When do you start packing??

[SG131]

I start laying out clothes about two weeks before and start my pile of toiletries. Suitcases won’t come out until about 3 days before due to the dog, however by then everything is nicely packed in cubes and I just have to throw it in.

 

[DietCokeMommy]

I start gathering things months ahead of time. We have a cruise scheduled for January and I've been putting things aside for weeks as summer ended. I ordered the kids sandals in bigger sizes, put aside some of their nicer clothes so they wouldn't get ruined, and moved all my vacation specific stuff so it's all together. Things like waterproof phone case, minnie ears, sun hats, etc.

About 2-4 weeks ahead of time I start gathering all the clothes and things and organizing. I have small kids (3 and 5) and I don't get much time away so I can pack. I use our guest room and pull aside all of the clothes I think we'll take. I usually weed some things out and I put everthing in packing cubes. Then lastly I put all the cubes into suitcases. I expect us to travel with 3 large suitcases - 2 dedicated to clothes for the 4 of us, and 1 for everything else - shoes, snorkel equipment, prepackaged snacks, etc.

 

[Heather07438]

This was my bedroom floor two weeks before we left.View attachment 447874

Your cat looks like it's in heaven. Can't decide which one to jump in.

 

[Heather07438]

The week before DH starts telling me to pack. He doesn't enjoy me waiting until the last minute lol, but I have my method. When he gets nervous I tell him, "Have I ever forgotten to pack something?"

2 days pre-trip I do every possible piece of laundry in the house, then pile up outfits that are suitable and let them take a look to make any changes. I grab ziplocks & run through my bathroom cabinets to pick a few of this and that, like bandaids and advil. Then I go and collect the rest like sunscreen & glasses, pin trading, jewelery, etc.

Pack it up and we're ready With 2 hours to spare!

 

[Pinkgurlshubby]

I've mentally packed my stuff about 2 weeks before we go. Around the same time, I make sure the toiletries are in order. Fill the shampoo bottles, make sure the bag o' bandages is ready, etc. If I'm travelling where I know I'll have easy access to a washing machine (like DCL or an airbnb) I'll toss in a few detergent pods (packed in two zip-top bags) and dryer sheets.

We've got the kids stuff sorted out with about a week to go. Around that time I make a list of things we might consider getting once we're off the plane. Water, wine, etc.

And my wife is the last minute packer, so she puts her stuff in the suitcase and I adjust my stuff to accommodate. I've done 2 week trips on 4 sets of clothes, so no biggie for me.

We've done the detergent pod thing as well. We usually pack for 3-4 days and do some laundry. My wife found the giant ziplock bags at Dollarama the one time and we use them for dirty laundry, easy to carry to the washers on the ship

 

[kkayluvsdis]

I have 6 days to go and haven’t actually packed a thing! I have been writing things down for weeks (throwaway ponchos, kids swimmies and goggles, magic bands, their surprise ears and auto books, detergent and stain fighters, stuff like that). Then I have a pile on my dresser started for other pairs of ears and the 3 park bags I’m bringing. I’ll start with my kids first as they are the easiest. I pack them by category: day outfits, 1 or 2 nicer outfits, PJs, Swim and the accessories that go with them, Hats, 1 or 2 outfits if it’s cooler, nylon jacket, fleece, shoes. We are not in the summer season anymore so I will also change their clothes around while I pack them.

I will most likely do my clothes the day or two before we leave. I have an idea of what clothes I’m bringing but need to sort out actual outfits. My DH will pack in 30 min like others DH! Glad I’m not alone! But he is in charge of electronics and all those accessories.

I also have to come home to a clean house! So when I’m done packing I will obsessively clean and put away anything I took out but aren’t taking. And I make sure all of my laundry is done!

I also consider all of the last minute errands as part of packing: going to the bank for cash, making sure the car has gas to get to the airport, paying upcoming bills - all that fun stuff that needs to get done before I leave.

For the airplane my kids bring their school backpack and they make a pile of the toys and other items they want to bring. If it fits in their backpack they can bring it. I make them bring books and paper, crayons, markers also. My DH and I carry all of the electronics and I always have a bag of snacks. A large ziplock bag for each kid.

I guess I should get packing! Apparently I have a lot to do! Ha!

Yes! You are stressing me out!! LOL!

 

[hpsalb]

There are five of us and I pack for myself and our three boys, DH mostly does his own. We sail in a month and I have some stuff in a box and hanging in the closet already.

The packing always stresses me out closer to trip time so I do much better having it ready ahead of time. Our trips usually have more than one stop and we drive to the port, so I have to plan what we need and when, plus what we have room for and where it is going in the car. If I pack at the last minute we end up with too much stuff.

Plus we don’t just have clothes to pack. We still have kid gear (strollers) and need to pack some snacks and activities. This will be our first trip without a PNP!

I once went out the night before we left, toddler in tow, to buy clothes and toiletries I didn’t realize we needed until the last minute. Not doing that again.

 

[monkeydawn]

I am also one that keeps toiletry kits packed and ready to go. I auto pack for a week, unless I know I will need more because I already have a trip scheduled, and adjust up as needed. I started this when my grandmother was very sick and it just made me feel a little better to always have at least that part of my packing done. My husband now knows not to throw out any empty bottles in his kit because that reminds me of what he needs refilled.

I usually start packing for a regular vacation about a month out. I will pack everything to ensure it fits in my carry on, I almost exclusively use a carryon sized bag. Then I make a list of all the outfits and take out what I still need for day to day living. About a week out I start watching the weather and make sure any weather adjustment items are clean. About two days before I will have everything packed except for last minute stuff, mostly electronics and chargers. I do make a morning of list. I pack for my husband as well using the same method.

We are backpacking through Italy and then a week Med cruise next May. Since this is a different kind of trip than we are used to and even more size/ weight limited than our usual travels I have already started. I tried out a couple of backpacks, deciding on the eBags Motherlode and some compression packing cubes. I did a full packup and I think I will be ok for size. Strapped it on and walked a couple of miles as a test and it seemed fine. Since I am still wearing a lot of the stuff that I had packed I repacked with stuff of similar size and weight just so I can do some training with walking longer distances with a pack and (the more challenging for me) stair climbing with a pack on. Probably unnecessary but I dont want to be miserable on this trip from lack of being able to carry that weight on my back for longer distances.

 

[kiford]

I don't precisely pack well in advance but I have a standardized list that I partially customize for each trip about 2 weeks prior. Then we check through the list and pick out the precise shirts, pants, etc. that we want so that we have time to ensure that they don't need dry cleaning, washing, repair and they fit. Those go into a laundry hamper set aside in addition to non-clothing items (first aid kit, sewing kit, electronics/cables, etc.). If there's anything else we need, we have time to shop (the first aid kit I keep for travelling only so it may need refreshing). I prefer for everything to be selected and laid out before actual packing and that's done the night/day prior to travel. That way I can check everything off the list, split both of our clothes between two suitcases in case one goes missing and select at least two days worth of clothes to go into the carry ons in case both suitcases go missing. Then the toiletries go in right at the end a couple of hours before pick-up.

The kitty looks like it's going to jump in the suitcase, lol!!!

And I do a cat head count (3) before and after closing up the suitcases. I never leave the cases open after even the initial pack because they will sleep in them and there goes the point of doing laundry (long-haired cats). Even while packing, you have to keep taking them out. I'm always worried that one will pee in it just to prevent us from leaving them (yes, it has happened).

 

[doublesided]

we have a packing list we use for every trip, whether an overnight or two weeks. I usually bring it out the weekend before and start packing. Don't really see a need to pack before that. Last week I packed the day prior. Either way the stuff gets packed and I'd rather pack last minute so the suitcases aren't clogging up my living room.

 

[Spiffy MacSpiff]

Now that the Young Spiffs are in their teens, 48 hours max, and using packing lists that I print off so that everyone can check off their stuff as it goes into the suitcases. Chateau MacSpiff is a small house and we don't have much space for a lot of random open suitcases for very long. As seasoned campers/backpackers, we're accustomed to packing lightly; we overpacked on our first DCL cruise but that was that last time. We still dress nicely for dinner every night and pack pirate gear, but we quickly learned to mix and match, and ditched a lot of extraneous stuff.

 

[Alex Ash]

I start packing for the kids a month in advance. In general we go to warm places in the winter so they aren't wearing the clothes we need to pack anyways. I LOVE packing and it makes me so excited for the trip! I organize all of their outfits (they are 2 and 4) and put them into ziplocks with sticky notes outlining every piece of the outfit. Shirt, shorts, socks/shoes, underpants, and hair bows. I know this may sound intense but it really helps to prevent me from over-packing. I know the white sandals are being worn with outfits a/b/c so I don't have to think about what they should wear while we are on the ship. It also helps with the chaos of getting dressed in the morning as I can toss DH a ziplock and say "put this on DD2". It helps unpacking as well, as the ziplocks just get tossed in the drawers and we are ready to go!

I'm not as organized with myself though unfortunately, and pack about 5-6 days before and DH packs for himself the night before.

 

[cedricandsophie]

I pack the night before but I begin staging by putting clothes and underwear in one of our guest bedrooms with the luggage a few days ahead just to make the actual packing faster. That way I can eliminate or add to as I start to pack. I usually take underwear and pjs as they come out of the laundry and deliver them to the packing room instead of putting them away in drawers.

 

[starry_solo]

About 2 weeks before the trip. The toothbrush is typically on its last legs so that can be packed away (to be tossed at the end of the trip) and a new one for home use now. A list of items to pack (or already packed) is created as well.