Packing for a trip

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Rilee

https://www.tiktok.com/@rileejsmith?lang=en

She has cost me $200 so far in travel items I did not need.

hahahaaa, thank you.
I'm sure you will need them eventually LOL
I'll go look for her now.

 

[mikehn]

Pretty easy to pack if the trip is to FL. Packing is tougher if the trip is to some place that has a wide range in temps.

 

[nancipants]

I have an unhealthy obsession with packing for trips. I used to travel quite a bit but now I rarely venture anywhere but back and forth to Disney numerous times a year. But that does not stop my obsession with packing for travel. We travel carry on only exclusively, even for longer trips or different destinations and my personal item is always packed and ready to go. I could catch a flight with five minutes notice.

I do not have any expensive pieces of luggage except for a couple of moderately priced Disney suitcases but an always window shopping for that perfect bag. I am also obsessed with travel organization such as packing cubes, tech organizers and such.

Unfortunately, I follow a tick tocker who does nothing but review personal items, carry on bags, and travel organization items. She has been very, very bad for me.

So, is packing something you enjoy or hate? Do you have a favorite bag or packing hack? How long prior to a trip to you pack and how many times do you re-pack?

Did I write this? LOL. I have been obsessed with packing and luggage review YouTube videos lately.

 

[disykat]

I have an obsession too. I love when things to buy for traveling pops up on amazon. I have a box in my closet of all my travel goodies. (I've had for years since my first trip to Europe in 1987 and my little clothesline and a moneybelt went in it - I just have a bigger box now!) I also usually do carryon only, though sometimes I will gate check if it's straight flight or if I'm required to.

One of my kids inherited my love of packing. Teachers and friends always commented when he was a little guy, thinking it was funny that they would ask him what he wanted from Santa and he would say "luggage."

 

[LoveToDisney]

Packing means vacation time so I’m always eager to pack! With Disney, I usually pack sometime between 60 and 30 days (I call it pre-packing) and then I have the stuff that needs to go in the night before and the morning we leave. I used to worry about leaving something behind so now I have an excel spread sheet with what I need to pack for each type of trip so no more worrying!

 

[Living42Day]

I always have plans to start packing about a week before the trip. Then it turns into 3 days out, 2 days out until it's the night before and I haven't packed anything so I am stress packing lol. I've started taking a couple days before I leave off of work because otherwise I have no time to get everything done around the house or pack. Then I take off at least two extra days at the end of the trip so I can get back to normal before going back. It's a whole thing lol

But - I do LOVE packing....when I make enough time to actually do it casually and not manically!

 

[china mom]

I am back from my long weekend a WDW with the family. I used, for the first time, a bag that is a similar concept to the much coveted Nomad Lane Bento bag but much much cheaper at under $40
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09BNH8F5V/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here is the $190 Bento bag for comparison: Bento Bag

I prefer to use roller bags but had to consider that our rental car would be a tight squeeze if I brought one for DD. DH did not understand that packing planning did not just involve fitting our stuff in our suitcases but also fitting our suitcases in the rental car.

So, here is what we fit into the Nisan rogue: My ECV, one roller bag, one weekender duffel (see above), a backpack cooler packed with my clothes, a backpack suitcase for DS and 3 small personal items with our plane electronics/medications.

If we had brought a second rollerbag, we would not have fit in the car.

I had been annoyed at my compression packing cubes because they opened from the short end and didn't open all the way. I purchased new ones from bagsmart and love them. Much better quality and easier to use. As soon as I get my credit card bill paid, a second set will go in my cart. I only wish you cold just but the sizes you want instead of the set because I don't see myself using the large one enough to own two.

 

[china mom]

Which is your preferred method of packing clothes:

Folded
Rolled
Folded in packing/compression cubes
rolled in packing/compression cubes

or other - teach me something new.

I used to fold and not use cubes but when I started sharing a bag with DD on some trips, I started using cubes to separate our stuff so we could just pull each of our cubes out at our destination.

When I went to cubes I started the rolling method but now I find I can fit more if I fold my clothes to the exact size of the compression cube and use the compression feature.

 

[White Cat]

Rolled, usually.

 

[Darcy03231]

DH and I travel using only carry on (backpack and suitcase). He's like you - - starts packing about a month before the trip and is completely packed at least 10 days before we leave. I pack the night before. I know what I'm taking and will make sure all my clothing is washed the weekend before, but packing doesn't start until the night before. I do have a list and check things off to try to make sure I don't forget anything.

 

[HappyGal]

Which is your preferred method of packing clothes:

Folded
Rolled
Folded in packing/compression cubes
rolled in packing/compression cubes

or other - teach me something new.

I used to fold and not use cubes but when I started sharing a bag with DD on some trips, I started using cubes to separate our stuff so we could just pull each of our cubes out at our destination.

When I went to cubes I started the rolling method but now I find I can fit more if I fold my clothes to the exact size of the compression cube and use the compression feature.

Could you share a link to the packing cube you like?

 

[china mom]

Could you share a link to the packing cube you like?

https://bagsmart.com/collections/pa...-for-carry-on-suitcase?variant=39706467795026

They are $40 on Amazon right now but I got them on sale for $30 so just keep an eye out

 

[NYCgrrl]

I’m a clothes roller. Learned the method from a travel guide and been doing it ever since. Only items not rolled are formalwear while cruising and they get a suit bag.

 

[soccerdad72]

Roller, mostly - we found a set of compression/packing cubes before our Africa trip and we really liked them, so we might get another set for future trips.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Roller, mostly - we found a set of compression/packing cubes before our Africa trip and we really liked them, so we might get another set for future trips.

Just a question. You roll and cube. What’s the benefit?

 

[soccerdad72]

Just a question. You roll and cube. What’s the benefit?

Seems like clothes come out a little less wrinkled when we roll them.

 

[china mom]

Just a question. You roll and cube. What’s the benefit?

Not the one you asked but...

I was rolling and then putting in a packing cube (not a compression cube) because you can see each item without thumbing through a stack and it seemed to fit more in one cube. But when I switched to compression cubes, folding flat seemed to be the better method, The items are folded to the exact size of the cube and the m feature seems to work better with them that way rather than rolled.

Also, if you have multiple stops in your trip you can sort your outfits by location and not unpack every thing at each stop.

Or in my case, where DD and I share a bag, I can pull out her cube(s) and mine easily and not have to sort through them at the hotel.

 

[nancipants]

Roll and use packing cubes! My husband laughs at me but our stuff is always organized and unpacking is a breeze.

I bought a new Samsonite carry on roller bag at Marshall's last weekend. I'm updating all our carry ons from soft side to hard side, and now we have one more to go. I really want to splurge and get a Monos bag, but I'm going to keep checking Marshall's and TJ Maxx to see if I find anything good there.

 

[HappyGal]

https://bagsmart.com/collections/pa...-for-carry-on-suitcase?variant=39706467795026

They are $40 on Amazon right now but I got them on sale for $30 so just keep an eye out

Thanks for sharing!

 

[aprilgail]

I love using packing cubes and just did a 2 week trip to Greece and only took a carry on! I HATE checking bags!