A 3-week business trip without checking luggage?
 

I'm going on a book tour in early January. I'll be on the road for about 3 weeks straight. Obligations will include signings at bookstores, local media (radio & TV), presentations/lectures, and informal gatherings (e.g. dinner with friends in various cities, etc.). I'll be visiting 13 cities during this period, and some for less than 24 hours so this will involve a lot of flights (in the dead of winter, no less)! For that reason, I'm trying to figure out a way to avoid checking a bag if at all possible. I've never done any extended business travel like this so I figured I'd ask for help from those that have.

I can imagine needing the following clothes:
— Sportcoat
— 2-3 shirts
— 2 pairs slacks
— 1 pair dress shoes
— 1 pair athletic shoes
— 1 pair pants & shirt for working out
— Several pairs socks (most dress, 1-2 casual/workout)
— 1 casual outfit for informal gatherings and travel?
— 1 down jacket for weather

As I write this list it seems impossible to do this without taking a larger bag. I have a nice Briggs & Riley 22" expandable carry-on which is about as big as they get, but I don't think I could fit all of this along with toiletries and other items.

There's also the question of how to make sure I have a clean/pressed dress outfit when I arrive in a new city if I only had 24 hours in the previous location (which may not have been long enough to have my pants/shirts dry-cleaned).

Any ideas?

A 3-week business trip without checking luggage?
 

i would suggest packing light weight and low maintenance clothes...wash and wear pants and shirts- avoid wool pants and dress shirts that easily wrinkle. Most hotels have on-site coin operated laundry facility for guests, they usually have detergent available at front desk...use as needed to refresh your clothes.

Sports coat and winter jacket need not be packed in handcarry baggage.

Good luck with book tour!

Thanks! Thing is, since this will include some local and maybe national TV appearances, I have to look my best—which isn't always the lowest maintenance stuff.

A 3-week business trip without checking luggage?
 

I see that list as very reasonable for a carryon. To the previous poster's point, make sure to carry/wear your winter coat and bulkiest items. Domestic or intl I always carryon and the only issue you start to have is adding more shoes that typically take up the most space.

If you're not staying at a hotel with same day laundry and no coin op available, most dry cleaners have 1-2 hr options for usually double the price. Stick to making a carryon work, losing your luggage on one leg could leave you with nothing for 2-3 days.

Oh, and if all else fails you can pick some woolite and wash clothes in your hotel room sink.

A 3-week business trip without checking luggage?
 

FedEx clean garments to hotel mid-tour. Ship the dirties home.

Congrats on your book!

Look into 1-hr dry cleaners in towns before your trip. Might be nearer your book signing than hotel. Check ratings & maybe even contact them in advance (esp if you have a particular city you are worried about - short stay and big TV interview the next day, etc)

If necessary, you can mail yourself clean clothes to a hotel midway through the tour if you really don't think you'll make it through the whole tour.

Compression (or zip-lock bags) with the air squeezed out can really shrink the space needed for socks/underwear.

And remember you are allowed 1 carry on + 1 personal item (briefcase / small backpack) in case clothes, toiletries & electronics are a bit much for your single bag. And wear / carry your jacket - don't worry about fitting it into your bag.

OP - suggest you might also want to read this thread

A 3-week business trip without checking luggage?
 

It seems to me that you can fit more in a duffle bag than a 22" carryon, but I suppose the duffle might not keep the shape of some of those clothes items.
I am assuming you will take a laptop, so that you will have a laptop plus a carryon. You can place some items in the laptop bag.

Thanks everyone, this is really helpful (especially the travel ninja thread).

I do have a great Briggs & Riley 15.4" expandable briefcase. I pub my laptop in there along with toiletries, cables, chargers, etc.

Question: what do you all recommend for packing dress shirts? I've never been able to keep them from wrinkling in the folding compartment. The last few trips I've asked my local cleaners to fold and box them, and I just put the box directly into the carry-on. But that's for overnight or two night trips, and it's not space efficient so it won't work for this.

A 3-week business trip without checking luggage?
 

I travel 3 and 4 weeks at a time, with 2 or 3 hotel changes.. never check a bag. my trick is no cotton and to do wash at every opportunity. I either use the sinks or in emergency I suck it up and pay the hotel to do it

Not sure of your size- but your pack list seems very possible.
I regularly do 2 or 3 week trips to China with one bag.

Disclaimer- I am female with small feet (size 6) so my shoes fit easily. I am not skinny- size 10/12 so my clothes aren't tiny.

I use a Travelpro Flight Crew 4 22" carryon. Fits in 747 lower deck bins wheels first. I fly on US carriers, if EU or Asian airlines it would not pass the weight limits for carryon.

This is my winter pack list.
3 pairs jeans ( I know- bulky but can be worn twice between washings- and when using the bundle/roll method go in just fine.)
1 pair dress pants
7 tops
7 pairs undies
2 sets workout clothes (quick dry materials- wash in the sinks and hang dry)
2 or 3 sweaters
1 blazer
1 pair sneakers
1 pair ankle boots
I wear jeans, flowy top, long warm wrap sweater, and riding boots on the plane.

I do laundry at the hotels 1 time per week. If I could just pack 2 or 3 suits my life would be easier, and my bag lighter, but in my industry no one dresses up.

1st Law of Luggage: If you're wearing it, you haven't packed it ... mainly applies to blazer/ sport coat, sweater, dress shoes

as others have suggested, FedEx/UPS a full outfit to yourself at the hotel mid-way thru the trip is an excellent idea

1. Pack everything you think you might need in as many bags as you can reasonably carry. Wear your coat.
2. Take your packed bags outside, and carry them around for one mile; thinking the whole time about items in the bags that you can really do without.
3. Go back home and repack.
4. Repeat #2 and #3
5. Repeat #4
6. Repeat #4
7. Repeat #4 ....

I just found out about packing cubes, envelopes and tubes and purchased a few from Eagle Creek (via Amazon). I think they'll help a lot with my shirt/wrinkle problem, and will allow me to pack my sport coat in the suitcase and wear my bulkier jacket on the plane.

A 3-week business trip without checking luggage?
 

Do carry on which will have all you need and checked in bag with extra clothes .swap used ones so even if your checked in bag does not arrive you will be ok .