chollie

In my on-going quest for a bag that is light but still offers occasional protection for fragile/delicate items, I have taken to carrying (or, on occasion, purchasing at a local supermarket) cheap plastic containers (Glad makes them in a wide variety of sized). I even got a small Rubbermaid tub for my soft-sided checked bag for a trip to Madagascar. I also frequently carry a poster tube stuffed with small stuff - great for protecting very small or long thin fragiles, as well as the occasional item like an unframed piece of artwork.

I stuff them with socks/smalls/toiletries/whatever on the outbound. If necessary, I use them to protect fragile or delicate items on the return (or I just carry those items in a carry-on.

I do a lot of rural travelling, where it is not uncommon to buy something fragile at a street market where the only available wrapping is newspaper.