Light Luggage - What to use?
 

Here lots of travel restrictions on luggage weight in regards to domestic travel on Nature Air within CR such as 30 lbs. I know we can pay the penalty or if it is really bad might have to leave stuff behind which I am not game to do. So the question is for all those CR folks and those going soon - what did or do you plan to use for luggage within CR.

We are notoriously bad when we travel and will have to be really disciplined this time and looking to buy some new cheap luggage that weighs only up to 3-4lbs in itself to help getting the most out of the other 26lbs.

When we went to Alaska we packed for 3 seasons and had 2 bags each and a carry on. When we went to Australia we had the same and then add souvenirs in we ended up shipping home clothes via Fed Ex to make room for the stuff we wanted to bring back and believe me running around Sydney with 6 bags and back packs is no fun and hard on ones back.

I bought the weekender convertible bag on ebags.com. I was amazed how much I could cram in there. I went from bringing my usual 50 pounds of luggage in a huge rolling suitcase to carrying only 22 pounds in the weekender convertible. If you go to the site, you can read all the positive reviews. Right now I think the bag is on sale. I found the recommendation for it on this board, and lots of us have them.

www.onebag.com is a great site for packing light and my packing list is #15 on the FAQ thread of the Thorntree forum if you're interested: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntre...2&tstart=0

I use the same thing everywhere I travel, one 22" or 24" rolling suitcase. Packed it comes in at 22-27 lbs. typically.

If you want to go really light & are willing not to have wheels, just get sturdy nylon duffle bags which weigh virtually nothing.

Lastly, IF you find "cheap luggage" that only weighs 3-4 lbs, please post it here -haha- because I've looked and can't find anything that light!

Suze I am seeing stuff with wheels around 5-6lbs and have not seen anything lighter. I was looking at some Eagle Creek stuff and the duffle bags as options.

My first task is to get my stuff together to see how much that will weigh and I have. Since I am not going till next Feb 2009 to CR I have some time to shop effectively for the luggage to hold my gear.

I am thinking of purchasing 4-5 pairs of convertible pants/shorts for the entire trip and doing wash 1 time to cut down on lbs and stuff.

The bag I mentioned above weighs 3 pounds, 10 ounces. It goes on sale frequently, so if it interests you keep an eye on it for the price reduction.

volcanogirl - I see that it is on sale now. A little early to purchase but a great find. Thanks - I am seriously considering using that one. Much appreciate tip. - Braz

I don't understand why you'd bring 4-5 of the exact same thing? Even with washing and drying time included... why 5 of the same?
:-)

These are pants that can convert to shorts so I can wear them either way and they are extremely light weight. Maybe 4 and wear each 2 days in row if I can't find time to do laundry. Who wants to do wash when on vacation if its avoidable? If there is something nearby I might but I just never have in the past and I thought that may be in world of possibilities.

Bill

Bill, a lot of the hotels/resorts will do laundry for you for a small fee; it really helps if you're trying to pack lightly.

When you say small fee - for a good load of clothes how much are we talking? It may be worth it if not too much.

It's going to vary based upon where you stay. I'd e-mail the places you're interested in and ask them. We didn't use the service but met several travelers who did while we were out and about. They all recommended it and said it was really affordable.

Personally, I'd take 2 at the most. Good convertibles dry really fast and don't have to be strictly clean imo. Don't know about CR but in other parts of CA I've typically paid about $3-4 for a medium load, washed and line dried. I rinse things out in a sink on occasion, too - a very small price to pay for only packing around 15 pounds of luggage.

The heck with hotels in Costa Rica to do laundry. Most of the towns have a drop off place where they charge by the pound. Drop it off in the morning, pick up in the evening all for about $15.00 for a very full laundry baskets' worth.

MonicaRichards - Is that service from 1 particular company - chain of laundry services or can you name a few you area aware of in CR? Thanks - that seems like a great service for $15 for the entire luggage I am packing.

braz - when we were at Bosque in March, we never wore long pants or long sleeves. I would guess that February will also be hot. You may not need to pack as many zip-offs as you think. The quick dry clothing is really light weight, you will be surprised at how much you will be able to pack and still stay under weight limits. I also brought along a little laundry soap, a rope, and some clothespins, and washed a few things in the sink. I just had a handful of things, so didn't seem worth sending out to have done.

The best way for me to keep luggage weight down is to limit the amount of toiletries I take. Use small bottles, and lots of hair products and lots of makeup are worthless on the Osa. You can't use hairdryers or curling irons there, so might as well leave those at home. The other places you stay will most likely have hair dryers. I never would have thought I could travel with only 25 lbs, and I did it - you will too!

I've not been to CR but sounds the similar to Mexico from Monica's post above.

You will find lavendarias (launderias?) any time you're in a town. Many guidebooks list them. They are independent run businesses where you drop your clothes off and the women will do them for you. Some charge by the piece, some charge by weight. Getting my usual small armload done in Puerto Vallarta only costs $5.00USD same day service, wash, machine dry, folded.

braz- My point about not packing 4-5 of the same item is:
1 you are wearing
1 you are washing
1 you washed that's not quite dry yet = 3 max.

Braz, we were in CR this past February and unless you're planning to spend several weeks in a cloud forest area, you're not going to need 4-5 pairs of long pants, zip-off or not. We each took one pair of convertibles and the only time we wore them (as long pants) was on the flight home...

We took your average sling-over-the-shoulder duffles, a little bigger than a gym bag. You can get them anywhere (Target, Walmarts, sporting goods stores, etc.) for less than $50. About 3 pounds empty, 20-25 pounds packed. We each also had a small backpack; something we could hike with.

We had a 12-day itinerary and didn't need to do laundry (never got organized enough to send it out in time!) We each had a few quick-dry shorts and T-shirts and it was easy to just wash them out (extra easy if you have an outdoor shower.)

I'm a pretty efficient packer (if anything, I tend to underpack) and, for me, I minimize shoes and toiletries.

Suze - Lose the wheels and a lot of weight right there... ebags weekender convertible as mentioned above is 3# 10 oz, currently on sale at $53.99, and is carry-on legal. The same bag WITH wheels is 7 pounds and also on sale for $98.99

REI carries a bag comparable to ebags non-wheeled model: the Osprey Porer 46 Travel Pack at 3# 2 oz, $99 and again, carry-on legal.

Rick Steves has a similar bag, the Convertible Carry-on, under 3 pounds for $99. The wheeled version is 7 pounds, $140.

Husband and I are looking at all 3 of the no-wheel bags, planning to narrow down and purchase by personal preference. We're leaving in June on a 3 week Alaskan Inland Passage ferry-hopping tour - no car, live out of the bags on our backs. This is prep for a similar trip to Europe this fall - no checked bags, public transportation except for 2 short car hires...