Best Western recently came out with a list of useful tips for smart packing, which I thought I'd pass on to you, with a few thoughts of my own.
- Books can be bulky, so why not pack some used paperbacks and leave them behind, to save room in your bags for those gifts you bought for everyone?
- Always bring a backup pair of prescription glasses or contacts.
- Pack some empty plastic bags to store your shoes or damp clothing.
- Pack an empty duffel or backpack in your suitcase, which you can use for daytime walks, and to pack purchases for the trip home.
- Pick a color scheme for your wardrobe and stick with it.
- Put your business address on your luggage tag--not your home address.
- Purchase travel-size toiletries.
- Call ahead and see if there's a hair dryer or iron in your room; why pack them if you don't need to?
- If you're traveling abroad, bring generic names of drugs you may need; names of drugs change from country to country.
- As everyone should know by now, it's wise to put some clear form of identification on your black suitcase--a red ribbon, say--so someone else doesn't walk off with it.
