We are embarking on a new level of vacationing this summer, one that requires a fine tuned approach to packing, no "excess" and keeping to a strict weight limit. It reminds me of backpacking... "are you willing to carry it?"
We will be traveling for two weeks, making our way from our home base in Southern Indiana to Seattle to visit our oldest son, with MANY stops along the way to some bucket list locations of ours. More to come on that.
We'll be updating the blog along the way to provide insights into "how it's going" for those of you considering such a trek.
For now, lets talk packing logistics with a Q&A:
Q: How much room do you have for luggage and "stuff" while traveling?
A: Not much. The plane can carry four adults and has a small cargo area behind the back seat equalling approximately 60 cubic feet to work with. But the answer isn't how much, it's how much weight...
Q: How do you calculate how much weight you can carry?
A: The Pilot does the calculations. He looks at flight time, how much gas we need to carry until we refuel, how much WE WEIGH (and you cannot lie) and any plane maintenance items he needs to bring along. Then he tells me how much we can bring on board - and that is a non-negotiable number. We weight each item and make adjustments as needed.
Photos: Weigh them, label them... and do the math.
Q: Any packing tips:
A: Oh yeah... here's a few.
We ultimately could NOT use our luggage that we use for personal and business travel. It simply weighed too much. We opted to used VERY light weight duffles with minimal hardware on them (hard to find.)
We are packing enough clothing to get us to Seattle (which will take five days including the sightseeing we'll be doing along the way). Once there, we've booked a hotel with laundry facilities. So we get to wear the exact same clothing for a second week in a row! SO fancy.
My grand ideas of packing lots of snacks? Nope... had to let it go. We will take one day of drinks/snacks/sandwiches with us and then when it's time to get back in the plane - go get some more.
Q: How much leg room do you have?
A: Not enough, but more than flying coach on a commercial airliner.
Photos: Tight quarters for sure. A cup holder is one nice amenity. I opt to wear a fanny pack for my cellphone, glasses, sunglasses, mints, etc. That way everything is on me that I might need. If I want my laptop or a book - I would have to reach around to the backseat to get it.
We will be posting throughout our trip, including video from inside the plane. Stay tuned.
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