A portable bathtub for your luxe travel needs

You can read every last online review, but you really have no idea what a hotel room is going to be like until you arrive. So it may be just as well that you prep yourself to the best of your capability and a portable bathtub is at the top of that list.

Carina Deuschl has invented an XTEND bathtub that collapses to a mere third-of-aninch thick. You could easily fit that into the bottom of your car's trunk, or slide it into an especially large suitcase.

So how does the bathtub get so flat? A piece of strong but lightweight carbon fibre was cut into an intricate accordion pattern using a high-pressure water jet. When extended, and supported with a set of included legs, the 15-pound carbon fibre frame is strong enough to support not only a liner made from waterproof fabric, but a tub's worth of water too.

The XTEND tub also includes all of the basic plumbing you'll need to fill it, but that's a moot point because it doesn't appear as if Carina has any plans to put her tub into production. So the next time you're staying in a hotel, you're either going to have to hope that your room has a tub, or that this portable bathtub becomes a reality.