# A Major Packing Conundrum!



## rip (Jul 13, 2005)

Although I have it pretty well worked out (a good thing, since I leave in a few hours), I thought I would pose this travel problem for the forum: The itinerary is for approx. 3 months, including a flight through Frankfurt, Germany to St. Petersburg, Russia. 3 weeks in SPB, with events including several semi-formal dinners, addressing a church congregation, black tie for the Opera and the Ballet. Then by overnight train to Moscow to meet with my invitors, the Olympic Committee of the Russian Federation and, again, several semi-formal dinners and black tie for the Ballet. By slow train (stopping several times along the way) to Sochi, on the Black Sea.

A week photographing in and around Sochi, including the nearby ski resorts, proposed site of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Mostly informal dinners with, perhaps, one semi-formal meeting. Then two days across the Black Sea by ship to Istanbul for a few days, and on to Israel by plane.

A week in Jerusalem, with concerts and dinners, then back to Istanbul for a train ride through the Balkans, stopping in Sofia, Belgrade, Budapest for several days, Bratislava where I pop across the border to spend several days in Vienna (black tie for the opera and several dinners there), then to Prague for a couple of weeks. Dressing in Prague is no issue since I have clothes there (as I do in St. Petersburg). From Prague I go to Krakow for a week, mostly informal dress there, then on to Vilnius via Warsaw. A few days in Vilnius, back to St. Petersburg until the end of March, then back to the US. As I am traveling alone, by several modes of transport, this is a most difficult trip to pack for. The biggest problem, apart from weight (the carry-on case is devoted entirely to fairly heavy photographic equipment), is traveling from north to south, from near-arctic Russia to the (hopefully) sunny and warm Mediterranean and Israel, then back to Russia.

I'm interested in hearing how forum members might pack for this trip. As I mentioned, I'm already packed for the first leg of the trip, and I'll share along the way how I'm solving the various travel problems.

Here are my bags:


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