Packing List

Of course, packing our suitcases also needs to be carefully considered. Firstly, we want to lug as little luggage around with us as possible, and secondly, we want to be prepared for all possible weather conditions. So our first consideration is

What can we expect weather-wise?

Germany / Italy / Switzerland – rather cold around 10 January and 4 February

In San Francisco it won’t be exactly warm either and we’ll be spending most of our time outside. The website wetter.de has this to say on the subject:

Minimum temperature: 6.4 °C
Maximum temperature: 14.1 °C
Average precipitation: 93 mm

If we’re looking forward to Fiji, it’s mainly – but of course not only – for the nice weather. Let’s give the same source a vote here too:

Lowest temperature: 24.8 °C
Maximum temperature: 27.8 °C
Average rainfall: 280 mm

And we don’t really expect significantly worse weather in New Zealand either:

Lowest temperature: 17 °C
Maximum temperature: 32 C
Mean precipitation: 0.0 l/m²

Last but not least, here is Wetter.de’s ice-cold opinion on the climate in Tokyo:

Lowest temperature: 1.0 °C
Maximum temperature: 8.9 °C
Average precipitation: 65 mm

Conclusion

As we want to limit our luggage as much as possible, but still need clothes for both cold and warm days, we use a little trick: it’s cold on our departure from Europe and at our first destination, so we can practically wear all our warm clothes on these sections of the journey. On the plane, we can take off what we find too warm and put it back on before we get off the plane.
The suitcase therefore only contains items for warm days, shoes and the most necessary cosmetics, which are not allowed in hand luggage.

All things that are valuable and extremely personal must go in your hand luggage, i.e. everything that you cannot buy again if you lose your suitcase. Of course, all devices with rechargeable batteries must also be placed here; these are not allowed in checked baggage. We also have a small business rucksack in which I pack my iPad, laptop, ID documents, tickets, power bank and so on.

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