re: #57 mmmirele

How long is the trip? And what non-clothing stuff do you intend to bring?

I traveled around Japan for a month with only a small shoulder bag and an Osprey Farpoint 55L backpack with removable daypack. The shoulder bag carried my wallet, passport, and other important items and doubled as a camera bag on outings. The Osprey backpack is separable, so I used the daypack portion as a carry-on and checked the larger part.

The previous year I spent a month in Malaysia with a much simpler backpack — a bookbag, really — and a small roller bag. The roller bag was a pain, especially when traveling on public transport. It’s what prompted me to get the Osprey pack, on the recommendation of my son, who also has one.

If a backpack doesn’t appeal to you, go with a small checked bag. I’m in the office, so I can’t check the dimensions of mine, which is a Chinese brand. Despite what the tour guide suggests, you do not really need such a huge bag, unless you plan to be a fashion plate every single day.

Most important: bring two pairs of comfortable shoes. Switching between them will be better for your feet.

Also: packing cubes. I used to scoff at these, but now I have two sets of Eagle Creek packing cubes. They really do help keep clothes organized and compacted down.