Does anyone else hate to pack?

Old Jul 20th, 2004, 03:27 PM
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Does anyone else hate to pack?

OK, here I am. I should be putting stuff into my suitcase right now, b/c we leave for ten days tomorrow, but that would require a decision on my part. A committment as to what fits, what will work, and to not take too much. I just hate it. I hate the process. I don't mind packing to come home from the trip, just have to put the stuff back in. But when I am leaving for the trip. to have to decide on these shoes or those shoes, ugh. Stupid, I know.

I love every other aspect of traveling. I love the planning, the research, the brochures, the phone calls, making reservations, all the rest. But I HATE packing.

I even used to be a flight attendant for ten years. International. Left on trips for ten days. That took a lot of packing. Think I would have gotten used to it, huh. But even then I would clean my apt. floor to ceiling before I would face the suitcase.

Is this packing phobia? Is it curable. Does anyone else have this phobia? Is there a cure??? Thanks for listening, fellow Foderites...
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Old Jul 20th, 2004, 03:30 PM
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I AGREE!!

I'm always sure that whatever I take, I'll want something else when I get there. But I hate to overpack, and feel guilty if I take something that I don't wear.

My husband teases me that I must think there's some federal agency giving out packing demerits if I don't do it "right".
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Old Jul 20th, 2004, 03:33 PM
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Lists are the key for me.
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Old Jul 20th, 2004, 03:36 PM
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I hate to pack. I put it off until the last minute because then I will get it done with a minimum of fuss. No time to make indecisions on what to pack. Fold it, and pack it. No chance to re-fold it, to try to get it right - there is no hope, it's going to be wrinkly no matter what.


Don't mind re-packing while on the road. Do hate to unpack.
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Old Jul 20th, 2004, 03:37 PM
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You are in good company but, don't you hate unpacking after you're home even more than packing to go on a holiday?! Talk about ugh! Not even the thought of heading to a fun destination to distract you - only the happy memories and having to get back to routines and responsibilities. Have a great time and - get busy NOW - you have a trip to go on!
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Old Jul 20th, 2004, 03:42 PM
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Hi Heavens (love that name! )
I love to pack ~
I took someones advice on here years ago and get all the clothes that I am thinking of taking and put them out on a bed in a spare room. They are all ironed and ready to go.
I will edit here and there, I pack the last day before we go.
When that day comes, it just requires folding and putting in the bag.

A friend said to me that she stood in front of her closet and just stared at the clothes, not knowing what to pack..and since that is what I do every day, just figuring out what to wear..I know how she feels and how to get around that.
I no longer worry about taking a few extra pieces or extra shoes. We are not going backpacking so the extra couple of items will not cause us to forfeit the bag if it is a little fuller or heavier.
And most likely I will not wear something I brought, but I might need it and that is what makes me relax, knowing if I need it, I brought it with me.
I hope this helps..
your neurotic fellow Fodorite~ Scarlett
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Old Jul 20th, 2004, 03:52 PM
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I LOVE to pack! Not the packing process itself, but the anticipation. I love to see my open suitcase in the middle of the bedroom. I love to print out packing advices, read them, highlight essentials (not that I need them, by now I even stopped writing a packing list), toss everything in a bag and then re-pack nicely the day before.

For me it's just like planning, I guess.
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Old Jul 20th, 2004, 04:27 PM
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I'm with you. I hate to pack. I spent 6 months planning our recent vacation, and didn't pack until 2 hours before we left for the airport.

I didn't even make lists this time. I let the kids do their own packing. I washed all my comfortable clothes. Took them straight out of the dryer, rolled them, and put them in the suitcase. As I got dressed to go, I just put everything I used getting ready (or the travel sizes I'd bought of same) into my bag. Then packed my other bag with all the vacation stuff -- guidebooks, cameras, film, phone chargers, passports, IDs, and last of all -- cash. Two extra items that came in sooo handy were a cheap folded 18x24 nylon bag and a small, stiff-sided nylon (6-pack) cooler. We took snacks in it going, and used it for food items we'd bought coming back, and it fit right in the corner of my suitcase.

Anyway, I'm getting off the subject -- and, no, I don't think there's a cure for packing phobia. Just know that if you packed early, you'd probably be taking stuff back out of the suitcase that you needed to use.

I'm sure everything will work out fine. It always has for me -- well, except for the time I left my stack of underwear at home on the couch.

Donna

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Old Jul 20th, 2004, 04:30 PM
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I start a packing list several days before I go anywhere and add to it when I think about it. The day before actually packing, I cut the list in half and never pack another thing. My husband is a serious over-packer (two suitcases for a weekend is light for him) so sometimes I end up wearing his socks!
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Old Jul 20th, 2004, 04:46 PM
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I always pack the day of or night before. Im always afraid I'll pack something away I wanna wear. But I dont mind packing at all, I just HATE unpacking and doing all that laundry!
 
Old Jul 20th, 2004, 05:45 PM
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I find the less I pack the happier I am - if I can fit it all in one carry on it's blissful. I color coordinate so i can mix & match to create a lot of different looks with a small variety of clothes. I'm usually cold on airplanes anyways so I'm so layered up that I'm probably wearing half my wardrobe.
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Old Jul 20th, 2004, 07:23 PM
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Raving Razzle here
I try outfits on a week before I pack to ensure the best top with the best capri or skirt or pant and then what shoe with what...
:-?
You'd think I'd never seen these
clothes before!
I "have" to do this and I'm afraid it's
an incurable condition.

If I don't, I'll be up until 3AM

I try to do all the "little bottle" stuff the weekend before, but that kit is packed and ready to go most of the
time.
Yup, I hate to pack, but I try to look at the end of the project-
that glorious moment of take-off or drive-off
when it just doesn't matter anymore.
><
Have a terrific trip, Heavens!
R5
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Old Jul 20th, 2004, 08:00 PM
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Love to pack. My journey has begun.
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Old Jul 20th, 2004, 08:09 PM
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I agree with J Correa, I have to have lists. A week or two before I go on a long trip, I make a chart showing each day and the events I'll need clothes for. Then I list each item that I'll wear for each event. I try my best to use every item 2-3 times to keep from overpacking. This system really helps me when we take trips that require more than just casual clothes. It's much more difficult for me to plan for evening events, receptions, etc. The one thing I haven't conquered yet are the shoes! Even for a weekend trip, I end up taking an entire bag with nothing but shoes!
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Old Jul 20th, 2004, 08:14 PM
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I'm with Scarlett about putting the clothes on a bed in the guest room, little by little for the week or so before the trip. Additionally, we have a large gym bag in our closet where we keep all the things that go traveling but don't get used at home--the water-heating pot, the adapters and converters, the packing envelopes, the neck cushions, the mesh laundry bag, the quick-dry towel, the secure money pouches, etc. That saves a lot of "Where did I put....???"
Vera
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Old Jul 20th, 2004, 09:58 PM
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Lay out all the clothes you'd like to bring, then pick 1/4, 1/3 or at most 1/2 of them (depending on your destination, length of stay and activities while there). As you're packing, try and keep two distinct lists in your head -- what you *want* to bring, and what you certainly (or almost certainly) *need* to bring. Always choose based on the second criteria.
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Old Jul 20th, 2004, 10:55 PM
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Ugh, I have the exact same problems. I used to travel on business often, as well as on holidays, and you'd think I would have figured it out by now.

It's not the actual packing I mind, it's the decisions. My latest revelation is that somewhere deep in my soul I believe that if I don't have the right clothes I won't have a good time on the trip. How nutso is that?

And I do believe in packing light, so I tend to feel that I have "failed" if I take too much stuff. I do wish I could get over this! But I haven't read any magic cures on this thread so far (yes, I use lists) so I will just take comfort in not being alone in my neurotic fixation.

Actually, we just took a 2-1/2 week road trip and since there was plenty of room in the car, I decided to indulge myself by taking whatever I wanted. I figure that I probably took 30% more clothing and shoes than I would have if we had flown. I would be embarrassed to tell you all how much I never wore!

Although, come to think of it, it was a pretty great trip...
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Old Jul 21st, 2004, 12:55 AM
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I travel often but hate to pack. It takes me hours. I usually start the night before and sometimes continue till morning or till when I need to leave for the airport. The funny thing is, when I pack for my husband, I can do it in 30 minutes. Sometimes I do try to start a couple days before the trip but I always end up doing most of it the night before. The only thing that has helped me to pack is to leave the things I always bring on every trip in the suitecase and not take them out. I also like to bring dresses because they take up less space.
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Old Jul 21st, 2004, 01:12 AM
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I always have a list, so packing is not the problem.

It's the unpacking that I hate!
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Old Jul 21st, 2004, 02:23 AM
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travelmug: The reason you can pack for your husband in 30 minutes is because you pack what he needs, not what he might want but doesn't really need. It's as simple as that.
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