What to pack for Germany in October

Wear one, dry one. Cotton stays wet all week here.

The layer you'll wear more than any other.

Check ankles and, if there's a dog, paws and ears every night.

Eleven rain days mean wet hands and minor cuts happen often in cities.

This country runs on Type C or F. Get one with USB-C so you're not fighting over the single outlet.

Ten hours of daylight shortens phone battery life before the day ends.

Set it up before you land. Signal drops for long stretches outside cities.

Dark by 6:10pm. Every campsite chore after that is a two-hands job.

Overhead bins fill fast on regional flights between German cities.

Fits the overhead on every airline that matters. Skip the checked-bag line entirely.

For the passport, the chargers, and the one dry pair of socks.

Tap water is safe, so a reusable bottle saves money and weight.

One brick charges the laptop, phone, and camera.

Hotel and cafe wifi is shared with everyone else in the building. A VPN keeps your banking and email to yourself.

International travel requires documents that pickpockets target in crowded train stations.

Checked bags pass through many handlers between cities on a multi-stop route.

Humid air at 82 percent makes damp clothes smell fast without organization.

Humidity and rain mean clothes dry slowly, so laundry happens twice weekly.

Crowded trains and buses are the default between cities, not the exception.

Urban crowds and frequent rain make hand sanitizer practical between washings.

One outlet per room means cables must be short to reach from bed.

A few phrases go a long way. Ten minutes a day before you leave is plenty.

Border crossings need passport access without unpacking your entire bag.

Luggage moves through international airports where security matters.

Regional trains run early and late, so neck support matters on overnight routes.