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I'm going from Florida to Moscow in about 2 months. Reason why is that my father passed away and left us with nothing but debt and an expensive mortgage. God bless his heart ( I have nothing against him), but my mom decided to take her 3 kids back to her home country and leave everything behind except for what we can carry.

I only have a couple of questions.

  1. Does anyone have any tips for packing large amounts?
  2. Can we use boxes instead of luggage if it abides by the limits?
  3. Should Power supplies (specifically for gaming systems and laptops)go in checked baggage or carry on?
  4. Will I need adaptors for outlets?

Thank you so much for any and all help! :')

Jan
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Olivia Victoria
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    When I moved from London to California, my employer let me send a couple of small crates separately. They arrived, as expected, a few weeks after my flight. Slow cargo may be a compromise between abandoning and trying to take as air luggage. – Patricia Shanahan Jun 18 '17 at 16:47
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    Depending on what you're transporting, the airline may have certain requirements for boxes (cartons); you have to check, as it's not just the weight, but dimensions. Power supplies can go in either, yes, you'll need adaptors. – Giorgio Jun 18 '17 at 16:59
  • Far shot : Before u go try raising fund in the USA via kickstart if your mother has a business idea – tgkprog Jun 18 '17 at 17:22
  • In addition to what @PaulofOsawatomie said: ‘Does anyone have tips’ is likely to get closed for opinion-based and all three remaining questions together have the tendency of being seen as too broad because they cover so many different issues which are not really related. – Jan Jun 18 '17 at 18:49
  • @tgkprog Kickstarter is not meant as "internet begging site" (even if some use it that way) – deviantfan Jun 18 '17 at 19:58
  • I'm not going to discuss on how in topic this is, not this question, and not here. Just a couple of suggestions: take a peek at LifeHack and Expats, too. Expat is about long term moving, and I'm sure someone there had already faced the same problem, while on LifeHack maybe you can find some neat trick (dunno, it's an SE that I still fail to grasp, but nonetheless it could be useful to check) – motoDrizzt Jun 19 '17 at 07:29
  • Doesn't answer your question and I know nothing about Russian inheritance/estate laws, but it seems very unusual for surviving relatives to be in any way responsible for the debts of the deceased. Were this me I would simply direct the executor of the estate to wind-up/sell/pay-off whatever is reasonable and call it done. – brhans Jun 19 '17 at 14:06
  • My suggestion re "Ocean Jumping Bags" in this SE answer may prove useful. You may need to check validity with airline concerned BUT I have done this or similar quite often and never had any issues. IF customs / security need to open them you may need to ensure they are able to. I sometimes use low cost rainbow coloured adjustable straps sold to keep suitcases together . They can be unclipped and reclipped with ease. That's quite an upheaval. Good luck & God bless. – Russell McMahon Jun 20 '17 at 09:36
  • Some air lines offer reduced rates for "unaccompanied luggage". Some airlines provide MUCH CHEAPER rates for a 2nd or 3rd bag (allowing a total of 2 or 3 x weight allowance) if you tell them in advance that you will do wanting this. (eg Air NZ only requires as little as an hour or so advance notice). This means that you can get a much better overall rate per kg. – Russell McMahon Jun 20 '17 at 10:48
  • Unrelated to baggage : NB - I know nothing about specific Russian demand for good quality English speakers and I don't know your age or what your mother intends to do in Russia, but your (US) English language skills may be valuable enough to talk to people in the US before you leave. – Russell McMahon Jun 20 '17 at 10:48

2 Answers2

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Does anyone have any tips for packing large amounts?

Research the airline's baggage limits on their website. You'll usually be given a certain number of bags and a weight limit that are included in your ticket, with a charge for additional bags or additional weight. Get a luggage scale (sold at travel or many hardware stores) and ensure you take full advantage of your weight allowance, then determine whether you are able to pay for more as needed. Consider, as Patricia suggests in comments, sending some items separately by mail.

Can we use boxes instead of luggage if it abides by the limits?

We have a question on that here. It's not super-recommended, and the airline may well ask you to sign a waiver where you say that they are not responsible for any damage, but most airlines will accept it (check the policy of your airline in particular though). If you do this, I'd use the most sturdy double-walled boxes you can find; the cargo hold is a rough places for a box, with items shifting and the wheels of suitcases bashing into it, and it's easy for the box to be damaged in transit. Seal tightly, and consider having it wrapped in plastic wrap, but the box might be opened for a security inspection after you check it.

Should Power supplies (specifically for gaming systems and laptops)go in checked baggage or carry on?

It doesn't matter. Battery packs (batteries you use for an extra charge on your phone or laptop) should be in your carry on, but power cords and adapters can go wherever you'd like.

Will I need adaptors for outlets?

Yes. Russia uses European-style type C and F electrical sockets and 220V power. Check the labels on your devices and power supplies to see if they are dual voltage (able to accept 220V power as well); many electronic devices are. If your devices are dual voltage, you will just need an adapter. If not (often the case for appliances, hair dryers, curling irons, etc...), you will need a suitably sized transformer to convert the voltage in addition to an adapter, which may be quite heavy and expensive, or you can buy a replacement once you get to Russia.

Zach Lipton
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I would suggest re-asking on expatriates.stackexchange.com or some other expat forum (expatfocus.com, for example, is one of many).

I would also consider truly "leaving [almost] everything behind." Set aside what you can't bear to part with and find someone you can trust to sell the rest for you. If what you take is small enough, a company like UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc. might be better than checked baggage.

If it is a lot, there are companies that will put your stuff in a waterproof container on a cargo ship.

WGroleau
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