# 9:  PREPARING FOR YOUR TRIP

Packing/Weight/Bags

We strongly recommend that you check with your airline well in advance of your flight/s  to find out how many kilos they allow you per checked bag. This can range from 20 to 32 kilos per checked bag. All airlines allow you two checked bags and one carry-on for tourist or economy class travel. Generally, your carry-on bag is limited to a small sized bag, between 6 and 10 kilos. Ask your airline to make sure what their maximum carry-on bag size and weight are.

It is a good idea to weigh all of your bags on at least two different scales, in case one scale is not accurate, and to make sure each checked bag is at least one-half kilo less than the maximum. That way, in case the scale at the airport check-in is a bit different from your scale at home, you should still be okay. Most airlines will charge you a very expensive fee if any of your bags is over the maximum weight.

It is recommended that you use a large backpack or rucksack for one of your checked bags, because you will have to carry your bags at times, and a backpack is easier to carry and more practical in most situations.

Make a list of the essential things you think you will need, and see if all of them will fit easily into your two checked bags. You will probably need to take at least a few things out, so it is useful to do this practice packing and list reviewing early, so you can be sure you have room and weight for the most important things.

In your small carry-on bag, include a pair of socks, underwear and an extra t-shirt or shirt, a mini-toiletry kit, a copy of your passport, visa, insurance and other important forms, your participant manual(this includes information on how to contact ICCP in NYC), a small bottle of water(you never know when you might need it), a few basic first-aid items, any medications you are taking and your prescription/s, and any other critical items, in case your baggage gets lost or delayed(this doesn’t happen often, but if it should happen to you, you’ll be able to get by for a day or two until your bags arrive).

Do not put any sharp or hazardous objects in your carry-on bag, as these are prohibited and will be removed by baggage security screeners. If you are in doubt about what is permitted or not, contact your airline for a complete list of things which are prohibited. Most airlines have this information available on their website.

You should have enough clothing for at least one week of camp life, as you might only have the time or opportunity to do your laundry once a week. Some camps have coin-operated or free-of-charge washing machines at camp for their staff to use, while other camps recommend that their staff do their laundry at a laundromat in a nearby town on their day or evening off.

Ask your camp director what the weather is usually like there in the summer, as the weather can vary a great deal in different parts of the U.S. Camps in the South tend to have hot weather, while camps in the Northeast can have cool or even cold weather at the beginning and end of the camp season. Make sure you have a good hat to protect your head and face from the sun, good sunglasses, good footwear, and adequate rain gear.

Make sure that you have a secure name and address label, with a phone number, on each of your bags, both inside the bag, and on the outside. You should use your camp’s address and phone number, because if your bags are delayed, they will be delivered to your camp.

Packing is really a fine art, but you can become better at it with practice and by continually updating your packing list and deleting things which you really don’t need.

Final packing

You should do the final packing yourself, because you will probably be asked whether you or someone else packed your bags, and because you need to know exactly what is in your bags.  You are responsible for them, and no one else. You should keep your bags with you at all times, and be careful not to leave them unattended at any time, even for a moment, from the time you finish your final packing, to the moment when you check-in.

Airport/airline security and checking-in

Regulations have become far stricter in the past few years, and you may experience delays when checking in and when going through the security checkpoints and baggage screening areas. Ask your airline what time they recommend you arrive at the airport for check-in, and add at least a half hour to that, to give yourself some extra time.

Please keep in mind that security personnel and baggage screeners have a difficult and tiring job to do, and are responsible for checking thousands of passengers and pieces of baggage per day. You may be asked to open your bags and show what is inside, you may be asked questions about what you are taking with you and whether you packed your bags yourself or not and you may be asked to remove your shoes, belt or other items of clothing for closer inspection. If this happens to you, try not to take it personally, and remember that the security and screening personnel are there to ensure your safety and safe travelling.

What to do in case of lost baggage

If one or more of your bags doesn’t arrive with you, you should report this immediately to the airline, before you leave the airport! Be sure to let one of your friends or someone in your group know that you have to arrange this, so that the ICCP representative is aware of the problem and can wait for you.