Just as it’s valuable to know what made it into my 7kg of luggage, I think it’s just as valuable (if not more so) to know what was eliminated and why. All of these items are things I actually tried out in person and took full advantage of great return policies to get rid of later.

Luggage

Image	Name	Thoughts
	Osprey Farpoint 40 travel backpack	This was just too big for my needs and limitations, both in weight and dimensions. (Because of the weight restriction, I ended up with a bunch of empty space in this bag.)
	Osprey FlapJill courier shoulder bag	I just wasn’t feeling it on this one; it was just a bit too big and shaped funny. (The bag is big enough for my laptop, but it’s too heavy to bring with me on my trip.)
	Overland Equipment Hadley bag	Initially, I was totally in love with this tiny purse. I could fit all my essentials in it, and it was super light. However, I really needed something bigger than this to fit an 18-oz water bottle in. #stayhydrated
	Travelon anti-theft messenger bag	This would’ve been great except that all the zippers are one-way and most easily accessible if you wear the bag over your left shoulder. All my life, I’ve swung bags over my right shoulder, so this setup was very uncomfortable for me.
	Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter cube set	I heard about Eagle Creek’s compression packing cubes, but it turns out these are just the regular packing cubes. These are the ones with compression.
	Reisenthel hanging toiletry organizer	This one is bulky since it has a particular shape that it maintains even when empty.

Personal care

Image	Name	Thoughts
	Kafka Kool Tie	It sounded like an easy way to beat the heat in some of the warmer European countries I’m going to, but after I soaked it in water, it ballooned into this monstrous thing that I couldn’t see myself carrying around for months.
	Packtowel robe towel	Even the smallest size was too big, and it weighed way too much for my taste. (I also opted out of a normal travel towel because most places I’m staying include towels with the room.)
	Travel bottles set	I felt too penned into a specific size of liquid containers with this, and they take up quite a bit of room. I’m comfortable starting off with a hotel-sized bottle of lotion and buying more as I run out.
	Vitamins	All these pills add up and weigh a ton. I think I’ll survive all right without them.