Packing Gear
Travel gear can make packing easier — but it can also become another reason to buy and pack more things.
City Trip Lab looks at bags, packing accessories and travel essentials with one simple question:
Does this actually make a short city trip easier?
We focus on practical use, space, weight and whether a product earns its place in the bag.
Gear should solve a problem
A travel product is only useful if it solves a real problem.
A compression cube that saves space but adds unnecessary weight may not be an improvement. A larger backpack may be comfortable, but the extra space can also encourage overpacking. Travel-size products may save space, while refillable containers could be cheaper and create less waste.
We want to measure those trade-offs rather than assume that specialised travel gear is automatically better.
What we look at
- Size and dimensions
- Empty weight
- Packed weight
- Usable capacity
- Ease of packing
- Comfort while travelling
- Space actually saved
- Items that remain unused
- Durability during real travel
- Price compared with the practical benefit
Used, tested or researched
We make a clear distinction between products we have personally used, products we have tested specifically for City Trip Lab and products we have only researched.
Used means we have taken the product on a real trip.
Tested means we have deliberately compared or measured it using a defined Packing Lab test.
Researched means we have examined specifications, features or available information but have not personally used the product.
We will never describe researched products as personally tested.
What we plan to test
Some of the first gear questions we want to investigate include packing cubes versus compression cubes, 20L versus 30L backpacks, personal-item-sized luggage, refillable toiletry containers, luggage scales and different ways of organising the same amount of clothing.
Where possible, comparisons will use the same clothing and similar conditions so that the difference comes from the product or packing method rather than a completely different packing list.
Do you need special travel gear?
Often, probably not.
Many short city trips can be completed perfectly well with bags, clothing and toiletries you already own.
City Trip Lab is not built around convincing travellers that every problem requires another product. Sometimes the most useful conclusion from a test may simply be:
You do not need this.
How we handle recommendations
When we recommend a product, we want the reason to be clear.
A recommendation may be based on our own use, a specific City Trip Lab test or clearly identified research. We will explain which applies.
Price also matters. A product does not automatically become the best choice because it performs slightly better if a much cheaper option produces almost the same practical result.
Affiliate links
Some future gear articles may contain paid affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, City Trip Lab may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Affiliate relationships do not determine our test results or conclusions.
Read our Affiliate Disclosure for more information.
Upcoming gear guides
Future guides and tests will cover topics such as packing cubes, compression packing cubes, personal-item backpacks, lightweight cabin bags, refillable toiletries and other products that may help reduce luggage.
We will add guides as products are researched, used and tested.
Follow the tests
Gear tests and measurements are documented in the Packing Lab, where we explain what we tested, how we tested it and what actually happened.
Useful gear earns its place in the bag.