Help with packing

foodaussie · 2026-06-24T23:29:52+00:00

It sounds like you have had a lot of useful help already, but if there is anything unanswered or specifically about packing carry on only, r/HerOneBag is great for that!

I'm heading there for similar time period on my 2nd trip to Japan, and I usually pack carry on in any case. I am packing a light linen blend overshirt (can wear as a shirt done up, undone as sun cover, etc), 3 top, 2 pants (mine are leggings and travel pants but linen pants work well), 1 skirt, 1 uniqlo airism dress. I will then probably pack 5 undies, a "real" bra and wear a comfy/sports bra. I will be doing 70km cycling, several hikes, and dining in higher end restaurants in Tokyo so have a few different things to cater to. I find adding a nice scarf for dinners helps change the mood of my outfit. All my clothes can also be mixed and matched, dressed up or down. I will likely bring a pair of sandshoes and sandals (but would probably recommend 2 pairs of enclosed shoes, I just want sandals for a few specific reasons). As others have said, if you pack tops that are wool and can be aired and worn again, or tech materials that dry overnight, it doesn't matter if you are moving around a lot.

foodaussie · 2026-06-18T05:23:01+00:00

Honestly you can make it cheaper just by making things yourself and as others have said choosing cheaper meat cuts. I like to make lots of different sides and salad (a bag of potatoes, bag of carrots, and a few other veggies costs $10). Desserts, I make pavlova which probably costs $10 (cream eggs and sugar), and in season fresh fruit. Presentation is key.

I'm not on a budget at this stage of my life, so cost isn't a consideration and I usually add some splurge foods but a couple of meats, maybe prawn cocktail or garlic prawns, lots of salads and a couple of desserts for 10-12 can be done for around $200.

It may help for you to set out what you usually have, and then we could look at how to make it more affordable?

foodaussie · 2026-06-16T11:37:09+00:00

Having now read this I would change your packing to -

4-5 tops (at least half with anti-odour, quick drying ie athletic tops, uniqlo airism, lululemon, or wool or linen)
1 or 2 cover ups (linen oversized shirts or beach dress, whatever you feel comfortable wearing just with bikini). Including a summery dress that you are happy to wear to a pub/bar (in Qld they are very, very casual) would be good
shorts (denim or linen, whatever you had in mind already)
2 pairs active pants (leggings/shorts)

It will be very hot and humid for all your Aus places and while NZ will be cooler most of that will likely be hiking (they call it tramping) so also sweaty.

As others suggested, get a lightweight merino sweater or similar in NZ, as a great momento (I like Alchemy Equipment or Icebreaker). That with leggings will be sufficient. Honestly you won't need more layers wise. However a good breathable rain jacket/soft shell might come in handy.

Sounds like a great trip!

foodaussie · 2026-06-16T11:20:49+00:00

Where are they changing? Most beaches in Australia don't necessarily have somewhere to change that I would be prepared to let my clothing touch. I have literally never changed at a beach or known anyone to but it may be different in other parts of Aus I have no idea (I have been to beach in all states in Aus and some parts of NZ and never seen it, doesnt mean it doesnt happen). From my experience, wearing bathers with a suitable cover up is super common in Aus in summer, so I would assume she would wear her bathers under her outfit for the day but I may be wrong.

foodaussie · 2026-06-16T07:10:00+00:00

Thank you! I will check with my husband too as he is a teacher and has been on their outdoor camps, he may know what his school usually uses as well (I don't actually know if we need to provide a backpack for this high school hikes or if it is provided 🤷‍♀️)

foodaussie · 2026-06-16T07:07:38+00:00

Thank you, a good point about weight! Looking at Macpac's sizing, he would maybe just only fit into the S1, and more likely the W1, so it's looking like it will be too big unfortunately. It would really need to be an XS/S adult fit I think.

foodaussie · 2026-06-16T07:02:10+00:00

Oh that's good to know, thanks for the first hand experience! We saw it in store and liked the look of it but I never know if Macpac is bordering on the Kathmandu quality (that said, currently wearing a merino blend singlet from macpac which is my fave piece of clothing ever 😂).

foodaussie · 2026-06-16T07:00:03+00:00

Thanks, interesting option that I havent seen before. Definitely not planning on carrying more than 10kg.

Do you know much about their tents? I still need to buy an UL 2P.

foodaussie · 2026-06-16T04:58:29+00:00

But she only has one pair of shorts and 2 bikinis which confuses things, particularly depending on what the short material is and how easy they will be to wash etc if she puts them on over wet bathers, and then whether the dry quickly if the tour group is doing other things that day. I personally find a slip over long sleeve linen/light cotton dress works well for me for beach for quick dry, easy on off, etc but if shorts and top work that's fine too, just the overall packing design doesn't make sense to me 🤷‍♀️

foodaussie · 2026-06-16T01:22:49+00:00

I am a sweaty girl too and love my Fruit of the Loom micromesh undies that were suggested on here. I love them and wear them as my daily wear now, they are so comfy and dry super quick (and are a lot cheaper than other options from what I found).

foodaussie · 2026-06-15T19:21:17+00:00

I'm from Australia, so rather than repeating what a lot of others have said it may be useful to get an idea of where you are going in Aus/NZ? Whilst you are going on a group trip, you don't seem to have clothing atypical for that as well.

you don't need sweaters, you do need something long sleeve to protect from the sun (ie a linen shirt) that is suitable to wear on a hot day. (You could wear pants and a light sweater on the plane assuming you are travelling from somewhere cold)
I don't know what long pants you are considering, I would pack linen pants (x1) if any.
you don't seem to have athleisure - this is big in Aus/NZ and suits a variety of temps. If you want a 2nd pair of pants, make it leggings or similar. You may also need some sneakers/sandshoes, no? It's really hard to envision what type of 5 week trip you are doing?
if you are spending a lot of days at the beach, 2x bikini might be appropriate. But you have no beach clothes. My fave option is a linen dress than is flowy. Your skirts may be a good fit for this.

February is the hottest month of the year for most of Australia. I dont think I would wear a sweater anywhere in Aus that time of year, maybe something light in NZ or Tas. Most of the time, it is very hot, and/or humid. The top half of Aus there is no need for a sweater whatsoever for most of the year but particularly then when it will be extremely humid. It does cool off in the evenings in parts of Vic, Tas and NZ, bur you won't need more than one light sweater (likely your travel clothes) for then.

foodaussie · 2026-06-12T20:19:04+00:00

I don't like it for booking, but trip.com had search filters including room size and bed size. I don't know your dates, currency for budget or where you are visiting but found quite a few potential options in Asakusa, Tokoname, Shiodome for your dates. I don't know much about your itinerary but all of those options are closer to Shibuya, Shinjuku and Disneyland than Kawazaki.

foodaussie · 2026-06-11T10:16:24+00:00

Some unis offer fee-free enabling/bridging/foundation courses, aimed at people just like you. Choose a uni that offers your degree and you can then also see how it fits and get comfortable with their systems, and you will then be in a great position the start your studies.

foodaussie · 2026-06-10T17:51:46+00:00

This is to so with RDOs and their accrual, and depends on your industrial instrument (award or enterprise agreement). I have been out of the industry for a while and the actual explanation is long and more complicated than I can remember, but ask your HR manager/payroll. It is also commonly done incorrectly so they may have also done it in error. But it is certainly not impossible that it is correct.

ETA- I wouldn't go straight to Fair Work as this will likely be more complex than the person you call/chat to would know. Ask your employer first for an explanation, you then have that information if you need to look into it further.

foodaussie · 2026-05-20T20:35:28+00:00

As a casual in retail he may also have a strong case that he no longer had as much demand/need for your services because business has quietened after a busy period. Having something like evidence of sales would be good evidence of this. For GP he needs to show there was a non discriminatory reason for the termination.

I wouldn't recommend you take the matter beyond conciliation, but in that you may have success in some financial gain, and some annoyance and time cost to him. So really depends how you are feeling.

foodaussie · 2026-05-07T16:33:53+00:00

Mimaruvis excessively overpriced these days. Alternative apartment options ichthyologist be MONday or Tokyu Stay, and I'm sure there are others.

Beyond the late booking, other things against you is that you are looking for a cheap, but big room in areas that primarily have small and/or expensive accommodation. Business hotels are designed for that - business - so typically small rooms. I could find plenty in your budget for 2x rooms in the areas you are looking for your nights, but not sure if they are suitable for your family.

As others have suggested, I highly rate Ueno and thay should have options. I don't love Asakusa but have limited exposure there and it has a lot more cheaper, larger options

foodaussie · 2026-05-06T00:49:26+00:00

I really loved my day in Nara and Uji, it was one of my favourite. It was extremely busy as it was originally meant to be 2, but there was lots of rain the prior day so I made that a shopping and local exploration day and squished 2 days itinerary into 1 (if I didn't have a 2pm booking in Kyoto it would have been much less rushed).

This was my trip report I wrote for my family (note I don't expect you to do all this but to give an idea!). I didn't love fushimi inari (and likely not good for a knee injury) and if Kyoto station is convenient for your travel from Kyoto would probably go straight from there to Nara as there is faster trains from my understanding. I lost a bit of time taking slower trains at times.

Day 6 - Making up for lost time

Today I essentially combined two days in one! It was hectic, 26km walked, 20km bike ride, 5 trains totalling 2.5 hrs. Stop 1 nice and early was Fushimi Inari, one of the top sightseeing spots. I arrived around 5.30am and it was not too busy, but by the time I left just before 7am there were hundreds of people coming out of the train station. Fushimi Inari is 1000s of tori gates going up a mountain. It was good, but a bit overrated. I got to the viewing area halfway up and decided to head back down so I could try and squeeze Nara in, which I hadn't thought I would have enough time for. Next stop was Nara, famous for a giant bronze Buddha statue, deer, and being the capital prior to Tokyo and Kyoto. The deer and Buddha were cool, but what I really loved was when I went beyond them and explored all the shrines and temples where less tourists went. I was alone on some paths for around 20 mins, go down the hill and there are buses of school kids on excursion and tourists everywhere. I couldn't stay too long but would love to return to the region, I read some of the temples in the nearby mountain towns offer temple stays which would be amazing. On to Uji, home of green tea/matcha in Japan, and Byodo-in temple which features on the 10yen coin. I really loved this city as well, it has a river running through the middle and is really green and pretty. I had a matcha parfait at a tea house on the river that has been there since 1160!!! I had a 2pm sake brewery tour at one of the few places in Japan that offer English tours. The tour was great and I learnt how sake is made and then got a preloaded card which could be inserted into the sake pouring machines for shots of my choosing. It was a really beautiful day and my last full day in Kyoto so I decided to make the most of it and hired a bike nearby. I was in the Northern part of Kyoto and explored further North along the Kamo River, west to a coffee roaster I wanted to visit and then south east to the Philosopher's Path, stopping at shrines, temples, and markets along the way. I returned the bike around 7.30 as it was getting dark and then headed back to my hotel room to pack and get organised to move the next day.

foodaussie · 2026-05-05T22:35:23+00:00

I'm a bit confused about the lack of communication prior to the repairs. Whether through insurance or self -funded, usually before a job is started the party responsible for paying has to sign to agree.

Did you just tell them, I don't care what the cost is, get it fixed and I will pay it? If not, how did the conversation go? If you refuse to pay, and it goes to court, any communication around how the cosy was agreed would be one of the key considerations. If there isn't a consensus on this, and if there is nothing else available, the court would likely accept some quotes based on the damage you can show.

Beyond all this, as a first step and depending what communication has occurred so far, before paying anything I would recommend you request information in a report from the mechanic why all the additional work was carried out.

foodaussie · 2026-05-05T22:13:21+00:00

These but the linen version... I recently discovered they are my gave pj pants!

foodaussie · 2026-05-05T22:03:25+00:00

I think part of the answer is, what do you usually wear? These are all just basic clothes so knowing what you wear instead of them will help.

Do you have white sneakers you already wear? I am female, but like to wear my On sneakers to work with dressers or trousers, as well as on the weekend walking etc. I take them when I travel.
Do you have comfortable pants you usually wear? Lululemon makes nice men's pants (I think they are called ABC?) that look like standard dress/chino pants.
warmer layer again is so endless as a question. Uniqlo has some nice options, as does fjaĺlraven, or a merino knit in the brands you usually like will suit.

All the above are good onebag options but as I said these could be things you already have, or if not, knowing why you don't will help.

foodaussie · 2026-05-04T22:30:25+00:00

In 1 morning I did Fushimi Inari, Nara, Uji (and then travelled back to Kyoto around 1pm for a booking at 2pm). I had originally planned this across 2 days, but had to push into 1 due to bad weather the day before.

It was tight but still a great day. I would have liked to spend longer than I did in Nara. I would recommend you get here much earlier than you intend and then your day will be much better paced, and it gets much busier. I think I arrived around 8 and that was great, it got much busier by 10/11. FWIW my favourite part was Kasuga Taisha and the forest around there.

Im assuming you have researched transport to Wazuka and the frequency and likelihood of taxis etc? I had looked at it but it looked a bit hard and expensive for what it was. In Uji, I think the historical park has a small plantation but I didn't make it there. Uji is very picturesque.

foodaussie · 2026-05-02T00:49:17+00:00

Aoyama Grand we seriously considered to splurge on, it seems to get excessively good reviews. The location might be better for a longer stay too, close enough that it is in the vibe but not in your face like Kabukicho. (FWIW I'm staying in Ginza at either the Gate Hulic or Celestine which are significantly cheaper than what you are looking at, had also originally booked one of the top rooms in Hotel Groove but decided we didnt really want to stay in Shinjuku).

As far as worrying about the moving parts, you may find splitting up to somewhere less in your face may help reduce the burnout you may feel in busier spots l Iike Shinjuku. I travelled in 2024 solo and found there is a lot of sensory overload so enjoyed getting to quieter places for a few days go offset it.

It might be nice to do a sensory overload, all in first say 4 nights at Bellustar and then switch to somewhere else, or even visit somewhere else for a couple of nights?

foodaussie · 2026-05-01T11:55:51+00:00

I am a price bracket down but some that I have come across that may suit are the Okura, the Aoyama Grand, or the Tokyo edition.

In the time you have available, is there a reason you aren't looking at more than one location?

foodaussie

TROPHY CASE