Please Help, Packing Wizards!
July 7, 2016 4:55 PM   Subscribe

Seeking a better way to organize my luggage for a trip...

Whoohoo! I'm going back to Iceland! ...the last time I went there I ended up lugging around an Osprey Porter 46L pack (because all the travel bloggers said that no-wheels was the way to go!) and, inexplicably, two other backpacks. Why I decided to bring three bags that had to be carried the same way I'll never know--though I think my plan was to lug the Porter around with a crossbody strap (NO). Needless to say, I managed but it was a bit of a trial dragging everything through airports and all around. Also I didn't get any flack for carrying the whole bunch onto my flights...but I'd like to try and pack a little better this time.

What are your best suggestions for packing smartly and minimizing weight while maximizing space/stuff? The trip is two weeks--I'd prefer to stick to carry-on luggage if possible, though my flight does come with free checked bags. I have to fit in a small sleeping bag/hiking shoes/clothes for a range of weather--I'll be in Iceland for 5-6 days and Swiss Alps for 5 days) and hopefully some room for souvenirs. My first thought is to stick with my Osprey (it's a great bag, I highly recommend) and find some sort of crossbody bag that has small light wheels attached. Does that exist? Should I just go ahead and get some wheeled luggage? I'm a bit of an anxious packer who thinks that I might need everything *just in case* so any tips would be welcome. Also keeping in mind that laundry options are a bit scarce in Iceland and last time when I washed things in the sink it took forever to dry, due to the climate.

Help me, Smart Packers! Help me not be a sweaty beast huffing and puffing my way through airports and onto public transporation. How would you pack for this trip?
posted by sprezzy to Travel & Transportation (21 answers total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
I'm in the adventure travel field so have to pack often for trips like yours. Here are my pro-tips:

Pack enough clothing for 5-6 changes. That's it. Strangers don't care and won't judge you if you wear something you put on 3 days ago. No one in the Alps will know what you wore in Iceland. Splurge on laundry services once in a while. An extra $10 here or there for laundry is nothing compared to dragging around extra weight for weeks.

I swear by Eagle Creek packing cubes. I can squish in a lot of clothing into these suckers by rolling and squeezing them into the cubes. One of the larger cubes can have enough clothing for me to bring on a two-week trip for destinations that aren't too extreme cold weather places (anything heavy like sweaters can be used as padding inside your suitcase).

Get over this "I might need it" mentality. Pare down necessities - if you lose it or find you are missing something, you'll be able to pick it up in Iceland. It's not like you're going to the Amazon where no stores exist.

Bring shoes that multi-task. One for trekking and one that can be worn in any other situation for walking around town and on the plane.

I love this Eagle Creek ORV. It is one of the few wheeled suitcases that has handles on EVERY side, so no matter where it lands, you can pick it up from any angle. No more bending at an awkward angle to haul it out of a plane or train. I have both the large and carry on versions and they survive just about everything.
posted by HeyAllie at 5:22 PM on July 7, 2016 [11 favorites]


My secret to packing (I did 10 days in the UK with one standard-sized backpack) is those space bag things where you put your clothes in, seal it up, then roll it/sit on it/jump up and down on it until all the air is out and you're left with a perfectly flat wafer of dessicated clothing. Seriously they are the best.
posted by soren_lorensen at 5:53 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]


While 3 backpacks certainly seems like too much, I often travel with a backpacking backpack and a regular school backpack (like a basic jansport). While I'm on the move the school backpack sits on my front and allows important stuff to be accessible. The school bag is only for plane things (toothbrush, sweatshirt, book, passport, wallet, phone and that's really it. Any souvenirs also go in that bag. The key is not letting any of my travel stuff fit into the school bag- this gives me a hard cut off and incentive to make tough choices when packing the backpacking backpack.

I'm also a big fan of the packing cubes. I don't care for the "large" from REI- I only ever use medium or small.
posted by raccoon409 at 5:58 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]


I'll third the packing cubes. They save space AND you can find everything when you unpack. Plus, if TSA goes through your stuff, it doesn't take long or mess up your bag.
posted by pangolin party at 6:31 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]


The One Bag website might be of interest to you.
posted by cruelfood at 8:07 PM on July 7, 2016 [4 favorites]


After I finish packing, I wait a bit then go back and take out half of my outfits (excluding underthings and socks). Packing cubes are great, but it sounds like you - me as well - are chronic overpackers.

Also, skip the sleeping bag; you aren't going to use it.
posted by mlo at 8:12 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]


Your goal is not to maximize stuff! I usually pack by thinking about the activities I'm going to do and making sure I have adequate stuff for those. If laundry is a worry, get quick drying versions of things close to your skin, then one heavy sweater, one raincoat, etc. Not getting the most awesome tech clothing out there can help with this, you want things you can wear on the trail and in the city.

If you're getting a wheeled bag, you want that to be the big one. I bet you can make it work with just your pack and a piece of hand luggage, though.
posted by momus_window at 9:12 PM on July 7, 2016 [1 favorite]


Also keeping in mind that laundry options are a bit scarce in Iceland and last time when I washed things in the sink it took forever to dry, due to the climate.

Re sink laundry, from less to more important: Are you finishing with hot water? The hotter the water in the final rinse, the faster it evaporates. Are you doing a "towel stomp" or similar? After wringing out all of the water possible, roll the clothes in a dry towel, then wring the whole thing out (or put it on your floor and stomp on it). In places without towels provided, those backpacker's towels work well, although you have to wring them out a little between uses. Are you wearing fabrics that dry quickly? Jeans take like a month to dry, while my Ex Officio magic fabric underwear is basically dry enough to wear 10 minutes after I've wrung it out.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 9:55 PM on July 7, 2016 [3 favorites]


You might want to tell us what kind of accomodations you'll be using and what activities you are planning to do. Just naming the countries doesn't really cut it. Also weather is a thing... when are you going?

It sounds to me like you mainly need to pack way less. And wear the hiking shoes on the flight.
posted by Too-Ticky at 1:28 AM on July 8, 2016 [2 favorites]


So, you're going away for 12 days and want to stick to just hand luggage.

I think that's a bit optimistic, but here's what I recently did going away for 6 days with just hand luggage.

The biggest challenge for me was liquids, since I knew I would need to use sunscreen every day and possibly more than once each day. I also wanted to choose my sunscreen before I left, as many formulations turn white clothes yellow and I'm sick of that. I also had to consider pocket sunscreen to carry during the day, since that would also have to go in the liquids pack.

So I carefully selected the most capacious flight liquids bag I could find that was still certain to get through screening, and started with the largest items, which were you guessed it the sunscreen. That was 3x100ml bottles. And a stick to carry in my purse.

After that were the tubes of acne medication (two kinds) which oxidise easily and so can't usefully be decanted into smaller containers.

After that was six days' worth of specialist shampoo. In hindsight I wish I'd brought more conditioner, since I have very tangly hair and I also use conditioner as shaving cream. I skimped on it because the other products took up so much space.

I had a sample pack of disposable contact lenses so I brought those, because there's no way even the smallest lens fluid bottle would have fitted in there with everything else I needed. Ask your optician, if you wear lenses.

After that was medicated face wash, facial cleanser and moisturizer. I also wish I'd packed more or the latter because I looked a bit rough around the edges because my skin was dry.

I got some 100ml bottles, some 75ml bottles, some 50ml bottles, and some 10ml small jars. Deodorant came in a flat pack of wipes. The medicated shampoo, which I knew I would use only once, could go in a 10ml jar. Sensitive toothpaste could also go in a 10ml jar. I luckily had some sample envelopes of the medicated face wash, so that saved quite a bit of space.

Non-substitutable cosmetics like zit concealer went into the small jars. I bought a cheap tube of waterproof mascara and threw it out before the return trip. I permitted myself one 24-hour lipstick. There was no room for hair spray so I got a little pack of gel leaves and placed it in the pouch "as is", no attempt to decant. I used half a leaf per day. It did not hold my flyaway hair very well but it was better than nothing.

Finally I mashed, wrenched, squeezed and manhandled the pouch closed and after several attempts in which the tab broke off and I had to throw out the bag and get a fresh one, I managed to close the tab.

Then remembered something I'd forgotten. And had to try to stuff that thing in there and start again. I recommend getting a multipack of flight pouches and taking spares with you.

I would not have been able to manage the equivalent feat for a 12-day trip, but maybe your needs are different.

=====

The next thing was dry grooming products and medicines, which went into a rectangular roll-up hanging thingamajig with four compartments, each of which was triangular shaped when the thingy was unrolled. In there went a flat compact for loose powder, a makeup palette with the form factor of an iPhone, a mini led-light hand mirror, a pink Denman detangling brush (smaller and better than the market leader), meds plus prescription reorder sheet as proof of legality, disposable razors, a little pouch of mini brushes including some disposable spoolies, some flat "travel" eyelash curlers, and my glasses-before-last (didn't want to risk my current prescription during travel). Also a pocket pack of tissues.

When I got home I spot cleaned the brushes, took out the glasses, replaced the razors and tissues, and put away the dry cosmetics pack for next time. Unlike the liquids pack, I won't have to rebuild it from scratch.

====

Your needs are different, but me personally, I wanted to exercise every morning and make sure I kept it up. I'd often failed out on this in the past because it's hard to take an exercise mat. But this time I was extra determined, so I splashed out. I bought a folding nonslip exercise mat from Manduka. It has no cushioning, but I happened to have a pocket folding foam cushion mat that I got from the pound shop, and that was good enough for spot cushioning during the particular exercises when they were needed.

I also bought two pairs of black silk leggings for this reason: you can hand-wash silk items, hang them up to drip dry in the shower, and find them dry and smooth the next day. However I did find out that this doesn't work in all climates: in lagoon or swampy areas where damp is a problem, even 48 hours might not be enough. Most everywhere else though, this is fine. I would recommend you figure out what value of "forever" things you handwashed took to dry... not more than 72 hours surely? and go by that. So everywhere I list numbers of things I laundered, from now on just mentally append a "YMMV" and substitute your own calculations. Silk is still the best for fast drying with no wrinkles though.

Unfortunately since the leggings weren't opaque enough, and I was planning for the possibility I might have to exercise outside my hotel room (you never know what conditions are really like) I also had to buy two pairs of black silk underpants. But they still don't take up that much room if you ranger roll them.

Finally I got two sports tops with the functionality of a sports bra but which didn't look like underwear (Jimmy Design).

That, and a wireless connection (don't forget to pack your plug adapters - I put mine in a pencil case and put all my electronics in the front pocket of my carryon so as to get them through security as smoothly as possible) was enough to do the job for my exercise routine, your mileage obviously will vary but I'm offering this as an example for how small you can go if you put your mind to it.

For laundering, I had a little case of laundry soap leaves that I bought fron Ickle Bockles. This had to go in the liquids pack, of course. You can also use shampoo. Don't forget to pack a couple of wire hangers for hanging stuff up in the shower.

All this folded down into a small packing cube about 3 inches thick and the size of an iPad.

=====

For swimwear, I packed one pair of flipflops (in case sand was hot), one bathing suit, one beach coverup (local custom didn't tolerate wearing anything that looked like beachwear off the beach) and a microfibre hiking towel. This folded down into a smaller packing cube. I was conflicted about the flipflops but you can roll up each piece of swimwear and stuff one inside a flipflop.

For a beach hat, I picked a straw fedora with a two and three quarter inch brim and a black band (H&M) and wore that as an all purpose hat for the duration of my trip, which was partly a business trip.

All this folded down into a smaller packing cube than the exercise gear. If I'd expected to spend a lot of time on the beach I would have packed two swimsuits but kept the same coverup. Sticking to the same colour scheme will make this work. In this case, all my swimwear was black.

=======

For nightwear, I packed one set of silk pyjamas and one silk robe so as to take up as little space as possible. For a 12-day trip I guess you'll have to take two pyjamas but can still manage on one robe. The flipflops will do for bedroom slippers. I'm mainly thinking of needing to be dressed if there's a fire alarm at the hotel during the night, which has happened to me.

=====

I pushed the boat out and packed six dresses plus two evening dresses, most of which were made of silk in case I needed to wash them. As the climate turned out to be very damp (it was a lagoon) I made the right choce. But I had no room for taking souvenirs home. I also fell foul of the law of Your Suitcase Will Be Bigger On The Way Home Even If You Have Fewer Things In It And You Will Not Be Able To Close It Oh God The Taxi's Here Oh God Oh God.

Normally, however, and bear in mind this was also a business trip, I would pack two LBDs in 100% silk, at least knee length, neckline not too low, and preferably with sleeves. Then I would wash them out every night and leave them to dry. Hey presto, day to evening wear.

Because I was only wearing black, I wore one black bra and packed another. For a longer trip I would pack two, and handwash each one after about 3 wearings.

Fold your underwear up into little sausage rolls. If you take microfibre seamless underwear, you can easily fit 24-26 pairs.

The thing that took up the most space for me was hosiery, go figure. I also packed one pair for each day and did not reckon with laundry. Underwear and hosiery is something you do not want to go wrong. Especially, I think you will not want to deal with damp or insufficient hiking socks so just take as many as you need.

As for shoes, I am allowed three pairs of shoes per journey anywhere, no exceptions. I did however make an exception in that I didn't count the flipflops, because I was going to a destination that involved a lot of walking and I have very tender feet. I also carry folding slippers in my purse in case my feet get tired, and I didn't count those either. Other than that, my policy meant I was wearing one pair of shoes to travel and packed the other two pairs. One shoe in each corner of the suitcase, and try to jam small items inside the shoe if you can, to save space.

I packed one pair of metallic shoes for day-to-evening.

======

I did this flying by SleazyJet, with a rolling suitcase small enough to fit their dimensions. Electronics (MacBook Air, pencil case of adaptor plugs and the spare battery that I usually carry in my purse, Cocoon Grid-It of peripherals, iPhone) and liquids in the large flat front pocket.

But all that wasn't enough since I still had my purse to take into account. For carrying around at my destination I packed the Baggallini Urban Backpack. I also stuck one evening bag in there, with six days' and two evenings' worth of jewellery. All that went in reasonably flat.

I paid extra for one of the "more legroom" seats so I could take a handbag as well as the rolling suitcase. I carried a holdall but this was a mistake. What I really needed was a backpack, and no the Baggallini Urban Backpack would not have been large enough. What the backpack needs is a pocket on one of the front straps so you can tuck your phone in there and not have to constantly take the pack off.

=====

And that is how I packed a suitcase for a combined business, sightseeing and beach trip, for six days, equipped for daily exercise, walking, formal evening outings, and swimming. Except for the cosmetics insufficiencies I mentioned above, and the long drying time for my exercise gear (maybe I'll bring 3 sets of exercise clothes next time) I had enough of everything and not too much of anything.

====

tl;dr pick one hat with about a 3-inch brim and wear it

estimate how long it will take hand-washing to dry, and pack that many days' worth of the outfits you need in 100% silk, because silk dries fast and smooth

maximum 3 pairs of shoes including those you wear on the flight, but I will turn a blind eye to flipflops this time

Make sure one pair of those shoes works for day-to-evening if you're going to fancy restaurants in the evening

pack nightwear in case the hotel catches fire, which I know sounds weird but as I said it has happened

pack underwear and hosiery for every day and night and don't count on washing them, just ranger roll them into little sausage rolls and get the seamless microfibre kind

bras you probably will have to handwash, though, unless your trip is short, or just bite the bullet and pack number of days/3 minus 1 for the one you're wearing

If you're a dude, I am not sure how many bras and pairs of tights and evening bags you can pack, but I think you should pack twice as many to be safe

====

Luggage recommendations if hand luggage only:

1. whichever wheeled suitcase fits your airline's maximum dimensions - these are a dime a dozen and you can buy these totally anywhere
2. make sure you are also allowed a hand bag as well as your wheely bag, and if so, get a backpack that fits the dimensions and also has some means of accessing your frequently accessed items without having to constantly take the backpack off
3. also pack a day bag inside this hand luggage, and as I said I find the Baggallini Urban backpack best for streamlined appearance, easy access pockets, and convertibility into a shoulder bag
4. and if you are going out in the evening pack one evening bag, especially if you are a dude

If your airline does not allow both a handluggage bag and a handbag in the cabin, you are hosed and will have to check your bag.

======

If cabin baggage allowance means you have to check your bag, or you just can't fit it all into the cabin baggage, I recommend the American Tourister wheely suitcase for checkin, plus the backpack as described above for carry-on.

Make sure items you can't bear to lose (like your glasses and meds, etc) go in the backpack.

=====

The ultimate rule of thumb is that all suitcases must be wheely, and all bags must be backpacks, and you must not attempt to wheel more than one suitcase, and you must not attempt to carry more than one backpack.
posted by tel3path at 3:09 AM on July 8, 2016 [6 favorites]


Looking further it seems the two-week weather forecast for Reykjavik ranges from 10 to 16 degrees. I think the best option for Iceland, bearing in mind I'm thinking about a jacket you can wear in both hiking situations and maybe if you need to look smarter, is a Barbour-style quilted jacket:

http://www.barbour.com/uk/all-collections/womens/quilted-jackets/c/womens-quiltedjackets?breadcrumbs=womens

I would also recommend two cardigans or pullovers for layering, in colours that go with other colours.

Add some fingerless gloves for Iceland, too.

I think a fabric hat is going to be best across climates, and I'd recommend this M&S cotton ambassador hat:

http://www.marksandspencer.com/pure-cotton-cool-and-fresh-ambassador-hat-with-stormwear/p/p22432424?image=SD_03_T09_1765M_SS_X_EC_90&color=STONE&prevPage=plp&pdpredirect

I am not an experienced hiker so will have to defer to others as far as suitability and portability go regarding trousers and socks.

Since I think you sadly can't avoid taking a coat, I think a sleek quilted jacket is probably going to be the most flat-packable and versatile, though.

====

Weather in Switzerland looks like it's going to be pretty warm, and you don't mention skiing, so all my other recommendations will hold for weather in the high 20s, especially the recommendation for silk.

I suggest you pick a coat in a very bright colour for visibility if you're planning on camping. Beyond that I can't advise as I am not experienced in camping at all. I don't know what campers wear when they're asleep but I reckon the silk pyjama recommendation would map to Switzerland, maybe thermal silks in Iceland?!? IDK about Iceland and pyjamas.
posted by tel3path at 3:50 AM on July 8, 2016


Wait a minute though... if you're hiking and camping, why are you even considering taking more than one bag? Don't you have to live out of a single backpack if that's the case?

Because I've been advising you as if you'll be spending the majority of your time in hotels, because the phrase "wheeled suitcase" just isn't something I associate with a camper. This is why I thought that any camping was going to be a side activity at most. Yet, it's also the only specific activity you mention.
posted by tel3path at 3:55 AM on July 8, 2016 [1 favorite]


Seriously, just pack way less and plan to layer. You don't need to wear different clothes when it's cold or wet, you just need to wear MORE clothes, and you can wear the same sweater/fleece/puffy jacket four days in a row if you have to.

Do laundry at every opportunity, don't wait until you *have* to.

Keep one outfit "clean" - i.e. only wear it in the evening after you've taken a shower.

Bring more underwear than you think you will need.

Right now I am wearing a shirt I bought from the clearance rack at the Bennetton on Chamonix after a 10 day hit-to-hut hike trough the Alps (I really wanted some non-technical clothing after that). Don't forget you can buy things if you really need them, even in the Alps/Iceland. Also try not to spill mayonnaise all over your one clean shirt immediately after you buy it.

Oh, and don't bring a sleeping bag if you can get away with a hostel sheet/bag liner.
posted by mskyle at 5:11 AM on July 8, 2016


I would do anything possible to get down to a single bag (plus a small handbag for passport, daytrips, etc). For souvenirs, you can bring another bag that packs down into its own pocket (like this backpack or tote) and just use it at the end of your trip. On a recent trip I did two weeks out of a backpack (with a laundry stop) and one thing that really helped was Smartwool tshirts and socks, which stay miraculously un-stinky.
posted by beyond_pink at 5:55 AM on July 8, 2016


Both Iceland and Switzerland have shops that sell most things, perhaps not your favourite brand but all essentials are available.

So for one cabin sized piece of luggage then your biggest problem will be liquids. Decant everything into the smallest and most space saving containers you can get away with. Embrace 30/50ml bottles wherever possible. 100ml will use too much space and you are unlikely to need that much of anything. Muji has great options but anything really small will do. But seriously, I've been nursing along my 30ml pot of curling cream for two months of frequent short and week long trips and still only used about a quarter. Multitasking products are your friend, as are powder or wipe alternatives. Products can multitask in ways not stated on the packaging eg any showe gel or shampoo as shaving agent, hand cream as de-frizzing hair product (tiniest amounts) etc.

Hiking shoes are easily attached to the outside of hand luggage.

A cross body bag will be nice if you're also spending time in cities, not just hiking. A thin foldable bag that can function both as laundry sack and carry home souvenirs is helpful.

Also, you need underwear and t-shirt type inner layers to change regularly but your intermediate and outer layers do not need to be changed unless they are badly stained. Spot treat small stains. Sports bras fold better and are easier to rinse out. You can buy hand washing liquid in tiny pouches, consider getting some, although shampoo or whatever work in a pinch.
posted by koahiatamadl at 6:54 AM on July 8, 2016


I am not a fan of the "buy stuff when you get there" approach, partly because it's expensive but mostly because I don't want to spend my precious time dashing around trying to buy stuff. I've seen people who do this and it takes entire days. I've tagged along with people looking for stupid crap when I'd rather have spent the time differently.

But if you don't have a lot of skin or hair problems, liquids cease to be a problem, because you can just buy whatever and smear it on your person.
posted by tel3path at 7:10 AM on July 8, 2016


Response by poster: Whoa, I woke up to a bunch of answers!

Thanks to everyone who suggest packing cubes, I actually use them already. I also try to bundle pack, though it does make it inconvenient to pull something specific out sometimes.

mlo -- I'm only packing a sleeping bag because the Iceland portion of my trip is part of an art residency, and the organizeer put it on the list. I imagine we might be staying at a guesthouse that doesn't have full bedding. But I might try to go with a liner instead, as mskyle suggested.

tel3path -- Thanks for the amazingly detailed answer! In answer to you and Too-Ticky, I'll probably be staying in guesthouses for the Iceland portion and have booked hotels for the Switzerland portion, so no camping. I really like being active on trips though, so there will be a lot of walking around/exploring with my travel group in Iceland and I plan on doing lots of hikes/via ferrata/possibly paragliding in Switzerland.

I hear the comments about packing enough underthings but a limited number of outerwear--my concern there is sweating through items because I plan to hike a lot, but in that case I just might take the advice to indulge in laundry service.

Sorry for forgetting to mention when I was going, weather IS important. I'll be going at the end of July - beginning of August, so summer weather--but having been before I know how unpredictable weather can be over there.

I'm also not a fan of buying clothes over there because it's very expensive and that just means another thing I need to stuff inside my pack. I will if I absolutely have to, though.

Thanks for all the advice so far!
posted by sprezzy at 8:10 AM on July 8, 2016


My husband and I used a pack similar to this from Eagle Creek when we traveled in Italy for two weeks and loved it. It can be a backpack or rolling bag, it fits in the overhead compartment, and you can zip off the smaller pack for daytime use. We are actually planning to use these bags for another two week trip in September in Iceland and Ireland (A Song of Ice and Ire!), and though the weather is more challenging I feel quite confident that we can do it.

Other than that, I would second the suggestion of investing in two pairs of Ex Officio underwear. At the end of the day I would hop in the shower in my underwear and wash it with soap, then let it dry overnight and it would be ready to pack up the next morning.
posted by GoldenEel at 8:31 AM on July 8, 2016 [1 favorite]


Coming in late, but on my trip to Iceland in late summer I discovered that layering is essential and also the key to packing light. What you really want is: relatively thin and light merino tops from Icebreaker or Ibex which you can top off with (a) a poly fleece jacket and/or (b) a rain jacket like the Marmot Precip. (The fleece jacket thus needs to fit under the rain jacket.) Pants are harder but if you look at REI you will find that brands like Columbia sell pants of nylon and similar which will dry relatively quickly. That way you will be prepared for just about all the variations of weather you are likely to encounter at that time. Conveniently for you, both merino and artificial fibers are also relatively light and pack down relatively small.

Honestly, unless you are doing activities that require more formal or specialized sports gear, you should be able to get by with 3-4 changes of clothes. Get a Going in Style travel clothesline to speed the drying process. Wear the hiking shoes on the plane to save space.
posted by praemunire at 9:16 PM on July 8, 2016 [4 favorites]


Unless you're backpacking or changing hotels every night, check a wheeled suitcase. Pack light, make sure you can lift everything at the same time and leave plenty of space for souvenirs. Spend $50 on a suitcase, take your normal clothes and yes, you'll be a bit inconvenienced going up and down stairs, but wheeled suitcases are perfect for urban travel.
posted by kjs4 at 3:30 AM on July 9, 2016


I'm tardy to the party, but:

We did Japan last year for two weeks, two adults, two kids, with just two Osprey Farpoint 40 packs for all of us. Each had to weigh under 7kg total (15.4lbs) to meet carry on restrictions.

Watch this video, which is about packing the Osprey. The layering / folding technique was what made it a breeze for us. I don't think we could've done the same with rolling.

Using AirBNB helped too, because we usually had a washing machine wherever we were, which made getting by with fewer changes of clothes much easier.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 6:56 PM on July 10, 2016 [3 favorites]


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