slo’s MONDAY 3/6 poll - Packing For Vacation

[PrincessShmoo]

How far in advance do you pack for a vacation?

Depends. I start colleting things anywhere from a month ahead to just a few days. The staging area is the dining room table.

The actual packing of items generally happens a day (maybe 2) before I walk out the door.

 

[The Mayor]

I get things laid out and ready starting a couple days before and pack the night before we leave. Coming home is usually a later flight so pack in the morning.

 

[AppleDumpling]

I start preparing a few days to a week ahead by catching up on laundry and ensuring we have enough clean clothes. Usually don’t pack until the day (sometimes two) before the trip.

This may sound crazy, but the cat gets upset when he sees suitcases, knowing we’re about to leave him, so I don’t get them out of storage until we’re ready to pack, then we do it quickly and put them out of sight.

 

[fly girl]

It is typically a 3-5 day process for me as I keep going over everything needed for a particular trip.

3-5 days before:
Luggage pulled out in spare room and ready
All toiletries (I always have travel at the go from my old job) are fully replenished
Clothes/shoes/accessories will be pulled and set in spare bedroom
I am weird, but I iron clothes that will need it prior to packing. They are hung in spare bedroom until they get packed
Unmentionables will be packed in luggage, but outfits stay hung in closet

1-2 days before:
All special items for trip (ponchos, tickets, passport, etc) get packed
bags get packed (typically day prior to keep wrinkles at bay)

 

[RoseColored97]

I used to be the person to pack a week in advance. Now, it's more like the day before or maybe even the night before. I can never decide what to pack! I also just find I get too busy between work and it doesn't help that I try and clean the entire house up and down before our trip (cleaning carpets in every room, washing all the sheets and blankets, deep cleaning bathrooms and kitchen, etc). I just love coming home to a fresh home but it sure makes things stressful beforehand.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

Woman (family of 3). I do all the packing. Sometimes we each have a suitcase, for shorter trips the 3 of us can get everything into 2 suitcases. I make sure everything is packed, folded and organized and that everyone has everything they need. I move things around, add and subtract and start packing at least 3-4 days in advance. If my husband did it himself, he'd throw everything into a duffle bag (even more dressier clothing) be done in 10 minutes and call it a day.

 

[JLTraveling]

Woman - Normally I start pre-packing about 2-3 days before. Clothes I know I won't wear before the trip, restocking any of my travel stuff that usually stays in the suitcase (toiletries, toothbrush, hairbrush, etc). Then the morning of the trip (or the night before if we're leaving super early) I toss everything else in. That said, I've done some extensive hosteling. If I need to, I can start from scratch and be completely packed in less than an hour. It helps that I travel really light (lesson learned after a 6-month stint living/working in a hostel--employees get whatever bed happens to be free, so lots of schlepping my overstuffed bags up and down stairs every few days).

 

[mrsstats79]

I picked other. We are leaving for Vegas on Saturday. I have all my clothes laid out on a table (so does my DH). We will back them a few days before we leave but we have had this done a few days ago.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Woman, the day before. It always stresses me out. I usually make a list.

 

[JenBush]

I start thinking about the outfits and shoes I want to pack a few weeks in advanced, but I don’t actually pack my clothes until the night before.

 

[BayouQueen]

This is what I do. I have stacks of things to pack on my dresser but most of it doesn't go in the suitcase until the day before. If I actually put the stuff in the suitcase sooner, then I won't be able to see all of it, and I'll start worrying that I didn't pack something, and I would end up taking it all out again anyway to check. It's just easier for me if I can see it.

Same here. I call it my staging area and I start setting things out long in advance, whenever I think of something or when I have time to mess with selecting stuff to take. Then it goes in the suitcase a day or two before departure.

 

[ncc1701]

Depends on the trips. Depending on location, distance and length. We annually rent a house in Ocean City, NJ with my Mom & Sister's family. For that one I start a week ahead since we need to bring linens, towels, paper products , etc..
For a regular vacation (4-7 day length) I usually start four days before. If it is just a 1 or 2 night trip, the day before.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I usually do it a few days before. I can't pack too early because I will probably want to wear part of what I am going to pack before I go

 

[design_mom]

I used to pack well in advance but now I just make lists. I don’t put anything in a suitcase till couple of days ahead.

I used to, but invariably someone (husband, kids) would “need” something I’d already packed, remove it from the suitcase, and forget to put it back…and we would be without it. So then I started to double-check that the things I’d already packed were STILL packed. That’s just silliness. So now I make lists/piles, but I don’t actually pack till shortly before we leave—and I check things off the list then.