Hitting the Runway: How to Prep for Any Trip
Who: Travel me, travel you
What: Luggage & baggage, outerwear, organization
When: You have to hit the runway (to catch an airplane)
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All-Wheel Drive Carry-On
The one I have: Link / My next purchase: Link (Use this link for $20 off)
Price: $60 (I found the Kenneth Cole one at TJ Maxx a few years ago and it’s still holding on)
The Everywhere Bag - Away Travel
Price: $195 Link (Use this link for $20 off)
Backpack with Lots of Compartments
Mine: Patagonia Women's Paxat 30L
Price: $119 / Link
Clear TSA-Friendly Pouch
Price: $7.99 / Link
Layers, layers, layers
I usually stick to denim, easy but comfortable shoes, vests and jackets over a tee.
A Plan
Make checklists, know traffic patterns, have your confirmation numbers and apps ready.
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I spend a lot of time in trains, planes and automobiles. Here’s how I’ve mastered the travel experience from packing to mapping:
In the last few months, I’ve recently taken trips to Oneonta, NY, Birmingham, AL, Shepherdstown, WV, Roanoke and Richmond, VA, Charlotte, NC, Lancaster, PA and Long Island, NY. Being a road warrior takes experience and planning. Luckily my track and field days prepared me for packing essentials (and for sprinting to iffy-connections). If you’re a novice or a traveler that just hasn’t figured out a routine, this might help you.
The AWD carry-on, a must. With the chaos of airports, having a suitcase that can swivel and roll upright proves to be more effective than what meets the eye. A carry-on size also comes in handy for when you don’t want to check your bag. I highly recommend a hard case. If you ever have to check the suitcase at the gate you’ll be glad it was a hard case. I’ve had two soft case duffles and bags broken by them being thrown around at airports. It’s really not fun if this happens on your departing flight and you have to return home with a broken suitcase or bag. An AWD suitcase also allows for stacking your items, which comes in handy if you have the stacking bags like the ones at Away Travel. My current luggage is still in good condition, so I don’t have the immediate need for new travel bags, but they are on my short list of items I want (read: items I reallllly want but don’t actually need yet).
Port Jefferson Village, Long Island, NY
Since my travel has increased this year, I asked for The Everywhere Bag for my birthday. We’ll call it a compromise for not needing the carry-on above. It’s the perfect size to fit your electronics, TSA bag and anything else you need on hand quickly when traveling. As someone who travels through airports and train stations at least 10-15 times a year, this bag is a life saver. My favorite part is that it has specialized compartments for laptops and tablets and secures to rolling luggage for easy transport. I recently had to travel from Lancaster, PA to Long Island, NY in less than 48 hours and downsizing to this bag was essential to make it through the NY crowds and four train stations.
The backpack I have was a holiday gift from my place of work. Since we’re often working in the field, going to events and traveling for our clients, this backpack was the perfect gift. It has a laptop slot that is padded and located on the backside where it’s protected. It also has a bunch of compartments that are super helpful for things like notebooks, cameras, wallets, business cards, etc. It’s a great alternative to “The Everywhere Bag” I mentioned.
All of those items, like your liquids and medications, should live in a TSA-friendly pouch. You can be extremely frugal and use a Ziploc bag, but I decided to buy a reusable one since I travel fairly frequently. Plus, this means less Ziplocs being used, right? You can find them almost anywhere. Target, The Container Store and even J. Crew has them. Find a durable one that you can use each time you fly. They’re also very easy to clean! This is one of those little things that you don’t appreciate until you need to use it again. Then you’re glad you bought one.
Now that you’re packed and prepared to get to your gate. You might want to consider what to wear. (Trust me, you don’t want to wear fleece sweats when you’re going straight to Pensacola and can’t check into your room…) So, first, check the weather of your destination. If the climate is extremely different than where you’re coming from, then layers will be your best choice.
Cork Factory Hotel, Lancaster, PA
I typically wear layers because the temperatures in airports and planes/ trains are always unpredictable. If you’re going straight to a business meeting upon arrival then have your business attire in your backpack and accessible if you’re not going to wear it during the flight. When I’m flying I usually wear denim, comfortable shoes (like Clark’s), a tee and a jacket or vest. Ladies - I don’t usually wear makeup but I always do my hair. It’s easy to throw on some mascara, it’s not so easy to flat iron my unmade mop. You just never know.
Even if you’re not an experienced traveler, you can achieve an effortless travel experience if you plan for it.
If you’re packing for a quick trip and can’t decide between the 18 outfits you have planned to wear over the course of 72 hours, here’s your sign. Pack things that can easily be mixed-and-matched. Again, layers are your friend. I try to pack a basic tee - solids or stripes (for the foundational layer), a couple cardigans, 1-2 pairs of denim (two if I choose to pack a distressed pair because it’s obvious when you wear those all weekend), a coat and scarf (if' it’s winter). I wear a pair of functional shoes and pack an extra pair, just to be safe. To give you an idea of what I packed, here’s what I took to my 48-hour excursion from Lancaster, PA to LINY:
White basic layering tee
1 pair of dark denim
2 pair of dress pants
1 pair of leggings
1 mock-blazer (as seen in this post)
More than enough socks and necessary under garments
1 running outfit
1 pair of running shoes
2 pair of booties (open-toe & closed-toe)
1 turtleneck
1 skirt
Pair of tights
1 blouse
1 overcoat and scarf
Makeup, flat iron, hair brush, jewelry and necessary toiletries
And yes, all of this fit in my Everywhere Bag and Carry-on.
*For you business travelers, I highly recommend a briefcase of sort to keep your computer, chargers, files, wallet, business cards, tickets, etc. easily accessible. When packing the Everywhere Bag to the brim, they become less accessible.