Needed: LIGHT PACKERS!

[ZoZo]

I'm also a compulsive over-packer. My strategies to cut down have been:

* Lay out the clothes you want to take, then cut the amount by half.

* Plan to do laundry mid-trip. Saves tons of room.

* Definitely check the weather report before you go. On my trip last October, I ended up with nearly all tank tops, shorts and sandals, because it was supposed to be record breaking high temps. In addition to record highs, we had record-cold temperatures for the last few days of my 10-day trip. Wish I'd had a little more warm stuff! What I wouldn't have given for a pair of warm socks!

 

[Planning fanatic mom]

I am an over-packer too!

We usually drove, and the rule was always "If it fits in the van, take it." We've always taken out own pillows, a drying rack, and beach towels.

Well this time, we are flying. I will have to pay to check the bags. I am also only taking 2 suitcases for the 4 of us, whether my teenage daughters like it or not.

To the OP, thanks for posting this thread. I have learned a lot.

 

[dawnball]

I ALWAYS pack too much. Too many clothes, shoes, snacks...My hubby always says pack light and I always say I will and I just don't!! Guess I really don't know how to pack light...LOL~

Please those of you who are minimalist packers share your tips and strategies. We are traveling by car so I always think "ahhh, I'll throw in the extra pair of brown pumps, I might need them"...WHAT???

Please share what you bring and how you keep the packing light! Thanks!!!

I'm not by nature a light packer. Especially when I drive. There's so much room. Look at how much I could fit down by our feet as long as never twitch for the next 12 hours!

So the way I restrain myself is by declaring that absolutely everything must fit in the trunk. One reasonably sized bag for each person. One small box of condo-necessities/snacks. One laptop bag with electronics and paperwork inside. If I want a pillow or a blanket - it has to fit in my suitcase. Then I just pack and repack until everything I feel I -must- take fits within my limits.

I suggest that you think about why you want to pack light and optimize for that, though. I find that driving is much more relaxing if that car isn't full of junk and I have good visibility out all the windows. I also know that I'll be living in 1500sq feet with six people and that we all tend to bring too much stuff. My mother will bring her entire house full of food, so I try to only bring the bare minimum of food/kitchen items. I dislike sorting my daughter's toys from my niece's things, so I'm limiting toys. I don't mind packing up lots of clothes and toting them in and out of the condo (and there are closets/dressers to keep them in) - so throwing in an extra pair of sandals and every bathing suit we own works for me.

 

[anonymousegirl]

I've been packing light for years, including 5 weeks in Australia with a 22'' rolling bag and a large purse. I do the color-coordination, the sharing of items (like toothpaste, shampoo, books), and the doing the laundry thing.

For WDW how and what I pack varies by the season. In winter I bring one outfit per day for 4 days and plan a laundry break. In the hotter months I plan for 2 outfits per day but no more than 5 outfits. That may mean I do more laundry, but in the hot months I alway take a mid-day break and the parks are open late so going back to the hotel and doing a quick load is not a problem.

Some suggestions:

Severely LIMIT the shoes. I have plantar fascitis and I just make sure I have broken-in comfortable walking shoes (2 prs) with good support, plus flip flops, and a pair of nice looking flats for evening if we're dressing up a bit for dinner.

A Kindle or other e-reader-- this is a godsend for voracious speed readers like me. On that Australia trip I took 5 books, read one on the plane and gave it to DH to read and then read and left behind the others (makes room in my suitcase for souvenirs, but makes the case pretty heavy and overseas airlines weigh bags)

Color-coordinate to minimize amount of clothes and shoes needed.

Check the weather just before traveling and pack accordingly.

Make a list and stick to it

Layers. If I am going to Europe in winter I do bring a wool coat since cities are dressier, but otherwise I start with silk underwear and long sleeved poly-blend blouses and jeans with warm socks, scarf, hat gloves and a medium jacket and then layer for each day.

Minimize toiletries--these can add up quickly and add weight (a surprising amount) to your bag.

for Disney World if you go more than 2 times a year, consider Owner's Locker to store extra shoes, ponchos, full size bottles of laundry detergent and cosmetics, Hidden Mickey books, etc.

Also check out a website called minimus dot com. They have travel sized packets of toiletries, laundry, first aid, food, etc and cheaper prices than drugstores with a better selection.

 

[RebeccaB]

I'm queen of lite packers. There are three of us, thus three carry ons. Inevitably, even then, not everything gets worn. We wear our light weight jackets when we leave, I wear my tevas and the kiddo wears her crocs. My extra tevas are packed. We also bring a backpack. I will say tho, that one day I will check everything just to avoid the dragging of the carry-ons through the airports I only pack one pair of long pants for each of us due to when we go (usually sept/early oct).
However, this is after 4 trips. I know I overpacked our first trip. This year I'm even leaving my hair dryer behind and using the one at the resort. My theory now is this: I'm not going to the middle of nowhere, and chances are if I forget it I can find it there. The only thing I cannot forget is our prescription meds (thank the gods for xanax lol), and my glasses.
I do think that the more trips you get under your belt,the less obsessive a packer you become. Unless you are my aunt, who still packs the kitchen sink.

 

[delaneyc52]

After 50 plus plus visits, I've finally learned how to pack. Oy... did it really take me that long?? One person here posted that it is reality vs. what you think you need and that is so so true. Shoes: Sneaks for gym; croc flip flops for park, one nice sandal for dinner. Capris, one sundress, several light tops. I will tell you that my electronics probably weigh more than my clothes ...laptop, ipod, camera, kindle... And man oh man...that wine corkscrew..... maybe it really is all the incidentals that weigh us down !!

 

[delaneyc52]

DD7 and I go 2 weeks in July and she wears all customs so our large shared suitcase is 80% HERS!! LOL
I buy 5 pair of NEW WHITE CAPRIS and pack 5 tops to match them, and then I do laundry once while we are hanging at the pool. We are commando parks so pool time is rare...........my DD7 LOVES laundry day cuz it means she gets to hit the pool fo

r 2 hours!!

What an absolutely adorable picture!!!

 

[chaoslobster]

All these tips on how to pack lightly... but everyone's talking about mix and match clothes and don't bring too many shoes? Clothes are not my problem in the slightest. I can fit my entire clothing for a 10 day stay into my carryon, no issue. Summer tops are so tiny.

My problem with overpacking is all that OTHER stuff. I've gotten better over the years, but I still bring two pieces of luggage that typically weigh 40 - 45 lbs each. Of course, a lot of it doesn't need to come home with me again so my luggage gets a lot lighter for the return trip. I know I can buy extra batteries and sunblock and coffee at Disney -- but I don't want to pay the absolutely outrageous prices I know I'll get charged because I'm trapped in WDW and can't run down to the local Wal-Mart. I can't rent a car so if I need something while I'm there, and I didn't bring it, I have to pay whatever Disney charges. I have to budget all year to be able to GO to Disney, period... I can't afford to pay twice the usual price for a package of AA batteries because my camera died halfway through the trip.

Ditto for OTC medication and other medical supplies. I bring loads of blister band-aids, roll of gauze, 2oz travel bottle peroxide. Small sewing kit with a few hand needles, clear thread, some extra buttons and hooks. Mini hot glue gun, clear tape, scissors, Swiss Army knife that has a corkscrew and screwdriver. Then there's the food: I think this year I have at least 10 pounds combined of Jolly Ranchers, beef jerky, ground coffee and sugar\creamer packets, and Entenmann's single-wrapped cheese danishes.

Again, sure, I could buy all this stuff at Disney, or other similar stuff. But why should I? If I feel like munching on a snack and open a packet of beef jerky or a lollipop instead of paying $4 for a box of popcorn or pretzel, and I do this just five times during my whole trip (10 days), that's $20 I would have paid. Added to all the quick breakfasts I didn't pay $10 for on my way through the Pop food court to catch a bus, and the batteries I didn't pay $8 for when the headlight on my scooter died out, and the $5 I didn't pay for a tiny packet of Aleve or Tylenol, so on and so forth. All those small purchases add up when you're stuck on Disney property without a car for 10 days. And Southwest allows me to bring two pieces of luggage up to 50 pounds each. So heck yeah, I'm going to pack them as full as I possibly can with things that I "don't need" to bring.

I'm an overpacker and proud of it, LOL.

 

[perfectparanoia]

...This year I'm even leaving my hair dryer behind and using the one at the resort. ....

Careful about not packing the hairdryer. I have not packed mine before and suffered each time because the ones at the Disney Resorts are so 'safe' that they short every 30 seconds or so. Not so good when you have long or thick hair. Try finding a light travel one.

 

[englishteacha]

I have a question that might save my marriage: How do you roll clothes so they don't take up as much space? Do you fold them in half the long way then roll tightly? Do you not fold at all and just lay them out and roll?

I'm not as bad for packing for Disney because we can do wash in our condo, and I don't mind laundry at all. My trouble is when we go to summer camp to volunteer for a week and have no access to laundry facilities! Summer in Maine means weather between 40 and 90 degrees, and it changes so fast that you might start the day in jeans and a sweatshirt and by lunch you're in a tank top and shorts. That means I pack a wide variety of clothes, and jeans and sweats take up room!

 

[metsno1]

All these tips on how to pack lightly... but everyone's talking about mix and match clothes and don't bring too many shoes? Clothes are not my problem in the slightest. I can fit my entire clothing for a 10 day stay into my carryon, no issue. Summer tops are so tiny.

My problem with overpacking is all that OTHER stuff. I've gotten better over the years, but I still bring two pieces of luggage that typically weigh 40 - 45 lbs each. Of course, a lot of it doesn't need to come home with me again so my luggage gets a lot lighter for the return trip. I know I can buy extra batteries and sunblock and coffee at Disney -- but I don't want to pay the absolutely outrageous prices I know I'll get charged because I'm trapped in WDW and can't run down to the local Wal-Mart. I can't rent a car so if I need something while I'm there, and I didn't bring it, I have to pay whatever Disney charges. I have to budget all year to be able to GO to Disney, period... I can't afford to pay twice the usual price for a package of AA batteries because my camera died halfway through the trip.

Ditto for OTC medication and other medical supplies. I bring loads of blister band-aids, roll of gauze, 2oz travel bottle peroxide. Small sewing kit with a few hand needles, clear thread, some extra buttons and hooks. Mini hot glue gun, clear tape, scissors, Swiss Army knife that has a corkscrew and screwdriver. Then there's the food: I think this year I have at least 10 pounds combined of Jolly Ranchers, beef jerky, ground coffee and sugar\creamer packets, and Entenmann's single-wrapped cheese danishes.

Again, sure, I could buy all this stuff at Disney, or other similar stuff. But why should I? If I feel like munching on a snack and open a packet of beef jerky or a lollipop instead of paying $4 for a box of popcorn or pretzel, and I do this just five times during my whole trip (10 days), that's $20 I would have paid. Added to all the quick breakfasts I didn't pay $10 for on my way through the Pop food court to catch a bus, and the batteries I didn't pay $8 for when the headlight on my scooter died out, and the $5 I didn't pay for a tiny packet of Aleve or Tylenol, so on and so forth. All those small purchases add up when you're stuck on Disney property without a car for 10 days. And Southwest allows me to bring two pieces of luggage up to 50 pounds each. So heck yeah, I'm going to pack them as full as I possibly can with things that I "don't need" to bring.

I'm an overpacker and proud of it, LOL.

I hear you on the food and snacks! But that's one of the draws of the DDP for us. I just don't want to pack and carry all that stuff, and when I've paid in advance for my food, I don't feel like I have to worry so much about it!

As far as some of the other stuff goes, I just feel like the chances of us really needing any of it are pretty slim. All of our electronics are rechargeable, so no extra batteries needed. And if we do end up needing some of the basics, I'll use one of the services that delivers for $5.00 and doesn't charge much of a premium. I suppose it's a bit of a roll of the dice, but we usually come out OK!!

Oh, and under no circumstances will anyone in my family ever be allowed to pack a hot glue gun for Disney World!!

 

[Tinkerbell1989]

Hehe, I have no choice but to travel light... we have to fly from the UK, so i certainly don't want to pay extra for overpacking.

And as we're staying for two weeks, we do a reasonable amount of washing, because we only pack enough clothes for a week to mix and match.

But then again, two weeks? That's a whole lotta Disney!! Yay!

xxx

 

[Virtucomp]

We went light on this last trip. I got DW to forget about heavy cloths just in case. We brought extra sox and t-shirts but planned on re-using a pair of shorts or two.

We actually brought more shirts than we needed since we bought some t-shirts in the park and wanted to wear those.

We flew so we had one change of clothes each in the carry on. I brought the chargers for everything including one for each cell phone but did not really need to since they both use the same one and could be charged on alternate nights.

I brought my charger for MP3 player but did not need it since I only used it on the two flights.

We brought extra sneakers and flip flops in case of rain and did not need the sneakers.

My suggestion is to have one light flip flop pair and one walking shoe pair. If it starts to rain switch to flop flop to save on soggy wet sox. We carried a string pack with water, $1 store ponchos and flip flops and hats when we were not wearing them.

 

[CandyHead09]

I'm a pretty practical and light packer.
Making a list always helps whether on paper or your computer any free time you have watching tv or whatever MAKE A LIST!

Think what toiletries do I need toothbrush/paste, makeup, do I really need shampoo when my hotel provides it? facewash, lotion, ect. gather it all up (anything that can make a mess goes in a plastic bag) then put it into a small toiletry bag which you can find at wal mart get two one for that stuff one for jewlery if you want to take an extra necklace or pair of earrings something like that. Oh and suntan lotion!

how many days are you going? Make an outfit for everyday best way to pack is to fold the clothes and then roll them neatly and stack them on top of each other put rubber bands over each outfit then when you get there you can just pick it up and wear it unless you have specific specialty shirts for specific days then put a post it on it with which day your going to wear that outfit. Bring hats if your worried about the sun a few pairs of pjs.

If your taking a plane: what do you really need in your purse or carry on? Electronics of course, any disney guide, wallet, your jewlery, books for the plane, a change of clothes if your luggage gets lost basically anything valuable plus essential things you'll keep with you in your purse or backpack on your trip.

I think I've gone over everything? Make your list of essential things then make a seperate list of what else pops into your mind then REALLY think about if you need them or not and check them off if you find that it's not terribly important (such as shampoo or soap, blowdryer, asprin, ect. all thing found in disney)

 

[gonesaleing]

I agree that my clothes are light but incidentals are what weigh me down. That is why I ship all non-perishable snacks and toiletries down to the resort ahead of time. Only thing I bring on the plane is my carry-on bag with clothing and tote bag.

I must fess up that what stresses me most is deciding which bag to bring with me. I discovered Vera Bradley mini-hipster for the parks but I still need a larger purse for the plane and 2 different backpacks, small and large for touring and a tote bag for water parks and cloth shopping bags for our food store run. I spend days trying to figure this out. We all have our demons.

 

[dawnball]

As I said, I'm not by nature a light packer. I'm a recovering pack mule. In the electronics thread I just listed what I was planning to bring for 3 weeks of electronics.

The first list was:
2 laptops
cell phone
Small waterproof Camera
2 ipod shuffles
nightlight

Batteries (AA, AAA, CR2032, D)
Extension Cord/power strip x 2
12 V phone charger
USB phone charging cable (and the conversion plug to use 110)
Inverter
2 power supplies for each laptop
camera charger
shuffle charger (USB)

mouse
trackball
10-key
kid's earphones
adult headset
USB webcam
USB to VGA dongle

extra SD cards
2 thumb drives
stack of CD media (5?)
external hard drive (If I can find one to clear)

ethernet cable (20ft)
a few small screwdrivers (0pt phillips, 1pt phillips, 1.5 mm slotted, 3mm slotted?)
6ft VGA cable
stereo audio cable
lens/screen wipes


So today I did the trial pack. And it all fit in the bag I wanted to take electronics in. But I had to expand the bag to it's fullest and pack things intelligently. I know that when I'm ready to come home, I'm just going to dump everything in the bag and it's not all going to fit. So I started making each item justify itself and do as much as it could.

The final list was:
2 laptops, pointing devices, 10 key, single power adapter for each.
Single camera and charger
2 shuffles w/ headphones and charger
cell phone and chargers (one laptop/wall, one car)
5 blank CDs in half-height jewel cases
14 ft ethernet cable
multitool w/ screwdriver bits (and all kinds of other useful things)
fistful of lens/screen wipes
4 AAA batteries, 12 AA batteries, 4 CR3032 batteries
stereo audio cable


Now I can just toss everything in the bag without expanding it or fussing, and while I loose some flexibility - if I need to do major work while I'm out of town I can rent office space by the hour that comes with extra monitors, cables, printers, video conferencing and such. I could probably drop a laptop and pare it down by another 50%, but I think that over three weeks having a second laptop (the first is strictly for work) will come in handy.

 

[katybugsmom]

GREAT website www.onebag.com!

Thanks for sharing!

 

[micheleq]

Bumping this great thread! I am debating if we should pack only carry ons for our October trip. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but our first stop is two days in Connecticut for a wedding, then we fly to WDW.

I think we can do it -- esp. if we pack a carry on garment bag with my dress & DH's suit for the wedding and ship it from CT to Michigan so we don't lug it to WDW.

Any other suggestions for carry on only? Tips for going carry on only with small kids?

My girls have rolling backpacks they can pull (or wear), are those considered a "personal item" or the carry on?

 

[Pakey]

Bumping this great thread! I am debating if we should pack only carry ons for our October trip. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but our first stop is two days in Connecticut for a wedding, then we fly to WDW.

I think we can do it -- esp. if we pack a carry on garment bag with my dress & DH's suit for the wedding and ship it from CT to Michigan so we don't lug it to WDW.

Any other suggestions for carry on only? Tips for going carry on only with small kids?

My girls have rolling backpacks they can pull (or wear), are those considered a "personal item" or the carry on?

Personal items must go under the seat. If the backpacks are small enough for that, then they can be the personal item. I am a carry-on only traveler and I carry a backpack that goes under my seat as my personal item.

 

[micheleq]

Thanks! The backpacks will fit under the seat, as would the small duffle bags that I might use for them. I guess that's the benefit of small children, small clothes