10 Must Haves for Business Travel

When I worked for the insurance industry, I would often have to travel for work.  Sometimes it was just overnight, but more often it was for days and weeks at a time.  Pretty quickly I found out what were needs and what were luxuries.

These days most of my travel is with my family.  There are still times, however, that I need to pack up and head off to a blogging conference.  No matter your reason for travel, I wanted to share some of my must haves for business travel.

10 Must Haves for Business Travel

Tech:  Decide what kinds of tech you’ll need while you’re gone.  A safe bet is your smartphone and a laptop (or possibly tablet).  Not only will the laptop be needed for work, it will provide some entertainment on the plane.  A smartphone will let you keep in touch with your family during the day, as well as check email and do status updates on the fly (important if your travel is blogging-related!).

Power:  Regardless of whatever tech you’re bringing, you’ll want some way to charge it all.  I’ve been using power sticks for years, like the one I recently received from Justin Power Products.  I highly recommend packing a power strip and power adapter with USB ports, too.

Noise-cancelling Headphones:  Airplanes can be a noisy place.  If you have any plans – or any hope – of sleeping, you’re probably going to want some noise-cancelling headphones.  Also great for if you happen to have a roommate that snores!

Business Cards: You want to be able to quickly and easily exchange contact information with contacts, coworkers from other locations, potential business partners, and new friends!  Fresh business cards with all your info on them are the easiest way to do this.

Comfy Shoes:  Travel is not the time to break in that cute new pair of heels. You’ll likely be spending a lot of time on your feet and walking, so make sure your shoes can handle the task.  Also consider packing a pair of roll-up or fold-up flats in your purse or carry-on.  I always want to kick off my shoes on long flights, but barefoot on a plane… um, no thanks.

Antibacterial Gel:  Speaking of germs, a travel-sized antibac is a must.  Lots of hand-shaking, lots of dirty airport surfaces, public restrooms. Need I say more?

Breath Refreshers:  Never have one of those “fresh or not?” moments.  I always tuck those tiny pocket toothbrushes with the freshers into my purse, along with breath spray and gum.

Garment Freshener:  No matter how well you pack (and check out my packing tips for that) something is likely to wrinkle; sitting all day will make that happen, too.  I love Downy Wrinkle Releaser Plus because you can literally spray and pull the wrinkles out, plus it makes things smell so nice!  I received samples of both the trigger-spray bottles and travel size, and I now stash them everywhere.

Snacks:  No one wants to get hangry while traveling.  Airline snack options have significantly decreased in the last few years; you’ll be lucky if you find a free packet of crackers.  Save yourself the headache – and the $6 bag of chips – by packing yourself a few things to nosh on.  Nuts, dried fruit, peanut butter & crackers all are portable, and can keep you going until your next meal.

Energy:  Speaking of “keeping going”, you will probably be on the move quite a bit.  My best go-to energy tip is Vitamin B-12.  I take a daily Superior Source MicroLingual tablet, and when I’m traveling or need a boost, I generally take an extra tab (or a higher concentration).

What are your must haves for business travel?