Packing tips, anyone?

[2tinksmom]

We like to travel and I am consistently rethinking the best way to pack. Right now, I tend to pack in the jumbo ziplock bags and get the air out to save space in the suitcase. I then use the empty bags for dirty clothes. The last time my husband travelled for work, he did the roll up method and was happy with less wrinkles in his clothes. I've also looked at the cubes you can buy that say they keep the wrinkles to a minimum and save space. Since we do a lot of moving from hotel to hotel on our ABD, I do need to figure out what to do with dirty clothes. Any ideas would be most helpful!

 

[Tozzie]

We like to travel and I am consistently rethinking the best way to pack. Right now, I tend to pack in the jumbo ziplock bags and get the air out to save space in the suitcase. I then use the empty bags for dirty clothes. The last time my husband travelled for work, he did the roll up method and was happy with less wrinkles in his clothes. I've also looked at the cubes you can buy that say they keep the wrinkles to a minimum and save space. Since we do a lot of moving from hotel to hotel on our ABD, I do need to figure out what to do with dirty clothes. Any ideas would be most helpful!

Two things, I always bring downey wrinkle release it is a godsend takes out lots of wrinkles. As for your dirty clothes what I usually do is put them in a drawstring bag, usually use the one in the hotel closet that is used to send laundry out just use for my dirty clothes but since you and your husband will each have a suitcase, I would bring garbage bags and after a few days use one for the dirty clothes and one to keep the clean ones in.

 

[disneyphx]

I am a huge fan of 'rolling.' Especially with the wheeled bags when you have those metal bars at the bottom, you can really use every inch if you roll. I do keep some shirts, pants etc folded - putting them either on the bottom of a duffle or in the separate compartment of a wheeled bag.
Dirty clothes I struggle with more. Usually I 'layer' - dirtiest at the bottom, then medium, then clean on top - or in the second bag.....think I will try some drawstring bags.
I don't pack light, but pack 'tight' and can get an awful lot of stuff in a bag. Only downside is that noone else can get the amount of stuff in the same space I can!

 

[2tinksmom]

Thanks for the tips. I do like the idea of getting more in with rolling. I wonder if hanging a wrinkled piece of clothing in the bathroom while you take a shower would get most of the wrinkles out? I'm really trying to keep the weight down on the suitcases although that might be a losing battle!! A bag for the dirty clothes is a good idea...after a point I guess you could use it for the clean as you repack the dirty!
Michele

 

[Tozzie]

Thanks for the tips. I do like the idea of getting more in with rolling. I wonder if hanging a wrinkled piece of clothing in the bathroom while you take a shower would get most of the wrinkles out? I'm really trying to keep the weight down on the suitcases although that might be a losing battle!! A bag for the dirty clothes is a good idea...after a point I guess you could use it for the clean as you repack the dirty!
Michele

Wrinkles=Downey wrinkle release- they sell it in 3 oz travel bottle, put the item of clothing on the hanger, spray lightly with the downey wrinkle release and smooth the wrinkles out. I have barely had to touch an iron at home or on vacation in over 2 years. I swear by it.

 

[kristilew]

With all the moving around on an ABD, I found it easier to pack the suitcases per destination rather than per person. So one bag would have clothing for the three of us for stop 1, then another bag for stop 2, etc. After stop 1, the first bag becomes the dirty clothes bag. If it's just you and your hubby, this may not work as well, as having three bags was the key.

Now for the OCD part: Within each bag, I use the ziplocks to organize outfits by day they will be worn - so top, bottoms, underthings, and for DD any hair accessories in one ziplock, all air pushed out. That way, I just hand each person their plastic bag each morning, and there is not much pawing through the luggage. If I'm really feeling neurotic, I'll actually sharpie the day on the outside of the bag (mostly I do this just because it drives DH nuts, which is fun to see - but it also helps when first packing to make sure I haven't forgotten anything.)

Of course, on the ABDs, we also rewear some items, like jeans and fleece pullovers. But most of it gets pretty dirty each day.

 

[heart]

kristilew--

We wouldn't have half of our "souvenirs" if I hadn't forgotten something or another packing!

 

[2tinksmom]

Kristilew..."baggiepackin'" is standard for our trips to WDW...I used to sharpie each bag, but now I have a 17yo and a 12yo who don't appreciate it anymore!! I will probably do the same for this trip...helps with dirty clothes. I guess I can get as much in a baggie as I can in one of the "cubes".
Tozzie...I will get some of the Downey. I have a regular size bottle at home but have been unable to find the travel size. I think I can get it online. If not, I will just transfer it to a small bottle.
Thanks for all the great tips!
Michele

 

[Tozzie]

Kristilew..."baggiepackin'" is standard for our trips to WDW...I used to sharpie each bag, but now I have a 17yo and a 12yo who don't appreciate it anymore!! I will probably do the same for this trip...helps with dirty clothes. I guess I can get as much in a baggie as I can in one of the "cubes".
Tozzie...I will get some of the Downey. I have a regular size bottle at home but have been unable to find the travel size. I think I can get it online. If not, I will just transfer it to a small bottle.
Thanks for all the great tips!
Michele

If you have a target close by that is where I get my travel size bottles.

 

[2tinksmom]

Thanks, Tozzie! I checked at Wal-Mart today, but not Target...on the list for tomorrow!
Michele

 

[heatherwillmom]

I love getting every thing in travel sizes. I found a web site that has a lot of things in travel size that I couln't find at Walmart or target. It is alltravelsize.com. I haven't ordered from them yet.

 

[LTFrench]

My rule of thumb~
Never pack a bag more than 1/2~2/3 full. Then there is plenty of room for souvenirs! DH and I each pack a large bag, then carry on a 19" and an under the seat small bag. Then coming back, we can check three chucked full bags!
We do the some of yours in mine, some of mine in yours, then transfer and call one a dirty clothes bag for things that will definitely not be worn again. Souvenirs, paperwork, and brochures are then packed in that bag as if they will not be needed or gotten into again. Works well for us. And I guess we either wear wrinkled clothes, or ours don't wrinkle because I've not seen a need for Downy?!

 

[kristilew]

My rule of thumb~
And I guess we either wear wrinkled clothes, or ours don't wrinkle because I've not seen a need for Downy?!

Me either. On trips, we mostly wear "travel clothes" that are designed not to wrinkle - stuff with a little stretch to it, lots of underarmour tees, clothes designed for hiking, that sort of thing. I especially like golf polos - they never wrinkle, breathe well, and look polished in pictures.

 

[Tozzie]

I love getting every thing in travel sizes. I found a web site that has a lot of things in travel size that I couln't find at Walmart or target. It is alltravelsize.com. I haven't ordered from them yet.

There is another website that has things in travel sizes, it is minimus.biz. I have gotten things from there and they have been great plus free shipping for orders over $20

 

[2tinksmom]

Thanks for all the tips! I'm going to start looking for more travel size stuff on the websites ya'll suggested. I also think I'm gonna get my dh to take an empty carryon for items we buy in Italy and/or dirty clothes. I'm also going to take extra ziplocks for liquids (perfume, olive oil) that we may buy there.
You guys are the greatest.
Michele

 

[ldo]

that is a good idea--you only have to open 1 bag--plus, you can pack for that weather--if your trip has varied climates. PLUS--clothes are spread out so if any bag gets lost, you still have clothes for everyone. We are a family of 5 traveling in 3 bags, so this will work great.
A tip I learned from the boards--bring old undergarmets/pjs/socks/kids clothes and throw those away as you travel. We now start saving the "toss" stuff in a botom drawer for our trip the next year. For ex, even if you can't sew, boys pants that are ripped at the knees (not even goodwill wants them), can be cut off and worn as shorts for 2 days, then tossed.

 

[disneyphx]

I am going to go home and start the 'travel and toss' pile.
One thing I recently learned with travel sizes - if you use coupons, not all specify a size - so you can use them on travel sizes! Recently I have gotten travel size deodorant, body wash and lotion all for free!

 

[Forever a Princess]

This is such a great thread!!!

We learned a few things on our recent trip to South Africa. We had a forty pound weight limit for each suitcase so we had to travel light.

1. The packing cubes are essential.

These cubes gave us the chance to leave a lot of the cubes in the suitcases. At each stop we would take the bathroom stuff out and leave most of the cubes in the suitcases. This saved a lot of time not having to repack everything on each leg of the trip.

I organized the cubes by underclothes in one, t-shirts in another but you could easily organize by outfit per day etc.

2. We did laundry in our bathroom every couple of days. Sink to wash, tub to rinse. Most of the hotels had a drying line in the shower. If there wasn't we brought our own clothesline thing that worked very well.

Doing laundry helped a lot. Less clothes and stuff to move from one location to another. Less clothes to move ended up being a BIG time saver!!! This worked so well in fact I'm going to take less clothes on our next trip to Disney World!!!

By bringing less clothes we also had room for the souvenirs.

Bloom where you are planted!

 

[2tinksmom]

I think we are going to use the packing cubes. I will also take the jumbo ziplock bags for dirty clothes. Each of us will also have a carryon bag with a couple of changes of clothes and our shoes to lighten the suitcases. Once we get there, we can put extra clothes and shoes in our suitcases and then use the carryons for dirty clothes. Now, if I can only get my extremely unorganized 12 yo onboard!!
Michele

 

[It's always cold]

Excuse my ignorance, but what are packing cubes? Keep in mind I live in Northern Manitoba Canada, far away from any kind of shopping!