During CWsocial’s Zoom meeting this morning on Christmas Markets, we talked about packing as one of several topics. I offered to write up the details of what I brought last year for a 2-week trip to enable carry on plus being able to bring home 9 Christmas mugs, etc., so here is the list. This is what worked very well for me, and I will be packing the same for a 3-week Christmas Markets trip. Taking several trains is a large motivation for packing in this matter. My next trip will have 11 cities. : )
I brought my 2-wheel Eddie Bauer Expedition carry on, plus a sturdy empty backpack. Returning home, I still had some leftover room.
Specifically because this trip was traveling for Christmas Markets:
- A roll of bubblewrap - approximately 12” by 8” diameter. Very, very helpful!
- Kamik waterproof winter boots w/ inserts. My feet were never cold, and these were extremely comfortable for lots of standing & walking. (Our first two cities were cold, especially at night!)
- Women's Apres Arson II Winter Long Down Jacket. Loved this toasty silver coat with a cute hood.
- Gloves & hat. (Didn’t want a scarf & only wore the hat in the coldest cities.)
- Purse was a very small LeSportsac crossbody worn under my coat. Pretty much just my phone, reading glasses & some cash inside it.
- A shopping bag made of ripstop that rolls up into a ball.
Clothes, including worn on plane:
- Four 32 Degree long sleeve microthin scoop neck tops.
- One long sleeve quality weight t-shirt
- Two pairs of stretch waistband pants
- One 32 Degree under-layer pant
- Underwear & wool socks.
- Nightgown
- Two necklaces - one scarf for possible concerts/ nice restaurants.
Other items per normal packing light travel:
- Regular very lightweight toiletry kit & supplies
- IPad & itinerary papers
- Tom Bihn bedside travel tray with extra reading glasses, etc.
- Money belt worn at all times with passport, ATM & cc, and larger cash.
- Coffee sticks & individual nuts pkgs - protein & caffeine when needed.
- Purell individual sanitizer packs for trains, eating, etc.
Comments:
- Almost every photo we liked were ones we were wearing our coats outdoors. If you want to change it up, buy a different cute hat at a market.
- I typically wore 1-2 of the 32 Degree tops together each day with a cute necklace. I have complementary colors of them on purpose to double-layer & peek out secondary color. They dry very quickly overnight after sink-washing! When it was cold, I added the t-shirt or wore it separately.
- I did not bring a second pair of something for my feet except a Bombas slipper sock for hotel rooms, and I was fine.
- I did buy Euros before leaving for the trip, and I used almost all of them at the markets for food, items, etc.
- We brought chemical hand & feet warmers. My daughter used the hand ones; I didn’t use either.
- She brought a pair of sneakers in her carry on & used my bubble wrap, otherwise, we were very similar.