Friends, I am up for a big challenge. Rico and I are going to Brazil for three weeks, and we've decided to travel with only carry-on luggage. That means one bag each, with a weight limit of 17.5 pounds (plus a giant, heavy purse for me!).
See the lovely suitcase above? That's it. I wanted to take a photo with my Havaianas for scale, but Pria hopped on and decided to do a bit of modeling for y'all. So now you can put the carry-on in perspective with my size 8 flip-flops as well as our 18-pound cat. The full scope of this challenge hits home when I realize that the total weight of my clothes and shoes (plus the 5.3 pounds of the suitcase) must be less than big boy Pria.
We're going to a wedding while in Rio, to which I will be wearing a full-length neon red beaded gown. Part of me suspects it will take up half my alloted suitcase space and at least as much of my weight limit. We'll also be going to the mountains, which means I'll need to bring some cold-weather clothing as well.
So far my packing list includes:
- 1 pair jeans
- 1 pair black/gray trousers
- 1 wool sweater
- 2 light cardigans
- knit black pencil skirt
- 2 pairs leggings
- 3 casual dresses
- 3 tank tops
- 3 t-shirts
- 2 long-sleeved shirts
- 1 bikini
- 1 set lounge clothes
- 2 sets of workout clothes
- running shoes (which I may be doomed to wearing on the plane since I doubt they'll fit in the suitcase...nothing says gringo like running shoes while traveling!)
- formal dress
- sparkly black sandals
- ballet flats
- lint roller
- pashmina scarf
We'll see how it goes! Packing starts tonight, after a few requisite loads of laundry. :)
4 comments:
Why? On an international flight you'll be allowed 1 free checked bag each. In this day & age of extremely restrictive carry-on rules (esp toiletries), why not allow yourselves to bring, say, just 1 checked suitcase?
~Kristin - It's not about money, it's about convenience (even though taking just carry-on seems anything but). We will be traveling quite a bit while in Brazil, and having to lug around larger suitcases is a huge pain. It's also a huge plus to not have to wait around for bags to unload before being able to clear customs.
We're pro's at dealing with the carry-on restrictions in terms of toiletries. I never actually take full-size toiletries when I travel, so even if we checked a bag I'd still be taking 100ml or less of everything. Beyond that, I can't think of any restricted items I'd want to travel with this time around, so I think we're good to go.
On the way back, however, we may check a bag. :)
If you manage to fit all that in your suitcase and remain under the weight limit, I will be seriously impressed! Capsule wardrobe extraordinaire!
~Sayama - I did it, with weight to spare and a lot of stuff mashed into that little suitcase! I feel like such a pro. :)
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