A Cuban resident in the United States has become a go-to reference for those planning a trip to the Island after sharing two videos on Facebook in which she shows, step by step, how she packed a backpack with cheese and ham and carried it as a personal item on the airplane to Cuba.
Saylin Espinosa published the first as a spontaneous revelation: it was 8:30 am and she had just arrived home after a trip that began in the early morning. In front of the camera, she opened the backpack and excitedly checked that the food was well preserved. "The items are cold," she said as she took out the products.
"I carried that backpack as a personal item and I kept filling it with cheese and ham when I went to Cuba. I hope this video helps you when you're preparing for your trip," he said.
The second video shows the packaging process before departure.
Saylin tests on camera how much fits in the backpack, putting in various types of cheese and acknowledging that the weight is substantial: "I just put the stuff in the backpack. I didn't arrange it well. This is heavy. This has a lot of things."
Still, he concludes that there is plenty of space: "This is the perfect backpack for carrying things to Cuba. And there's still room between the sides."
The woman also details the rules that apply to the airlines she uses: "With both American and Southwest, you can carry frozen items in your personal item or carry-on luggage. The meats must be frozen, boneless, and vacuum-sealed; you can also bring cheeses, except for cream cheese, which must go in the bottom."
Her husband participates in the family operation: he brings an extra block of cheese, which helps maximize the total amount of food that comes into the country.
In airlines that allow passengers to carry a personal bag in addition to their carry-on luggage at no extra cost, Cubans have learned to make the most of that space with large-capacity backpacks that keep food cold.
Other Cuban women have shared similar tricks for bringing food to their families, including the use of thermal backpacks and vacuum sealing, in response to the severe food shortages affecting the Island. Some travelers have even surprised with the amount of products they manage to pack into a single carry-on suitcase.
In 2024, a Cuban explained in another video which meats can be taken to Cuba and which ones are excluded from the regulations, a topic that raises frequent questions among those preparing for their trip to the Island.
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