How I Packed For a Month in Russia in a Carry-On

Let's face it.

Packing for a long trip is not easy. Not only is it not easy, it can be down-right dreadful.

So in 2015, when my dad, @energyaddict22, gifted me a ticket to visit him and my stepmom, @sreybgm, in St. Petersburg, Russia for the entire month of June... I put off packing.

Instead, I did just about everything but pack. I bought new luggage, I bought new clothes, and I even picked out a camera with my granny to take pictures while I was there. However, 36 hours before the plane was scheduled for take-off, here I was, staring at my clothes blankly as if I had expected them to pack themselves.

So I got to work.

I decided that I was going to check one empty bag (actually two bags, one stuffed inside the other) so that I could bring back loads of souvenirs for my family members. Due to insane fees, this meant that I would need to figure out how to pack for the entire month in just my carry-on bag.

Photo from Pixabay

After many hours looking for Pinterest inspiration, I realized that I needed to choose key items to wear on my trip that would go well with everything. I chose 6 shirts, 3 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of shoes, 1 jacket, 5 pairs of socks and underwear, 2 bras, and 2 nice dresses/skirts for formal events.

To pack these items, I used the rolling method. This is where you lay out your pants, then place your shirt, bra, underwear, etc. on top, and then roll it all up to form a hotdog. Then you put your roll into the carry-on and do this until all your clothing is rolled.

Next, I gathered a few small items for my hosts that they couldn't get in Russia, such as Oreos. Once this was done, I moved on to toiletries.

Since you're allowed to take a personal item on the plane in addition to a carry-on, I utilized my purse in my packing efforts. For men, you could easily utilize a small backpack. Since I could easily access basic toiletries at the local grocery, I made a list of items I did want to bring to help get ready in the mornings.

1. Hair ties
2. Bobby pins
3. Hairbrush
4. Basic makeup: mascara, eyeliner, lipstick
5. Small jewelry

Then, I packed those items in a plastic Ziploc bag and shoved them in the bottom of my purse.

Nobody packs for a trip like this... and who on earth stuffs fresh flowers in their purse?

Finally, all I had left was my wallet, passport, and documents. These I put in my purse, with a copy of my passport and itinerary in my carry-on and my empty checked bag.

That's it! As a champion procrastinator, I felt like packing for Russia was the ultimate competition. Which of course, I won. 😉

Near Lake Valdai near Great Novgorod (borrowed scarf, because I didn't realize I needed to pack one for visits to the Russian Orthodox Cathedrals)