Am I a sucker for packing like this?

Q I’m flying for the first time with Ryanair and I’m just taking everything as cabin baggage: a roll-along case for inside the plane which also allows me to take a small bag that can fit under the seat in front of me.

The first question is about my baggage weight allowance of 10kg. Does this mean 10kg in total for the two bags, or is the small bag that I’m allowed to put under the seat in front of me a separate weight?

My main case will have all my clothes I think I will need for my three-week stay. I am putting them into two vacuum-packed bags, and will use my Hoover to suck out the air in the bags, thus reducing the volume and allowing them to fit in my bag. When I go through security will they open my vacuum bags up? I am worried about this as there is no way I could get my clothes back in the case without the help of a Hoover.

Name withheld

A Ryanair has changed its cabin-baggage policy twice this year, most recently shrinking the amount that people can take on board flights without paying extra: a handbag, laptop bag or small backpack measuring no more than 40x20x25cm. As you have chosen to pay extra for Priority Boarding, this means you can take an additional, much larger bag measuring 55x40x20cm, with a weight limit of 10kg. There is no specified weight for the second piece.

It’s a neat trick using vacuum-sealed bags to pack your clothes, but as a former security screener at Gatwick airport I don’t advise it. Security officers are trained to investigate any contents of cabin baggage that look unusual – and vacuum-packed clothes might well trigger a hand inspection of your property.

The unfortunate consequence is that you may not be able to pack the contents back into your bag after the check. That is not the concern of the security staff. You would in those circumstances presumably arrive at the gate with a small bag, a large bag and a quantity of clothing that you can’t shove back in. Not a good look, and potentially expensive if staff decree that one of your bags must go in the hold.

For a trip to an island with a benign climate such as Malta, I can’t imagine you will need many clothes even for a three-week stay, so I suggest you take a critical look at your packing list and leave half the clothes behind.

Every day, our travel correspondent, Simon Calder, tackles a reader’s question. Just email yours to s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder