by Cookie Sunkle
Germany in January will most likely be cold and damp – a higher chance of rain than snow, however. It can be compared to a typical Midwestern winter. Here are some recommendations on how to pack and some reminders of important things to bring.
1. Don’t overpack! Remember, you will be carrying everything you bring, at all times. This means moving those bags on and off trains, planes, buses, and U-bahns quickly. Last trip, I went with a black and white theme so I could mix and match to make more outfits. You can always wash out underthings, socks and shirts, and most hotels provide a laundry service. As long as you shower and look presentable, no one will care if they see you in the same clothes more than once. Bring one “nice” outfit that you can wear to a reception, dinner, etc. It does not have to be fancy.
It is recommended that you bring items that can be layered. There tends to be a lack of central heating in many buildings and therefore temperatures can vary greatly from one location to the next. You may find yourself freezing one minute and boiling as you move to the next room in the same building.
You should also know that jeans are acceptable attire with German academics, so a couple pairs of those with some nice shirts / tops could get you through the entire trip!
2. Use packing compressor bags like this one from Eagle Creek. They will give you up to 80% more packing space (but doesn’t reduce the weight so watch that).
3. Pack comfortable shoes, and preferably one pair that is waterproof. Two pair should suffice: one dressier and one all-purpose. Make sure they’re comfortable and already broken in as we’ll be doing a lot of walking.
4. Bring an umbrella. Even if it doesn’t rain a day while we’re in Germany, all of us having them might decrease the likelihood of a downpour.
5. We strongly recommend that you have a cell phone and that you provide the planning committee with the phone number upon arrival. You can either purchase a plan through your cell phone provider which may allow you to keep your current number, or you can pick up a pay as you go phone in Germany, which you may find is considerably cheaper. These can be purchased at the airport.
6. Laptops are optional. You are welcome to bring one if you don’t mind carrying it. We believe all the hotels will have wi-fi. If you do bring one, we suggest you download Skype and purchase a headset or microphone. This is the cheapest (often free) way to communicate with family and friends in the US.
7. If you do bring electronic devices such as your laptop, cell phone, hair dryer, etc., don’t forget to bring along the appropriate adapter plug for German voltage (230V 50Hz). Here's an example.
8. Bring a sufficient supply of any prescription drugs you are taking and put them in your carry on luggage. It is very difficult to get a new prescription so far from home, especially since we’re moving to a new city every few days.
9. Business cards are the easiest way to give your contact information to the folks we’ll be meeting. They are often willing to email you their powerpoint presentations if you provide your contact information.
10. Bring a color photocopy of your passport, just in case.
11. Both print out AND save the phone numbers and emails of anyone you might want to contact as a Google document (or equivalent) that you can access from anywhere.
12. A travel alarm clock can be useful even if you’re planning to use the alarm on your cell phone.
13. Shout wipes or a Tide stain pen might come in handy.
14. It can’t hurt to have a couple of band-aids with you in case you need them before you have a chance to get to the store.
If you have other suggestions, please post them in the comments.
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