It's easy to pack for frequent travelers, but I had a lot of thinking to do. Lufthansa allows you to check, two, fifty pound pieces of luggage, and one carry-on in premium economy. I didn't want to take too much stuff so I aimed for one piece of checked-luggage and a small carry-on. If you exceed fifty pounds, you're charged a weight penalty even if you don't check a second piece.
A little research showed that the best way to pack is to roll your clothes. The preferred technique is to roll your T-shirt, shorts, and socks together, with the open end of the socks projecting from the roll, then pull the open end of the socks over the roll, making it self-contained.
I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to take. Weather in the Tuscan area of Italy is similar to California in the Fall, a bit wetter though. I packed an umbrella and a rain suit, then debated taking a heavy coat which I'd have to carry on the plane, since it would have filled my duffel. In the end I elected to leave it behind and settled on a layered approach. T-shirts, button-up shirts, and a light and a heavy sweatshirt. I packed a backpack, which I didn't use, and an extra pair of shoes. A hat and sunglasses completed the list.
I packed one change of clothes into the carry-on, in case my check-in luggage was lost. My toiletries went into there too, with all of my electronic stuff; iPad, chargers, adapters, batteries, memory cards, and so on. Total weight about 12 pounds.
My duffel was made of sixteenth-inch ballistic nylon, and fully packed with two bottles of wine and four pounds of candy for gifts, weighed 38 pounds. I thought it would be easily manageable, but I had to carry it substantial distances, and it was pretty tiresome. I'll replace it with a wheeled bag if I take another trip. Such as the one sold by Costco, a wheeled duffel of identical size, made with much thinner nylon, that collapses flat for storage.
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