Meetups are a vital part of working at Automattic. We’re a distributed company, so they’re often the only opportunity to meet your colleagues face to face, hang out, and collaborate on exciting new projects. They’re also a fantastic way to see the world and try new things.
Before any of that happens, one must pack for their travels. That isn’t always easy. Many of us like to pack stuff that we end up not using, causing us stress when the checked-in luggage is delayed or back pain when the suitcase turns out to be heavier than expected.
Being an avid traveler and a chronic (over)thinker, I perfected a set of rules that allow me to travel lightly and only bring what’s necessary. Surprisingly, it’s not unlike a design system where one must ruthlessly iterate, analyze, reduce, and simplify to arrive at the final solution.
Following up on a flash talk I gave at this year’s Design Meetup in Como, Italy, I jotted down a few tips that make packing for meetups easy and stress-free.
Reduce and optimize
Going one-bag means that you’ll carry your belongings with you at all times. This can be freeing because you can leave a train or plane and immediately start sightseeing or try out the local cuisine. However, if your bag is too heavy, it may become a burden, so it’s essential to keep it light.
Checking the weather before packing can shave many pounds off your bag’s total weight. I’d suggest looking up not just the forecast, but also past conditions. Google averages temperatures in the month you’ll be visiting to get a better idea of what to expect.
Do some desk research and find out what others have packed for a similar trip. Many travel bloggers post their packing lists and categorize them by season or trip type. Drop by Reddit and search for previously posted trip reports to see what other travelers packed in their bags and learn from their experiences.
Limit yourself to just one bag. It could be large or small depending on your needs or preferences, but make it a rule that you’ll only carry what’s inside and nothing else. Setting such a constraint will help you focus on the most important gear and get rid of the ballast.
Make sure that the bag is comfortable. Get something with a proper harness and nice thick padding on the back panel and shoulder straps: your back will be thankful when you throw your heavy laptop and other stuff inside and carry it non-stop for a few hours.
Upgrade your gear
The golden rule of one bagging is to use the stuff you already have. It makes sense most of the time, but sometimes a new piece of travel equipment can make a big difference.
Merino wool stuff has been an absolute game-changer for me. Lightweight and self-regulating, it keeps me warm in the winter and cool in the summer. But more importantly, it has self-cleaning properties, so you can wear it multiple times without worrying about the smell.
For instance, I pack two merino wool t-shirts for a week-long trip and rotate between them to let the fabric neutralize the bacteria. I wear one t-shirt for a day and air the other one on a hanger in my room.
The same applies to socks, which usually take up lots of space in a bag. Merino wool socks tend to be bulkier than regular cotton socks, but I can pack fewer of them and keep my feet fresh.
I used to be an all-natural-fabric type of person before, but since I started traveling, I converted to synthetics. I will always prefer merino wool shirts and socks over polyester ones, but most of my jackets and pants are now nylon or polyester blends.
The biggest advantages of synthetics are comfort and durability. I have a pair of polyester and elastane pants that I have worn as many times during hiking as I have on travels. They look like regular chinos and you’d never guess I’ve climbed mountains in them. It gets better: they don’t wrinkle!
Synthetic fabrics may look like regular clothes but offer unmatched durability compared to cotton clothes. Be careful, though. Denser 100% polyester clothes may act as a film and lead you to overheat in warm weather, so choose lighter blends that will let your skin breathe.
Find multi-use gear
Like a designer building a component system, you must think about the scalability and use of each item you put in your bag. Focus on versatility and ask yourself: can I use this item in more than one way?
For instance, I wear boots that have good traction soles and are waterproof enough to not make me worry when it rains during my trip. They look like regular Chelsea boots, so they’re chic enough for a dinner night and an outdoor team activity.
Try to pack stuff that you can wear on multiple occasions. Plain, casual-looking clothes in natural, toned-down colors usually work well in any setting and may come in handy in everyday life, too. Apply this to other items. Can you charge all your devices with one cable? Leave the others at home.
Leave empty space
Similarly to design, there’s beauty and function in emptiness, so be sure to leave some space in your bag when you’re done packing. This will guarantee that you will not overpack and you will have room for cool meetup swag, souvenirs, and loads of great memories.
Review and iterate
During the trip, observe what’s handy and what’s left in your bag untouched. Take notes and grade each packed item based on its usefulness. If you end up not using something, cut it out of your packing list.
You can use services like Lighterpack to keep track of your packing lists, while communities like r/onebag on Reddit often do live list critiques to spot nice-to-haves and help each other reduce clutter or exchange ideas.
There’s always room for improvement. I suggest taking a moment to think about your packing system when you return home from the meetup.
What worked? What could be improved? Did one piece of gear perform exceptionally well? If so, getting another one or finding something similarly useful may make sense. Write down ideas to further simplify and tailor your packing list.
Need more inspiration?
For those of you who forget even the basic things, Automattic designer Francisco put together a list of the equipment he uses on every meetup trip. During return, he revisits what was missed or whether a new item should be added.
The list covers every season, casual or business trip, and national or international location. Since he uses a note app for everything, Francisco usually duplicates the whole list in his journey document and deletes what he will not need. He makes each bullet into a checkbox to ease the packing process, and he doesn’t strike an item off the list until it’s in the bag.
Bag
Handy stuff I always need to have with me.
- Phone
- Passport
- Earbuds
- Power bank
- Wires
- Lightning to USB-C
- USB-C
- Wallet
- ID card
- Credit card
- Debit card
- Water bottle
- Sunglasses
- Hand sanitizer
- Medicine
- Band-aids
- Snack
- Cash
Backpack
Things I can leave in my room or away from me during a few hours.
- Keys
- Camera
- Camera battery
- Camera charger
- SD cards
- Travel adapter
- USB-C power adapter
- Laptop
- E-reader
- Travel pillow
- Earplugs
- Band-aids
- Toothbrush
- Small toothpaste
- Sun cap
- Clothes
- Innerwear
- 2 t-shirts
- 1 shirt
Luggage
Stuff for the whole trip
- Gifts or anything I need to bring to someone else
- Watches
- Microfiber towel
- Clothes
- T-shirts
- Sweaters
- Hoodies or pullovers
- Shirts
- Pants
- Innerwear
- Scarf
- Winter gloves
- Toiletry bag
- Razor
- Nail clippers
- Skin care
- Deodorant
- Scissors
- Shampoo in bottle
- Shower gel in a bottle
- Plastic bag for bottles
- Sunblock cream
- Toothpaste
- Body Washing Sponge
- In-door flip-flops
- Pajamas
- Laundry bag
- Rain poncho
- Umbrella
Automattic Design 