bringing my camera gear.  (My camera gear takes up a bag all on its own, leaving me with one carry-on sized bag in which to fit everything else.)

 

I often have to bring an extra pair of shoes, either dress shoes for a special occasion, or hiking boots for a shoot.  In order to save room in my suitcase, on the days I fly I choose to wear the biggest, heaviest pair of shoes I am bringing.  This often means that I am wearing my hiking boots on the plane.  Though my everyday slip-on shoes would be less hassle, I choose instead to opt for more room in my suitcase.  This does come at a price, of course: it is easier and faster to go through the security checkpoints at the airport wearing the slip-ons rather than my hiking boots.  Nonetheless, the extra time and effort is worth it to me.  Note, however, that many people make the exact opposite choice, Terence among them.  You will simply have to decide which works best for you.

 

Some people believe that it is impossible for a woman to carry everything she needs for a week-long trip in carry-on luggage, but I am here to say that such a belief is simply not accurate.  It may require a bit of time and planning to get it right, but it most certainly can be done.

 

 A special note on TSA and airline requirements:  all lithium batteries, regardless of size or purpose, must be included in your carry-on luggage; none may be packed in your checked bags.  On the other hand, no knives or multi-purpose tools may be included in your carry-ons; all must be checked.  I keep a multi-purpose tool in my camera bag.  Therefore, if I am traveling to a place where I cannot easily borrow one, I must either remember to remove the m-p tool from my bag, or check a bag with the m-p tool in it.  And, of course, any time that I take a full-sized camera tripod with me, I must check it.

 

Jodi

 

Comprehensive First Aid Kit

Happy New Year,

We have always taken a basic first aid kit with us on our travels, since it can be extremely useful at times. When selecting a first aid kit, you must keep in mind both the level of injury you want to successfully address, and the overall size and weight of the kit.

For short hikes, we have used standard, pre-packaged first aid kits available from outdoor stores such as REI. We have often used these small kits to patch up minor cuts, blisters, and abrasions received from a fall or other minor accident on the trail, and they work great for those situations. For trips when we are in the field for a week or two, and have access to a car, we have extended our basic kit to allow us to deal with more serious injuries for a short period of time. For example, we have included a small splint to stabilize a broken bone until proper medical help can be sought.

As part of our preparation for Tanzania, however, we felt we needed to further extend our supplies, since we would need to be equipped to handle pretty much anything for at least 24, and more likely 48, hours (the time it would take to be airlifted to a hospital that meets first-world standards). Knowing that the potential existed for us to be far from any semblance of assistance should we need it, we also added supplies that are not strictly first aid in nature, but rather general purpose, such as a signal mirror and duct tape. Taking that approach, and knowing that size was not a primary consideration since we would always be in or near a vehicle, we developed a very comprehensive first aid kit.

Unfortunately, we were not able to find all of the information we needed to develop a good kit in a single place. To come up with the appropriate set of items, we had to pull information from multiple sources, including the Red Cross. We hope that the information we present here will help save you a little work in putting together your own kit. The resulting kit fits in a medium sized over-the-shoulder bag (roughly the size of a large purse), and should provide everything that you need to triage after even a fairly significant event such as a car accident. Of course, it also contains all of the stuff required to take care of minor injuries as well. Given its size, it is not likely the best fit for backpacking trips, but it is our new standard for any trip where size is not a prohibitive measure.

Obviously, in addition to the equipment contained in the kit, the knowledge of how to use it is critical. As such, we strongly recommend at least one person in your group take an advanced wilderness first aid class to become familiar with these tools and learn how to effectively utilize them. More than one person would be preferable, as the person who knows how to use the equipment might also be the injured, and possibly unconscious, party.

We hope you find this information useful.

Terence
www.cityescapesphotography.com

Lessons from a successful safari

Hello and Happy Holidays,

As I mentioned last time, we had a great time on our trip, but there are a few things we got right out of sheer luck, and a few things we would do differently next time. In case you are planning on heading on safari sometime soon, here are some things to keep in mind:

• We went during the dry season, but we still encountered a few days of significant rain. Plan for it and your trip will be much better. We had some issues getting to camp one day due to a flash flood, but overall the rain was nothing more than an inconvenience. If we hadn’t had appropriate layers and quick drying clothes, it could have been a long couple of days.
• We spent more time at Lake Manyara and in the Northern Serengeti than we needed to. Lake Manyara is relatively small, and should be visited, however a single day would be plenty. The claim that this is the only place where you can see tree-climbing lions is not true. We saw lions in trees in many locations, but not there. While there were plenty of grazers (zebra, wildbeest. topi, etc.) in the northern part of the Serengeti, we didn’t see many of the more exciting animals (cats). While the north may be worth visiting during the migration to watch the river crossings, during the dry season we would prefer to spend additional time in the south.
• Definitely pack for the worst. We brought an extensive first aid kit, which we fortunately didn’t use much, but simply having it around was reassuring. (More details later.)
  Though we were well taken care of at camp, we were fed traditional American food. Apparently, had we specifically requested it when we booked our trip, we could have obtained African food at mealtimes. This was our major disappointment, as we would have preferred to eat more of the local cuisine. Unfortunately, we were unaware of this issue in advance.
• Bring lots of hand sanitizer and bug spray. While the tsetse flies seem to be attracted to deet, the rest of the insects appear to be deterred.
• Because you are not going to be able to head off-road in Tanzania, it is important to bring a couple of very good lenses to get shots from a distance. A good pair of binoculars doesn’t hurt, either.
• In the southern Serengeti, our camp was pretty far from the major animal viewing areas, so we spent an hour or so each way just going to and from the park. This is one of the areas where it may make more sense to stay in a lodge, since they are much closer to the prime viewing area. This is especially true if you include a hot-air balloon ride, as the take-off site is only minutes from a major lodge.
• Because we wanted to focus on photography, we were on a private safari. Much to our surprise, the additional cost was minimal, and the flexibility provided was definitely worth it. We were able to customize the time spent in each camp, and since it was just us in the car, we were able to spend as much or as little time as we wanted viewing various animals. This is definitely worth exploring, and not nearly as expensive as you would think.
• If you shoot digital, bring a way to store images from memory cards. We took over 7,000 pictures, and while we had a lot of cards, we needed a huge amount of space to hold everything. We used a Hyperdrive Colorspace, and were very happy with the unit. We will be writing up a product review on it later.

Terence
http://www.cityescapesphotography.com/

Choosing a safari company

Good afternoon,

Once we picked the location that we were most interested in, we had to determine with whom we were going to work. Choose the right company and you ensure that your trip will be memorable and fun; choose the wrong one and you could be in for a miserable experience. We spent a lot of time talking to various travel companies, including AAA and Costco, to see whom they recommended. We also researched companies on the web to get feedback from people who had actually been on a trip. Unfortunately, no one we know has been on a safari, so we couldn’t count on personal recommendations. Based on initial findings, we were able to fairly quickly narrow the field down to two companies: Thomson Safaris (http://www.thomsonsafaris.com/ ) and Micato Safaris (http://www.micato.com/ ). We ultimately chose Thomson because 1) of their established history -- they have been in business for 25 years; 2) they exclusively serve Tanzania (though they are part of a larger travel network that serves other destinations as well); and 3) they hire only local Tanzanian residents in-country. (It is important to us that the local populations benefit from wildlife preservation efforts, wherever we are.) Thomson was also more affordable than Micato, while still providing the amenities and activities we were interested in. Based on the little bit we saw in Tanzania, however, Micato would also be a good choice (nice vehicles, similar guides, and good camps, as well as a favorable impression of them held by our guide).

We were very pleased with our experiences with Thomson. The service was everything we had hoped it would be, and then some. Right at the outset, they were very helpful in establishing our itinerary. They worked with us to accommodate our luggage requirements (i.e., a very large and heavy camera bag in addition to the normal safari gear), and once they understood what we were trying to do, there were no problems at all getting things set up. The camps were far more luxurious than we had been expecting, with each tent holding a queen-sized bed, two nightstands, and two bookshelves, as well as an attached bathroom, with vanity, shower and a flush porta-potty. The meals were truly extravagant, and the staff was always exceptionally friendly and helpful. For instance, the camp guards would stand with Jodi when she was taking sunrise or sunset shots to keep any wandering cape buffalo or elephants at bay. Finally, our guide Mustafa was wonderful. While he was conservative and conscientiously followed the rules, ensuring, for example, that we were back at camp before the park officially closed, he was extremely knowledgeable about the area and gave us a lot of insight into both the wildlife and the local culture. He also had a knack for getting us into the right position to take great shots from the Range Rover – an especially important talent given that Tanzania requires you to stay in your vehicle in its national parks..

Based on our experiences, we would highly recommend Thomson Safaris. However, as with every trip, we would do a few things differently, as well. Next time, some of our lessons learned.

Terence
www.cityescapesphotography.com

Choosing a safari location

Hello again,

In early September we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to take a photo safari. This was an outstanding trip -- many would say once-in-a-lifetime, but I am an optimist. However, it required a huge amount of planning over the course of several months to make sure everything came together. (Don’t worry, while we don’t have any safari photos available for sale yet, they will be coming soon.)

Our initial plan was fairly vague – we wanted to do a safari in Africa. That left a lot of room for interpretation. So, the first decision we needed to make was where we were really going to go – and then, which travel agent / tour company we should go with. We looked at South Africa, but really wanted to go on a more traditional East African safari, and ideally be able to see the big cats – Jodi really likes cats. :)

Kenya is the customary choice for photographers, since it has historically allowed the maximum flexibility for taking pictures – you can stay in the park after sunset and enter before sunrise, and the vehicles can go off-road, making it easier to pick the perfect spot for pictures. Unfortunately, Kenya had two major problems. The first was that it has recently been relatively unstable politically, with serious problems arising in late 2007. The second is that, because Kenya has not been fully aware of the impact of vehicles on its wildlife, the wildlife is suffering, with, for example, cheetahs becoming increasingly rare (safari vehicles surround them at all hours of the day, preventing them from hunting). While the rules are changing, because conservation is very important to us, we did not want to reward bad behavior, even though it would make our job (taking great pictures) easier.

Instead, we focused on Tanzania - Kenya’s southern neighbor. Tanzania is where the Serengeti is located (it is called the Maasai Mara when it reaches Kenya), as well as Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. Most of the animals we wanted to see are available in Tanzania, and with 25%-30% of the country dedicated to national parks, it is clear the government takes its environmental stewardship role seriously.

Even within Tanzania, however, there was too much for us to see and do given our time constraints. We had to prioritize our trip, and chose to focus on the northern part of the country. This meant that we missed out on several cultural activities, as well as visiting the chimpanzees in the Mahale. Because of our timing, we weren’t even able to make it to Kilimanjaro, which was our only major disappointment. However, we did visit four of the national parks, saw a tremendous amount of wildlife, and had an outstanding time.

Next time, I’ll talk about our tour company.

Terence