Do you let your DH pack his own clothes? Help!!
 

My DH is finally taking an interest on what clothes he wants to take (we leave in 3 days). I can deal with some jeans and casual slacks, even cargo pants, but he wants to take two hats, one baseball cap and one old, tatttered camo duck hunting style hat that has earflaps he can pull down if it gets cold. It's great for where we live, but Paris!!! Please, help me convince him otherwise?

how difficult is it to steal the key and make some adjustments?

one hat should suffice. but you need to be comfortable whether you are going to paris or duluth.

so, if you don´t like how he dresses in general, lay out the clothes YOU would like him to take along for cetain dinners, etc. and let him take what he wants to "tour " in.

if it gets gripping cold, he may even let you wear his hat on the evening boat ride, as i am sure you are not taking one like that.. right?

My husband packs whatever he likes (though I've gently retrained him somewhat over the years). He packs a sport jacket/blazer and I choose a shirt and tie and toss it in my suitcase (lest he select plaid/plaid/stripe or whatever) for going to a nicer restaurant.

Herself expects me to choose my own clothes and do my own packing, and she looks after her stuff. That is how I think it should be.

The only point on which we co-ordinate is degree of formality: if we are likely to go anywhere where dress a code applies. The key indicator is whether or not I intend to pack a tie.

I like the idea of putting what I want him to wear in my suitcase. I would never change items without letting him know--I do want to continue traveling with him. I hope we have warm weather, maybe he won't need the hat.

pray for a heat wave.

hey.. don´t worry too much about it.
it´s only a hat, and if it is cold, everyone will be wearing some thing or another!

Absolutely, I'm not his mother. I'm not about to pack for someone else. He can wear what he wants and be as un/comfortable, un/fashionable as he wants. Doesn't concern me one way or the other.

My first thought is that I never think about what I LET my husband do ... how old is your husband? You are going to Paris but he is unaware of how to dress ? Or are you joking about the Elmer Fudd hat?

It might be too late but you can always try to just explain to him how people dress in France and maybe he will get excited about trying something new..good luck!

Ditch the baseball cap and the duck flaps.

Padraig, I agree with your assessment, except my wife can't pack. For a recent business trip (5 nights in Ft. Lauderdale)I got her down to 'only' 59 pounds. I had to check her in as I'm a premier person so she didn't have to pay the weight fee.

If you each can pack well, then do so, otherwise FainaAgain has the right idea.

OK- this is really funny - and hits home. My DH and I had this discussion last night - and I asked him PLEASE not to bring the camping "flap" shirt or the pants that have zip off bottoms and become shorts - but oh well,, after 15 yrs of marriage - you just gotta laugh! I'm sure he'll bring both, plus a few baseball caps, topsiders and maybe even buy some new silly fisherman's hat! I've asked him not to bring the fanny pack that becomes this overstuffed thing weighing about 20 lbs - told him I heard it was a sure sign of tourist and he'll likely get robbed - but told me he always wears it in the front and will protect it with his life! What can i Say - He's very attached to his things!

"pray for a heat wave"

Haha -- I am actually praying for cooler weather so my husband will wear long pants. My hubby loves his cargo shorts (and I'll admit the pockets are handy). I tried gently explaining that I've heard grown men in Europe do not wear short pants, and my 6', 210lb husband replied that he'd like to see someone try to come up and tell him he's not a grown man. Ugh. He has to wear suits all week to work (as do I), so he is not happy when I suggest that he wear nicer clothes on vacation. I will probably slip a pair of his dress pants and nice shoes into my bag "just in case" (although that leaves less room for my clothes).

This makes me thankful that my husband can not only pack appropriately for himself, but he does his own laundry as well!

jeez nma.. Does he iron, too?

Geez, I pack myself, do my own laundry, and hers. Do the cleaning, grocery shopping and 90% of the cooking. I'm retired and my DW still works, so I better do my part while she gets up at 5:30 to go to work.
Dave

Dave, I hope that when she gets up at 5.30 you have a freshly made breakfast ready for her.

She quietly leaves the house and I get up around 7. Then play housewife.

You are lucky to have a husband to go to Paris with. Myself, I would let him pack whatever he wants and be thrilled about it.
;-)suze

lincasanova, My DH does his own ironing and on occasion mine also, I developed a technique of putting more wrinkles in a garment while trying to iron them out ;;)

My husband is great in so many respects but not when it comes to packing for a vacation. For business he never has a problem but for vacation trips he just doesn't pack enough. He always seems to forget something---like the business trip/vacation he forgot his dress shoes. I really didn't want to spend my vacation shopping for dress shoes but his walking shoes looked terrible with his tux!!!

So I have Ron lay what he would like to take along and then I add things as I see the need.

He did draw the line at the capri length pants I saw alot of European men wearing. I thought they looked great, husband said NOT. ;;) Deborah

rastaguy...got her down to 59 pounds.

How many pair of shoes did she take for the five days?

Scarlett, we were in Paris 2 years ago, my DH knows how to dress, just ignores it and does his own thing. After more than 30 years of marriage, I'm pretty much used to it, but that hat, ugh!!
Suze, you're right, I'm very lucky to have a DH, I will enjoy his company no matter what he wears.
Deb, are guys really wearing capri's?

Yes, he does iron, too!

I don't understand men who are so helpless that they allow their wives (do I have to write "DWs"?) to control what they wear. I sometimes see them standing befuddled in a department store while their wives select shirts and ties for them to try on. Completely unnecessary, of course. If I want a second opinion on a matching tie I go looking for an obviously homosexual shop assistant. They always get it right.

I hate stereotypes, too.

I pack what I like and my wife can pack and wear whatever she likes too. We're both grownups.

I don't see the kitchen as a place for women, as a rule, but I allow her to cook on weekends, and if she wants something unappetising like white meat, a salad or muesli she's welcome to prepare it. I like to see her keep her hand in in the event of my death or disablement.

MY DH is a clothes horse so he's usually pretty okay (whatever that may mean) in the clothing selection department.

But are we the only couple who divide our clothes between the two suitcases? After we've each made our selections and they're laid out on a bed in an extra room they go pretty much half in each suitcase. We've done this for over twenty years---theory being that if one suitcase is lost we'll at least both have something to wear. And if we are taking "dressier" clothes they would go in the same suitcase---what's the point of one being ready to be all fancy if the other is left in jeans??

It seems straightforward to us but perhaps we are alone in our theory. In the end, whatever gets you both there and happy is what matters!

<<But are we the only couple who divide our clothes between the two suitcases? >>

Maggie~ just what I was thinking! ((i))
It seems to work out well for both of us, particularly as my husband always takes less than me.

I seem to have more time to organize the clothes and packing, so generally lay out his things and let him say yay or nay to whatever is there....and then I adjust accordingly before closing the suitcase. ;)

paris7~Once you're there, all he'll be focusing on is you, and the wonderful time you're having! :)

I have an idea for you--tell DH he should buy some new hats in Paris! That's on thing my DH does every trip and it's fun and something great to bring home.

My DH would LOVE it if I packed for him, but I absolutely refuse to take that responsibility. I do go over things with him though, but he usually has pretty good tatse.

This is really a funny post.

DH has learned to ask me what he <i>should</i> pack for trips. I'll let him know if T-shirt and jeans are ok, or if he needs to pack something nicer. I usually have to help him in the shoes department - cuz otherwise he'll end up packing too many pairs of shoes.

But, DH really doesn't know how to <i>pack</i> a suitcase (rollaboard). He is not space efficient. Half of the time, I can't stand it and I re-organize his suitcase. All of a sudden, lots of empty space opens up!

Somehow I manage to pack my own bag whenever we go on trips. For our upcoming trip to Paris, my wife is actually asking ME what to pack. Besides, I couldn't imagine counting on someone else to pack everything I needed.

Though I do have to say, a few years ago, on a trip to Gatlinburg, I unloaded our luggage at the cabin, and realized my suitcase was missing. I did pack my clothes, I just ddnt bring them along. I always use the excuse that I had to get the kids up, get them ready, and pack the car, while my wife slept. Of course, her side of the story comes out a bit different.

&gt;Do you let your DH pack his own clothes?

Let me? She insists on it.

((I))

This is a very funny post. I mentioned it to DH last night. He generally scoffs at me when I refer to this board, but he actually chuckled! He adores camo.

yk - I'm with you on this one. I don't want to take the responsibility for remembering everthing he needs! I have a good friend that not only packs for her husband, but has to lay out his clothes for him everyday! By the way, she does this at home and on vacation. I think I'd go on strike.
H

I also told my DH about this post last night - during which i was laughing hysterically -- and he said he couldn't beleive i shared all this about him online - half jokingly...then said - SO, what should i wear? I've never packed for him in my life and rarely bought him a piece of clothing (he actually likes to shop)-- just kind of stuck in the 1980's...(maybe 90's)

In my house it is either all or nothing. I can pack his entire bag and then listen to him complain about he doesn’t have the right pants, socks, shirts, etc., or I can let him pack his own bag and then listen to him complain that he doesn’t have the right pants, socks, shirts, etc.

I usually put a great deal of thought into packing my bag (have gone as far as creating speadsheets :) ) while his decisions seem entirely based on what “happens” to be clean and most visible in his closet the night and/or morning before.

I still almost always “let” him pack for himself unless I plan on dragging him out to clubs. I hope to someday not to care what he wears, but am not there yet.

As for splitting our things between two suitcases, NEVER. He sorts through his bag like a dog through a trash can. Not only would he wrinkle all my things, but I imagine he would throw his stinky socks in with my clean clothes.

Maddie

P.S. And yes, I have borrowed the Chicago Bears earmuffs (in Paris, no less), but the furry “bear head” hat stays home!

my practice husband wanted me to pack for him...after I had &quot;practiced&quot; ...I found my forever husband and he knows better.
He packs and has been travelling for so many years he packs lightly. (Now, if I can ever get him to forget about white socks when he wears his black shoes...ugh...at least he doesn't wear them with sandals...and he's German!)

I travel with a husband and three kids and I always say I pack for 4 1/2. As I'm making sure-months in advance-that the kids and I each have two pairs of comfortable, broken in shoes, DH doesn't think of anything in advance (so he's always the one who ends up with blisters). The night before the trip, he asks me what he needs to pull out (e.g. how many long pants, how many shirts, etc.), he pulls them out and I pack them. (I can't fault him for not actually packing. Since there are 5 of us and typically 5 22&quot; bags, I put a bit of everyone's clothes in each bag, to lessen the problem if one or two suitcases are lost.)

I do not allow DH total freedom in deciding what to bring. To him, a summer vacation means shorts and t-shirts. If left to his own devices, he would pack the identical clothes if going to his parents' lake house, Disneyworld, Paris or Rome. I'm serious. Summer of 2005 we went to Disneyworld and summer of 2006 we went to Italy and he truly tried to pack his Disneyworld clothes for Italy.

Got to love those husbands, and in all fairness and to keep stereotypes alive I would welcome my husband to start a post on cars and his wife ;;) Around a car or power tools I am completely helpless/hopeless. I am, however, a packing wizard. Deborah

paris 7, yes in August in Paris I kept pointing out to DH all the fine looking men in capri length pants. It really wasn't very warm so maybe Ron wasn't impressed enough to appreciate the style.

You are leaving soon for Paris, lucky you, if there is room for THE HAT put it in the suitcase. We've been in Paris during this time of the year and it can get really cold on the street. You might end up each wanting to wear it ;;)

Have a great trip. Deborah

I am an adult male. I am able to select my clothes and to pack my own bag. My wife packs hers without input from me.

I pack mine, my wife packs hers. The only thing we disagree on is the amount of clothes to take - seems she often packs too much but it works out OK in the long run.

The man can't fold to save his life, which is primarily the reason I pack. He literally rolls his clothes up into a long, tube-like formation and shoves them in where there's room, creating a wrinkled mess and a space-hogging situation, so it's just easier for me to do it. Plus, I get a little thrill by finding out a way to get &quot;so many clothes&quot; into such a tight and compact space. Hey, we've all got varying degrees of OCD, all right? ; )

I don't choose his clothes, though. He's not my child and would not react well to me suggesting I do so (nor would I want to). We have a routine where he goes into the closets and drawers and tosses what he needs on the bed and I pack it. I may remind him that he needs this or that since I am usually the keeper of the intinerary and he's agreeable to whatever additions or subtractions I suggest.

So, basically he's worked it so that he's got me doing the hardest job and thinking that a man as smart as he is can't learn to fold. He's clever, that one.

We each pack our own, only discussing what sort of events/occasions might be anticipated, since I do most of the trip planning and organizing. I cannot even IMAGINE using space in my suitcase packing things that I thought he should have packed but didn't. Geesh!!!