Stowaway Cosmetics. <https://stowawaycosmetics.com> And keep a separate travel toiletry bag always stocked and ready to go.

I like Diana's idea about the chargers. I am always scrambling for them at the last minute, so I think I will implement this next time I go somewhere.

A short extension cord that comes with three outlets. Sometimes someone is using one of the plugs, and you can ask to plug in your extension cord so you both can charge. And because sometimes the hotel outlet isn't anywhere near where you want to be.

These are all fantastic suggestions.

I travel a lot but rarely exclusively by air. Often, air and train combined, and occasionally by car. Sometimes my trips are longer. In that case, I check a bag. My carry on is 19" and sometimes (especially for cold climates or where activities will be varied) I just can't squeeze everything in. Because of the type of travel I do, like Ann, I have different kinds of bags, but I heartily recommend four wheels vs. two if you are going to be outdoors and maneuvering. Four wheels are great for airports but not so much for the more rugged conditions elsewhere.

I follow many of the guidelines you've been given:

For most trips, I tend to:

• Wear my heaviest footwear choice
• Carry a tote bag
• Layer (in case of cold or heat on plane)
• Wear a scarf/ shawl and/or soft cardigan
• Collapsible water bottle and protein of some kind
• Put reading material on a Kindle
• Stow my laptop in a separate sleeve with chargers. (Love Diana's idea!!)
• Wear an outfit without much metal
• Carry on cosmetics case, esp. for lip balm and moisturizer
• Sleeping mask if a very long or night trip (not that I ever manage to sleep)
• Specs/ sunnies

In suitcase:

Pre-stored cosmetics bag (which I check and edit as required before each trip. This bag includes dental care, hair needs, cleansers, moisturizers, etc. and also bandaids, blister bandaids, emery board, blister stick (for hot weather), Tide stick, etc.

Extra foldable tote (like Carla, I recommend Longchamps or simply stowable nylon bag or backpack, depending on the nature of the trip — and sometimes both; I use these for anything I might purchase and/ or to store my laundry)

Hanging toiletries bag (as Ann explained)
Silicone containers (tube and tubs) (as per Ann)

Tiny first aid kit (keep in suitcase)

Adapters (if going to Europe/ Asia)

When it comes to clothing, always check the weather at your destination (s) !!!

I don’t pack until I have a fair idea of what conditions I’ll be in.

I don’t have a “special” (i.e. separate) travel wardrobe but I do tend to bring essentials in core neutrals (for me, ink/navy, grey, white) with a few statement pieces and scarves. What you'll need will depend on the nature of your work (dress code) and the destinations, as well as what other things you might do at the destination.

For a modern classic style I don’t think you can underestimate the value of a bright jacket and/or coat in a travel capsule, esp. if you respond emotionally to colour (see Angie's posts about her travel for examples). I like stripes as my main pattern on a trip. Clothes that don’t wrinkle much are great, but I don’t actually find wrinkling much of a problem overall and don’t bother with a steamer since most places have an iron or steamer on site.

Gear: I always do something active while I’m away so I try to consider what I will need and pack for it.

Footwear. Conventional wisdom says bring one or two pairs of shoes; Suz wisdom says bring as many as will fit in your bag, and even consider going from carry-on to stowed bag if you can't get enough shoes in (depending on whether you have connections, etc. of course.)

Note, I walk almost everywhere and won’t wear gear as fashion, so my needs may be idiosyncratic, but the only trips where I can get away with two pairs of shoes are two day trips where I won’t have a chance to do anything except work. On a recent two week trip to the west coast of Canada, I thought I was doing really well with four pairs of footwear. Hiking boots and indoor crosstrainers (for gear activities, not fashion). One pair of waterproof booties and one pair sneakers for actual wear. In fact, I could have used another pair of boots for the rain because my trusty Aquatalias soaked through several times. Had I been able to leave them to dry out properly it would have been much better.

But I admit, my travel needs are a bit unusual, so your mileage may (literally) vary!

I used to take all manner of gadgets and stuff when travelling, and agonised over which suitcase or hand luggage case to buy, and so on. But now that I've been travelling a lot for 20 years, I've reduced to the very simplest of packing strategies, using an ultra-light soft bag that easily holds 20kg of stuff should I need it. It was about US$6 (originally bought as an emergency replacement for a broken expensive carry-on wheeled case). Its zip is about 30 inches long but because it is completely soft as opposed to structured it fits anywhere. I use only freezer bags for separating stuff and no longer carry all the little things I used to think I needed for comfort (single serving cafetiere, single serving electric kettle, neck pillow, travel this and that).

What changed was one trip that I booked extremely last minute -- on the day of the long-haul flight, such that I had only about 20 minutes to pack from start to finish before I had to leave for the airport for 6 weeks away. I forgot all manner of things -- and discovered to my joy that I was fine without them, and that I liked travelling super light.

Another lightbulb moment happened for me when I read about a cyclist who cycled around the world with almost nothing, having previously loaded herself up with Too Much Stuff on cycling trips. Travelling without all the stuff is very freeing, as she said. You don't need as much as you think you do. And if the worst comes to the worst you can simply buy whatever it is at your destination. I've never had to do that though.

Sarah

I have a very lightweight, giant wool woven scarf that is the perfect airplane blanket.

Stuff your shoes with all your socks to keep them from getting crushed in your bag.

A tiny travel steamer is great when I have job interviews - other than that my work clothing is too casual to need it. But I'm really glad I have one.

The only thing I can add is to "layer" one of your carryons. The last couple of times I traveled, I used a hard wheeled carryon for my clothes etc, one that could to in the overhead bin and be forgotten, or checked at the gate if they were offering to do it for free :). My other bag was a large tote (Longchamps) and in it I had my camera (DSLR and a couple of lenses in a bag), a medium Longchamps (with ipad, book, etc, and a smaller crossbody purse (with wallet, etc). It was great to be able to keep things somewhat organized while traveling, I still had space to stuff a scarf or sweater if I took it off (or my laptop had I taken it) and I then had multiple bags for whatever was appropriate when I arrived. Had I done much shopping, I could have checked my hard bag on the way home, and used my big bag tote and med tote as separate carryon's, freeing up space.

I'm like MovingFashionForward, the more I've travelled, the less "stuff" I've been inclined to take.

My preference is to go with just a single carryon which, in my case, means a bag with a packed weight of no more than 15 pounds which can be slung over my shoulder and back and is small enough to fit under the seat in front of me so I don't have to fight for overhead space on crowded flights or risk being separated from my bag. My choice of bag means there isn't room for most of the common travel "essentials" people suggest, although I seem to manage quite fine for both long (4+ weeks) and short trips, both business and pleasure, and involving both city and country settings as well as trips to the theatre and the beach.

My advice is to think about how much you want to lug around with you because you WILL be lugging your luggage at times. Unless you travel in a world of first class amenities such as luxury lounges, private cars, and burly companions, YOU will be the one who has to hold your bag up in the air while heaving it into overhead compartments, carry it up flights of stairs when power goes out, lift it up onto public transportation, and sitwith it on your lap, or between your legs, on crowded buses and subways. On travel days, you may have to keep your luggage with you from the time you check out of a hotel until the time you board your flight, and, as a solo woman traveler, you will need to be able to keep track of your stuff by yourself. Wheeled bags work as long as they can be wheeled, but I find them too heavy and bulky if I have to lift and carry one for any distance.

Once you've figured out what kind of luggage you want to lug around, you are in a better position to think about what "essentials" make sense for you.

ETA: Oh, and my basic rule is to never bring something which I can easily get from the hotel concierge, room service, or a nearby pharmacy. Cosmetics, including creams, lotions, and hair products, can literally add pounds to a woman's suitcase. Better to take that extra top or pair of shoes IMHO.

Oh that's so true. There WILL be stairs, escalators, curbs, etc. Half the time if not more you will not be wheeling the rolling luggage.

I second Karie's suggestion to carry a good travel size hair dryer, if that's important to you. There's almost always one in the hotel, but usually it's a bare bones model without the "cool shot" button that's the magic bullet for my blow and go 'do.

I haven't seen anyone mention a flashlight. I always carry a tiny one and use it often to find my way to the bathroom or tweak the thermostat without having to turn on a light and disrupt my sleep even more.

I am a luggage lover. I bought this Tumi bag when I was flying every month. The planes out of my local are the little regional air jets, and this roller bag fits into the tiny overhead storage bins on these planes.