Fun question: How early do you start packing?

[Dancerforlife]

We will be hauling out the suitcases this week in preparation for our upcoming trip. We leave early Saturday morning to Seattle to stay over night and fly out early Sunday morning to head to Anaheim! I'm chomping at the bit to start packing now, but I don't want to trip over suitcases all week long. I'll probably start on Wednesday just to give myself time to get everything sorted due to my work schedule.

So, how early do you pack for a trip? Are you a "throw everything into the suitcase at the last possible moment" type of packer? Or an "I'm packed a month ahead of time" type of packer? My MIL has already been packed for two weeks and here I am only just starting my packing list for our family of 4!

 

[gerilyne]

I am more of a month out list making double checking kind of person. DH on the other hand literally waits till the night before or even the morning of.

We are still 100+ days out but I would start now if I could.

 

[Geemo]

We've been lucky enough to go once or twice a year for the last few years.

I usually finish packing the night before we leave.

All of our other traveling is done by RV road trips. Since Disneyland is the only place we go where we use luggage, there are items for Disneyland I just leave in the luggage.

Geemo

 

[michelle1177]

We leave early Saturday morning out of SeaTac. And when I say early, I mean early. Our flight is at 6:30 am! I have already started organizing and printing info. Tonight I started picking up the house so I can leave the house clean. I am thinking Wednesday is the day I start packing.

 

[Aladora]

I've got packing down to a fine art so while I am excited enough to want to start packing months in advance, I generally wait for the day before to actually do it. I'll get DH to our aside whatever he wants to bring and I pick DS and my clothes and then I work my Tetris packing magic. I always over pack but I'm okay with that. At least I no longer try and bring heels to Disneyland!

As I say every single time, as long as I have our passports, my medications and a credit card, anything else I forget can always be replaced.

 

[elphaba91]

We don't go until the end of November and we've already got a few things packed! Only things like ponchos and inflatable coat hangers though - stuff that we're not going to use and that we've either bought specifically for the trip or found while we were cleaning out the laundry. I guess it's really more storing things in a suitcase so they'll be easier to find rather than packing. We have been deciding what to pack clothes-wise however! Once again though, that's due to practicality - it's coming into winter here now, so we really need to have bought any clothes that we need by June or July at the latest. I will probably make a concrete packing list a month or two before we leave, and then try to start packing at least a week or two in advance with stuff like underwear thrown in more last minute - that will all depend on when my final exams are though!

 

[crystal1313]

I usually start packing and doing laundry a week in advance but make a huge packing list in excel much earlier than that. Lol. I usually make a new sheet off my old packing lists. We can bring so much less now that our kids are older, it's really nice. Only a couple things I have to wait until the morning of to pack, like my kids lovies and their sound machines, etc. DH always wait until the last minute and always forgets something. Lol. I only forgot bibs one time and just ran to target to get more.

I think I will have to change up my game plan for packing for the parks once we are stroller free, hopefully in the next year or so. I'm a planner. We are going in July and I've already started making a packing list

 

[Andreas Mom]

We leave first thing Saturday morning for our drive down from Vancouver, Washington. I've been packing in my head for months so now it's just a matter of doing it!

I will do last minute baking on Tuesday, cleaning on Thursday, and packing on Friday! So excited!!

 

[sandysue]

DS11 did his packing today. We're at 31 days. I'm starting to set things aside but usually bring favorite clothes so don't want to pack too early.

 

[nannyz]

I started packing back in August 2013, when I made my reservations at HoJo. I designate a corner in my guest room as my packing corner.
Everything is packed by the week before we leave, except for our clothes, which I pack 2 or 3 days before.

I keep a master packing list and check things off as I go.

 

[Cheshirecatty]

I'll start about two weeks ahead of time!

There is a designated "spot" where I can put things as I think of them, and the sooner clothing is planned, cleaned and packed("Boo" to unpredictable Southern California weather which makes packing sorta difficult)the less stressed I am and the more excited I get!

I like the last couple of days beforehand to be worry free, and all about resting up for the coming trip---not racing madly around, trying to tie up loose ends!

 

[crystal1313]

I like the last couple of days beforehand to be worry free, and all about resting up for the coming trip---not racing madly around, trying to tie up loose ends!

I need to try this!

I feel so much pressure because I pack everything for all of us, except DH. So 3 people including me, plus all the food, snacks, toiletries and everything else we need. This next trip I think I am going to implement the packing an outfit in a gallon size zip lock so I can delegate more to DH and get us going faster in the morning. It's always, "I don't know what outfits you want them to wear?" LOL.

Oh, and I also like to leave the house clean so when we get home we can just relax and not have to worry about anything else!

 

[Casey's Mommie]

We leave Sunday morning for Disneyland too!!!

I haven't started packing yet. I have grocery bags full of glo-sticks, wet ones wipes, etc... that need to find a home, but that's all.

I imagine I will be doing a lot of laundry Friday night & Saturday morning... so I guess I'm a last minute packer. I do hope to get all the non clothing items packed up slowly during the week though!

 

[FireflyTrance]

I honestly usually just pack the night before or the day of. I do make a list of what I want to pack in advance though. We leave on Friday so I should probably get started on that list..

 

[j&jsmama]

We leave tomorrow... And, my dd is completely packed (princess dresses, tiaras, Minnie ears and all). Glow sticks are packed. However, I have nothing of my own packed.. Guess I should get on it

 

[Dot2Vegas]

I am generally a week in advance. I don't have a lot of free time to pack so I set up the suitcases and throw stuff in little by little.

 

[mystic95]

We fly out early next Tuesday morning from Montana... Layover in Seattle, then to LAX.

And we have yet to start packing. Thankfully it's just my DH and I. DS gets to stay home this trip (he went last summer) since school is still in session and he is preparing for 8th grade grad.

Since it's a week away I'm starting to freak out.... I do have all the paperwork printed out. I haven't ordered my ART passes yet, but I heard they deliver them to the hotel, so I didn't want to order them too early and have them get lost.

I am one that typically likes to be packed a few weeks before leaving. I also like leaving the house clean, so then I can relax when getting back. This trip I definitely need to clean before leaving. We get back LATE the 13th and the morning of the 15th I go in for surgery. I also like that our hotel has a laundry room, so then we don't come home with dirty clothes.

 

[Cheshirecatty]

I need to try this!

I feel so much pressure because I pack everything for all of us, except DH. So 3 people including me, plus all the food, snacks, toiletries and everything else we need. This next trip I think I am going to implement the packing an outfit in a gallon size zip lock so I can delegate more to DH and get us going faster in the morning. It's always, "I don't know what outfits you want them to wear?" LOL.

Oh, and I also like to leave the house clean so when we get home we can just relax and not have to worry about anything else!

Crystal, I so relate to this!!!!

I used to pack not only for myself, but for the kiddos as well! I took care of making sure the car was clean, and stocked with everything we would need to keep all of us entertained(and fed), and I also hate to leave a dirty house---Just.can't.do it!

I finally learned that the only one putting pressure on me to do these things, was myself, and that I could start getting ready as far ahead of time as I wanted to.

It took me a couple of years to get a good system down, but I finally did, and now I can get ready with my eyes closed, and one hand tied behind my back!!!

I love your idea of putting each complete outfit in a gallon ziplock---what a time saver and great organizer!!!

 

[poohbear luvs grumpy]

The first time I went to Disneyland I turned eight. We went in April and I found out in January so I packed all of my summer wear. I was packed three months early. I still pack really early and now I pack for seven people but it is more like two weeks ahead and I slowly add to the bags as things get washed and found around the house.

 

[Lumiere Lover]

I usually start packing and doing laundry a week in advance but make a huge packing list in excel much earlier than that. Lol. I usually make a new sheet off my old packing lists. We can bring so much less now that our kids are older, it's really nice. Only a couple things I have to wait until the morning of to pack, like my kids lovies and their sound machines, etc. DH always wait until the last minute and always forgets something. Lol. I only forgot bibs one time and just ran to target to get more.

I think I will have to change up my game plan for packing for the parks once we are stroller free, hopefully in the next year or so. I'm a planner. We are going in July and I've already started making a packing list

Love this. I have had my excel packing list done for months and we dont leave until june. I have been packing also.