How do you pack?
Sep 2nd, 2007, 09:58 AM
#1
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How do you pack?
I was reading the post entitled "What have I forgotten?" and it reminded me that the reason I find packing for a trip so un-stressful is that I have a permanent list of what to take. I print out a copy for each member of the family before they pack, and then they can just go down the list and take what they need and check it off. The list is general (clothes, "bath" supplies, accessories (cameras, batteries, chargers, phone & charger, books and that kind of thing) and specific (car trip, skiing, beach, etc.).
Does anyone else have a "trick" they use for packing?
Does anyone else have a "trick" they use for packing?
Sep 2nd, 2007, 10:21 AM
#2
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I always lay out the clothes I want to take and see how many shirts I can wear with how many pants, etc. And once they're laid out I pull socks and belts to go with them.
My partner always liked to pull out his favorite few shirts, then his favorite couple pairs of pants and we'd get somewhere and he'd realize his shirts and pants didn't really go together. And let's not talk about the all green socks he took the time he took almost all blue clothes.
I make my list after I pull everything out and before I pack it. Then I make a copy just in case the airline loses everything.
My partner always liked to pull out his favorite few shirts, then his favorite couple pairs of pants and we'd get somewhere and he'd realize his shirts and pants didn't really go together. And let's not talk about the all green socks he took the time he took almost all blue clothes.
I make my list after I pull everything out and before I pack it. Then I make a copy just in case the airline loses everything.
Sep 2nd, 2007, 10:22 AM
#3
I start several weeks in advance, and gather the clothes I plan to pack in a separate place (hanging on the closet door for example) and start putting stuff into the suitcase lose, which I pull out and organize when I do the real pack, day before the trip.
Sep 2nd, 2007, 11:34 AM
#4
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While I always plan to follow some organized plan as described above, I usually spend the few days before travel arranging for pet care, finishing up things at work, obsessing about stupid things, stopping mail, papers, more obsessing - so I always find myself packing at 10 PM the night before we leave - but I have gotten good at packing lightly and rarely forget anything.
Things got a lot easier when I realized that husband and 16 and 21 year old kids should be on their own (except for passports). If they forget toothbrush and underwear, it is their problem, not mine.
Things got a lot easier when I realized that husband and 16 and 21 year old kids should be on their own (except for passports). If they forget toothbrush and underwear, it is their problem, not mine.
Sep 2nd, 2007, 12:41 PM
#5
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I'm on the Patrick Plan. Although I do tend to overpack- by at least one outfit.
It goes back to the "In case the first-day-on-the-job waitress drops the pitcher of Margaritas over the head again" emergency backup.
It's the extra shoes part that causes me to let out the expandable zipper (on the suitcase, that is).
Leaving for a week two weeks from tomorrow and I've already laid out my picks and floor plan in my head.
I always have a toiletries bag as well as backpack stocked, zipped and ready to roll. That makes the incidentals/necessities less likely to be forgotten. And it certainly helps at crunch time.
It goes back to the "In case the first-day-on-the-job waitress drops the pitcher of Margaritas over the head again" emergency backup.
It's the extra shoes part that causes me to let out the expandable zipper (on the suitcase, that is).
Leaving for a week two weeks from tomorrow and I've already laid out my picks and floor plan in my head.
I always have a toiletries bag as well as backpack stocked, zipped and ready to roll. That makes the incidentals/necessities less likely to be forgotten. And it certainly helps at crunch time.
Sep 2nd, 2007, 02:49 PM
#6
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Always start 2-3 weeks ahead laying out what I might want to take, checking to see if I need to purchase anything else. Then two days before we leave I really narrow it down. I'm getting better at packing less each time.I've found that I never need all the things "I think I need"! I do the same as JRP, in that I always have my toiletries bag pack and ready for the next trip. I stock that immediately after returning from a trip. Makes it so easy for when we want to take off again!! Oh yes, I do have a check-off list so that I do not forget what I have in the bag!!!
Sep 2nd, 2007, 03:53 PM
#7
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I have three toiletries kits:
1) Overnight trip to family: toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, moisturizer, comb
2) Weekend trip: all of the above plus shampoo, QTips, floss, razor, emery board
3) Longer trip: All of the above plus aspirin, facial soap, conditioner, woolite, band aids and other things things I like to have with me
All three kits are always in my suitcase, so when I begin to pack I just take out the ones I don't need.
For any trip of a week or more I pack the same amount of clothing. I have lists for each trip in a notebook. I refer to the last trip at the same time of year and write a new list, substituting my new favorite items for the ones I took the last time. So it's always the same number of shirts or pants, but appropriate to the season, location, and my latest preference.
1) Overnight trip to family: toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, moisturizer, comb
2) Weekend trip: all of the above plus shampoo, QTips, floss, razor, emery board
3) Longer trip: All of the above plus aspirin, facial soap, conditioner, woolite, band aids and other things things I like to have with me
All three kits are always in my suitcase, so when I begin to pack I just take out the ones I don't need.
For any trip of a week or more I pack the same amount of clothing. I have lists for each trip in a notebook. I refer to the last trip at the same time of year and write a new list, substituting my new favorite items for the ones I took the last time. So it's always the same number of shirts or pants, but appropriate to the season, location, and my latest preference.
Sep 2nd, 2007, 03:55 PM
#8
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List, list, and lists. I literally list out every single thing I am bringing with me and check it off as I put it in the suitcase.
My last boyfriend was so haphazard about packing. He'd wake up and throw things in a case and be off to the airport in ten minutes.
My last boyfriend was so haphazard about packing. He'd wake up and throw things in a case and be off to the airport in ten minutes.
Sep 3rd, 2007, 07:00 AM
#10
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And I replenish the toiletries kits when I return from the trip, before I put away the suitcase. Fresh from the trip, I know what needs replacing and then I don't have to worry about it in the busy-ness before the next trip.
Sep 3rd, 2007, 07:48 AM
#11
Getting the toiletries out of the way is a great idea. I downsize everything into 1-2 oz. plastic bottles, so I take all my usual stuff but it packs into just one small cosmetics bag (with things inside snack size ziplock bags inside it).
Sep 3rd, 2007, 08:55 AM
#12
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I have a very small toiletries bag in which all essential toiletries are permanently packed.
All meds, bandaids, etc. go into another small "medicine bag".
These two bags, along with a camera, a miner's light, several extra baggies, a slim pair of slippers, and a change of underclothes are permanently packed into my backpack.
Any replenishment is done immediately upon trip return, so the backpack is always ready to go.
My backpack also has two webnets on each side for water bottles. I pack all the 3-oz toiletries in a permanent baggie and store these in one net. Saves having to fumble around trying to find the toiletries when checking through at the airport.
At home, I have a "spares bag" with sunhat, gloves, scarf, etc. - and I go through this bag before a long trip to see what else is needed for the trip. Cold weather calls for scarf and thick gloves, warm weather calls for suntan lotion and sunhat. Overseas trips call for the appropriate converter, money belt, passport holder to remind me to take out all the necessary papers that are locked away - passport, health documents, international driver's license, and any other critical documents.
I have a list of all essential phone numbers and other essential information (garbage co, water co, etc) all printed up and placed in a folder next to my phone. Copies of all essential documents, such as copy of passport, also go by the phone, so that my family or whomever is taking care of the house can access the information immediately. A copy of all the pages left by the phone also go with me on the trip, so that if we need to talk to each other by phone, we'd be looking at the same page.
Because I had to travel for business for many years, my clothes are lined up in the closet for a quick choice. I could grab suits and tops and shoes out of my closet in about a half an hour or less and be ready to go. Roll everything up, stuff socks and other things into dress shoes, lay business suits on top and GO! Nowadays, no more business travel, so no more business suits - Yippeeee!
The hardest thing for me in packing is deciding what reading material to take along! Is this a book I want to keep and therefore have to bring back? Or can it be left in a hotel room? Is it too bulky? Is it an easy read? Know of any good travelling books?
All meds, bandaids, etc. go into another small "medicine bag".
These two bags, along with a camera, a miner's light, several extra baggies, a slim pair of slippers, and a change of underclothes are permanently packed into my backpack.
Any replenishment is done immediately upon trip return, so the backpack is always ready to go.
My backpack also has two webnets on each side for water bottles. I pack all the 3-oz toiletries in a permanent baggie and store these in one net. Saves having to fumble around trying to find the toiletries when checking through at the airport.
At home, I have a "spares bag" with sunhat, gloves, scarf, etc. - and I go through this bag before a long trip to see what else is needed for the trip. Cold weather calls for scarf and thick gloves, warm weather calls for suntan lotion and sunhat. Overseas trips call for the appropriate converter, money belt, passport holder to remind me to take out all the necessary papers that are locked away - passport, health documents, international driver's license, and any other critical documents.
I have a list of all essential phone numbers and other essential information (garbage co, water co, etc) all printed up and placed in a folder next to my phone. Copies of all essential documents, such as copy of passport, also go by the phone, so that my family or whomever is taking care of the house can access the information immediately. A copy of all the pages left by the phone also go with me on the trip, so that if we need to talk to each other by phone, we'd be looking at the same page.
Because I had to travel for business for many years, my clothes are lined up in the closet for a quick choice. I could grab suits and tops and shoes out of my closet in about a half an hour or less and be ready to go. Roll everything up, stuff socks and other things into dress shoes, lay business suits on top and GO! Nowadays, no more business travel, so no more business suits - Yippeeee!
The hardest thing for me in packing is deciding what reading material to take along! Is this a book I want to keep and therefore have to bring back? Or can it be left in a hotel room? Is it too bulky? Is it an easy read? Know of any good travelling books?
Sep 16th, 2007, 09:09 AM
#14
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Well, I did it, in anticipation of our next trip (Palm Springs) -- I went out and got travel sizes of a number of items (toothpaste, deodorant), and duplicates of some others (makeup, hairbrush), etc. and have my toiletries bags (including the ziplock bag for the TSA) all packed and ready to go. I feel so liberated LOL!
Sep 16th, 2007, 10:04 AM
#15
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I used to keep a permanent list of things to take until a smart Fodorite, b/4 our cruise in March, suggested buying a hanging shoe bag with 24 clear shoe slots to hang on the closet door in the ship cabin b/c space is so limited. What a great idea!! I took masking tape & a marker & labeled each pocket as I put things in it. Even having almost everything in small travel sizes, it was too bulky to roll & pack up, so I had to take things out, but when I got home, I hung it on the back of the spare BR door and put things back in it. I keep duplicates of all makeup items that I use everyday in it too. For a short trip, I can take a small cosmetics bag with two sides (1 for me, 1 for DH), go from pocket to pocket and get out the things we need & put in the smaller bag. When going on a road trip, there are still things I won't need sometimes, like sun lotion or beach towel (I have one of those Chamois type from Travel Essentials, best travel purchase I ever made), so I bought another shoe bag, labeled it & now I can transfer things I want into it. I took snap-together straps from inside of 2 old suitcases & sewed them together to make it one piece that snaps together. For road trips, just roll the shoe bag up with items in it, put the straps around it and toss it in the van. When we get there, carry it in, hang it on the bathroom door and everything is within hands-reach. I put DH's things at the top, mine in the middle and extras, like flip-flops, slippers, socks, sunglasses, battery & camera chargers, etc. at the bottom.
Also, by having the pockets labeled, I can quickly see if I have forgotten anything, which works especially well for things we might forget if I were to put them back in the drawer, like floss, hearing aid batteries, first aid items, coffee & filters (there's never enough coffee pkts in the rooms for us), prescription meds, etc. & also reminds me to get chargers, which is something we use everyday so can't be left in the bag.
I replenish all items that need it upon return when putting things back in the original shoe bag. Makes packing a lot faster & I don't have to worry about forgetting something.
As for clothes, I wish someone could teach me how to not take too many!! But, I AM learning that I can hand wash things if necessary. LOL I lay out several outfits that I might want a few weeks in advance in the spare BR so I don't have to worry about whether it's still in the closet or in the hamper when I am ready to pack. The day b/4, I check out the 10-day weather forecast, then eliminate clothes that won't be appropriate for the trip. DH waits until the night before, gets out several pants & shirts, then asks me what he should take!! I decide, then let him decide he wants just the opposite (typical man, huh?), gets out socks to match & I pack it all. I can get 3x more clothes in a suitcase than he can!! We usually each take our own suitcase, but he is good about lifting mine for me on the return trip when it weighs twice as much with souvenirs.
I always pack a nylon duffle bag that folds up very small to use for dirty clothes on the return trip, so I have room in the suitcase for souvenirs that I roll up in clothes if not packed in a box.
I like NeoPatrick's idea of making a list, in case of loss, airlines are getting good at that lately, but luckily, it hasn't happened to us.
Also, by having the pockets labeled, I can quickly see if I have forgotten anything, which works especially well for things we might forget if I were to put them back in the drawer, like floss, hearing aid batteries, first aid items, coffee & filters (there's never enough coffee pkts in the rooms for us), prescription meds, etc. & also reminds me to get chargers, which is something we use everyday so can't be left in the bag.
I replenish all items that need it upon return when putting things back in the original shoe bag. Makes packing a lot faster & I don't have to worry about forgetting something.
As for clothes, I wish someone could teach me how to not take too many!! But, I AM learning that I can hand wash things if necessary. LOL I lay out several outfits that I might want a few weeks in advance in the spare BR so I don't have to worry about whether it's still in the closet or in the hamper when I am ready to pack. The day b/4, I check out the 10-day weather forecast, then eliminate clothes that won't be appropriate for the trip. DH waits until the night before, gets out several pants & shirts, then asks me what he should take!! I decide, then let him decide he wants just the opposite (typical man, huh?), gets out socks to match & I pack it all. I can get 3x more clothes in a suitcase than he can!! We usually each take our own suitcase, but he is good about lifting mine for me on the return trip when it weighs twice as much with souvenirs.
I always pack a nylon duffle bag that folds up very small to use for dirty clothes on the return trip, so I have room in the suitcase for souvenirs that I roll up in clothes if not packed in a box.
I like NeoPatrick's idea of making a list, in case of loss, airlines are getting good at that lately, but luckily, it hasn't happened to us.
Sep 16th, 2007, 10:18 AM
#16
If anyone's trying to do carry-on only, I saw a handy pre-made kit of a bunch of tiny empty containers all done up in a quart ziplock at Bed Bath & Beyond for $9.95. Even included printed labels for shampoo, lotion, etc.
