With t-minus 6 days to departure, I thought it best to load up my bike in preparation for my flights to Panama City. I have a 50 pound allowance on American Airlines before they charge some outrageous fees, so I'm determined to keep everything as light as possible! This will also benefit me and my thighs as I make my way into the Andes and the infamous steep pitches for which they are known.
Time will tell if I regret packing only two pairs of underwear. Clothing has been tricky to figure out, as I will be going through both sticky tropical lowlands as well as the much cooler Andes.
After playing a bit of Tetris, I was packed with room to spare for food! The trickiest item to pack are my cycling shoes, which I don't intend on riding in every day. Still, with some convincing they fit in my saddle bag.
Packing up all of my gear had the added benefit of helping me to visualize everything that I intend on taking, as well as anything that I may have missed. Of course, as I went through everything I found myself channeling my inner Marie Kondo, questioning if certain items would bring me joy on my journey. After much hemming and hawing, I narrowed down the specifics of clothing and gear that I would be bringing and packed it up into a bike box. My setup weighed in at just over 52 pounds with the habdlebar roll and seatpost bags removed, so I'll have to do some more trimming in order to avoid any overweight charges on my departing flights.
