Weekly Round-Up: Packing For Travel With Luggage Limits
Sometimes, due to small planes or weight allowances, every ounce really does count. And heavy, bulky fishing gear only complicates things.
I’m back in Montana for less than two weeks before heading off on the next shoot, which means it’s time for gym, swim, PT, and work time. When work is chaotic and on any given day I’m working with teams on four continents (literally had a six-continent comms day this week—scheduling meetings around time zones is perpetually entertaining), keeping the home routine basic and clean is the only way to go.
As a friend once told me when we were in a somewhat less-than-fun spot in a weird corner of the world, “Control the one meter.” Control what you can, in your immediate space, in the immediate time. One meter, one moment, at a time. Prime advice for a day working on the home front, or a day traveling internationally when everything seems to go wrong.
Minimalist Packing, Fly-Angler Style
When packing allowance is limited, it turns out fly rods and reels eat up a lot of that.
I’m grateful to get to work in a lot of remote corners of the world… it’s something I wouldn’t trade for anything. There’s something addictive about being on the edge of the world in a new place, taking in the scents and the way the air feels and the fact that you don’t quite quite know what’s around the next corner.
It’s the best.
One inescapable fact about working in those remote places is that often the traditional “pack whatever you want” method so many travelers favor doesn’t work. Small planes, even smaller boats, and layovers where I have to lug all my baggage over long distances (my record is 1.3 miles in an airport, by the way, with all bags in tow, in 103F humid heat… good times) means that space and weight on luggage takes on a new meaning.
A 35-pound checked back allowance isn’t uncommon for smaller charter flights around the world, and I’m heading to a South American destination in a few weeks where the rule is, “You meet our luggage requirements or you have to pay a fee. Or, if we’re in the mood, we might just leave your bag behind.” I’ve seen both scenarios play out.
So what does this all mean? Sometimes that 35-pound weight limit is a very real, ounce-by-ounce game. And when you add in fly rods, reels, fly boxes, and terminal tackle, that equipment eats up a good chunk of that allowance (especially if you’re toting heavy saltwater or big-game gear).
My personal kiss of death / thing that keeps me up at night? The camera gear. Traveling with two or three camera bodies, three to four lenses, a drone, a computer, hard drives, and all the inevitable accoutrement nearly tops that 35-pound weight limit all on its own. Big fun.
Sometimes, especially if I’m working for a lodge and they have good communication with the charter plane (or boat, helicopter… whatever it is), I can get a pass and they let me tote on more like 50 pounds.
Sometimes, though, that 35 pounds is in fact 35 pounds. So I trim my camera and fishing kits to the bare minimum of what I need to get the job done, and then bring two sets of clothing: one to wear and one to wash. That’s it. Maybe it’s two sets of fishing / field clothing and one dress for evenings. I wear one set of clothes a day, hopping right into the shower (if we have a shower… sometimes it’s a river wash) to suds it up before my proper shower. Hang dry, and especially in hot climates it’s dry overnight. A simple cycle. Not an ideal one, for sure, but it’s possible.
If you want to get really squirrely about it, load what you can onto your person before the luggage is weighed. I’ve one-hundred percent been that person with two cameras strung around a neck and a long lens in my coat jacket so the bag will make the weight. We do what we have to, and we get creative.
It’s a good lesson in how little you really need, and how crafty you can get on location. At the end of the day, life boils down to what you're doing, not what you’re wearing, and as long as you pick those two outfits well and they allow you to do the task you’re in a given place for, it works.
So here’s to drilling down to the minimal the next time you pack for a trip, even if there are no weight restrictions. Fly light and see how it feels… you never know, simplifying things might be a vibe you like.
Angler’s Journal Podcast
I had a lot of fun sitting down with the wonderful Charlie Levine, Editor-in-Chief of Anglers Journal, a few weeks ago to record a podcast. We talked life, fishing, photography, and more. Grab some coffee (or more coffee) and give it a listen here.
2026 Hosted Trips
In case you missed it last week, still a couple spots open on these hosted trip destinations for 2026:
Estancia Laguna Verde (Jurassic Lake), Argentina: January 24-31, 2026
Bolivia Heli-Fishing (Trophy Golden Dorado): June 28-July 5, 2026
Estancia Laguna Verde 2026
I’ll be returning January 24-31, 2026, with a hosted group. Three slots have already filled with returning guests, so get in touch quickly if you’d like to join us. This is a top-notch lodge in a wonderfully unique fishery. Expect some of the world’s best guides, excellent lodging and food, a stellar lodge team, and wonderfully large, healthy rainbow trout in an environment that will make you think you’re fishing on the moon.
This PDF has more details—give it a read, and then get in touch to secure your spot!
January 24 - 31, 2026
Estancia Laguna Verde, Lago Strobel, Argentina
$7,950 (7 nights / 6.5 days fishing)
Bolivia Heli-Fishing For Trophy Golden Dorado
I’ve got just two spots left to return to Untamed Angling’s Tsimane Pluma Lodge Heli-Fishing Program June 27-July 4, 2026—an exclusive program in the Bolivian Amazon, designed to target trophy golden dorado. We’ll have the opportunity to fish not only for large dorado but also pacu, yatorana, and even moturo, in incomparable quantity and quality. The rivers and tributaries where we will fish every day are wild, untouched waters seldom seen by human beings.
Read more info HERE about this limited trip—just two spots remaining.
June 27-July 4, 2026
Tsimane Pluma Lodge, Bolivian Amazon
$17,250 ($16,000 plus $1,250 indigenous Indian fees)
Want to learn more about any of these trips?
Send me a DM on social media or shoot over an email.
Q&A
Keep on sending in your questions via Instagram or by commenting by clicking the button below. Each week I’ll pick one and give a longer, more thought-out answer here than those I give on Instagram.
This week’s question came in via email.
Q: Snacks. Let’s talk snacks. I’m getting ready to go on my first fishing trip to the Caribbean and want to have good things on the boat. What should I pack?
A: Yay snacks. I’m a big fan of bringing some food along, partly because I’m cheap in airports and either go for whatever protein I can find in the lounge or bring my own along instead of paying $20 for a bad sandwich.
I’m a big fan of Epic bars, which are jerky-like bars with different meat combos and flavors. Always some Solely fruit bars, because they’re like candy only better for you (these are awesome in the boat cooler midday) and sometimes some energy gummy chews with electrolytes, too, if I know be outputting a lot of energy and sweating a lot of (put these in the boat cooler, too). Bananas are always a win, usually easy to find, and can be eaten even with dirty hands, and I always pack along electrolyte packets when traveling as well—I start to feel it pretty quickly if dehydration is oncoming. (Not sponsored by any of these brands… just like ‘em.)
Have a lot of fun, drink a lot of water on the boat (you’re a dude; it’s a lot easier for guys to pee off boats than for us girls, so no excuses), and catch some good fish!
Recently Published
The Big Sky Journal just published a photo essay and article about the romance of Montana summer fishing in their latest issue. Pick it up and give “The Simple Things in Life” a read.
Pick up the winter issue of The Fly Fish Journal for words + images about fly-fishing off Colombia’s Darien Gap.
The Field Ethos Journal recently ran this piece about having a beer on a stormy night in one of Pablo Escobar’s former bars… a life goal I didn’t know I had.
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