The Art of Packing

By Blake DuBose and Mike DuBose
April 12, 2013

Having flown more than 1 million miles, we’ve seen hundreds of hotels, rental cars, airplanes, trains, and cruise ships—and made just every travel mistake imaginable! After finding that we typically used only 60% of the items packed for any given trip, we resolved to formulate a better strategy through our experience, research, and interviews with many frequent fliers, airline employees, and hotel staff members. Here are some of our best tips:

Preparations

•    Develop a personalized electronic checklist of everything you will pack. See Mike’s list at www.duboseweb.com/checklist.
•    Begin packing several days before departure.
•    Lay everything on the bed and divide into three categories: (1) body; (2) carry-ons; and (3) checked luggage. Strive to fit everything into the first two categories, or at least to limit yourself to one checked bag.

Flight Attire

•    Wear your bulkiest shoes and coat on planes.
•    We wear hats or toboggans and jogging suits with zippered storage pockets for warmth.
•    Mike carries about 30 pounds of stuff on his body in a fishing vest, which he removes on the plane.
•    Fanny packs and backpacks are excellent places to store cameras, wallets, money, water, snacks, and IDs on the plane and while touring.
•    Place earphones around your neck rather than in a case.
•    If you have an important meeting, travel in your suit.

Selecting Luggage

•    Buy middle-of-the-line, non-designer luggage to avoid thieves’ attention.
•    Checked bags must be 62 linear inches (height plus length) or less and weigh 50 pounds or less for domestic or international flights. (Elite or Medallion members enjoy more liberal allowances.) Carry-on luggage must be 22x14x9 or smaller and cannot exceed 45 linear inches. Foreign carriers may have tougher restrictions.
•    Baggage rules change frequently, so review them shortly before your trip.
•    Caution: expandable suitcases may pass dimension restrictions when empty but fail when fully extended.
•    Most airlines allow fliers to carry on a second personal bag. We suggest a large tote or medium-sized gym bag.
•    If you are checking luggage and want to bring back souvenirs, consider packing a smaller suitcase with your belongings inside a larger one (staying within size and weight limits).

Organizing Your Bag

•    Pack heavy items at the bottom of your rolling suitcase for better balance.
•    Stuff socks inside of shoes.
•    Roll clothes tightly.
•    Pack items that you will need to show the TSA (like liquids) last for easy access.
•    Keep essential or expensive items (your passport, jewelry, etc.) in a secure place in your carry-on, not your checked baggage.

Clothes and Shoes

•    A few days prior to departure, check your destination’s weather forecast and choose clothes accordingly.
•    Take old clothes, underwear, or shoes that still look decent and discard them upon leaving.
•    Pack thin plastic ponchos in case of rain.
•    In cool climates, white or black turtlenecks go with almost anything.
•    Wash and re-wear clothes or wear everything twice to save space.
•    If you coordinate colors, one jacket, three shirts or blouses, and a couple pairs of pants can cover an eight-day trip.
•    Pack one pair of comfortable shoes nice enough to wear to dinner and wear walking shoes on the airplane.

Other Items

•    Liquids cannot exceed 3.4 ounces per container. Double-bag your toiletries in clear, heavy-duty quart-size Ziploc bags so you (and security) can see what you have while conserving space.
•    Visit hotel websites to see if they provide amenities like hair dryers, soap, towels, irons, and toiletries so you don’t have to pack them. If in doubt, call or e-mail.
•    Bring as few electronics as possible, but make sure to take the proper adapters for foreign outlets. Smartphones like Apple iPhones are very versatile: you can use them for e-mail, Web surfing, phone calls, photos, and GPS.
•    Carry one set of prescriptions on your body and a second in your carry-on, plus written prescriptions from your doctor in case you lose either set. Use seven-day plastic pill containers with a signed note from the pharmacist verifying their contents.
•    Bring extra glasses or contacts (if you wear them) in your carry-on. If you will be in the sun, add sunglasses and a small tube of sunscreen.
•    Pack a thin thermometer, a few Band-Aids, and over-the-counter medicines for nausea, diarrhea, constipation, small infections, stomach upsets, and minor pain (we usually take a few from each box and label them in smaller bags to save room).
•    Make good copies of your license, birth certificate, and passport and store them in carry-ons (Mike also obtained a second driver’s license).
•    Take a list of all credit card, bank account, emergency telephone, and passport numbers and Web addresses in case of theft or loss. If you’re visiting foreign countries, include your embassy’s telephone numbers and addresses.
•    Consider buying 1.7 ounce mini-bottles of your favorite liquor for the flight.
•    Rip out only the pages you need from bulky travel guides.
•    Pack a small, collapsible plastic cooler for ice and drinks on tours.

What NOT to Pack

•    Remove all unneeded cards from your wallet.
•    Don’t check or carry on any compressed spray cans (like hairspray) or put lithium batteries in checked baggage.
•    Leave guns or sharp objects like scissors or knives at home.
•    Don’t wrap gifts—security will open them.

Labeling Your Bags

•    Tie a unique marker (like a combination of red and purple ribbon) securely to your suitcase.
•    Tape paper labels with contact information on luggage and electronics using clear Scotch tape.
•    Labels should include your name, address (including home country), cell and business phone numbers, a friend’s telephone number, e-mail address, and airline and hotel customer loyalty program ID numbers. Put 1 before all telephone numbers to indicate that they are US numbers. On international trips, include your hotel’s name, address, and telephone number to help local airport staff find you if your bag is lost or delayed.
•    Insert business cards and copies of your contact information into your luggage’s inner and outer zippered compartments.

Precautions

•    Store checked bag tracking labels in a safe place on your body or in carry-ons.
•    Insure checked luggage.
•    Split your money and credit cards up between hidden places on your body and carry-ons in case of theft.
•    Pack as if your checked bag will be lost, never to be seen again!

An extended version of this article can be found at www.duboseweb.com/packing. Stay tuned for our next article on international travel!

Blake DuBose graduated from Newberry College School of Business and is president of DuBose Web Group. View our published articles at www.duboseweb.com.

Mike DuBose has been in business since 1981, authored The Art of Building a Great Business, and is a field instructor with USC’s graduate school. He is the servant owner of three debt-free corporations, including Columbia Conference Center, Research Associates, and The Evaluation Group. Visit his nonprofit website www.mikedubose.com.

Katie Beck serves as Director of Communications for the DuBose family of companies. She graduated from the USC School of Journalism and Honors College.

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