5 Tips for Packing the Bag: Traveling for the Remote Worker

5 Tips for Packing the Bag: Traveling for the Remote Worker

Working from home provides an unprecedented level of freedom in your everyday life, allowing you to avoid traffic congestion, burnout from your office environment, and the chance to go wherever, and whenever you want. Most importantly, it gives you the opportunity to travel! If you find yourself with the wonderful opportunity to constantly travel or work from home, Airbnb provides a variety of options to suit your lifestyle. Keep in mind that the freedom of flexibility should also be applied in not only your destination to roam, but also in your packing. To be frank, you don't want to be spending your hard-earned money on extra luggage fees due to overpacking, and you can certainly avoid cramming extra items into your suitcase that you can easily find at your destination.

 

1. Select Specific Features on Airbnb. In order for this packing guide to work, you will need access to a kitchen and washing machine, either inside the reservation or within walking distance. If you come across heavily traveled areas with limited options, you may find most won't have a washing machine, so it's best to pick an urban environment where you can walk to the drop-off laundry service. For the listings that show a washer and dryer, even better. It also helps to choose rooms that have a desk, or laptop-friendly workspace, as you want to be comfortable while working. Find listings that provide towels and toiletries as well, and keep in mind listings with an ethernet connection, which will allow you to have direct access to the internet instead of depending on shared WiFi.

 

2. Begin with a Backpack. Think about portion size when you want to cut some calories or increase your vegetable intake - the size of the plate matters, as does the amount of room you create for your healthy foods. The same goes for packing for long-term travel, which you're definitely embarking on as a remote worker! Backpacks can also be swapped for small-size lugagge that is approved for carry-on sizes. This will encourage you to pack small and only consider the most important items.

 

3. Pack Clothes for the Week. Since you'll have a washer and dryer, you won't need to bring every item in your wardrobe. Assuming you'll be traveling to places with warm weather, pack thin, comfortable clothes that can be folded nicely into your bag. Count about a weeks worth, incuding undergarments, and choose Saturday as your weekly laundry day. If you are traveling to regions that are chillier, wear a jacket or thick sweathshirt onto whichever form of transportation you choose - you can always remove it and store it above during the duration of your trip.

 

4. Travel Size Only. Besides the restrictions in place for airplanes, items that are sold in travel size can be found everywhere, sometimes even the local convenient store. There's no need to ever buy a large tub of toothpaste, for example, when you won't be able to take it home on your final flight back, or any flight for that matter. Always pack travel size, including shampoo, conditioner, and other types of lotion.

 

5. Wear your Accessories. You won't be needing more than the watch you're already wearing, or one pair of sunglasses, and any type of jewelry. For those special photo-ops, you can buy local items to fit your style. Packing lots of accessory items unnecessarily increases the value of your bag, potentially placing additional stress on watching your items and worrying about losing anything. Think about your favorite necklace, earrings, bracelets, and rings, and only pack an extra for each, or wear your favorites.

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If you follow this list of packing tips, you will find it so much easier to move around and enjoy your remote work life. No need to bring towels to locations that provide them, or anything that can easily be bought at your destinations, such as toiletries. Using the same strategy, you would only need to bring prescription medicine, not the generic items that can be found at convenient stores and pharmacies. When you pack light, you get to maximize the experience, and this is the most important aspect of travel. Bon voyage!

For those already working remotely or switching to work from anywhere, follow these useful remote hacks for a post-pandemic world and enjoy a more balanced working lifestyle.