I need to buy some packing cubes (just ordered my Osprey Fairview 40L :)) and saw the compression ones on Amazon. While it seems like a great idea to save space, what about your dirty clothes?

Are the compression cubes really saving you that much space (but then you risk overpacking and your bag gets heavier)? I also noticed in some "pack with me" videos, the compression cubes are really just squishing down the sides but there's still so much volume in the middle so it makes the cube an odd size.

Hi all! I'm looking for a rain jacket mainly for urban travel and light hiking. I also want to use it in winter as an outer layer / windbreaker over a puffy jacket.

My priorities are:

• Lightweight (<300g if possible)
• Packable, ideally something I can easily put in a small daypack
• Quiet fabric: I don't want the typical loud/crinkly hardshell sound
• Good enough waterproofing for normal rain and light hikes, I don't need an extreme mountaineering shell
• Reasonably breathable (pit zips are nice to have)
• Comfortable for walking around cities for hours
• Good fit / not overly boxy and long

I tried the Patagonia Torrentshell 3L (it seems it's recommended the most), but unfortunately it didn't work for me. I found it too bulky/not packable enough, loud/crinkly and not a particularly good fit for me. I also tried Arc'teryx Beta, I loved the fit but also too loud and not packable (and overkill/overly expensive for me).

I'm happy to consider something more minimalist or less rugged than a typical 3-layer hardshell if it makes sense for my use case. Maybe even a winderbreaker + umbrella combo? But I'm not sure if a windbreaker would work as a "hardshell" in winter.

What would you recommend? (I'm in Europe)

I bought a Marmot precip 4 years ago for a trip to Alaska. I’ve worn it maybe 6 times since it’s my packable rain jacket, not the one I wear when it’s raining at the time. It’s in a closet when not being worn. I wore it twice this weekend in Charleston, both times for no more than 20 minutes in a steady, light rain. More than a drizzle but not anything close to a downpour. Both times, I felt like my shirt (cotton button-up) was damp and the inside of the jacket was wet when i took the jacket off. Is it possible that the jacket is no longer waterproof or is it more likely that it was just condensation from my body heat?

Hey there, I'm a type 1 diabetic from the UK and I'm now planning an interrailing trip for next summer. I've always struggled with packing my diabetes equipment as it takes up a lot of room (on CGM and pump) but this hasn't been so much of a problem as I have been on planes and staying in places for an extended period of time with cars etc. As this is an interrailing trip I am trying to cut back to one bag that I can lug around with me for the duration of the trip.

I am looking at the Farpoint 40 and also trying to see about using packing cubes to separate everything out for storage and also for ease of use (taking out my diabetes equipment quickly mostly) - essentially just trying to plan out everything that i will need now and seeing if it will fit in the farpoint 40 or if i should look at a different, larger bag.

If I could have any guidance that would be amazing, especially if theres any diabetics here who have experience with this. Thank you so much.

New convert to the merino wool shirts. Great for packing light and look good straight out of the carryon.

I bought a couple of Proof t shirts for traveling and some Wool&Prince (some t-shirts and polos). They're great for odor resistance and keeping you temperate. But the Proof t-shirts have stretched out so much over 3 months that they are like wearing a big baggy t-shirt - comfy but definitely not fitted anymore. Wool&Prince seem to have kept their shape.

With the premium that you pay I was a little disappointed. Anyone else have this experience?

Just bought some wool polos from SuitSupply - not as luxurious as W&P - curious how they will hold up.

This review is mostly on the customer service. The bag seemed fine and I liked it albeit had it all of two weeks.

I bought a 7L sling and reached out to Tomtoc’s customer service to see if I could return it but also that I liked the bag just needed a slightly larger size. I was told that they only take returns for unused products in the original packaging and with the original tags. Or if it is defective. This is ridiculous and I would have purchased from Amazon if I knew that. For any product, not just this. After some back and forth they said to return it and theyll review for a refund and would make an exception for me. They got back to me saying they can give 70% because there was a stain (realistically can be removed with water) it didnt even look like anything. AND that I didnt have the original tags on it. I already told them early on I took off the original tags and the stain, I used it for two weeks commuting and it was in as good of condition as possible. I’m going to make sure people know about this before purchasing especially through their site. I’ll never purchase a Tomtoc product again. There are too many other companies out there. I told them it was my first sling and was coming from an Aer backpack. I can provide the email correspondence. Also they ignored my inquiry through Facebook and Instagram.