Travel tips to send techies packing to the US

t's every US-bound Indian techie's predicament - what to pack for that long-cherished one year project to the US? Strangely, family and friends experiencing renewed bouts of affection at the imminent departure are not really helpful on the occasion. In a burst of emotional frenzy, they decide to express their love and approval by pickling magoes and gongura, making gooey chutneys, moorku and chitur butur not only for the would-be traveler but also for various cousins, distant relations friends and acquaintances in the US.

The show of familial solidarity although rather touching exacerbates rather than solves the packing problems of techies trying to juggle between amma's appams, clothes, a dozen other things and airline stipulations which state the weight of the baggage should not exceed 64 kg. A piece of advice from Assureconsulting.com: DON'T TAKE APPAMS, PODI AND PICKLES, they are easily available in Indian stores. Besides, much to your chagrin, the Customs Department may not be able to stomach the podi and detain you at the airport. For a complete set of guidelines, ranging from the kind of suitcase to buy to how to pack judiciously, carry on traveller.

Shopping for The Suitcase: A variety of suitcases in various shapes, sizes and shades are available in the market but before you zero down on anyone, contact the airlines for further information on baggage specifications. Most international airlines allow passengers to carry only two pieces of luggage.

If you are traveling by the first or the business class, the dimensions of the two bags should not exceed 62 inches and the weight should not be more than 32 kg. If you are travelling by the economy class, the dimensions should not exceed 107 inches. The length of the larger bag should not exceed 62 inches and its weight of each bag should be not be more than 32 kg. In addition, passengers are allowed to take a cabin bag. The dimensions of the bag as stipulated by the airline are: length 21 inches, breadth 10 and height 14. The weight of the bag should not exceed 5 kg. (See Baggage Allowance)

Scruplously follow these guidelines, as failure to adhere to them would invite a penalty.

The Bare Essentials: Do not mistake bare essentials for your clothes. Rather these include copies of all certificates/documents and relevant visa papers (originals should be packed in the carry-on baggage). Distribute the copies equally between the two pieces of baggage. Do not pack these at the bottom of the suitcase. They should be right on top, in case you need them on landing. For your safety, pack a copy of the address book in the suitcase with these documents.

Clothes And Climate: This, as common sense dictates, would depend greatly on the climatic conditions of the area where you will be posted. Before you begin to plan your travel wardrobe visit the US climate page at www.cdc.noaa.gov. The site provides detailed information on the annual climatic conditions in the US. If you are travelling to a cold place, do not pack more than two heavy winter jackets and two sweaters for the initial days. On arrival, you will realise that you'll need specially designed winter gear which is far too expensive and bulky to carry from India, If you are not buying branded products, these can be brought cheaply in the US. If you are going to warmer climes like California a light jersey and one or two sweaters will help to ward the chill in winter.

Do not empty your entire wardrobe into the suitcase. In the US, clothes are machine-washed once a week. Hence, you will essentially require two weeks of clothes. Choose trousers in basic shades like black, grey, blue, brown and khaki. These shades are versatile and with a liitle bit of skill and imagination you can coordinate any shirt with them. This will automatically eliminate the need for more clothing and save precious luggage space. Ensure that your clothes are slightly loose as most people tend to put on weight after the first few months in the US.

For attending interviews, you will need two formal business suits. However, workplaces in the US are informal and you can wear casuals and go to work. Do not pack more than two to three pairs of jeans as these can be purchased at sales or the flea market at throwaway prices in the US.

To complete your wardrobe you will also need:

• Fourteen to fifteen sets of undergarments.

• Six to seven pairs of socks. If you prefer cotton ones, pack a few more pairs, as cotton is extremely expensive in the US. Woolen socks not recommended if not going to a cold place

• A dozen cotton handkerchiefs

• Two or three towels

• Two leather belts

• Three to four pairs of nightclothes

• Two pairs of leather shoes. Wear one pair on your journey to save space in the suitcase. Trek or sports shoes can brought in the US and hence do not carry them with you.

Advise To Women Travellers: Do not pack the suitcase with saris. You can wear salwar kameez in the US, but get business suits stitched. Pack a few formal buisness skirts. If you are uncomfortable with knee length skirts, buy long skirts sheer straight cuts.

Avoid carrying gold jewelry with you. But you could consider taking pieces of terracotta or ceramic jewelry. They are great accessories and will come in handy as gift items.

>Should I Pack Utensils: With the exception of a pressure pan or cooker, which is not available in the US, the answer is NO!. If your apartment is equipped with a microwave, steel utensils would be unsuitable. Besides, non-stick cookware is very reasonably priced in the US and can be brought on arrival from the neighborhood grocery store. However, remember to take an additional safety valve and weight for the pressure pan.

Do Not Forget The Medicine Kit: Pack as many basic medicines as possible, as they are exorbitantly expensive in the US. Therefore, pack five to six strips of parcetamol and basic analgesics, digestives, band aid, cough drops, burn ointments and two or three rolls of cotton. Check whether the drugs are legal in the US. Something legal here might be illegal in the US and you could be denied entry.

If you have any questionable drugs or particularly large supplies, take a letter from the doctor stating you have a legal right to use these drugs.

Carry medicines in the carry-on bag since they are less likely to be lost than your checked luggage. Your carry-on will also do less harm to temperature-sensitive medication. Keep medicines for air sickness on your person.

Miscellaneous: Apart from basic documents and your clothes, you will need to pack the following:

• Toiletries

• Two additional pairs of spectacles

• A pair of scissors

• A sewing kit with adequate needles and additional buttons for your shirts

• Writing instrument

• Paper pins

• A box of floppies

• A few sheets of paper

• An additional leather wallet

Packing The Cabin Bag: The additional 5 kg weight allowance should not be frittered away in carrying non-essentials. Remember, it is possible that airlines can misplace your luggage. The cabin bag should, therefore, carry the following:

Original important documents (I-20, visa, tickets ... passport). You will need to show these to the immigration authorities at the port of entry.

• Photocopies of your passport and all other important documents.

• Travelers checks

• A copy of your credit card numbers.

• Prescription medications in original, labeled containers to avoid Security questions.

• Two pairs of clothing.

• Sample sizes of toiletry items.

• A pair of extra glasses and their cleaning solution, if you wear them.

• A change of underclothes

• A sweater or a jacket in case you encounter inclement weather on landing

• A towel

• Your valuables, such as jewelry and electronics are safe in your carry-on.

• Copies of your photo (passport size)

• Enlisted steps to be followed in case of emergency

• Address and phone numbers of people whom you can contact in the US in case you need any help on landing

• Address and phone numbers of friends, relatives in India

• Contact phone numbers of your doctor.

• Writing instruments

• A list of everything in your checked baggage, in case you need to fill out a claim form.

Things To Be Left At Home: Since you will be away from home for a minimum period of twelve months, a significant phpect of packing for the trip is to organise affairs at home:

Contact a lawyer to assign the power of attorney to your parents or your spouse authorising them to look after financial matters on your behalf. It is in your interest to leave a few blank signed papers and cheques so that your parents or your spouse can be authorised to look after anything on your behalf.

It is imperative that you open a non-resident account with your bank for any remittances you make from the US. This can be done by showing the bank authorities your passport.

Other things which you must remember to leave behind are:

• Adequate copies of the passport and visa related documents

• A copy of the address/phone numbers at which the information can be obtained

• A copy of all relevant parts of medical history files

The Final Word: Start packing a week in advance to avoid last minute confusions and do weigh your bags before you leave for the airport to board the flight.
 

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