What not to bring

By N.B. | Washington, DC

MOST travel writers have oodles of tips to offer travellers about what to take on the road. (Gulliver is a cheerleader for wireless modems and phones with tethering service.) But the folks over at Map Happy had a better idea: what about a post for the overpackers out there, those who always take too much? What can business travellers safely leave behind? Here is Melissa Roskowski's list (with some added commentary from yours truly):

• Luggage with spinning wheels, which don't work well on rough surfaces and cost you precious overhead bin space.
• Neck pillows. (I'll admit I have one, and I've only bothered with it once.)
• Sink-washing supplies
• Money belts and travel wallets. (These are accessories for tourists who are travelling abroad for the first time, not business pros. Never show up for a business meeting wearing a money belt.)
• Special "travel" clothes. (See previous item.)
• RFID-blocking passport holders, etc. (Getting your identity stolen is more bad luck than anything else. Paying extra to protect against it is a waste of money for most people.)
• "Seat enhancers" (Click through to Map Happy's list for an explanation.)

This stuff is all fairly easily ditched. Here are some other things I would add:

• Extra clothes. You are probably over-packing. Do you really need that fourth pair of trousers? Unless you're especially spill-prone, it's probably not worth it. Most hotels offer dry-cleaning service if you need an emergency clean. In fact, in most cities, you can easily walk to the nearest dry-cleaner. Extra socks and undergarments are essential. But you can save a lot of space and hassle by cutting back on the rest of your wardrobe.
• Extra shoes. Footwear discipline will save you a lot of space. Plan your wardrobe around your shoes, and try to limit the footwear for a short trip. One pair for business and one pair for the gym should be fine.
• Books. They are heavy and bulky. Leave them at home and buy a Kindle Paperwhite (not a tablet; see below).
• Your tablet (unless it is your primary computer). Your phone and your laptop can do anything it can do. You don't need it. Leave it. If you want to read a magazine, buy The Economist in the airport.
• Extra toiletries. You are probably staying in a hotel. Hotels provide toiletries. Your business trip is probably to a city. You can buy toiletries in cities.
• Drinks. What are you doing? Stop. Every litre of water in your suitcase weighs a kilogramme, plus the weight of the container. Never do this.

I accept that this list is not exactly radical. It would be interesting to hear those with even more minimalist packing regimes.