Arjun,
Great idea for a thread -- hopefully we can build some momentum for sharing best practices.
MY BAG OF CHOICE: Tom Binh Western Flyer with a luggage sleeve coupled with the Absolute Shoulder Strap (for a much more comfortable carrying experience)
(
http://www.tombihn.com/PROD/TB0950.html)
Versatile and thoughtfully-designed, dual compartmentalized bag that fits in overhead compartment of CRJ commuter jets. In the first compartment, I slide an iPad and a Macbook Air behind a a small Tom Binh packing cube (for t-shirts, boxers, workout shorts and socks) and a medium Tom Binh packing cube (for button down and dress shirts). In the second compartment, I fit a large Tom Binh packing cube (for slacks, ties, a Rohan travel suit and a pair of Vibrams workout shoes), a gadget bag and a Tom Binh clear organizer cube (for toiletries) in the second compartment. The outside pockets are perfect for carrying passports, keys, papers, pens, etc. Another great thing about the Western Flyer is that it couples beautifully with a Rimowa Salsa Deluxe cabin trolley for trips with the family.
MY ACCESSORY GIZMO ORGANIZER: 2 Cocoon Grid-It CPG8's (
http://www.amazon.com/Cocoon-CPG8BK-...on+Gridit+CPG8) and Built NY Travel Cargo Organizer (
http://www.amazon.com/BUILT-Cargo-Tr...+Accessory+Bag).
I'm having a local tailor remove the annex clips in the second compartment of the Tom Binh bag and sew in corner velcro patches that will secure 2 10.5" x 7.5" Cocoon Grid-Its vertically in the bag. In so doing, I expect to be able to distribute the space in the compartment more efficiently to permanently store all of the sundry gadgets needed for business travel (more on that below). The Built NY organizer is a nice form-fitting carrier for items that I'd like to have at arm's reach during flights.
USEFUL GIZMO'S
Concur wholeheartedly about the Edimax Nano Router and the Kikkerland travel adapter. Other things I wouldn't leave home without ...
- Skiva 4-port USB charger
http://www.amazon.com/Skiva-PowerFlo...rt+USB+charger
- Anker Slimtalk portable USB charger (fits in a shirt pocket) (
http://www.amazon.com/SlimTalk-Exter...Anker+Slimtalk)
- Satechi power station (
http://www.amazon.com/Satechi-Portab...+power+station)
- Mifi router (I use an unlocked Huawei e587)
- Noise canceling earphones (I use a Sony MDR-NC100D) coupled with Airbuds and moldable earplugs ... works beautifully on flights and during workouts ... I also make sure to pack spare Airbuds and AAA batteries (
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDRNC100D...ony+MDR-NC100d)
- Portable GPS sensor (about 1/3 size of a deck of cards) (
http://www.amazon.com/Dual-Electroni...s=external+GPS)
- Sony RX100 camera (great picture quality, recharges via microUSB, rectracting lens cover) that replaced the bulky, heavy Nikon DSLR camera that my wife used to foist on me to lug around (
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-DSC-RX100...rds=Sony+RX100)
- small USB card reader (
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
CLOTHING TO PACK
I can not emphasize enough the importance of layering. For base layers, I like to use extremely lightweight and comfortable synthetics from companies like Wickers (boxers) and Rohan (t-shirts). I also like to pack a quarter zip Merino sweater (lightweight, but very warm) and a Uniqlo ultralight hooded rain parka (literally as light as a feather). For cold weather trips, I would also include a North Face Summit Series windbreaker and 180s wraparound earmuffs and travel gloves.
For shoes, I try to travel with a single, comfortable pair. For leisure trips that involve some dressier venues, I use a pair of black Kenneth Cole Punchual shoes (
http://www.amazon.com/Kenneth-Cole-R...+Cole+Punchual). For business trips, I use a pair of black Bruno Magli Maioco oxfords (
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1). For casual leisure trips, I use a pair of Camper Peu (
http://www.camper.com/en_US/men/shoe...-peu-17665-011).
NINJA TRAVEL TIPS
1. Pack clothing as sparingly as possible (especially base layers, which can be easily washed in hotel sinks and quickly air dried) and carry travel-sized packets of Tide detergent and Shout to Go wipes.
2. Dramatically reduce your toiletries footprint by buying miniature bottles and containers that hold the bare minimum of items like deodorant, shaving cream, toothpaste, cologne, sunscreen, mosquito repellant, ointment, cold medicine, etc. I have a pretty extensive toiletries list, but am able to fit everything including a Gillette razor, travel toothbrush, nail clippers, tweezers, mouthwash strips and a sewing kit into a small Tom Binh clear toiletries packing cube.
3. Keep detailed and organized packing lists on your smartphone and in the cloud. I use a program called ColorNote for Android and have packing lists by category (clothing, toiletries, gadgets, baby items, etc.). This way, I can make sure that I don't forget anything before or during trips. This is especially important because I absolutely loathe packing.
4. Keep a bag packed and set aside. This includes replenishing items in your toiletries kit as soon as you return from a trip. Packing the night before or the day of your trip is always unnecessarily stressful.
5. Plan for worst case scenarios. Scan your family's passports and children's birth certificates and store on the cloud (I use Google Drive). Use an app like Flightcaster to project the odds of your flight being delayed six hours ahead of time.
6. Always carry a pen on your keychain (
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1)