Recent trip- My “glad I took it” and “wish I hadn’t- will rethink next time” list

Thanks for the report! No matter how many trips I’ve taken there’s always something to learn. I think my fully packed carryon record is around 17lbs. I too strive to emulate Jean, the packing queen. :-)

I also struggle to go below 21-22 pounds, although that’s with my Delsey spinner, which weighs a pound or two more than my RS two wheeler. We will see how I do on a November trip to Andalusia and Madrid.

Thanks for your packing report. You're right -- packing light is a work in progress. I just can't get down to minimal. If I end up with 20lb Rolling Carry-On and 6lb tote, I've learned to be satisfied as long as I use everything. It's the drugs, lotions and potions, odd and ends and electronics that add up, not the clothes. Cold climates make packing light more difficult.

You’re so right horsewoofie. I really would love to find a smaller, less bulky adapter, too. The one I have is huge. And I had to carry a battery charger for that camera. The tech zippered wallet case I had was not to my liking. And of course, like you said, the coats and the sweater for the cold.

socialmaster4life post reported.

MLD, thanks for sharing. You are so right! Clothes, no problem. It's all the extra stuff we bring - tech, 1st aid, ... I've managed to get my spinner down to 17 lbs on the last few trips. I'm on the search for a good spinner that weighs 4 lbs. or less. I was hoping to buy the bag Frank II has recommended while I was in London earlier this year. But, it seems to have been discontinued. So, back to the search.

Good luck finding the perfect combination of having everything you want at that magical weight that doesn't feel like a burden!

Too many first aid kind of things.

We always adjust a bit, but everything we take fits in a small ziploc. I take a blisterpack of a few Ibuprofen (that we purchase in Europe) to have on hand, a small tube of some ointment (Neosporin or triple antibiotic), and then for me, some Mucinex DM.

The idea is to be able to get by until we can get to a pharmacy, or in the case of the Mucinex DM, something we can't get there, but comes in real handy if there is an issue. (There are a number of OTC meds not available in Europe)

Of course, on the other end of the spectrum, saw someone talking about a first aid kit that pushed a couple pounds, so to each their own.

Too many first aid kind of things. Toiletry bag was too bulky and heavy. Neosporin, moleskin, tweezers, etc.

I get that, but I can tell you I was glad to have Neosporin and band aids at hand on my current trip. The first day in Bucharest, I tripped and fell on the pavement, skinning my knee and elbow. I was so happy that I did not have to run around trying to find a pharmacy; especially since I was in pain. I did have to replace the bandaids, but that was later and at my leisure. There are some things I could omit that are less likely (tweezers, etc), but I do like having emergency first aid items handy.

Anker portable power bank. My son took one and we only used his once. Unnecessary weight for this trip. Digital camera. I think I am just going to use my phone from here on out.

If you do not bring a digital camera next time and use your phone for photos, you will almost certainly need the power bank. Photo taking is an enormous battery hog on a phone. I use my power bank daily (although I do take lots of photos). If you have a new phone, you might do better but I would consider this before leaving the power bank behind.

But I agree with just about everything you said—thanks for the good ideas!

The bag I have, the Samsonite Airea, has been replaced by the Samsonite Re-Lite. Still not available in any US store.

I purchased this small INIU powerbank earlier this year and have used it quite a bit. One plus, besides being small, is that the lanyard is actually a USB-C charging cable. Short but you won't forget your charging cable.

My packing list is constantly changing. I return to the US every three months for prescription refills and I usually have a list of things to come out of my bags and new things to go in. It's usually things I realize I don't need or newer items to replace what I already have. (Yes, packages await my return. In fact, the people who work at my mailbox place say they know when I'm coming back because the packages start arriving.)

I don't buy souvenirs but admit to a weakness for newer, lighter, better, more efficient travel goods.

That’s a great point about the need for the power bank if I just go with the phone for pictures, mardee. I forgot my camera one day and just used the phone and I really believe the phone took better shots anyway and I have an older iPhone. Thanks for that link to that power bank, Frank II. It looks much lighter than the one I bought. Maybe I can gift my old one to my husband and look into your suggestion for next time. Does anyone have any ideas for slimmed down versions of an adapter?

Thanks for this helpful thread MLD. I'm packing now for a trip and it's the extras that get me every time. I try to put my gadgets etc. into small mesh bags that I can slip into my jacket pockets at the last minute if I'm worried about the weight of my carryon/personal items being too close to the cutoff.

I'm interested in the power bank Frank mentioned. I've got older devices so I suppose I'd need to make sure I have the correct cables with me. I'd also love to find a light weight adaptor that could handle multiple devices. I've purchased and tried several, but for now keep going back to the big clunky one I've had for ages because of reliability.

Frank, thanks for the link to the new bag. It's about a half pound lighter than what I currently have, an IT bag I found at TJ Maxx a few years ago. This new bag wasn't in the London store I visited in March.

MLD, I use my iPhone se for photos. It has a small capacity battery. When I'm out during the day sightseeing I'll bring my Mophie powerbank along that is only 5000mAh, but also only weighs about 4oz. That's enough to charge my phone twice. Frank's recommendation looks good, too. Be careful, some powerbanks are really heavy.

Road Warrior Adapter was recommended by Frank II a couple years ago. It does take practice to assemble.

I'd suggest looking for discontinued bags or bags from Europe on ebay. I am able to find Amy things there I can't find elsewhere. For example i can find favorite jeans they don't make anymore or changed.

We just got back from a 16 day trip to Europe with our 2 boys. My bag was the heaviest at 16 lbs., our youngests (12yr, 5 foot 7 boy) bag only weighed 12 pounds and that was with a pair of his dad's running shoes!

I think packing light is admirable, but does it really make that much difference if your bag is 16 lbs vs say 12 or 10? It also really depends on weather and laundry accessibility. We could have easily done with less items. (Everyone had plane clothes then 5 tops,underware, socks, 2 or 3 bottoms, thin rain shell, and one of my tops was a dress). But having the ability to not worry about laundry as much was nice. I would rather be out all day long than worrying about getting laundry hung up to dry (and European washers take forever!).

I stopped using the Road Warrior adaptor because I had problems with it in a couple of hotels. (EU part.)

When you say you are looking for a lighter adapter, do you mean just something that will fit into the sockets or something that includes the charger as well?

If just an adapter to use in multiple countries, I now carry the Epicka Pocket 100 Universal Travel Adapter that I got from Amazon but they don't seem to carry it any longer.

If you are looking for a universal travel adapter/charger how about this one from Epicka. It's not as powerful as many of the more modern ones but much smaller. I used to use it but found a much more powerful one on Amazon Germany.

Good for you doing a debrief on packing. I do the same and add notes to the top of my master packing list. I keep the last two or three trips worth of notes on there as each trip is slightly different. I also update my packing list to add/subtract the things I noted I needed (or didn't). I am also a "just in case" first aid person, but on my recent trip with my niece we used all the ibuprofen, cold meds, and virtually every ointment and lotion I packed in contact lens cases. Yes it added up space/weight wise but we didn't have to spend our limited time looking for a pharmacy (though I ended up at one anyway after a bike mishap...long story). And after lackluster charge times with my Euro and UK adapters, I invested in a new Anker multi country adapter - will see how it works on the next excursion https://a.co/d/hh7Oe8l

FWIW, here's a recent discussion about power banks. My Anker nano is compact and almost always necessary when using my phone all day for maps, photos, etc. It does help to turn off as many apps that run in the background, but I still found I needed it several days of heavy phone use: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tech-tips/power-bank-usage

These post-pandemic trips I managed to lighten the load in my shoulder sack carry-on from a high of 15 pounds...awful...to just around 12. You learn to jettison "stuff" you don't absolutely need but nice to have.

I take no OTC meds. My prescription meds for a multi-week trip are heavy enough and some vitamins, so OTC meds have to go.

My small digital Canon camera is essential along 2 rechargers and 3 batteries.

November London traveler. Like the weather change from the Land of La ( aka Los Angeles ) ease of booking accomodations, watching early AM prep the Lord’s Mayor Parade ( never watch the parade) strolling along the Thames Path, strolling in parks, wandering about cemeteries, and having a pint in a pub.

Learned ages ago that I love doing carry on. Over the years have created my list of must haves:

Must take:. SLORoasted coffee from Morro Bay, #2 coffee cone filters and a #2 cone filter. Sometimes I bring a mug, sometimes I don’t. Depends on my accomodation.
Tube of conditioner for my hair.

Waxed Dental Floss
Slouchie
Safety pins
Coin purse
Kleenex packets
Ear plugs
Portable Anker phone charger
Neck and wallet passport holders
Airborne
Gloves
Neck Scarf
SmartWool Socks
Amazon raincoat
Amazon travel puffer vest which coverts into it’s own bag
Neva tin
Gum
Gold Bond hand cream
Reading glasses ( 2 or 3 pairs) and eyeglass cases
Door jamb
and Valet tray that snaps together

Does anyone have any ideas for slimmed down versions of an adapter?

I don't stint on adaptors. But I have a lot of devices: iPhone, Apple Watch, CPAP. hearing aids charger and occasionally my laptop. So I have these two that I use. The larger one goes by my bed for the CPAP, phone and watch, and the other I use for anything else. I also throw it in my purse for charging purposes. It's very light so it's no problem.

This one is a foldable adapter with 2 AC Outlets and 3 USB Ports (2 USB-C, 1 USB-A). I love this because the prongs fold up, it's SO lightweight, it's low cost and it fits most countries in Europe (there is also a UK version I own).

This one is a 3-ft long plug-in device for my nightstands. It's extremely lightweight with 3 AC outlets, 4 USB ports (2 USB-C and 2 USB-A) and a 3 foot European power cord (so I don't actually need an adaptor). It does come with a UK and US adaptor. I love it especially because I have found that outlets are not always conveniently placed in hotel bedrooms.

Yo OPMLD,
Thank you for this excellent post!
I am done. the end

Lots of great suggestions here, thank you. Frank in terms of the adapter, I think what I’m looking for is a thinner, less bulky, with foldable prongs like mardee shared. This is the one I have. It’s not as much the weight of it, it is a bit heavy, but more so the dimensions. It’s bulk made it hard to zipper my tech pouch with the other things in there. I really don’t need all of the plug in ports either.

https://ibspot.com/us/products/2-pack-us-to-uk-travel-plug-adapter-type-g-power-adapter-with-3-ac-and-3-usb-2-usb-c-international-plug-adapter-travel-essentials-for-usa-to-england-london-scotland-british-qatar-irish-hongkong?variant_id=15991564&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23018360364&gbraid=0AAAAACRDzrjvVpCJU8rYCzvjXW_OpLF2F&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrc7GBhCfARIsAHGcW5XZJJvS4m5mHmQlrNJC3fMoraIWS7tEHD29aowEmRVD85javfZxeR8aAiTLEALw_wcB
I will look into some of the ideas shared here.

One other thing I should have put on the “Glad I Took” list. I finally found a neck/shoulder pillow I like. It was by Brookstone. I picked it up at TJMaxx for about $15. You can bend and twist its lengthy side to use more as a pillow. Worked great on the window seat going home. I actually slept there a bit. (In economy!)

How many things do you have to plug in at the same time and need to be charged daily? How many regular plugs? How many USB and what type?

https://a.co/d/byS0wOk

I have this portable charger and find it is adequate for touring all day and taking tons of pictures. Extremely lightweight and small

Let’s see. iPhone 14 that uses the USB-C to Lightning cable, AirPods, curling iron with the two prongs, already has converter built in), Kindle USB-C I think. Those are the most important items. If I took the digital camera, the battery charger has a fold in two prong plug.

With all you have to charge, consider the power strip Mardee mentions.

The thing that's been a game changer for adapters is the mass adoption of USB-C for most - if not all - electronic things I take with me. One high-output USB-C adapter can charge my phone, laptop, tablet, GPS, Bluetooth earbuds, and power bank. Most of these things will fast charge. The one other adapter I bring with me is a Tessan brand plug adapter (as the tiny USB-C brick by Anker auto-adapts for 220/240v) that gives me additional outlets should I need them (including 1 USB-A and 2 USB-C ports). Combined with 1 or 2 long USB-C cables it all works simply.

(The only electronic device I have that doesn't have USB-C charging is my Garmin Epix watch, but it doesn't need to be charged more than once every 4-7 days, depending on use. It has a USB-A charging cable.)

Other things I won't leave home without:

• microfiber cloth (good for cleaning so many things)
• small bottle of castile soap (for body and clothes)
• Sea-to-Summit packable backpack
• Kühl brand hiking pants (maximum utility, pack small)
• merino wool t-shirts
• compression bags (let you pack more things in a smaller space)
• meds that are OTC in the U.S. but not in Europe (e.g. pseudoephedrine, seasonal allergy meds)

Things I don't bring anymore:

• sunscreen (European and Asian sunscreens are far, far better than what you can get in the U.S.)
• toothpaste (beyond a smidge to start the trip - again, because Europe has better toothpastes on the market)
• full laptop (I know I mention it above, but my iPad with a keyboard case is a fully capable "laptop" for travel)
• travel pillow
• printed books (I can scan pages I need from printed books, store them and read them on my phone or iPad)
• digital standalone camera (modern smartphone camera more than suffices)
• rolling carry-on bag (Cotopaxi Allpa 35L carries everything in a lighter weight, higher utility package that fits all Euro budget airline carry-on rules)
• OTC pain meds (ibuprofen, paracetemol and both easily obtained in most European countries)

I don't buy souvenirs but admit to a weakness for newer, lighter, better, more efficient travel goods.

Frank, I am with you. However, my DW thinks that our grandchildren need something from everywhere. I have tried to tell her to no avail, that they are quickly getting to the age where cash will work just as well. Which means I need to have some room for the overflow. Oh well!

Wish I hadn’t- will rethink next time
1. Too many first aid kind of things. Toiletry bag was too bulky and heavy. Neosporin, moleskin, tweezers, etc. The only thing I really used was Tylenol. I don’t need to be super mom prepared for any situation anymore.

This goes back to my backpacking and hiking days. One of the first things I stripped away from my gear was the sort of first aid kit covering every little contingency and possibility. My kit was down to a few bandaids, a small neosproin tube, a few a alcohol wipe sachets, and a tick key. Except for the alcohol wipes and tick key i never used anything else. Now for travel I don't carry anything beyond a few bandaids.

1. Anker portable power bank. My son took one and we only used his once. Unnecessary weight for this trip.

One of the things I dropped early on. I'm a heavy user with a good phone with a good battery and I've never come close to running out my battery, and everywhere I turn im presented with the opportunity to recharge.

1. This was a silly one. I thought I would busy myself some on the plane with an adult coloring book and pencil case. Colored one picture lol. Ended up donating the book and the Prismacolor coloring pencils to a local thrift shop before coming home. That idea was an epic fail!

I don't think it's silly at all. I think my solution would be too use my tablet. It has a stylus, Samsung Notes and any number of options for coloring and drawing apps.

I don't buy souvenirs but admit to a weakness for newer, lighter, better, more efficient travel goods.

On the otherhand I do. I hated strategically buying souvenirs and the origami of packing them into my carry-on. Now I check an empty carry-on sized bag just to bring stuff home.

I'd also like to suggest people check to see if their favorite OTC meds are available where they are going.

As an example, Alleve (Naproxem Sodium) is by prescription only. Pepto Bismol isn't available anywhere in the EU. You can get it in the UK but that's no longer part of the EU.

Head and Shoulders in Europe doesn't contain zinc pyrithione as it isn't allowed in Europe.

And brand names are different. Crest is Oral B. Schick is Wilkinson.

Mustlovedogs, love this post. I’m leaving for France, solo travel and the RS Loire Valley tour on Oct 13 so I’m deep into making my list of what to pack. Trying to think fall/cool weather clothes when it was 98 a couple of days ago here etc. Trying to take what you need and no more can be a conundrum. Thanks for sharing this. The forum folks really have great suggestions.

BethFL I think I have you to thank for the Anker charger I carry now. It’s like a big chunky lipstick tube, fits in my downsized travel purse great, and really works for me to top my phone up almost every afternoon. I have an iPhone 12 and I think the battery is not what it once was.

And Frank ll I’m very grateful for the Lewis and Clark coil heater link a couple of years ago now I think. It works great and lets me easily make my cuppa hot tea . God send.

Lynda

You mentioned a 'short trip to Scotland' but I didn't see any duration - how short was short? We're off for a 24 day adventure soon so we have more to think about. We're taking a checked-luggage bag and a backpack, and we're also going to be in the Alps (cold) and in Barcelona (warm). Our circumstances are different but I was still able to get some ideas from your post!

You mentioned not needing the waterproof boots/shoes, but what if it had rained HARD a few days in a row? I tend to (luggage carry) a lightweight pair of sneakers, and wear on the plane a pair of gore-text hikers (Merrell Moab). I guess the million dollar question is, how many days did it rain hard on your trip? If your sneakers get soaked one day, will they be dry for the next ... that's always my fear!

PS - the only thing that jumps out at me as being excessive on your list is - 2 pairs of Levi Jeans! I've found jeans to be about double the weight of lighter pants (at least, the real 'mens denim' type). Ah ha - and I see that you mentioned 3 prs for 7 days - so I guess 7 days was your duration!

Hi Chris, yes we had seven on the ground days. The jeans I took weren’t the thick Levi’s. More lightweight and with a stretch factor. I’ll have to check the particular number/type. I wear jeans mostly at home and they are comfortable for me, so even if the Duluth Trading Co hikers were a bit lighter, I went with just one pair rather than two and took my other Levi’s. I will do that again.

Regarding the shoes…. We were in urban environments most of the time, so even if it had rained hard, we probably wouldn’t have been out in it too long for even the one pair to get completely soaked. Now, if I was doing a hiking holiday, going out in the elements every day, two pair would probably be nice to have. I think it depends on the type of trip as much as the weather of your trip.

It’s hard going on a trip with such different temperatures. I don’t envy you there! Good luck! Let us know how you made out when you return!

This is our 3rd International trip this year, and we did 3 last year also. Always minimum 2 weeks, some 3. But it's only our 2nd Rick Steves tour where we need to be 'extra mobile'. I meticulously build a spreadsheet of all the clothing and 'stuff' that I need to pack before I go, and use it as a 'checklist' to ensure the luggage has everything it needs on the day before departure. And I ALWAYS come back with stuff unused. What I need to do is review my spreadsheet against the luggage upon return and evaluate what was un-needed, but I'm never in the mood for that upon return! The old spreadsheet forms the basis for the next trip's spreadsheet so it's an ever-evolving project (I add a new 'tab' for each trip, so I still have each individual trip saved).

But regardless, I still feel that overpacking is a form of 'insurance'. I can say we've been truly lucky when it comes to weather. We spent 3 weeks in Scotland/England in 2023, and hardly saw rain (I grew up there so I know what its like!). We were in Norway in 2024, and had blue skies. I've heard people say they were in Norway and never saw the Fjords due to heavy rain! So I tend to plan for the worst, and hope for the best.

The same goes for medications. We are big fans of 'Vicks Nyquil' if we get a cold/flu, and its hard to find in Europe (with same ingredients). So we tend to carry at least one bottle. We generally don't get sick and come back with the full bottle, but once in Eastern Europe I caught 'something' and it was a blessing to have that product on-hand. I did go to the local pharmacies and used Google Translate to try to buy various remedies, but it was not the easiest in places like Bulgaria and Romania!

So I don't overly criticize myself for bringing back some unused items! Ultimately, I'm fit enough to carry the luggage we have, so once I have the luggage I figure I may as well fill it! IF we could get our luggage down to 'carry on only', that would obviously be a major step, but doing carry-on for 2+ weeks is a skill beyond my means! We just include 'emergency' clothing in our carry-on so we can withstand a 2-3 day delay in luggage finding its way to us.

EDIT TO ADD: I too have given up the Lumix digital camera in favor of using my iPhone. I bought the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and the results are amazing. It does a better job of hand-held night shots than the Lumix. But the one thing you have to accept is that you are going to run down the phone battery every single day if you use it as your daily camera. At home, I charge maybe every 3 days but when it's my daily camera, I can run out during the day and having the Anker power pack is a God-send. I bought the small one - you don't need more than a 50% boost. I use the phone as the GPS device also, and that further runs it down.

EDIT TO ADD #2: And if you DO use your phone as a camera and a GPS/travel device, watch out! I had my phone stolen in Rome. Everyone says 'keep your phone hidden in crowded places', but the reality is, if your phone is your camera and your GPS/travel aid (e-tickets, etc) then you can't avoid having it out in public. I bought an adapter that let's me attach a wrist-strap / neck strap.

I took a US/NA 20W fast charger plug which has 3 USB 3.0 and 2 USB-C ports (roughly 2"×2"×1") which meant I could charge all of my devices simultaneously at one outlet and because it wasn't square, it fit well in my purse and it's much lighter than the multi-adapter plug I chose not to take. I did not take anything, other than the charger plug, that wasn't USB-based - even my travel fan is USB. Then, for the adapter, I just brought the small RS Europe plug which is featherlight and fits in any little pocket of open space in my bag.
I lugged along both my 10" tablet and my Kindle e-reader and while I did use them frequently, especially on flights and the tour bus, next time I will leave them at home and get by with just my phone to save on weight and bulk.
A power bank came in very handy as my back-to-back Icelandair flights home did not have any charging ports in economy and there was no time between flights to charge in the airport.

(European and Asian sunscreens are far, far better than what you can get in the U.S.)

Ummmm... https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62qdje2ll4o

“Is there really a need for a power bank?”

Yes, absolutely. I have not been carrying my power bank when out and around in Paris.

But…

I was going to 3 new locations on Wednesday and using CityMapper to get between venues. The last location was hard to find and City Mapper was grossly inaccurate so was having to walk extra to figure it out. I suddenly realized I was down to 20% when I finally got to my destination. I quickly recentered the map, planned the route back to a different Metro entrance and took a screenshot then went to low power mode. I enjoyed the last site, yes took some pictures and got to the Metro. I knew once I was there I would not need navigation assistance from City Mapper so all was well.

Yesterday on a museum visit they had a QR code to download an audio guide for their special exhibition so had that going for an hour and a half. Didn’t need navigation assistance as it was a familiar neighborhood but had the power bank anyway. Yes, was glad I had my Air Pods too!

My power bank is older and weighs 8 oz so before my next trip I need to get a lighter, smaller one.

Sarah K, do you have a link to the one you have just to compare?

This one is very similar to mine but with a higher wattage so it would probably charge faster or just handle more devices at once (mine is a few years old). https://a.co/d/flK5Jes

Just got back from France last week. I bought one of the FlyZHug travel pillows. Almost left it because it’s a bit larger than I would have liked, but what a game changer. It was so comfortable, I actually dozed several times very well. It supports your neck and I just tucked my jaw a little inside and it was like a soft, supportive pillow. No more bobbing. I’ll never travel internationally again without it.

I bought a clutch charger and glad I did. I used it several times, my battery really went down so much more than at home.

I took too many shoes, too much room and weight. I knew better.