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My uncle told me I was overpacking my emergency bag for a border crossing
He said focus on cash and documents, not three changes of clothes, so I slimmed it down to one bag and added a burner phone. Has anyone else gotten advice like that that actually made a big difference in how you prepared?
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dakota_singh391mo ago
My uncle gave me almost the exact same advice back in 2021 before a trip across a border in Europe. He said I was being a pack mule and to cut everything down to one small backpack, not even a roller bag. It actually saved me at a checkpoint where they only let people through with one bag each, so your uncle's tip about slimming down was solid advice in my experience.
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thomas1051mo ago
Three years ago I was dead set on bringing a full duffel bag with extra boots and a rain jacket when I had to cross from Mexico into the US. My brother laughed at me and said I looked like I was moving apartments, not just crossing a border. I honestly thought he was wrong until I saw a family get turned away at a checkpoint because they had too many bags to fit in the search area. Now I carry one small backpack with documents, cash, a burner phone, and one change of socks. Your uncle's advice about slimming down is way more important than people realize, it can literally make or break your crossing.
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