1.9. Key advice about baggage
by Edward Hasbrouck
- When in doubt, leave it out.
- Keep your luggage within the standard international airline baggage limit: 20 kg
(44 lb) total per person including all carry-on items.
- Always get to the airport prepared to check your luggage. Never count on being
allowed to carry it on, regardless of its size or weight.
- Don’t cut corners on key items of your gear like your pack and water purifier.
For
prolonged hard traveling, the best quality you can afford is worth the price.
- Carry your passport, tickets, and other vital documents in a money belt or
otherwise hidden inside your clothes. Carry backup photocopies of everything in
your money belt, and leave another set nehind with a trusted friend.
- Don’t worry too much about what you forget, lose, or break. You can find almost
anything you really need along the way, or find some local substitute to serve the
same purpose.
- Don’t feel dependant on any of your things. They might get lost, stolen, or
broken. Be prepared to improvise.
- Don’t count on care packages. Mailing things home is usually slow but more or
less affordable and reliable, but having things sent to you while you are traveling
is often difficult and/or expensive.
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