Just because I love reading other women's packing reports, I wanted to reciprocate! This was a 6-night, 3 location trip in Mainz, Heidelberg & near Frankfurt.
I bought a new Samsonite 2-wheeler, it only weights 2.5 KG, (4 LBS). (made mostly from recycled materials which I liked). I really wanted a lighter weight carry-on, both for LH weight restrictions & frequent trips. I fly 3x RT across the Atlantic a year, plus a few European trip, so it was worth the cost. This 2-wheel bag worked very well, I was able to easily get on & off multiple trains and walk to hotels. I was careful not to pack the outside full-opening compartment, so it didn’t bulge out past LH restrictions. The one thing I didn’t like was the lack of side handles, only one on top, but the large zipper compartment on outside was convenient for paperwork and quick access to i-pad. https://www.outnorth.com/int/brands/samsonite/ecodiver-duffle-wh-underseater-45-cm-192669-P426-0751.
My big takeaway on packing was to think even further ahead, (Thanks JEAN!) so I could ponder what to skip, & to get the weight of the liquids down to a minimum. Thanks to multiple posters for idea to use contact lens case for makeup and lotion! I skipped bringing hiking boots (debated about walking at Heidelberg Castle, but couldn’t justify it for one day). That turned out to be the right decision. Just wore my trainers & had flip flops to rest my feet in evenings. Both hotels gave me a bag of ice each evening & I double-bagged it in zip lock bags, it worked well on aching knees. Left my down pillow at home to save space, (sad emoji). Total bag weighed 6KG when I checked weight at airport, 13.3 LBS, before I took out my i-pad and phone charger for flight.
We lucked out on weather, it had been rainy & chilly but the week was warmer and clear! Including airplane outfit, I took 1 pair black and one pair blue Dynama Mt Hardware pants, 2 lightweight long sleeved tops & 3 short-sleeved T-shirts (those of you who know about my search for the Perfect Travel Blouse won’t be surprised to hear they were all Lucky Brand shirts), a new windbreaker, PJ bottoms & top for evenings, a tiny first aid kit, limited meds, & even smaller amount of basic makeup in mini sandwich bag. 4 pairs of knickers from Soma, 2 bras, which was nice because it got warm, good to have an extra. I took a Costco packable puffer coat as well, which I needed in the evenings. I like to look OK on flights, so wore my fav button down striped Lucky Brand cotton shirt & cashmere scarf, & everything I took was in blue or blue / black patterned, all in one packing cube. I also took an Eddie Bauer compression bag, dirty clothes just take up more space coming home. My bag was never full, which felt somehow good. One taxi driver commented that ‘usually women pack much more stuff.” HA. I didn’t see anyone on LH checking to see how big carry-on bags were, but they did double check the people seated in exit aisle and asked them to check their bags if larger.
In my personal item I carried passport, inflatable seat cushion, ear plugs, meds, phone charger, cord, & wallet. I switched to an old pair of AirPods from usual BOSE headset, though I would have preferred to take them even on shorter flights, it would just have been extra weight to haul around. Basically, it all worked out. I only wore my black pants one day, but hey it’s good to have a backup pair, for those of you who know my story of the hole-in-pocket-from-hair dryer story from Rome. Thanks to many of you who've contributed ideas here, they've been really helpful!
Trip report coming soon..... And here it is! https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/6-nights-in-germany-mainz-heidelberg-heidelberg-was-gorgeous