On my recent trip to the US, one thing that went very smoothly was dealing with my luggage.
Here’s how I packed, to make the trip easier.
Packing for my trip into the US
First, I made a list, well in advance of packing. That gave me plenty of time to remember all those little things, add them to the list, and not forget them when I left.
When making my list of things to pack, I thought about three things:
- Will I actually need this?
- Can it be a problem at security checkpoints?
- Can I cheaply, and easily, get it in the US?
Part of the purpose of my trip was to empty out my storage unit, and pick up a few things that are difficult to find, or expensive, in Paraguay.
So, I brought almost no clothes, knowing that I had boxes full of clothes in storage – along with plenty of places to pick up good quality, affordable clothes. I didn’t bring a computer with me, because I planned to get a new one there.
I also left my computer in Paraguay, along with my cell phone, since airport security can confiscate your electronic items, search them at their convenience, and return them to you whenever they want (which generally takes months in the US). The odds of this happening are low; US Customs searches about 5000 electronic items per year. But I could survive the trip without my electronics, so I left them at home.
If there were any files I really needed to have with me, I would have encrypted it, sent it to my Gmail account, and then downloaded it when I got to the US.
For many of the other things that might cause delays at airport security, like toothpaste, shampoo, etc., I just didn’t bring them. My hotel would have soap and shampoo. And one of my first stops was going to be at a local store, where I’d pick up all the other things I needed. The cost of these items was low, about ten dollars, but it eliminated any problems like my toothpaste tube being more than 3.4 ounces.
When there was an additional security check at the boarding gate in Panama, one woman had trouble with her saline solution. According to the TSA’s regulations, you are allowed to have more than 3.4 ounces of saline solution (since it’s a medication). But, how do you tell that to someone who speaks a different language and isn’t actually a TSA agent?
Because of all the things I didn’t bring, I ended up with only one small carry-on bag. That let me go through the faster OneStop Immigrations and Customs entry – a nice surprise.
Packing for my trip to Paraguay
Coming back, I had my new electronics in my laptop computer case and a couple pairs of boots in my carry-on bag (along with a few other small pieces of clothes).
I normally use a money belt that you can wear around your waist. However, since there was supposedly another underwear bomber on the loose, I decided that probably wouldn’t be the best thing to have on me when going through airport security. So, I put everything in my pockets or an interior pocket of my carry-on bag.
The surprising thing was how much I was able to fit in one checked bag.
I bought a Samsonite 32.5 inch duffle bag (aff.) that held everything else I wanted to bring back and still be under the limits for size and weight for a checked bag.
Its overall length (height + width + length) is 61.5 inches, just under the 62 inch limit. Fully packed, it was 47.5 pounds, under the 50 pound limit.
To give you an idea what you can fit in this bag, and still stay under the limit, here’s what I brought back in it.
- 26 long-sleeved dress shirts
- 3 short-sleeved polo shirts
- 2 pairs dress pants
- 3 pairs jeans
- 10 undershirts
- 15 pairs dress socks
- 10 pairs athletic socks
- 6 ties
- 1 pair swim trunks
- 6 jars of shoe polish (I take my boots seriously)
- Electric razor, with recharger
- 4 bottles of vitamins
- 5 bottles of hot sauce (my other vitamins)
- 3 bags of licorice sticks (for a friend’s kids)
The bag didn’t have any rips or tears, and everything made it without any damage (all the breakable stuff was packed in the middle, with plenty of clothes to protect it). If you’re going to travel with a large amount of checked luggage (that isn’t sharp or pointy), I recommend this bag highly.
The return trip was fairly uneventful, other than boarding the plane in Panama City and being told we all needed to get off and take another plane. But my entire luggage made it to Paraguay, safe and secure. So I consider the trip a success.
The packing plan for the trip took some effort, but it was worth it.
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