Packing bikes to send overseas
I'd suggest using a bike box (there are reusable ones sold and cardboard ones similar to the type of cardboard box that a new bike comes in). A bike shop should be willing to part with a box that a bike they're selling came in (and maybe pack it themselves) for some small fee.

This video shows how to pack a bike in a cardboard bike box: 
                
            

Essentially, the steps  are some variation of the follwoing:


Take off the pedals
Take off the wheels
Take off the handlebars (this can be done by pulling out a quill stem or removing the face of the stem) and put them parallel to the top tube; Do not disconnect the cables
Take out the seat post
Put a spacer in the dropouts for the fork 
Put the bike in the box with some padding


The bike sans wheels will fit in the box, and the wheels will fit on the sides. The seat post and pedals can be shimmed around the bike. 

When you get out, all you should need to reassemble the bike is a small crescent wrench and a few hex keys (take everything out of the box, put the wheels back on, put the handlebar back on, put the pedals back on -- no faffing with derailleurs or brakes if they were properly set before packing).