I'm not a parent, but I suspect the age of your children may be a factor. How old are they?

Right. How old are the kid(s), where are you going and how are you getting there?

And if your DH hasn't taken you to a ritzy restaurant on previous trips, what makes you think the next one will be any different?

Find a very packable black dress that can be worn for evening and a pair of dress sandals and a pretty pashima and nice earrings. If you're packing bushwear the restuarants can't be that ritzy.

If the kids are old enough to roll their own suitcases let them.

You can 'what if' for the next 10 years and still not cover every possibility. I never pack 'what if' clothing. As long as you pack layers and mix/match clothing, you can fit in anywhere except maybe a formal Ball at the Palace w/ the Queen . . .

Clothing - pack for what you will be going and the weather. ARE you going to a nice restaurant? If yes, bring the easy black dress as recommended. If no, then forget it. Don't pack something on the off chance that you might go to a nice restaurant - if you want to go, make reservations and go.

Medical kit, etc? Why pack for every contingency? Bring some basics and go to the drug store to buy additional stuff if you need it. The only time I take a full kit for contingencies is when we go wilderness camping and we can't easily buy additional items.

Stuff that DH needs and forgets to pack? He's a grown man - he either needs to learn how to pack for himself, go to the store to get what he has forgotten, or do with out. Easy.

Stuff that DS forgets to pack - help him learn to pack better. If he is school-age, then he can be responsible for his own stuff. YOU shouldn't have to pack his toys and books. If he's a pre-schooler, then of course you have to do more for him, but you can transition him into independent packing over time. Talk about what you will be doing, what the weather will be like, and together you can decide what he should bring.

lol thank you for responding, very practical tips and very much appreciated...

yes quite true if I haven't been treated to a ritzy restaurant on holidays - its not going to start now so I'll stop hoping for a nice surprise!

DS is primary school age, so I'll definately need to give him the room to learn to pack practically and then think outside the square when (or if) situations call for things he hasn't packed.

our trips are mixed as many have taken from my basic run thorugh of packing items, we are nature based holidays mostly that will take in both the bush and the beach.

really like to be prepared for anything and as yet our next trip is near suburbia so supplies shouldn't be a problem..... the pure bush camping trips I tend to pack the kitchen sink !

onebag.com

definitely an acquired skill for me good tips above.
Do it always now save a tonne of time and money.
travelsmith.com for quality drip dry travel attire.

Sounds like you're traveling by car? That's a very different situation from those of us who take off by plane and public transport, but still a good idea to leave the kirchen sink at home.

Here's a hint on how to pack light. A few days before your trip put out all the clothes you think you'll need in your spare room. Pass by several times a day to admire your things and congratulate yourself on your fine sense of fashion. Do the same for your children's clothes and think about how nice they'll look "all dressed up". The afternoon before your trip put at lease half the clothes back in the closet and pack the rest. this advice works for both men and women and children.

Honestly, most people over pack. We NEVER take more than we can fit in one standard 21" roll-abord and one "personal size" item each. Our motto is if it doesn't fit in those two bags we don't need it.

No one but YOU is going to notice what you are wearing. No one will know that you wore the same outfit to dinner "last night" - even if you dined in the same restaurant with the same people sitting around you.

At first it takes a little discipline but once you get use to the idea that you don't need everything including the kitchen sink, you'll be able to "pack light". Think of it this way, you are going away for only a few days (5, 6 maybe 7) you can certainly live without something for that short time.

true words and advice.
I am striving for less 'excess'.

This trip is by car and will be for a period of four weeks, usually within cooee of a town of locality, so I should be restricting packing on this one as (I am hoping) there will be an opportunity to replenish supplies and/or pick up something left behind at the towns we travel through.


As our next trip will be 6 weeks yet not so close to suburbia, I was trying to get a nice balance between the two.

Thanks thursdaysd, you are right the post hinted at a train/bus/plane mode of transport.

Knowing you are well travelled, as nearly all on fodors, I take all advise from fodorians as positive and thank all for the time and knowledge given in the posts.

as the adage goes practise, practise, practise - surely i'll get it right eventually.

we will be going on an extended trip overseas in the next few years and i am trying to hone my skills before then!!

BTW, you should pack the same regardless of how long the trip will be, planning to do some laundry along the way (I do mine in the bathroom sink). I do extended overseas travel taking one carry-on size backpack or rolling case and a smaller day pack.

My packing list is here (three posts): http://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/what-to-take-part-one/

<<<yes quite true if I haven't been treated to a ritzy restaurant on holidays - its not going to start now>>>

Bah! Don't wait for him to surprise you, if you want to go out somewhere nice then tell him that so that he packs something nice, arrange for a babysitter (or pack something nice for your son), make the reservations and go.

Don't try to pack for 4 weeks or 6 weeks, pack for 1 week. Laundry is easy... you're in suburbia and can easily do laundry. Small/light stuff can be done in the sink or just take a couple hours one day a week and have a picnic at a laundromat while you plan what to do for the next few days.

For a medical kit, pare it down to the basics. Bandaids, Imodium (or similar diarrhea meds) and a tiny bottle of a minor pain reliever such as advil or tylenol. Any prescriptions should be included (plus a little extra) of course. Anything else you need, you can pick up at a drug store.

Your husband can pack for himself, he's an adult. Your son can certainly help you pack his bag if you direct him to choose X number of shirts, a sweatshirt, X number of pants, underwear, socks, etc. He'll be less likely to whine about what he has if he helped pack it and it'll help teach him how to pack for himself for future trips.


I get into the "but I might need that" mindset as well when packing, and a list really helps me stay away from that headache. Try to pick things that can be layered and mixed up (think tops and bottoms that mix and match, NOT set outfits). Consider how difficult/expensive something would be to buy on your trip. If something is easy to find, if it's cheap, don't take it "just in case". If something is very hard to find or expensive and it's reasonably likely (not an outside chance, but reasonably likely) that you'll want it, then consider taking it "just in case".

Think about the vehicle you'll be in. Can all of the bags fit easily into the trunk? If not, pack less. Playing tetris to try to get big bags into the vehicle all the time is a complete pain in the butt. If it helps, pack two small bags (such as a 21" roller and a small duffel bag) instead of a larger roller.

I don't worry about "packing light" when I travel by car. As long as you've got room in the trunk to pack it, I don't see any need not to take whatever you feel like taking or bothering to try and cut back.

I agree don't think about packing for 4 weeks. Pack for 1 week and do laundry. Maybe do try to narrow down activities (like are you or aren't you going to a fancy restaurant, that's a lot of extra items for two people, if you really aren't going to go).

But honestly I only care about packing light when traveling by plane, and especially if I'm then going to be moving around a lot by trains, etc. once I've arrived.

In order to pack lightly, there is a need to know the following:
1. How many days your travel will be
2. Are there any occasions to attend on the trip
3. How many will come

@georgecombey - Nonsense. Did you bother to read the other posts on this thread? The only relevant point is number two, which has already been discussed.

When traveling by car I have one duffle with bathing suits, towels, etc. Second with extra sweatshirts and jackets. Sometimes I even keep all shoes in a separate duffle. These duffles stay in the car because if you don't need swimming stuff why carry in/out of hotel, etc. I often use one pair of shoes in/out car and just put on the appropriate pair (from the bag in the car) when we are going out for the day. DH and myself have problems lifting heavy bags so my method lightens the load.