BootsnAll Travel Community

OK, I got a full sized van. Let's plan for two people and three large dogs. We gotta leave room for that much, while driving (people in the seats up front). The rest of the van could be dedicated to two strategies: 1) leaving enough room to sleep inside, so packing "light", and 2) using the space in the van to pack-- as in, pack to MOVE.

Considerations:

We are LEAVING the US, *possibly* to never return except for brief visits. I like the idea of taking things I care about with me (like photo albums), and I really must take the materials I need to earn money in the future (books, special clothing, etc).

We will be driving from Illinois to Guatemala or San Salvador before unloading any extra belongings into a longer term housing situation or to store with people we know.

The items I want to have with me long term will have to join me or accompany me somehow-- shipping separately at a later date, or in a trailer behind the van (probably not safe, even with 3 big dogs), or in the van with us the whole way. Which of these is best? Money is a consideration- is it expensive/ secure to ship boxes to central america?

If we pack the van, we will need to camp or stay in hotels in Mexico and Guatemala. If we camp, we will have three dogs with us to protect us (will that work??)

I can see both approaches, and would love to hear advice from others based on your experiences!

Ann-Marie

I would pack fairly lightly if at all possible. If something awful were to happen to the van (get broken into, catch fire, etc) your material treasures would be lost. It's often best not to "put all your eggs in one basket"

I'd leave some room to spare and send some stuff down after you had an address.

Plus, the more stuff you have, the more difficult border crossings might be.

i would check into bringing your dogs into other countries. i was thinking about moving to australia or europe for grad school and bringing my puppy with me. but both have a lot of requirements, like 1-2 month quaranteens, fees, etc