Work Trip Packing List

In my new job, I travel a bit more than my last role, and it’s primarily domestic, regional travel, not capital cities. So my packing list has changed to reflect that. Because I travel for shorter periods, and am less likely to have time to wash them, I find I take more (weirdly) than what I do on long trips. I take both a carry-on bag (work laptop takes a chunk of this weight), and a checked bag (but normally just carry on in size).

Carry-on backpack

I take my normal work backpack, which I chose to have deep water bottle pockets for my 1L bottles, and it has plenty of stash pockets.

Backpack (Dell EcoLoop Pro Backpack 15 – 100% Recycled Ocean-Bound Plastic, Weather Resistant, Up to 15.6 inch, about $45AUD online)
Work laptop (a dell business laptop)
Charging cable and plug (I swap out the big one that comes with the laptop, for a compact version I bought online, as the laptop charges via USB-C, just like my phone).
Powerbank (small 10,000maH for my phone/earbuds)
Notebook + coloured pens (standard and fun options)
2 x 1L waterbottles (the only ones I own – my camelbak lifestraw bottles)
Everyday Carry bag – mine is about 26cm wide, 18cm high and 4cm deep.
Small first aid kit
Snacks – my standard road trip options – something sweet, savoury, and natural (m&ms, jerky and nuts)
Multivitamins – sometimes I swap my normal ones for a standard effervescent option.
Wallet, keys.
Phone & 2 sets of bluetooth earbuds – I have a black set and a white set so I can connect them to my personal phone and work laptop/phone separately.

Checked bag

I take my carry-on size suitcase typically. It has the same features as my larger one, including a cute little cup holder for those airport layovers.

Suitcase
Capsule wardrobe – lately I’ve been all about maxi dresses, so some trips I’ve simply packed 5 maxis (wear 1, pack 4), 2 x chafe shorts (feeling your legs stick together in hot weather is unnecessary in my book), 2 bras, underwear, 2 sets of shoes (one to wear and one to pack), and 3 accessories – one cover up , jacket or cardigan, a hat and sunglasses.
Toiletry bag with all the essentials.
Anything extra – sometimes I might take something to share for meetings with small organisations, for example, or a little treat for my remote-base colleagues.

If I’m expected to go to dinner, I’ll sometimes take a change of earrings, maybe a necklace.

I don’t have an extensive wardrobe at home, as I prefer a capsule wardrobe that’s practical and meets my needs. I’m working towards a slower, more sustainable wardrobe, and one that lets me replace items less often. I enjoy travelling with a small capsule wardrobe so I decided to work on making my home wardrobe a capsule in itself.

I have a small powerboard with 2 plugs and 2 USB sockets I take too. I find hotel rooms vary wildly in where sockets are that bringing my little powerboard has been so convenient in the past!