A veteran business traveler, who spends 150 days a year on the road, reveals his top strategies for packing light. He details nine common bulky items to leave at home and provides smarter, more compact alternatives, ranging from international power adapters and travel pillows to noise-canceling earbuds and even laptops.
As someone who travels around 150 days a year, I spend more time in uncomfortable seats on airplanes or running to catch connections than most people spend lounging on their couches at home. Over more than two decades of business travel, I’ve become obsessed with packing light. I routinely empty my bags and re-evaluate everything in them, ditching anything I don’t need and upgrading chargers, cables, and other gadgets whenever something better comes along. Here’s some of the gear I’ve learned to leave at home, and some smarter alternatives to bring instead. Leave: A bunch of international power adapters Computer Chargers side by side Photograph: Getty Images; Courtesy of Anker Take: Anker Nano Travel Adapter $25.99 at Anker $25.99 at Amazon I traveled to 14 countries last year, and if you think I can keep straight which international destination relies on which shape or plug, you’re kind, but you’re giving me too much credit. I used to travel with a multi-country travel adapter that covered everything, but it was frustratingly bulky. Anker’s new Nano Travel Adapter is not only smaller than my old travel adapter, it has four USB ports built in, so I can leave my smartphone charger at home. It’s also compatible with 11 different types of wall outlets, covering 200 countries. Leave: A big, puffy pillow women side by side wearing a standard travel pillow and a trtl travel pillow Photograph: Getty Images; Courtesy of Trtl Travel Take: Trtl travel pillow $43.99 at Trtl $64.99 at Amazon I see so many people lugging around giant travel pillows when boarding redeye flights, and while some of them do look mighty cozy, the bulk isn’t worth it for me. After trying a variety of collapsible and inflatable pillows over the years, I’ve settled on the Trtl. It’s basically a lightweight plastic frame with a fluffy fabric covering that you wrap around your neck like a scarf. It keeps my head in a comfortable position even in an uncomfortable seat, yet is slim enough to easily slip into my backpack. If you’re not using an eSIM when you travel, you’re getting ripped off Read more Leave: Giant noise-canceling cans headphones next to Shure AONIC 215 Gen 2 True Wireless Sound Isolating Earphones Photograph: Getty Images; Courtesy of Shure Take: Shure AONIC 215 Gen 2 True Wireless Sound Isolating Earphones $249.00 at Shure $249.00 at Amazon I do enjoy traveling with a big set of noise-canceling, over-ear headphones. I have a set of Sony XM6 cans that are comfy, sound great, and run for 30 hours on a charge. But, they’re too big for every trip. If I’m looking to travel light, and I usually am, I instead reach for my Shure wireless earbuds. Instead of noise cancellation, these earbuds use pillowy foam tips to block sound. They’re so effective that flight attendants routinely have to tap me on the shoulder to get my attention, and their case is small enough to fit in my pocket. The only drawback? Eight hours of battery life isn’t enough for intercontinental travel. Leave: A separate phone and tablet A smart phone and tablet and a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 next to each other Photograph: Getty Images; Courtesy of Samsung Take: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 $1,949.99 at Amazon $1,999.99 at Samsung Tablets are great for content consumption on the go and light productivity work, and they’ve gotten extraordinarily thin over the years. But, I often find myself wishing I didn’t have to take a phone and tablet, since they both do basically the same thing. I recently got a chance to try out Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Fold7, and it’s a game-changer. At 8.9mm, it’s barely thicker than a regular smartphone, yet unfolds to expose a 6.5-inch OLED display. Folding phones have made huge leaps forward over the past few years, and while the 21:9 aspect ratio on the Galaxy Fold isn’t ideal for movie watching, it’s perfect for binging non-widescreen TV shows, and means I can leave my tablet at home. Sign up to The Filter US Free weekly newsletter A guide to buying fewer, better products. Enter your email address Sign up Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. How I brew cafe-quality coffee anywhere, from campsite to carry-on Read more Leave: Your giant aluminum water bottle aluminum and collapsible water bottle side to side Photograph: Getty Images; Courtesy of LifeStraw Take: LifeStraw Peak series collapsible water bottle $43.95 at LifeStraw $43.95 at Cabela’s I know, you probably spent hours researching the best water bottle, but if you’re looking for the thinnest, lightest solution for travel, you need something that’s not much bigger than the water you put in it. I’ve tried a few over the years, but the cream of the crop at the moment is the LifeStraw Peak series. It weighs just a few ounces, collapses down to basically nothing when empty, and has a loop that’s perfect for a little carabiner to attach it to your bag. No, it won’t keep your beverage hot or cold as long as a double-walled bottle, but if size is your priority, this is the one. Leave: Your big, bulky laptop power brick laptop charger and Anker Nano 70W Charger Block on a white background Photograph: Getty Images; Courtesy Anker Take: Anker Nano 70W Charger Block $49.99 at Anker $49.99 at Amazon If you’re still wrapping your cord around the giant power brick that came with your laptop, it’s time for an upgrade. A new generation of chargers using GaN (gallium nitride) technology are delightfully small and lightweight. I’m a big fan of the Anker Nano lineup, which has dozens of options. You’ll need to pick the right one to match the output wattage on your current charger – look at the fine print on the label for the number. My Lenovo X1 came with a 65-watt charger, so I use Anker’s latest 70-watt Nano charger, which costs about $50 and is a little bigger than a deck of cards. Leave: Half the clothes you think you need an overpacked suitcase and Earth Breeze laundry sheets on a white background Photograph: Getty Images; Courtesy of Earth Breeze Take: Earth Breeze laundry sheets $16.00 at Earth Breeze Every trip is different, but unless you’re hitting the red carpet every day, there’s a good chance you can get away with a little creative wardrobe re-use. If I’m going on a longer trip, I pack about half as many clothes as I’ll need and throw in a laundry sheet or tablet like those from Earth Breeze. These take no space in your luggage and don’t count against your carry-on liquid limit. Dissolve one in the sink at your hotel and you can hand wash yourself into another week’s worth of clothes in about 15 minutes. From phone chargers to podcasts, the best road trip accessories make the miles fly by Read more Leave: Your laptop laptop and ProtoArc XK01 Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard on a white background Photograph: Getty Images; Courtesy of ProtoArc Take: ProtoArc XK01 Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard $34.99 at ProtoArc Okay, this one’s a bit of a commitment, which is why I saved it for last. Ask yourself: Do you really need your laptop? Can you get away with something smaller? With the right keyboard, a modern smartphone or tablet can be a great productivity machine. When I really want to travel light, I leave the laptop at home and grab my Bluetooth keyboard. There are lots of options out there, depending on your budget and how much room in your bag you’re looking to give up. I like the folding keyboards from ProtoArc, which start at about $35, but if you’re an iPad user, the Magic Keyboard is sublime.
