Is anybody else permanently prepacked for travel??

[PrincessKitty1]

DH and I have said we should do this for years, but I finally did it a few months ago....I prepacked a suitcase with EVERYTHING we need for traveling, minus the clothes. It saves us a bunch of time and aggravation since we try to go out of town one weekend a month.

We had a packing list and I took it to Walmart and bought duplicates of everything we use (plus added in our non-Walmart toiletries like Fekkai shampoo/conditioner and my Rubis tweezers). Finally, it makes preparing for a trip a breeze!

 

[Happy_Mom]

I do!

Though only for WDW. We have our set of Disney luggage that holds all of our essentials that we bring minus our clothes.

 

[MaryKLady]

Amen sister! That's the only way to go. Also, I use all the freebies of shampoo, conditioner, soap and the like from the freebie thread in my prepacked bath bag. That way you can throw out when they're empty. Oh yeah, and they're free!

 

[EthansMom]

Not completely, completely prepacked, but I did get doubles of toiletries and most medications which I keep packed in our luggage. If I take any of those out, I write them on a list I keep in the luggage which makes restocking prior to a trip a breeze. We travel every 6 months or so.

If you do this, don't forget to check the expiration dates of your medications when you're packing. I found a few things that had to be replaced prior to our last trip!

 

[cbrfan]

I've been prepacked for years. It started when my in-laws began having health problems, then my parents. I had to be ready to hit the ground running at any hour of the day or night. It was so nice not to have to worry about having medications, glasses, contacts & solutions - all the necessary toiletries that you don't want to get someplace and discover you've forgotten them. I also keep a set of sweats and a change of underclothing packed at all times.

 

[aloha_lilo]

I have an entire cart of my prepacked vacation stuff! When I usually go to WDW/Universal it's with my sister and her family so there are 5 of us total. What can I say...I like to go to central Florida. We stay in a villa, and tend to cook 1-2 meals a day while there.

In case anybody is curious, this is the current inventory of my Vacation Supplies:
1 Gallon pitcher
1 box gallon zipper bags
1 box quart zipper bags
1 25 ft roll of aluminum foil
1 5x8 pad of paper
3 mesh laundry bags from dollar store
1 sewing kit (the $1 kind from walmart)
2 permanent markers (the cheap twin pack from walmart)
1 mini lint roller
1 pack of 10 Charmin flushable wipes
1 Tide to Go pen
1 package of Bic ballpoint pens (the $1 pack)
1 pack of Dixie paper plates
1 roll of 12 drawstring garbage bags
12 clear rain ponchos (the $1 ones from walmart)
1 roll paper towels
36 plastic cups
1 package of plastic forks, spoons, and knives
1 magnetic potato chip clip
1 pack of shower caps
1 6ft extension cord
1 roll Charmin TP
1 can/bottle opener
1 pack of 6 Viva scrub cloths (to wash dishes)
4 Rubbermaid Take-Alongs squares
8 piece nylon utensil set
3 pack flexible cutting mats
1 folding colander
1 package Dixie coffee cups
1 package Dixie bowls
1 package of two 12x8 foil cake pans

No...I don't have the kitchen sink. That's supplied!

 

[aloha_lilo]

Wow...I totally forgot about the bottom shelf of my vacation cart which has:
2 Squeeze breeze fans
1 misty mate
1 large Corningware microwaveable mug
1 pack of Uno H20 cards (the plastic ones)
1 pack plastic playing cards
Magnetic chinese checkers
Magnetics checkers
Magnetic tic-tac-toe

 

[pixiewings71]

Oh ya, I've got things permanently ready to go. We live 6 hours from DL so occasionally we will just jump in the van and drive down. My girls even have little travel bags they keep ready to go with toothbrushes, hairbrushes, toothpaste, hair ties and other little odds and ends they like to take with us. LOL I just say "pack for 3 days" and off we go!

 

[Disney Wishes]

I do sort of...We have passes at Disneyland so I have a backpack that is always ready in case there is an emergency Disney trip! Somedays if I have had a bad day I will go get a churo and ride space mt. The bad day seems to go away. You just never know if you might NEED to go now. Don't they teach you in Girl Scouts to always be ready for anything? Not sure never was a Girl Scout, but it works for me!

Tami

 

[CarolA]

I travel on business weekly. There a completely packed tolietries kit in my bathroom at all time along with my "plastic baggie" LOL! My suitcase has some "supplies" in it at all time (Corkscrew, IPOD speakers etc)

 

[DisFlan]

We always have a bag that seems to be in some state of packing/unpacking. I do have a permanent "Disney" bag that I toss things in to take. And I've gained a permanent Disney folder for ressie and ADR confirmations and numbers, golf ressies, tickets or AP vouchers and other Disney related info. Things are constantly being replaced or updated - it's gone to WDW with us three times now, and four in September.

I figure that if the house burns down, I can grab the folder on my way out. We wouldn't have a house, but our Disney vacation would be intact.

DisFlan

 

[Pumbaa_]

I started a new job 3.5 years ago and was traveling every other week. It got to be such a hassle to pack.

I started a travel pack of all my essentials, including a blowdryer! I am fussy with a blowdryer and the hotel ones just weren't cutting it. It made packing so much easier to not have to wait until i was finished getting ready in the morning I was leaving.

I am not traveling as much now, but I do have another set of stuff in my Owner's Locker in Orlando. It has everything I need except clothes. All my toilettries, skincare, contact care, a couple leftover bottles of water from the last trip, laundry soap (we are DVC members), my Disney Crocs, my Disney hidden mickey books, a really cool backpack (the sack like one), for park essentials, ziplock bags, a couple beach towels, a small softside cooler (stayed at the Dolphin and had no frig), and more! I love it. All those things that just would go back and forth with us, now live in Florida and come visit us occassionally

I am meeting a friend for her birthday in 2 weeks for a quick weekend trip and am planning on doing carry on only. It is only 3 days and all I need is a few changes of clothes.

We are hoping to do the same in September for our 25th anniversary trip

So I still have a bag semi packed for business and an Owner's Locker waiting for us in Florida. It has simplified life so much!

 

[DisFlan]

We were thinking about an Owners Locker, too. It looks like a really good idea, especially with the discount. Until my son said, "Mom, I live in Orlando now! Just send me a box." So that's what we're doing. (Geez, kids can take the fun out of things.)

DisFlan

 

[LisaInNc]

I have a set of Disney Liuggage that is basically prepacked. I have all my toiletries in there and when I run out of something I replace it when I get home.

I have all my regular Disney stuff, ears, blinkie pins, ponchos, Misty Mates.

It makes it so much easier for a vacation when it comes time to pack.

 

[timzagain]

I have created travel kits with toiletries, as well as lanyards, ponchos, an inexpensive multi-tool/ penknife, clothespins, a clothes line and other items that we don't use regularly.

Last year, we bought a pack of 6 (or was it eight) plastic plates from Walgreens for $1. Cheaper than the disposable plates, and best of all I have them for future trips. The plates are also stashed in the luggage.

We travel several times a year, mostly to swim meet - it just makes sense to have things prepacked.

I'm planning to add a chamois or two to the travel kits. We bought a similar concept from Speedo for swim meets - works better than towels and takes up less room! Instead of buying them from a sport shop, I will be them from the automotive section - way cheaper that way!

I also save small bottles (e.g. left over from the never ending stream of bath gift sets our girls receive as gifts), and recycled ziploc bags and stash them in our luggage as well

 

[emh1129]

What a great idea. And I'm thoroughly jealous of those of you who can go to WDW on a whim!

 

[englishteacha]

I'm not prepacked for vacation, but I do keep a small toiletry kit always packed, with my travel blowdryer and extra hairbrush all together. Then I know I have everything I'll want for an overnight trip somewhere. It's nice to just grab it off the shelf and have it instead of trying to track down my extra toothbrush or shampoo to pack.

My DH and I counsel every year at a summer camp for a week or two, and we each have a giant Rubbermaid tub of items that only get used at camp. I check them out before we go, but it's made life so much easier when we're getting ready! I have paper and markers, pencils, craft items, bed lifters, extension cords, etc., all in the tubs so we always have what we want. There's also our extra alarm clocks, lamps, and other items that we need at camp and don't want to forget.

Since we currently own a pop up camper that is fully stocked, going on a camping trip involves packing food, pillows, and clothes. Everything else is in the camper, ready to go. I still feel like I'm packing a mountain of items, but in reality, I don't need most of the extra things I pack!

 

[bdcp]

I keep a drawer in my guest room with all the stuff I take on cruises and vacations, including passports. It's stuff I normally wouldn't use here, but need on trips, small toiletries, hand sanitizers, Bonine (sea sickness meds), travel hair dryer, and other odds and ends and my toiletries bag is always packed because I buy travel size stuff.