Preparing for International Travel Part II: Packing

Our trip involved a 3.5-hour flight on a major commercial airline, followed by a 30-minute flight on a 3-seater Cessna commuter plane (technically, it holds 4 people, assuming the fourth person weighs 50 pounds or less). Not only did we have weight restrictions on baggage for the commuter flight, but the cargo door on the plane is tiny, so it was recommended that we bring soft-sided (e.g., squishable) luggage.

Which we didn't have. So both my husband and I bought new duffel bags, and he got a new backpack, and we planned to pack everything for a 6-day trip into 2 duffels and 2 backpacks.

And we had to bring lightweight clothes for hiking/birding, lightweight but comfy hiking shoes, big ridiculous hats to block the sun, bug spray, anti-itch lotion in case the bug spray didn't work, sunblock lotion, the aforementioned anti-malarial medications, everyday basic toiletries for both of us, two pairs of binoculars (for the birding) and my camera equipment (1 digital SLR camera, 2 lenses, an extra battery plus battery charger, and 4 memory cards). And I also tossed in a knitting work-in-progress, in case I got bored on the plane, and my husband brought along a couple of guides to the wildlife (primarily birds, but also other critters) of Central America.

Somehow we got everything into the 4 bags, made the weight requirement, and -- this is the good part -- got through the trip without missing anything OR having to do laundry. A packing job well done.