By Jasna in packing-list —

Packing list: 4 days in NYC (Spring)

What I packed for a 4-day work trip to New York City, traveling by train and centered around the office.

Once every few months or so I take a work trip from the DC area to NYC. I walk to and from train stations (no planes) through city (think: stairs, escalators, bumpy and crowded sidewalks) and suburban (think: sometimes hilly, craggy sidewalks) landscapes. My itinerary largely involved being in the office, with some time to go to restaurants and do morning workouts (running, hotel gym). Here's how I packed for a trip this May, with rainy weather in the high 50s to low 70s Fahrenheit.

  • Bags
  • Toiletries
    • Conditioner bar
    • Lotion
    • Retinol
    • Vitamin C Serum
    • Makeup (Saie shimmer, Saie foundation, spot)
    • Toothpaste
    • Toothbrush
    • Razor
    • Nail clipper
    • Painkillers
    • Moisturizer
    • Hair ties
    • Floss
    • Comb
    • CHI
    • Facial wash
    • prescription
    • vitamins (multi, fish oil, fiber)
  • Clothes
    • 4 pairs underwear
    • 3 pairs socks
    • 3 dress shirts
    • 1 dress
    • 2 pairs pants
    • 1 pj shirt
    • 1 workout shirt
    • 1 workout bra
    • 1 regular bra
    • 1 pair workout shorts
    • 1 pair pj shorts
    • 1 pair running shoes
    • 1 light-med jacket (N7)
    • Scarf
  • Tech
    • Power bank
    • Laptop
    • USB-C laptop charger
    • long USB-C cable
    • short USB-C cable
  • Misc
    • Filtering water bottle
    • umbrella
    • earphones
    • 手拭い
    • Glassesx2
    • Watch
    • Wallet
    • Lil' Snorlax
    • Jewelry (4 necklaces, 1 pair earrings)
    • Employee card
    • 3 gifts

What I wore: 1 shirt, 1 pair pants, 1 pair underwear, 1 bra, 1 jacket, 1 necklace, 1 pair earrings

What I ended up not using: 2 necklaces, scarf, nail clipper (already clipped nails pre-trip), conditioner bar (hotel had this already), lotion (same). Could've also left behind: 1 dress

Things I brought back with me: gifts for my niece and nephew (coloring pencils, toy car), clothes my relative didn't want (skirt, 2 pairs pants), 2 bottles of soda, 1 can of soda, large bottle of sake, little tray of sushi

How it went

The expandable, medium-sized backpack

AS2OV backpack generally worked well. Just the right size to fit daily essentials and jacket. Expanded to fit food I wanted to take home. Side pocket actually fit my big Lifestraw bottle, but was a little precarious. Laptop sleeve is perfect for my 14" MB Pro. Comfortable on the floor while riding Amtrak. Comfortable to wear for 30+ minutes. Not too bulky. Pockets generally sensible and useful.

The little roller bag

I have had the Samsonite Ziplite 4.0 16inch roller bag (it looks like this, but smaller) since 2019, and it's gone with me on several flights. It was only $89 at the time with a discount. This trip was my first time using it for a train/city trip. Not as smooth as my newer Doraemon roller bag, but held up well. Smaller size made it easy to lift into overhead of Amtrak seat, maneuver around crowds, carry up and down stairs, and tuck away on the subway or under a small restaurant table. Was a lttle worried it wouldn't have room for some unexpected gifts in addition to my clothes and small backpack, but it did!

The packable, flat convertible tote/backpack

I bought this Burban bag during my trip to Greece. It was useful when I just want to have essentials when navigating the office or going out. Liked the spacious security pocket facing my back, as well as the roomy, unsecure front pocket for umbrella, Snorlax, 手拭い.

In the office, I used it to carry my laptop, water bottle, etc. It's probably bit dangerous to do this if I'm not being careful since there's no padding.

At times it was a little awkward putting the bag on as a backpack, but this is how it is for these convertible-type bags.

Overall

I think this was one of the best packing experiences I had! Came home with not much room to spare but not overburdened. Relatively easy walking from house to my local train station, Judiciary Square to Union Station, Moynihan to subway, subway to hotel, hotel to small restaurant, small restaurant to office.

Restaurants were with coworkers, friends, or relatives -- generally casual to slightly upscale.