Anonymous wrote:I like washing my clothes to keep packing light but some sinks are gross! Even high-end hotels can have mold and grime on the edge of the sink. I wish someone would invent a small, lightweight and collapsible basin to wash clothes.

I wash my underwear and cotton shirts in the shower and use my foldable hangers.

^ PS - what I mean is this: 30-35L backpack + convertible 15-20L smaller item you can use as a tote/crossbody and a roller at 30L or so - that's good space for 10 days right there

Just pack less and do a back pack and a small roller. There's no other way - you can use compression pouches to pack to save space but from a physics perspective, there's nothing you can do to "lighten the load" in terms of light packing. You get the smallest bags that you feel can offer the largest capacity and pack the fewest most easily packable things and that's that. I have considered this many many many times over and tried many many many variations and there's really no magic formula here.

I personally agree with PP who said best to get a regular pack and not a convertible - get a roller. Get a smaller item that can be a convertible pack however and then you have 3 bags to carry your stuff. Roller is good but make sure not too large. Back pack I would get min 32-35L which you can easily find not too large ie diaper bags are great because they are wide with 1000 pockets. Cotopaxi is good as well. Make sure the bag is lightweight. Do laundry at the hotels - don't pack anything as you'll still end up drying clothing which takes time anyway - you can't really win this game - just focus on packing light and washing in the sink/hotel.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, backpack would be easiest in terms of carrying, but I hate backpacks cause find it harder to pull out stuff I need. It’s so much easier if overnighting to pull out stuff from a carry on.

I’d opt for a light carry on and small backpack, and bring stuff for 3-4 days max and do laundry. Have very versatile pieces that you can wear and recombine.

I’d take:
- newspaper pants
- long light skirt
- shorts (2)
- dress
- flip flops
-sandals
- underwear
- sweatshirt
-toiletries
- swimsuit
- sleepwear
You really can travel a lot with this.

What are "newspaper pants"?

https://www.amazon.com/newspaper-pants-women/s?k=newspaper+pants+women

Not the pp who posted it, but my first thought was she meant paper bag pants, which are high rise pants that have ties at the waist. They work on only a very small segment of the population; can be very unflattering.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, backpack would be easiest in terms of carrying, but I hate backpacks cause find it harder to pull out stuff I need. It’s so much easier if overnighting to pull out stuff from a carry on.

I’d opt for a light carry on and small backpack, and bring stuff for 3-4 days max and do laundry. Have very versatile pieces that you can wear and recombine.

I’d take:
- newspaper pants
- long light skirt
- shorts (2)
- dress
- flip flops
-sandals
- underwear
- sweatshirt
-toiletries
- swimsuit
- sleepwear
You really can travel a lot with this.

What are "newspaper pants"?

Anonymous wrote:DP. In theory a backpack with rollers sounds great, but after using one for quite a bit of international travel, I have to say it's not that practical. I ended up using it only as a roller case. Compared to regular backpacks, they're not that comfortable to carry; the bottom gets really dirty after you've used it as a roller bag for a while; when you're pulling it, you have to secure the straps away from the rollers.

It's my experience in general that items designed for hybrid functionality do not do as good a job as items specializing in one function.

The idea is you only wear as a backpack when needed; otherwise roll it. Eg Paris metro, Sahara desert.
I have a Briggs and Riley. The straps are zipped into a compartment so you don’t see the straps at all. The wheels can be covered by fabric when wearing as a backpack. I’ll agree some thought has to be put into the design. I would never want to haul a backpack only the whole time. But it helps to have that functionality when needed.

DP. In theory a backpack with rollers sounds great, but after using one for quite a bit of international travel, I have to say it's not that practical. I ended up using it only as a roller case. Compared to regular backpacks, they're not that comfortable to carry; the bottom gets really dirty after you've used it as a roller bag for a while; when you're pulling it, you have to secure the straps away from the rollers.

It's my experience in general that items designed for hybrid functionality do not do as good a job as items specializing in one function.

Anonymous wrote:I like washing my clothes to keep packing light but some sinks are gross! Even high-end hotels can have mold and grime on the edge of the sink. I wish someone would invent a small, lightweight and collapsible basin to wash clothes.

Wash in a 2 gallon ziploc bag.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look no further
https://www.rei.com/product/207738/osprey-fairview-36-wheeled-travel-pack-womens

I don’t know if I could spend $300 on a backpack. Especially one that looks like it would topple me over if I dared put it on my back.

Are you OP?

This is carry on size, it’s not giant.

It’s worth every penny.

That was not from OP.

I (OP) am appreciating all of the great tips being offered👍

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look no further
https://www.rei.com/product/207738/osprey-fairview-36-wheeled-travel-pack-womens

I don’t know if I could spend $300 on a backpack. Especially one that looks like it would topple me over if I dared put it on my back.

Are you OP?

This is carry on size, it’s not giant.

It’s worth every penny.

DP. I’d get the backpack with wheels. I’m 5’2” though. I have done the carry on backpack in my 20s and 30s for travel. I still do backpacking and camping. But I wouldn’t want to backpack the whole time on my travels.

This one:

https://www.rei.com/product/207738/osprey-fairview-36-wheeled-travel-pack-womens?cm_mmc=aff_AL-_-178833-_-227769-_-NA&avad=227769_b37651275

I used both a small roller suitcase and this backpack, keeping both light.

coofay Personal Item Travel Backpack | For Women Men | Airline Approved Carry On Backpack | Flight Approved Waterproof Sports Luggage Backpack | Casual Daypack | Small Hiking Backpack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1P6YD19?psc=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_ud_ct_S3N297SCF8D06M0DHX7N&language=en_US

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look no further
https://www.rei.com/product/207738/osprey-fairview-36-wheeled-travel-pack-womens

I don’t know if I could spend $300 on a backpack. Especially one that looks like it would topple me over if I dared put it on my back.

Are you OP?

This is carry on size, it’s not giant.

It’s worth every penny.

Anonymous wrote:I like washing my clothes to keep packing light but some sinks are gross! Even high-end hotels can have mold and grime on the edge of the sink. I wish someone would invent a small, lightweight and collapsible basin to wash clothes.

I used this for a 3 weeks trip. Works pretty well. Then wrap clothes in a towel to remove water.

https://thescrubba.com/products/scrubba-wash-bag

I like washing my clothes to keep packing light but some sinks are gross! Even high-end hotels can have mold and grime on the edge of the sink. I wish someone would invent a small, lightweight and collapsible basin to wash clothes.