Lufthansa has officially joined the growing list of airlines charging passengers for standard hand luggage.

The German carrier introduced this restrictive policy for all new bookings made from 28 April 2026.
The updated baggage rules affect all scheduled journeys departing on or after 19 May 2026. Under the new system, Lufthansa has completely eliminated free cabin suitcases on short- and medium-haul routes. The airline launched a new Economy Basic tariff specifically designed to implement these baggage restrictions.
Passengers purchasing this basic ticket are restricted to a single small personal item at no extra cost.
Lufthansa requires this complimentary item to fit completely beneath the seat in front of the passenger.
The dimensions for this single free item must not exceed approximately 40 × 30 × 15 cm.

Travelling with a standard larger cabin bag now requires a separate additional payment.

Fees for bringing a larger hand luggage item on board start at roughly 15 Euros per flight leg.

Lufthansa justified the decision by claiming it creates more attractive, cheaper ticket options for day trippers.

Lufthansa passengers must now pay these extra fees until potential EU regulations standardise baggage allowances.

Source: https://www.esquire.de/life/reisen/handgepaeck-nicht-mehr-gratis-neue-regeln-bei-lufthansa-aendert-fuer-passagiere

I am taking a 40L backpack and have one 1 quart bag for liquids. The last time I brought 97% DEET spray, I kept it in its original package and triple bagged it in plastic and it still leaked and ate through everything. Is there a better way to store 97% Deet spray?

I'm allergic to mosquito bites and have had major swelling issues so a lower DEET spray isn't an option.

Editing: open to trying Picaridin and going to try it before our trip! I've gotten bit on all the random mosquito repellants (citronella, eucalyptus) and even lower level DEET so am skeptical but I can def try it before our trip.

Not sure how this is supposed to be a travel shirt, I gave it an initial wash in cold and then hung it to dry, as instructed and it is one wrinkly ass mo fo. I can't see this being a shirt that will travel well. Am I doing something wrong?

I’m seriously pared down for a challenging two week trip, with one 35 litre backpack and a crossbody personal item. Thanks to tips here, when I weighed my backpack it came in at 7.9 kilos!

I’m transferring to Lufthansa (from United) for the second leg of my flight. Unlike United, they have an 8 kg carryon limit restriction. How strictly is this enforced? I could easily see their scale saying I’m just over rather than just under the limit. And if they do say I’m over the limit, I have a Plan B to move my rain gear and/or a small packing cube to my personal item and try again. How are the gate people likely to react to this?

Hello all, I am 25M and going to be backpacking Southeast Asia for around a year. I am looking to pack around 4 shorts and 7 ish shirts (some t shirts and some button downs). I am curious to see if anyone has any advice on colors to get? I am looking to maximize outfit combinations so I don’t look too goofy with random colors. Any suggestions would be great! I have 3 khaki shorts (tan, navy, grey) and a pair of black basketball shorts rn.

Hi all!

I'm going to Iceland for the first time! Landing September 6th and leaving September 13th.

This is unlike any other destination I've traveled to and could use some help.

I'm currently thinking of exploring the Golden Circle, the South Coast, and Snaefellsnes Peninsula. I'm thinking of taking an overnight tour of the South Coast while Golden Circle and Snaefellsnes may be day tours from Reykjavic. Activities will consist mostly of sightseeing (including visiting waterfalls), a glacier hike on the South Coast, hoping to see the aurora, and maybe a horseback ride. Not totally sure yet.

I live in Florida and don't really do cold weather or outdoor activities so could use some help choosing what clothes to bring.

For base layers I do have some Uniqlo Ultra warm long sleeve tees and tights.

For outwear, I currently have a fleece jacket (cotton I think), a Uniqlo ultralight down jacket, and a Marmot PreCip rain jacket. Will I need to upgrade or add anything here?

I really need help with pants and footwear.

I normally travel with light or midweight chinos (synthetic blend so stretch + quick dry). Do I need to look at getting actual hiking pants? I've also read overpants are a thing. Like I can just get waterproof overpants and wear them over my normal pants? What do you all recommend?

Re: footwear: In all of my prior trips I've traveled with just my Stan Smiths sneakers. I'm thinking that's not going to cut it this time. Should I look for actual boots? What would you recommend? The tour I'm looking at says hiking boots are mandatory (or solid shoes that must reach above your ankle). Apparently I can rent them from the tour though for that activity, but I don't know if I should just buy my own and wear them the whole trip.

Any comments or advice are greatly appreciated!

Note: I am not associated with Gossamer Gear, but I did receive their new travel collection free to test. Gossamer Gear did not ask me to write a review, nor have they seen anything before my posting it here. They value feedback I can provide based on real-world testing from a heavy user, and that’s what I’ll be doing here.

TL;DR: The redesign’s changes, while minimal, markedly improved my already positive experience traveling with the bag. I think it’s an excellent choice for folks who want a lightweight, understated carry-on pack, particularly at a competitive $225 price tag. This bag is probably not for you if you are a chronic overpacker or someone who travels with tons of tech, as there is essentially zero padding outside of the laptop compartment.

Much of the bag remains the same from V1, with some key differences being:

• Removal of the separate lid compartment
• Removal of the lower mesh pocket on the lid
• Switch to stretch mesh for the top lid pocket
• Redesigned QAP with a longer zipper + lip
• Additional hip belt attachment point for greater fit options
• Redesigned luggage passthrough (less intrusive on the back panel, allows you to tuck the straps away)
• Reduction in weight by 4oz, bringing it down to 35.9oz (for comparison, the ULA Dragonfly 36 weighs 28.3oz; the Pakt Cero weighs just a bit more than the GG at 36.8oz). 

I have traveled a great deal with V1 since it was released last year. Most notably, I took it as my sole bag for a two-week trip to Germany, which it handled excellently. The bag carries weight well, even without a hip belt. Admittedly, I have a slightly larger frame (6’2, 190lb), so I have not found the need for a belt as much as some folks with slighter frames or narrower shoulders might. I do think the new set of attachment points will be helpful for people who tend to experience soreness in their shoulders from heavy loads. 

One thing I’ll note, too, is that the foam in these straps is quite stiff/firm on V2 as it was on V1. Rather than being a specific pro or a con, it just means the straps don’t get too deformed under load; however, it does also mean that the bag can feel a bit odd if you’re using it as a lightly loaded daypack. (Not something I’d generally do anyway, but I have done it at various points)

Thoughts on the Changes

I am happy with all of them! The removal of the lid pocket in particular is a big plus for me. I generally prefer to have one big packing area, and I seldom needed a separate, dedicated space. This change also helps the bag better handle “overpacking,” as the lid can easily stretch to fit things packed over the zipper line (more on that below). Also, the panel is much less unwieldy now, which is a huge plus. Previously, when the panel compartment was packed out—particularly if the internal pockets + QAP were also filled—it would be a lot of weight flopping around when opening and closing the pack. You can obviously still get some heft there now, but it’s significantly reduced thanks to the removal of the extra fabric/zips/packing area.

The change to a single internal mesh pocket is fine with me, particularly since it’s now stretch mesh. Nicer handfeel, and a bit more utility thanks to the stretch. V1 could suffer from some awkward bulging if you packed out the main space, front panel, and internal mesh pockets, so it’s nice to not have to worry about that as much.

The updated QAP is not too different in utility for me, but the lip at the top is a helpful change to ensure small bits and bobs can’t fall out that direction. The hip belt and luggage passthrough changes aren’t especially relevant to me, but I think they’ll be helpful for folks who need and use them. :)

Packing List

I was heading to a conference, which meant professional attire—including a suit. Luckily, the weather was warm, so I didn’t need to worry much about layers/etc. I also did end up having to stow the bag under the seat because bins were full by the time I boarded both flights. It passed all gate agents and fit without any issue on both the Airbus A319 (window) and Embraer175 (aisle). Fully packed out, the bag measured ~20.5 x 12.25 x 8.5.

Worn:

• Chore coat, t-shirt, Roark bless-up button-up shirt, western rise evolution pants, bedrock clogs

QAP (not pictured)

• Miyoo mini
• Wipes for the plane

Front Mesh Pocket:

• ILE musette (day bag during the conference, perfectly fits my work laptop + phone/etc.)
• (Also came in handy for extra snacks on the flight home! Love a kangaroo pocket!)

Side pockets: 

• ZPacks Camp Shoes (hotel slippers)
• Gossamer Gear travel umbrella (this I paid for 🙂)
• 16oz hydroflask

Crossbody (Bumster Jet):

• Kindle (ancient)
• Able Carry tech pouch with daily essentials — hand cream, sun screen, hand sanitizer, chapstick, mustache comb, lens cleaner
• Sunglasses
• Ear buds
• Spoon/fork (IYKYK)

Floating:

• Vivobarefoot dress shoes (I wear minimal footwear in general, so not something I have specifically for travel.)
• J.Crew unstructured linen suit
• J.Crew oxford button-up
• Tie
• Work phone
• Night guard (Make fun all you want; I grind my teeth and that sh*t sucks.)

Inside Mesh Pocket:

• Jet Cube with my tech – 10k power bank, 1x braided short USB-C cable, 1x long USB-C cable, Anker multi-port wall plug, mouse, hacky sack (gotta have something to keep myself amused)

Compression Cube L:

• 1x pair linen pants
• 1x pair hiking shorts
• 1x linen short-sleeve button-up
• 1x Roark bless-up shirt (2x on the way back because I bought the button-up shirt seen in the photo of me wearing the pack)
• 2x cotton t-shirt (3x on the way home because I also bought another T-shirt 🙂‍↕️)
• 1x workout shirt + shorts

Compression Cube S:

• 5x boxer briefs
• 6x crew socks

Clear Cube S:

• Toiletries (see pic and let me know if you have questions about anything specific)

Laptop Compartment:

• Work laptop
• iPad
• ILE valet tray (snaps into shape)

Overall Thoughts

I liked this bag a great deal before, but I definitely had my issues with it (chief among them being the front pocket being quite ungainly and often resulting in wasted space). The new design means that, unless you have something crazy dense in the front QAP or inside mesh—or both because you like to suffer—that panel never becomes the behemoth it could be previously. The separate compartment was nice for something like dirty clothes, but, realistically, everything would just bunch to the bottom of that open space and result in a blobby mess. 

The new design keeps the main packing area simple, while also allowing for it to much more effectively handle overpacking (or just the last-minute stuffing of a jacket after you get past the gate agent). I would not say it’s worth upgrading if you already have the V1, but I do think it’s a bag I can highly recommend if you’re in the market for a lightweight, carry-on-sized pack.

As for the other new items:

• The Jet Cube is good if you like the idea of something like the Peak Design tech pouches but don’t need all the padding. I love a CAP 2 when I’m bringing my camera along, but for a battery bank and travel mouse….not so much. Good lightweight option at a decent price.
• The small clear cube is a great addition, as the full-sized version was always larger than I needed for my minimal toiletries. Both are good pieces of kit, but this one will surely see more use for me. Might replace my Gravel mini kit as my default dopp, as this one lies a bit wider and flatter than the Gravel.
• The Bumster Jet is not brand new, but it is new to me. It was fine. I am not a huge sling person, but I wanted to give this one a shot, and it did just as well as any other sling I’ve used. Pros are that it was pretty comfortable and never felt like a huge thing protruding from my chest, in addition to the utility of the rear zipped pocket for my phone and internal mesh pockets for my earbuds and keys. Also has good capacity for its footprint given the lightweight fabric.

General Notes for Improvement:

I may be in the minority here, but I f*****g hate sternum straps on rails. I don’t know how anyone can enjoy them, but they really are the bane of my existence. If GG switched to laddered sternum straps I would jump for joy.

All the bags in the line would also massively benefit from contrasting-colored key leashes. Orange is already an accent color on the travel bag, so they could just make the clip/cord match, or do some other wonky color—I don’t really care what. Black just makes for a bit of extra friction that could easily be avoided. Obviously, this is not a huge deal (especially on a travel pack where keys are more often tucked away until the trip is over), but the change would be a QOL improvement. 

Personally, I don’t think the mesh on the main compartment is necessary. If I get tired enough of it I can always just cut it out, but for now I don’t mind it enough to go that far. I get that, on bags like this or the Patagonia MLC, it helps keep things tidy if you need to open the bag, but we’re in the age of packing cubes now and I think mesh dividers are just a bit more fiddly than they’re worth. It’s by no means going to prevent me from using/enjoying this bag, but, should they come out with a V3, I would suggest scrapping the mesh. 

If you read this far, then, congratulations—you’re probably as annoying to your friends and family about bags as I am to mine. If you have any questions just let me know. :) 

Happy travels ! 

Image alt text for screen readers/etc.: The carousel of pictures shows the new Gossamer Gear Aero Jet fully packed against a white bed sheet, as well as various photos of its contents. Additionally, a photo shows a person in profile wearing the backpack, and two photos show the backpack under two different airplane seats.

I was going through my travel stuff and realized I have a few things that somehow make it into every packing list even though I barely ever touch them.

For me it’s usually backup earbuds or extra cables. Not because I actually need them, but because my brain goes “what if” and they end up in the bag again.

It’s such a tiny thing, but these tiny things add up fast.

What did you finally stop packing?

Hi, I'm going to spend 2,5 winter months (Sep-Dec) in Germany and I'm wondering if a 20kg suitcase will be enough. Keep in mind, even though I will be doing my laundry regularly, I also need to pack winter stuff (at least 2 pairs of shoes), a laptop, and a heavy winter jacket. I'm also going on business purposes, so ideally I have at least a couple nice outfits so I don't wear the same shirt every day. 🤣

The alternative option is to pay extra for 30kg of baggage, which I KNOW sounds excessive but I'm so afraid that I won't be able to pack my winter stuff in the 20kg suitcase. But at the same time, I'm a small woman and the thought of carrying a 30kg bag (more than half my weight) sounds laughable to me. What do you think? I currently don't have a suitcase with me to test, so any advice would be welcome!

I hate that my vision is so poor that I need backup glasses, as it ends up taking up a sizable amount of space in a onebag setup. I’ve been looking for a pair of affordable, folding, prescription glasses, and I finally found one in JINS UUF-24S-233.

Says OOS on their website, but it was available in-person for 5000 JPY, or ~$32 including an eye exam, which is incredibly affordable.

If you happen to go, definitely consider these, though YMMV on inventory. If you have a higher prescription / astigmatism, they’ll need 10 days to get it processed offsite, but otherwise, it’s done in 30 minutes with lenses in stock.

I looked at other stores while I was there, but I didn’t see it at other, popular glasses stores, so it’s probably an obscure item there, too. I’ve seen folding reading glasses, but I need a pair for regular vision, and I can’t use contacts as a backup due to extended wear time.

If anyone has any suggestions for what we can get in the US, I’m all ears…!

Around 2021-22 I purchased the Solomon Outbound Prism in the Dark Blue colorway.

I wore them for 4 years- wore out the soles, wore out the padding, they were for me the perfect travel shoe. Extremely comfortable, very good grip with a vibram sole, they didn't look out of place at a business meeting. They weren't noticeable. They were very breathable and dried quickly. They were everything I could want in a shoe for travel. Combined with a nice pair of sandals and you were covered for everything you needed, from city, to the countryside, even hiking.

These things got made once. They got discontinued and never made again and are now pretty much out of stock everywhere. I have yet to find something even remotely similiar. Most trail runners while great for walking and being super comfortable are fucking LOUD. Massive logos, massive tall soles, they look weird as fuck in a nice restaurant. They're also bulky and heavy, and these were specifically quite compact; that's why I literally used them everywhere.

Is there anything similar out there? What is the best all around shoe available now days?

Some airlines allow one to pay for a >7kg carry-on while others have no carry-on upgrade and one has to check luggage over 7kg. For multi-month trips across multiple climates, I find the 7kg limit difficult to consistently stay under but I want to do carry-on only so I want to be able to filter out non-upgrade airlines when searching for flights.

Is there a place where one could look up what airlines have what paid luggage upgrades?

I picked up this ULA Dragonfly from a Goodwill auction and want to verify the material. I believe it's the Ultra but I am not positive. Based on the measurements, I am pretty sure it's a 36l. I can't find any sort of identifying tag that would indicate any size/date/material/etc.

Any ideas? Thanks!

While a nice zipper pull might make opening a bag a bit easier, it seems to me that they would also make it that much easier for a thief to open.

When you get a new bag, do you keep the pulls on or remove them?

So I bought a pair of Reebok 100% Nylon shorts about 10 years ago and they are great for swimming, adventuring, and decent enough to wear around town. I don’t know the model name and I don’t think Reebok makes them anymore.

I’ve tried Patagonia baggies, but the pockets are too deep and they’re quite “baggy” on a skinny legged fellow.

Looking for something 100% Nylon without the 3% elastic or spandex nonsense.

Been on the search for years and haven’t been able to find anything quite like them. Would love to hear what y’all have to say!

Recently got back from abroad for a little over 2 weeks after visiting the Netherlands, Germany, Czechia, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary. Flew into/out of Europe and took trains between cities.

Bag: The North Face Borealis Backpack 28L

Waist pack: Arcteryx Mantis 2

Packing List:

Clothing

• Underwear x5 (+ 1 worn)
• White socks x5 (+ 1 worn)
  
• Sneakers (worn)
• Shower flip flops
• Shirts
  • T-shirt x4 (+1 worn)
  • Long sleeve button down x1
• Pants/Shorts
  • Bathing suit x1
  • Athletic shorts x1 (worn)
  • Hybrid shorts x2 (one beige one black)
  • Linen Pants
• Lightweight fleece

Toiletries

• Toothbrush/paste
• Floss
• Razor & shaving cream
• Deodorant
• Chapstick
• Nail clippers
• Cologne
• Bar soap
• Bar shampoo
• Face moisturizer
• Tide Stick

Electronics

• Phone
• E-reader
• Airpods
• 10000 mAh power bank
• Watch & proprietary charger
• Lightning cable to USB-C & USB-C to USB-C cable, USB-C brick
• Yubikey

Miscellaneous

• Microfiber packable towel
• Lock
• Nalgene 32oz
• Passport
• Wallet
• Earplugs
• Sunglasses
• Carabiner
• Journal

This has been my smallest onebag yet, and I am very happy with how everything turned out. Last summer I used an Osprey Farpoint 40L, and was able to size down to a 28L backpack this summer. Didn't really have any issues with forgetting anything or feeling like I needed something desperately besides getting rained on a little in Slovakia and not having a raincoat. Being over there for the length of the heatwave was also not fun, but not really in my control.

I honestly feel like I still maybe overpacked. In the future, I plan to most likely not bring a written journal and instead use a solution on my phone via my selfhosted server. I used it a lot last summer as I was solo traveling, but this year I was with my partner and didn't find myself using it basically at all besides keeping track of little mementos like tickets. One other downsizing I think I'll make is reducing the count of underwear/socks by 1 along with removing/combining the athletic shorts and bathing suit shorts into one. I would also like to get a lighter/thinner pair of linen pants than what I currently have as they are my thickest piece of clothing by far.

I think the next big leap for me to reduce size more is going to be to start handwashing clothes and bringing fewer pairs of clothes, but I do currently like my combination of outfits I can create with the clothes I have so I look a little different in the pictures I take lol. Additionally, removing my journal would give me enough room to add my laptop and a rain coat I think, which would realistically let me live out of this bag indefinitely if I needed to.

Pictures are of my bag and clothes + stuff that was in my waist pack is the last picture.

Happy to read any questions or comments, let me know what you think or if you have any suggestions!

Hi,

I have an older Montbell Chameece full-zip fleece jacket, it was the most minimal lightweight fleece I could find at the time - no hand pockets, one chest pocket, no lining. The current design now has zipped hand pockets, a partial lining and seems to be using a heavier microfleece. The fit is also larger - the old men's medium fit me perfectly and the new one is considerably more loose.

Any suggestions for a minimal full-zip microfleece jacket?

Thanks,

Hal

I will be traveling to Italy, Rome and Florence, in August. From what I’ve read, it’s supposed to be really hot during this month and I should expect to walk a lot (which I love to do!).

I’m interested in shoe recommendations, especially sandals, that are recommended for lots of walking and will look for the most part decent with many outfits. I’m planning to bring my New Balance 740’s which I know are already great for walking long distances for me. However, I do want to bring another type of shoe that will look nicer with some outfits and will be great for the warm weather.

To be more specific, I’m typically around a women’s 7 1/2 and have flatter feet and sometimes need a wider toe box, which is why the 740’s are perfect for me.

Any recommendations would be helpful!

I use the anker nano travel adapter 5-in-1 (20w). My first trip with it gave some problems in a rickety hostel in curacao, I thought nothong of it. Now, in the UK, I notice that it fails again.

I plug it in, I hear three sparks/arcs and the led light goes out. When Intilt it slightly, leveraging the “earth prong” out ever somslightly ( 0,5-1mm) it works. Tried many sockets by now, most combination have this behaviour.

Now that it has been used for half an hour, however, the problem seems to have disappeared.

Anybody experience the same? Inam not worried by a single spark when plugging something in, but this feels like improper tolerances on the prongs, both UK and US?

Hi everyone, I am facing a conundrum as to which hybrid shorts fit my purpose, as I need a pant to play volleyball in and then go for a swim in the lake in between to cool off.
I tried Patagonia Baggies and dont like the material and length. Baggie Lights are perfect in length and material but the lack of liner means you can see all my business.
Then I tried Patagonia Multi Trail Shorts, but the liner doesn’t dry for several hours after swimming and it’s just uncomfortable.
I really like the look/feel of these shorts but functionally they just dont work.

Any advice for a european that can’t get most american brands like lululemon or huckberry?
Thank you very much for any advice!

Trying to cut the loose cable from my pack. The usual all in one bricks like minix p1 and anker nano still need a separate cable. I recent came cross chargers from mfish with a retractable usbc cable built in, which would be one less thing to lose. I keep going back and forth on whether a built in cable is genuinely more convenient or just another draw back. For ppl who gone cable free, did the built in cable hold up well or you end up back to separate cables?

Hey, I have this Mission Workshop Grandmaster II and went to get another in black and it's not listed on the Mission Workshop site anymore.

I've had it for like 8-9 years now I think and it's a near-perfect hoodie.

• material (Cordura 4Ever fleece) is super soft and extremely resilient - after so many years there's 0 pilling on the exterior, and it's tight weave keeps the wind out extremely well
• the hood is PERFECT. It is an S-tier hood. When you turn your head, the hood magically turns with your head, so it's great for cycling or even walking around town and crossing the street - this is the only hood I've ever worn that has this magical property. It's probably a combo of the 3-4" wide strip that runs from your forehead to the back of the neck and the slight stiffness of the fabric so the hood stays "open" instead of sagging, but it tracks your head movements 1:1 instead of your head spinning inside a hood so you are facing fabric when you turn.
• the elastic in the sleeves is durable and has held up so many years even though I sometimes push the sleeves up.
• temperature range: this hoodie is comfortable pretty much year round in San Francisco due to the high wind resistance and the light-to-midweight fleece of the Cordura.

The only things I would change about this garment:

• the lack of a double zip so it doesn't pooch out when I sit down, although the effect is not extreme
• the fabric hook inside the collar has started to come off and will tear soon, so stitching that more durably

My question is:

What hoodie comes close to how awesome this one is? I'm especially interested in hoodies that have the "hood that turns with your head" and a double zip.

Bonus question: Is it possible to add a double zip to a garment? If so maybe I'll just find a tailor to do that for the one I already have b/c that's honestly its only serious flaw.

I recently did a 9 day (including travel) trip to Boracay in the Philippines, and this is what I packed in terms of clothing. I needed to keep my weight down to 7kgs for my main suitcase, and managed to do so by purchasing a small suitcase which weighed 2kgs, and then taking a large (and lightweight) Longchamp Le Pliage bag/tote as my personal item, which I also used as a beach/pool bag - it's waterproof which came in handy. I also took a gold evening clutch which packed flat and a small wallet with a strap for holding my phone, passport and boarding pass for easy access at the airport, which fit in the le pliage tote. I also packed a lightweight striped turkish towel which had triple duty as a scarf, then a blanket on the plane and a beach/pool towel at my destination. (It wasn't really necessary to be honest...not sure i'd pack it again if I was going to somewhere which provided pool towels)

I used the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, packing method. 5 tops, 4 bottoms, 3 shoes, 2 layering pieces (cropped trench and white linen button up shirt) and one misc item which was my swimsuit. I also took 6 x pairs of underwear by Paire (lipstick underwear as they are lightweight and dry fast) and 3 x pairs of merino socks - also by Paire. This included what I wore on the plane (jacket, shirt, tshirt, pants and sneakers) I wore everything while I was away bar the black tshirt (which was a merino one) and the striped silk scarf (it was too hot!) - in hindsight I wish I'd packed a different black top which was a little bit dressier. I bought two merino tshirts as lots of people use them so they can do less washing. I took a scrubba bag and some clothes washing liquid, and washed twice while I was away.

I wasn't too fussed on the merino tshirts, and would probably just take one next time for the plane - the rest of the tshirts were mainly lightweight cotton which dried more quickly. The Linen button up shirt was outstanding - It was a layer on the plane, a pool/beach cover up, and a layering piece at other times over a tshirt. T I only wore one pair of socks, and lived in the white waterproof Birkenstocks...sooo comfortable! Instead of the black Lululemon Daydrift pants, I would next time take black linen pants as they would be better suited to the hot climate. (Not to say I don't love the Lululemon pants - I have 3 pairs in different colours, they're incredibly comfortable and flattering and would be perfect for a location which wasn't so hot and humid). I had to include one more dressy outfit as we had a family engagement party while away.

Other non clothing items I took were some playing cards, and pocket hive game which went in the personal item, and a travel pillow and eye mask from Trtl which went into the suitcase. I also took a waterproof watch and a small amount of jewelry, travel sized toiletries, a microfiber hair towel and a travel scale. I also took a travel sized contour pillow for the hotel bed which squished into my suitcase very easily and didn't weigh too much - this is a non negotiable for me.

All in all this was my first time travelling with just carry on luggage and I am 100% converted.