By David Rainbow.
Here are some things to keep in mind while you pack. Packing well will require a good balance between these things, so use common sense. Flip-flops are lighter than most shoes, but they aren’t going to be very comfortable during a long day of walking. Your favorite sweatpants are more comfortable than a pair of khakis, but they might not be the best choice since (let’s say) you won’t have a pocket to put your wallet in when you decide to go to the ballet with your friends. You get the idea. So try to balance the following three principles when you’re stuffing your suitcase.
1. Travel light.
When packing your things, imagine carrying everything you bring to Russia through the middle of a very busy city, in a big group, after a ten hour plane ride. It’s true, that most of our bags will have wheels. But there’s no guarantee that the ground or bus or subway or Russian pedestrians will make it easy for you to use them. You won’t want tons of volume or weight. Start with the heavy stuff: try to minimize or reduce liquids (e.g., share shampoo with your roommate), books, extra shoes, laptops, etc. Then take aim at redundancy: that extra pair of jeans or sweatshirt; a fresh t-shirt for every day; a coat for rain and a coat for cold; belts and suspenders, etc. Finally, eliminate things that are relatively unnecessary: your own towel or pillow; stuffed animals; curling irons, etc. Oh, and this is a different kind of “light,” but light colored clothing, especially pants, show the wear and tear of traveling faster than dark clothing. So you might be glad you opted for black instead of white jeans.
2. Be comfortable.
We’ll do lots of walking, so don’t wear uncomfortable shoes or clothes. Also, bear in mind the average temperatures will range from about 75 degrees during the day to about 40 degrees at night. You'll want some layers, and probably a jacket for the evenings. I know we’re coming from Houston and 40 degrees might seem like your survival will be in jeopardy, but don’t go crazy with the coats and mittens. A long sleeve shirt plus a sweater plus a medium to light weight jacket should suffice for most of us. But it is worth bringing an extra layer if you get cold easily. Also keep comfort in mind when considering what, if anything, you’re going to carry around during the day. It’s a good idea to avoid big backpacks and purses.
3. Don’t be too comfortable.
Many Russian college students in the two capital cities, Moscow and St. Petersburg, dress a lot like you do. You’ll see fashionable, trendy, and also casual. In general, though, Russians tend to dress a bit more formally than Americans. Leather shoes instead of sneakers; collars instead of college t-shirts, and so on. If you want to mitigate the inevitable conspicuous-American-tourist look, then you can opt for some dressier shoes (only if they’re comfortable) other than sneakers, or a pair of darker pants instead of the sporty workout-attire that American students often wear. You should also plan to be able to dress up a bit for nice restaurants, concerts, etc. Whatever you do, just please don’t plan to wear your American flag pajamas around the Kremlin or anything like that.
Here are some things to keep in mind while you pack. Packing well will require a good balance between these things, so use common sense. Flip-flops are lighter than most shoes, but they aren’t going to be very comfortable during a long day of walking. Your favorite sweatpants are more comfortable than a pair of khakis, but they might not be the best choice since (let’s say) you won’t have a pocket to put your wallet in when you decide to go to the ballet with your friends. You get the idea. So try to balance the following three principles when you’re stuffing your suitcase.
1. Travel light.
When packing your things, imagine carrying everything you bring to Russia through the middle of a very busy city, in a big group, after a ten hour plane ride. It’s true, that most of our bags will have wheels. But there’s no guarantee that the ground or bus or subway or Russian pedestrians will make it easy for you to use them. You won’t want tons of volume or weight. Start with the heavy stuff: try to minimize or reduce liquids (e.g., share shampoo with your roommate), books, extra shoes, laptops, etc. Then take aim at redundancy: that extra pair of jeans or sweatshirt; a fresh t-shirt for every day; a coat for rain and a coat for cold; belts and suspenders, etc. Finally, eliminate things that are relatively unnecessary: your own towel or pillow; stuffed animals; curling irons, etc. Oh, and this is a different kind of “light,” but light colored clothing, especially pants, show the wear and tear of traveling faster than dark clothing. So you might be glad you opted for black instead of white jeans.
2. Be comfortable.
We’ll do lots of walking, so don’t wear uncomfortable shoes or clothes. Also, bear in mind the average temperatures will range from about 75 degrees during the day to about 40 degrees at night. You'll want some layers, and probably a jacket for the evenings. I know we’re coming from Houston and 40 degrees might seem like your survival will be in jeopardy, but don’t go crazy with the coats and mittens. A long sleeve shirt plus a sweater plus a medium to light weight jacket should suffice for most of us. But it is worth bringing an extra layer if you get cold easily. Also keep comfort in mind when considering what, if anything, you’re going to carry around during the day. It’s a good idea to avoid big backpacks and purses.
3. Don’t be too comfortable.
Many Russian college students in the two capital cities, Moscow and St. Petersburg, dress a lot like you do. You’ll see fashionable, trendy, and also casual. In general, though, Russians tend to dress a bit more formally than Americans. Leather shoes instead of sneakers; collars instead of college t-shirts, and so on. If you want to mitigate the inevitable conspicuous-American-tourist look, then you can opt for some dressier shoes (only if they’re comfortable) other than sneakers, or a pair of darker pants instead of the sporty workout-attire that American students often wear. You should also plan to be able to dress up a bit for nice restaurants, concerts, etc. Whatever you do, just please don’t plan to wear your American flag pajamas around the Kremlin or anything like that.
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