Bryan Saunders

Travel Gear for a Consultant

As a consultant I spend the majority of my time at work travelling from one client site to the next. This means I spend a lot of time in airports, hotels, and rental cars. Over the years I have refined and wittled down the list of items that I take with me when I travel and wether or not it is something that should go in my backpack or my suitcase. In an effort to help out others, I have added my list of travel essentials below. The list is obviously focused on those in the tech industry, but it really could apply to any modern business traveler.

The key to all of this is the your carry-on. For my carry-on bag I use a standard laptop backpack. The key here is to get one that is just big enough to carry all of your neccessary items and no bigger. This bag you will want to have with you at all times, so it needs to be small enough to fit in the smallest overhead bins or under your seat on the plane. My backpack contains anything that I will need while travelling, on the client site, or to get work done and is still small enough to go with me on the plane. So without further adu, here are the items I carry with me in my backpack.

  • Laptop and Accessories
    • Laptop w/ Extended Battery - The extended battery is optional but is extremly handy for long flights and layovers.
    • Laptop Charger
    • Wired Travel Mouse - I prefer wired over wireless so that I do not have to carry spare batteries.
    • SmartCard/CAC Reader - This one is optional, unless you have a SmartCard or CAC.
    • Presentation Pointer - Essential for giving presentations, especially on the fly.
  • Cellphone and Accessories
    • Cell Phone w/ Extended Battery - Long flights and layovers will kill your battery so have an extended battery is pretty critical. Your phone is also going to double as GPS and that can kill your battery pretty quick as well.
    • Micro USB Cable - For Charging your phone and/or tethering it to your laptop.
    • USB AC Adapter
    • USB Car Adapter
    • AUX Input Cable - For playing your music in the rental car instead of struggling to find a good radio station in whatever random town you happen to be in.
  • Assorted Accessories
    • Headphones
    • Headphone Spliter
    • Portable Power Pack - The power pack should have enough to juice to completely recharge your phone at least once but preferably twice.
    • Microfiber Cloth
  • Medicines
    • Tylenol/Ibuprofen - Got a Headache after that 4 hour meeting?
    • Pepto - Sick after that random sketchy Mexican restaurant?
    • Sudafed - Clear your head before you start flying with those stopped up sinuses. Not being able to equalize your ears is brutal.
  • Work Related
    • Notebook
    • Padfolio - For keeping track of printed out client documents.
    • Ink Pens
    • Highlighter
    • Dry Erase Marker - You never know when you will need one on site.
    • Lanyard
    • Badge Retractor and/or Holder - Clipping badges to your belt or shirt.
  • Miscellaneous
    • Water bottle - It's always nice to have your own water bottle instead of paying for them.
    • Umbrella - This is pretty important even though it will never rain while you have it, and will always rain when you don't.
    • Company Credit Card
    • Company Insurance Card

When I travel I pack all of my clothes, toiletries, etc... in my suitcase. I use a carry-on size suitcase so that I can take it on the plane with me if needed, however I usually check it. I have found that it is easier to only have to deal with a backpack when trying to make tight connections or flying on small planes than it is to have a suitcase as well. Running through Atlanta with 2 bags trying to get from the end of A to the other end of E is just a nightmare.

Published

05 November 2013

Tags