Lightweight clothes and shoes for lots of walking

Cargo pants are always in style.
You can buy ones with zipper legs so you shorts/long pants in one.

I only take one pair of shoes--on my feet.
I find that I need shoes that work well on pavement and on cobblestone/trail.
Mephisto is my go to brand. But, be prepared for the $300 price tag.

Consider a Patagonia Nano Puff® Jacket instead of your rain jacket.
It compacts extremely well and is lightweight.

I should probably add that I’m female. I don’t wear cargo pants. Usually just jeans, leggings or chinos or slacks (at work). Since I’m traveling alone, I won’t be going out at night (other than wandering around in well lit, touristy areas, so I don’t plan to take a dress or skirt.

Take a look at sites such as Eddie Bauer, LL Bean and Columbia for light weight pants and shirts - I use Eddie Bauer Travelex pants for my travels and they are not only light weight, but they can be washed in the sink and dried overnight hanging in the bathroom. I'm able to travel with just 2 pairs for a 4 week trip that way. If you get them in black or navy, they go with everything and don't show the dirt.

Wear your heaviest boots/shoes and outer (i.e. rain/wind shell) jacket when boarding the aircraft.

If you need an insulating jacket/sweater, the lightest would be a Patagonia Micro Puff advertised at 7.3 oz.

Ripstop nylon hiking pants are light and fast drying.

I like leggings. I prefer a school backpack for my personal item, with my purse inside. Last June, when I tried the crossbody purse full of stuff idea, I hurt my neck and it's only now getting well.

I’m using a backpack as my carryon item, I don’t think 2 backpacks would be easy to carry, which is why I was thinking of a crossbody bag for my personal item.

I bought pants that are very light weight and do not look like hiking pants at a North Face outlet. I bought some capri pants at Outdoor World. So I would check outdoor stores for light weight clothes.

April can be tricky, lows 40's-50's. Highs 60's-70's.

Here's what I'd wear on the plane. Jeans, long sleeve T, sweater, raincoat & heaviest shoes.

Usually travel for a month, generally have access to W/D.

Packing.. I use the smallest carry on possible. mix of 6 long& short sleeve shirts, (if it's cold I'll layer one of each with sweater. Fabric content is key.
2 Capri , 2-3 legging, 1 nice sweat pants, sometimes a sweat shirt) these can double as PJs. Light weight wool socks, undies. Scarf.

For a personal item consider a beach bag,
It will hold your purse, extra pair of shoes, 3/1/1 bag, any meds plus electronics and if you plan on shopping for gifts they'll all fit.

I do take a pair of Sketchers or Dudes https://www.heydudeshoesusa.com/collections/womens?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3ZaA6P2f5wIVDdvACh0USQI4EAAYASABEgJZUPD_BwE
and a pair of sturdier shoes I wear on the plane.

No, I'm no longer tiny and comfortable clothing is essential.

Edit: With a backpack try rolling your clothing, heaviest items at the bottom of the pack. Definitely do a practice pac and put it on to see if it's comfortable.

I like the idea of wearing jeans, sweater etc on the plane in case I need them. I figured I’d wait until a few days before I leave (March 31) to make final decisions, but the lighter the better. I know I’ll get nervous/anxious when I get to Rome and have to figure out the train to Florence, so streamlining my luggage will mean one less worry.

I ditched the purse along time ago so I could carry a small, light backpack [mine is made by Patagonia]. Heavy purses started to hurt my shoulders. For my valuables, I wear light-weight travel vests- with inside zipper pockets, made by Scottevest and Exofficio.

My phone is on a neck-strap case made by Bandolier.

I usually plan on four outfits, one of which I wear on the plane. I do like leggings, paired with longer tops. They are quick drying after washing. I have a packable, full-length rain coat, and a packable down jacket. At the end of my trip, I usually throw away my sleep clothes, underwear, and one other clothing item- this gives me space for shopping. Good luck- This mode has worked well for me.

Safe travels!

PS
Have been to Italy a few times in April, and it is a weather "shoulder season": spring one day, rain the next, and then a winter-like day. Unless you're indoors, most of your pix will be taken wearing your outer wear.
Have a great time!

Depending on your arrival time, there are 2 direct trains from the airport station to Florence.
10:53 and 13:53. Otherwise use the Leonardo Express to Roma Termini and the next high speed train to Firenze SMN. Purchasing both tickets at the airport will simplify your forward travel.

Use this site to look up times before you arrive.

https://www.trenitalia.com/content/tcom/en.html

Firstly: congratulations on planning and doing a solo trip!
I've done lots of solo trips to Italy, and it's very easy.
Layers are the key.
I took Naturalizers brand laceups, which are like Skechers, on my last trip to Italy.
I found them way too hot for my feet, so I think I would take a good pair of supportive running shoes if it were me.
So many to choose from, but maybe a pair you already own?
No one is looking at you, and you want to be as comfy as possible!

One of the most frustrating things about trying to find lightweight clothing and shoes is that the weight is rarely posted with the info about them. Vendor reps rarely know and can't seem to find out the garment weight either.

I usually take a kitchen scale with me when shopping. It's also great for weighing what I already have.

To keep track of the weight you plan to pack (and wear), you can download the pictures from online or take a picture of what you already have. You can edit the picture to add basic information, including weight, right on the picture.

Using those pictures, you can create an album for your potential travel clothes. Creating a 2nd album for specific trips helps to organize the possibles. That album should get smaller as the possibles become definites, or not.

I started all this detailed weighing after seeing the Sarah Murdoch travel talk called Packing Light & Right.

Do you know exactly how much your lightweight backpack weighs? Only by knowing that for sure will you know how much weight you can put in it and still be able to meet your weight limit.

A hand held luggage scale that's in kilos and pounds is great for weighing both the empty and the packed bag. It's also good for weighing things that are too big or awkward to weigh on the kitchen scale.

Looking back to your previous posts, I see that you are going to the Tuscany area in April. Have you checked the weather on timeanddate.com? There you can see the data from past Aprils for many years, not just averages. The link is to April 2019 in Firenze. You can use the drop down box to choose other years. Be sure to scroll down the results. The data is presented in different ways.

I try to not have any pants without pockets. I don't put anything important in the pockets, just things like lipbalm or cough drops or tissues.

These Mountain Hardwear Dynama pants are my latest travel purchase. Pull up, good pockets, big enough to go over long johns if needed, easy wash and quick dry, fun ankle adjustment. At only 8 oz, they will be going to Ireland with me. I get Long ones, 34" inseam. That's as close to leggings as I'll ever get.

Now about the shoes. Shoes are the most important thing to get right, especially if you'll be adding an extra 18+ pounds to your feet at least part of the time. You'll get lots of suggestions. Below are mine.

No matter the weather I wear lace up light boots for hours of walking and standing, just over the ankle or higher.

These high topped Ahnu Montaras are 28 oz for the pair. Sounds like a lot, but weigh the shoes you normally wear to compare. I've worn these or my gray pair in all kinds of weather and over all kinds of terrain for a total of about 15 weeks in Istanbul, Greece, Italy, the UK and Scandinavia.

These ankle high Teva Arrowoods are a bit lighter at 24 oz for the pair. I wore these 5+ weeks in Amsterdam, Portugal and Spain last summer.

These Abeo Adinas are 20 oz for the pair. I'll be taking these to Ireland for 3+ weeks in May. They've been working out well with all my local testing.

Have fun with the shopping, including that in your own closet. And remember that if well coordinated, 3 pairs of pants and 4 tops = 12 outfits. And scarves make easily washed spaghetti sauce shields.

LOL,

Lo I'm constantly spilling! One of the reasons I take 7 shirts and a scarf. 😂 Old age is starting, hopefully I don't start drooling.

My go-tos are now Sketchers unless I am in need of hiking boots. I buy all of my shoes online at Zappos, Nordstrom, or Amazon due to no shipping charges each way. I often buy 3 pairs at a time if I am worried about fit.

My Columbia pants are my faves. I buy the Titanium hiking pant (expensive but last for years) and the Saturday Trail pant. You can wear them for several days between washings. They dry in no time and weigh almost nothing. I take tights to wear if there is a cold snap. My Columbia Montrail tees are super lightweight, too. Fabulous brand and their Rewards plan is top-notch.

I second packing leggings with long tops. I fit 3 pair of leggings in RS small packing cube and wore the 4th. Since you have a lighter weight restriction than Delta, 3 pair will work and take less space than a pair of jeans. I also took an extra pair of shoes and sandals. I could have done without the sandals but not the extra pair of shoes. My difficult feet like change. Layer your tops. Last May was cold and rainy in Italy, some days I wore a tank top, shirt, cashmere cardigan and lightweight jacket, then added a rain poncho. (But I live in Phoenix and anything below 75* is cold.)
I had neck problems too with a medium size crossbody purse. But I can’t think of what would work better for you since you will have a backpack as a carryon. Maybe an extra small crossbody purse for everyday necessities and a convertible tote like RS Veloce Shoulder bag so you can use it as a tote for travel days or day pack?

Spelling error corrected; they drive me crazy.

I suggest you weigh your favorite clothes...ones you already have, and chose from them. You want clothes you will be comfortable in. If you are allowed a personal item with the 18 pound carryon, then by all means put the electronics and heavier items in your personal item, which I gather is a crossbody purse. Personally, I think a crossbody purse is the best for use during the day after arrival...you can take your heavy items out of it once you've arrived your location, so you likely won't need to worry about the purse bothering your shoulder.

Clothes: Layer. Packed: I suggest 2 short sleeve and 2 long sleeve tops. Pack two slacks or leggings. I usually pack 7 socks and unders, and 2 bras. I seldom pack an extra pair of shoes, but when I did, they were Unstructured Clarks, which are very light. Pack everything else you want to add that are not clothes; ie, toiletries, first aid, etc. Weigh your bag so you can decide if you can and want to add extras: another piece of clothing, scarves, or jewelry pieces, etc. Wear your jacket, your under-outer; ie, vest or sweater, and another tee or blouse, JEANS, and heaviest shoes...if you are packing a pair. I think you might be surprised that you can pack quite a bit in 18 pounds. In my Purse/personal item, I have my electronics, meds, paperwork, financials and 311 bag.

Read the posts under Packing on this sight. There are many, many techniques and no particularly right way.

Are you only concerned about the 18 pound Lufthansa limit (i.e. any other flights ?)

You can put stuff in your coat pockets especially if they have zippers or snap closures. You may look like the Michelin man walking onto the plane, but they don't weigh you. Carry a light nylon laundry bag and stuff your pocket stuff into that once you are on the plane.

I’m getting such great responses, which is making me more confident already. Thank you. How do I find posts here specifically about packing? Or really, any specific topic. That would probably help a great deal.

As previously suggested, look through your current closet to see if there are things you can take that are already comfortable to you. I have packed last minute clothing items that I never wore on a trip because I hadn't worn them enough to find out I was comfortable. Same goes with shoes - I think you said you're traveling in early April, so now is the time to settle on shoes, order them, and break them in.

If you live in a location that has thrift shops or consignment stores, you may be able to find workable items that are not specialty "travel" clothes (e.g., I have several pairs of NYDJ jeans that are 80% cotton and dry overnight, unless it is very humid). Check labels for fabric content, test wash and dry them at home to see how they fare. Look at the Vivienne Files web page for ideas about how to build a capsule wardrobe https://www.theviviennefiles.com/ Plan to have items that work as layers. And make sure your coat suits the potential weather - something wind/waterproof is essential.

To answer your most recent question, here's the part of the forum that is just about packing https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/packing and here's the page with packing tips https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/packing-light

One note of caution . . Someone mentioned going with just the shoes on your feet. I think that’s a bad idea, especially since your trip is at a time when you may very well experience rain.

I agree with Rosalyn above, you’ll want to take at least one extra pair of shoes in case one gets wet.

Regarding your question about Allbirds, I absolutely LOVE mine! (All 3 pair) I have the new flats and they are by far the best flat I’ve ever worn, and I have high arches and a narrow foot. But size UP one full size for the flats. I also have the tree runners (tennis shoes w/ laces) and they are my go to shoe. I wear them almost every day. Super lightweight and dry fairly quickly. I’d size up maybe a 1/2 size, especially if you’re going to wear a sock (I don’t wear socks with them in summer and they are still so comfy).

As a bonus they are eco friendly and come in minimal packaging, plus their customer service is great.

Have a great trip!

...extra pair of shoes in case one gets wet.

I get by during the winter with one pair of (low top) waterproof (Gore-tex liner) hiking shoes. I treat the exterior with a Nikwax water repellent finish. (I don;t count my ski boots as a second pair). The low top boots are lighter than more serious hiking/trekking boots but have a good traction sole for winter walking. (I do pack boot traction chains but you will not need them in urban areas or three season travel.

KRS, there is a packing forum that is helpful. You will find it on the forum homepage under Tips, https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/packing
Also on RS’s website menu you will see Travel Tips and there you will find Packing Light, https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/packing-light
Lots of good info. Since I was new to packing light, I used a food scale to weigh all my clothes and then weighed my bags as packed. It’s a process getting everything you want to take into the allowable space and weight, so don’t get upset if you have do several test packs. Packing cubes really help keep things organized. There are many threads on the packing forum about those. I finally took the adage “when in doubt, leave it out” to heart but it was difficult. You can always shop in Italy and have great souvenirs or interesting stories to tell.
Kathy