Going back to the UK to visit family and friends is always a highlight of our year, but for our trip this May, we decided to set ourselves a challenge: 100% Carry-on only.
As any seasoned traveller knows, travelling light is a dream until you realise you have to navigate the dreaded “100ml liquid rule.” Usually, our bags are clanking with tins of maple syrup and bottles of lavender linen mist from Quebec. But this time? Those favourites were strictly off-limits.
In this post, I want to share how we reinvented our gift-giving strategy for a three-week trip without checking a single bag. From a classic Canadian treat I found at the local supermarket for my mother, to the stunning, one-of-a-kind upcycled Kimono items Mai has been busy crafting in her studio, we’ve found that less weight doesn’t have to mean less heart.
And for those of you worried about coming home empty-handed—stick around until the end. I’ve got some great news about why our return flight from Heathrow is going to be a lot more “liquid-friendly” than the journey out!
🇯🇵 この記事を日本語で読む: 【実録】イギリスへ持参したカナダ土産。メープルクッキーから手作り着物リメイク雑貨まで：2026年5月
The “Carry-On Challenge”: Navigating Liquid Limits from Canada
For this three-week stint in the UK, we made a conscious choice to skip the baggage carousel and stick to carry-on luggage only. While the freedom of strolling past the luggage queues is brilliant, it does present a significant hurdle when you are departing from Canada: the strict security regulations regarding liquids, aerosols, and gels.
Leaving the “Liquid Heavy” Favourites Behind
Under the current Canadian air security rules, every liquid in your hand luggage must be in a container of 100ml or less, and all those containers must fit into a single, transparent, one-litre resealable plastic bag. This immediately put an end to our usual “go-to” gift list.
Maple syrup is, of course, the quintessential Canadian souvenir. If you head to the tourist shops, you can find tiny 100ml bottles specifically designed for air travel, but they come with a hefty “tourist tax” price tag. In our everyday life here in Quebec, we don’t buy those. We buy the classic, heavy tins that every local has in their kitchen—the kind that are packed with flavour but far exceed the 100ml limit. Normally, we would bring several of these back to the UK, but for this trip, they simply weren’t an option.
Finding the Perfect Treat for my Mum
This restriction hit particularly hard when it came to choosing gifts for my mother. In the past, we have always picked up beautifully scented lavender-infused hand soaps and linen mist sprays for her. There are some fantastic local producers here in Quebec, and those sprays are a lovely way to bring a bit of the Canadian countryside into her home in England.
However, since a full-sized bottle of hand soap or a mist spray would easily trigger a “bag search” at security, we had to put those favourites on hold. It meant I had to start from scratch and think of something entirely different for her—something that still felt like a treat from Canada but wouldn’t cause a headache at the airport. It forced us to look past the toiletries aisle and find something that would fit perfectly into our lightweight, “no-liquid” strategy.
For the Family: A Taste of Canada Without the Syrup Bottles
Since we couldn’t bring the heavy tins of syrup or the lavender mists for my mum this time, we had to get a bit more creative during our local shop. The goal was to find something that screamed “Canada” but was completely solid, lightweight, and—most importantly—delicious.
The Iconic Maple Cream Cookie
Our top pick for the family was the humble but iconic Maple Cream Cookie. If you’ve never had one, they are leaf-shaped sandwich biscuits with a rich, maple-flavoured cream filling. While they might seem simple, they are an absolute staple of Canadian life.
The beauty of these cookies for a carry-on traveller is threefold:
- Zero Liquids: They pass through security without a second glance.
- The “Dunking” Factor: As an Englishman, I know that the true test of any biscuit is how it fares when dunked into a hot cup of tea. These cookies have a sturdy crunch that stands up perfectly to a British cuppa, making them the ultimate cross-cultural treat.
- Local Value: This is a tip for anyone visiting: don’t buy these in the tourist shops or at the airport where you’ll pay a premium. If you head to a local Quebec supermarket, you can pick up a generous box for about $2 to $4 CAD. It’s an affordable way to bring a genuine taste of Canada back home without breaking the bank.
By shifting our focus to these “dry” alternatives, we’ve managed to pack a bag full of Canadian flavours and scents without a single bottle or tin in sight. It turns out that when you can’t rely on the usual suspects, you find some rather brilliant new favourites that fit perfectly into a cabin bag.
For Our Friends: One-of-a-Kind Upcycled Kimono Gifts
When it came to gifts for our friends, we wanted something that felt personal and reflected our unique blend of cultures. This is where Mai’s creativity really saved the day. Since we were avoiding liquids, textiles became our “secret weapon” for packing light whilst still giving something incredibly special.
Handmade with Heart in Quebec
Mai has been busy in her studio, Mai Yamamoto Boutique, creating beautiful items from vintage Japanese Kimono silk. Because these are made of fabric, they are the ultimate carry-on gift: they weigh next to nothing, they aren’t fragile, and you can even use them as extra padding for other items in your bag!
For this trip, Mai has made a series of bespoke silk pouches. What makes these extra special is that she chose specific Kimono fabrics based on each friend’s favourite colours. It’s a lovely way to combine a piece of Japanese heritage with a personal touch that shows we’ve really thought about them, all whilst keeping our luggage light and manageable.
A Gift for the Creative Soul
This “textile strategy” actually grew out of a successful gift we gave last year. We have a very dear friend in the UK who loves sewing as much as Mai does. For her, we decided to gift the “raw potential” of the fabric itself.
Mai took the time to carefully unpick a vintage Kimono, washing and pressing the silk panels until they were pristine. Giving a fellow maker a stack of high-quality, authentic Japanese silk to use in her own projects was a massive hit. It’s a wonderful way to share a piece of heritage in a form that respects the recipient’s own craft.
By choosing these upcycled fabric gifts, we aren’t just following the airport rules—we’re sharing something that was made by hand, with care, in the very place we live. It’s a much more meaningful connection than anything we could have picked up in a rush at the duty-free counter.
Bonus: Why the Flight Home is a “Liquid Win” (Heathrow 2026)
As of 2026, the travel landscape at London Heathrow has changed significantly. Thanks to the rollout of next-generation CT security scanners, the old, frustrating 100ml limit is finally becoming a thing of the past. At the terminals equipped with this new tech, passengers can now carry up to two litres of liquid in their hand luggage. No more tiny plastic bags, and no more stripping your bag bare at the security tray!
Putting it to the Test
Since this will be our first time experiencing these new rules firsthand, we’re going to put it to the test. It almost feels too good to be true after years of decanting shampoo into tiny bottles, but we’re planning to walk through security with our return treats in tow to see if we really can board without a hitch.
This is a massive “win” for our return leg to Canada. It means we don’t have to worry about our carry-on-only rule when it comes to bringing back a few British essentials that we simply can’t find in Quebec.
Top of our list for the flight home:
- Artisan Chutney: You haven’t lived until you’ve had a proper British chutney or a spicy mango variety with your cheese and crackers. Since these are “gels,” they were always the first thing to be confiscated in the past—but not this year!
- Reliable Sunscreen: We have our favourite brands from the UK that we trust for our upcoming travels, and being able to bring back a full-sized bottle without checking a bag is a game-changer.
A Final Tip for the Road
While Heathrow has embraced this new technology, remember that not every airport is there yet. If your journey involves a domestic transfer once you land back in Canada, you might still run into the old 100ml restrictions at those local security checkpoints.
But for our direct hop back across the Atlantic? We’ll be boarding that plane with our bags a little heavier, our hearts a little fuller, and several jars of top-tier chutney safely tucked between Mai’s fabric scraps. We’ll be sure to report back on how the “liquid-friendly” experience actually goes!
Conclusion
In the end, travelling carry-on only isn’t just about saving time at the airport; it’s about being intentional. By leaving the heavy liquids behind, we’ve made room for gifts that truly mean something—from a simple taste of Canadian daily life to handmade silk pieces crafted with care in our Quebec home.
We’re off to the UK with light bags and high spirits. I’ll be sure to update you all on how that Heathrow “liquid test” goes on the way back. Until then, happy travels!
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