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Letter Re: Preparedness While on Business Travel--What to Pack
Jim,
I'm a frequent flyer and I enjoyed the article by LP on what to consider bringing
on business travel ["Preparedness
While on Business Travel --What to Pack"]. Here are some additional
ideas:
Water - I carry an empty bicycle type water bottle through security and fill
it at a drinking fountain before my flight. This keeps you hydrated during
your flight and from having to use the water glasses in your hotel room. (FYI
- they don't really clean
those glasses.)
Food - I carry 4-6 Cliff ["sports energy" type candy] bars in my
laptop bag and my checked luggage. These are dual purpose and can be used anytime
there
is
a
need for
calories.
(like
when your stuck on the bloody tarmac for 3 hours) Store, eat and rotate these
just like you would your storage food at home. They come in lots of great flavors
and can be found at most grocery and drug
stores. Look for them [when they are on sale] under $1 and stock up.
Clothing - This is a tough one that I have I hard time abiding by, but I'll
expand on what LP said in his article. On the plane, wear clothing appropriate
for your "mission" and the climate you are traveling to, near, or
across. It may be 75 degrees F at home, but if your flying to Toronto in the
Winter, you should consider wearing some warm weather gear on the flight. If
you rely
on packed clothing, remember that if your plane is forced down, or if you have
a runway mishap, you will be forced to leave the plane without any of
your luggage. This happened to me personally a few years back when my plane
skidded
off the runway in a snow storm. We were evacuated via the slides and loaded
on buses and taken to an airport that was essentially closed where we were
told that we couldn't get our luggage until after the "crash" investigation
was completed. Fortunately, I did get my luggage promptly the next morning,
but it doesn't take TSHTF thinking
to imagine what might go wrong in a scenario where you are trusting the airline
to deliver your luggage. So, even if your
only mission is to make it to your sales call that next day.... be prepared.
Transportation - If you are forced to travel home without a vehicle, consider
finding a bike before you try to walk home. Urban locations are packed full
of pawnshops and Wally Marts that sell very inexpensive bikes. I'm a cyclist,
so I have an advantage here, but I would think that even the most inexperienced
cyclist would make better time, and be more comfortable, on a bike, then hiking
cross country. Even if you have a rental car, you might want to get a bike
too, and put it in the trunk. You might not make it home on that last tank
of gas and I wouldn't want to be waiting for days in a gas line.
Tech - Download the
free Google Maps application for your phone. It provides
great maps, traffic, and sat images. I also just read that it can be used to
fix your location.
Keep a backup of your emergency phone numbers, personal and financial records
with you, encrypted on a USB drive. If something happens at home and your family
needs info, you may need to access it from your location. - RR
