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Packing report for sunny skies, 6 nights in Germany

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

Posted by
9556 posts

Thanks, Sandancisco! Nice packing report and I'm so glad everything worked! I do like that Samsonite bag; especially that lovely yellow color! Although I can totally see that particular color picking up dirt and scuff marks quite easily. But it looks nice, and the weight can't be beat.

I don't blame you for leaving the hiking boots behind. I've given up on mine, and just take a pair of water-resistance walking shoes, and my lightweight Hey Dude slip ons that are so comfy. If I were a heavy hiker, I'd rethink that but I'm not. Can't wait to read the trip report!

Posted by
5825 posts

Nice bag! Love the weight and the recycled materials.

"limited meds" - this one is "weighing me down." Each time I think I'll lighten up on my travel pharmacy, I get a cold on a trip and I'm grateful to have a starter set of meds. I almost whittled down my supply of cough drops, and it's good that I didn't as I needed them on this trip! If I'm in a big city, I can restock. But this tour included tiny villages where the only "pharmacy" was a mini market with some aspirin. I guess I'll have to look elsewhere to shave off some weight...probably the electronics ....

Posted by
10825 posts

dirty clothes just take up more space coming home

You know, this is a good point that I have never thought about. Smart to being the compression cube for that !

Posted by
1282 posts

Hey Mardee! Well I'm sorry to say there was not much shopping on my trip, unless you count the 'cobblestone cakes' from Cafe Gundel, incredible, chocolate covered delights. I bought the dark blue version of this bag, with light blue around outside, so it shouldn't show the dirt. It’s a TOTAL KEEPER!

May I ask the name of water-resistance walking shoes? I would love something water resistant.

CWS, Interesting thoughts about medications. I also took a tiny prescription bottle with enough Ibuprofen to medicate my aches. You had me at “Tiny Villages” - Oh I would have taken much more in that case, and weren’t you away for weeks?

Kim, I had to whip out the compression bag to grab my small down jacket on the plane, the man sitting next to me said, ‘Wow! That’s all you brought?’ And I wasn’t rummaging through a bag trying to find what I needed and then barely getting the dang thing closed again!

Posted by
9556 posts

Sandancisco, I wear my Oboz Low-Leather walking shoes, which are water resistant and have been great, even at home here, where spring rains have deluged our property and every time I walk outside, I run into squishy patches of grass. :-) I love mine and have 3 pair.

I don't think they make the style I have anymore, but they do have other water-resistant shoes; and of course waterproof shoes as well. They're based in Bozeman, MT, but you can find their shoes at most good quality shoe stores and sporting goods stores like REI. https://obozfootwear.com/en-us

Posted by
15705 posts

Thanks for the packing report! You know I love them! And laughing at the folks who made comments on how little you packed!

Nice bag! In looking at the zipper pulls in the photo...do they just have them staged as lying flat out to the side or do they actually do that, lol??

I'm with CW on the meds...Last time I cut back on "cold meds" (like they actually do anything, lol) and caught something. I do think next time I will cut them out of their little foil packets which will save space but not much weight.

Posted by
1282 posts

Pam, yes they really do lie flat out to the sides...I just checked. Didn't notice having any problem with zipping or unzipping. Hey there's always less to pack, I felt guilty with how much I took along!! It was the 'women usually pack so much more stuff' that got me....

Posted by
1282 posts

HI khansen, It's actually been years since I've done this kind of trip on my own, usually the hubby carriers the heavier personal item! HA. For this trip, I carried a Pacsafe purse that can convert to a backpack, bought it years ago and it seemed to work well. Coming back to Sweden, I left iPad & charger in outside compartment of carryon, so I didn't have the weight on my shoulder. With a chronic pain condition, I discovered it hurt to carry that little bit of extra weight in my personal item. And I absolutely crashed this weekend, 6,000 steps, short walks and shorter bike rides!

Posted by
1282 posts

My girlfriend just reminded me that including the short sky train rides with major schlepping at FRA, we took ELEVEN trains in 48 hours, yikes thank goodness I had a lighter bag! Much of this was due to the Lost Cellphone that went to Basel....

Posted by
1282 posts

I just want to add a quick update on my Samsonite bag. Now that it’s been round-trip on a domestic US trip and across the Atlantic, I can safely say it holds up well. Those zippers you kind of have to wiggle them because they actually almost turn around in any position, which is kind of nice. I haven’t had to jerk on them, but they take some finessing my only comment in case you’re particular,about your zippers. Otherwise, the bag is great and so lightweight! Hope that’s helpful.