PACKING TIPS - What's yours?

[MelSpees]

We take the velcro shoe organizer that hooks over the rod in the closet for our hairbrushes, gel/hairspray, toothpaste....etc since it hangs right there beside the sink in the WDW rooms. I've read that these are not allowed on DCL though, so I may have to figure out another divided way to store all that stuff.[/QUOTE]

I believe the one you're' talking about is fine. It's the over the door ones that are banned.

 

[TheRatPack]

We take the velcro shoe organizer that hooks over the rod in the closet for our hairbrushes, gel/hairspray, toothpaste....etc since it hangs right there beside the sink in the WDW rooms. I've read that these are not allowed on DCL though, so I may have to figure out another divided way to store all that stuff.

I believe the one you're' talking about is fine. It's the over the door ones that are banned.[/QUOTE]


Oh good....I'm glad. We don't put anything in it that is heavy, just the regular bathroom sink stuff that we don't want to clutter up the sink with (toothpaste, hairbrushes, deodorant, gel....etc).

 

[Im_A_Princess]

My packing tips is as follows

1) Lay out all items for cruise
2) Put 1/2 of the clothes back because I won't wear them

EXACTLY what I was going to say!
This is cruise #18 for us and I have yet to use all the clothes I take. And I follow this tip-LOL

 

[Im_A_Princess]

I'm sorry, I just don't get the four bags in a bag thing....you don't want the bottles to touch and spread cooties? If they are in a bag why have sub-divisions of bags. why not subsets such as 1 bag for whitening toothpaste & one for breath freshening????

Of course, all I bring on board is what I have on, 1 pair of underdrawers, 1 toothbrush, 1 bathing suit.....and THAT'S for a 7 day cruise

I do the gallon/smaller bags in a 2+ gallon bag too!
If one bag leaks liquids all your "stuff" is not covered.
My DD learned this last cruise when her face cleansing pads leaked all over all her toiletries.

 

[Tinked]

I like the tip about putting sets of clothes for children in plastic bags labeled for each day. Might work well for adults too.

I start with whether I'm taking black clothes or brown and plan my wardrobe that way making sure everything coordinates.

I also like Eagle Creek packing cubes. They come in so many sizes. I can unpack in 5 minutes wherever I am.

 

[MAJPLO]

You only grab the bag(s) you need before you go in bathroom. Not all of it!

Why not just keep the bag(s) IN the bathroom?

My two biggest tips are packing cubes by ebags and bringing a pop up hamper for dirty clothes. No way I'm crouching down under the bed to pull out the suitcase and throw in dirty clothes every time someone takes something off.

 

[scrapbookmomma74]

We pack in space bags within our suitcases. Our most helpful item is our luggage scale, as you can pack ALOT into those suitcases with the space bags!
While we are on the cruise, we throw the dirty clothes at the end of the day back into a space bag...once its full, we squeeze it down and start a new one. Makes packing on the last day totally easy, since the space bags are ready to go!
I make sure to double check the weights, I don't want ANY surprises at the airport!
Also, I pack half of DH's clothes and half of mine into one suitcase and the other halves into another, just in case they lose one of our bags, no one is completely without clothing.
And, like a PP said, lay out the clothes you THINK you will need, remove HALF of them, and THEN pack! I have never worn all of the clothes that I've brought on a cruise, and I've been on 12! lol

 

[redmomof4]

My three biggest tips:

1) eBags packing cubes. These are essential not just for cruises, but all of our trips. They help to keep suitcases neat and orderly, and keep clothes separated (we have different colors for each family member so they're easily identified). Unpacking is a breeze as well, as they fit in most hotel and stateroom drawers - you simply unzip them. These also allow me to start packing things in advance without having to get out all of the big bags or suitcases right way.

2) Before a cruise or big trip, I prepare a spreadsheet listing each day, broken out by activity and daypart (i.e. Morning/Excursion, Palo Brunch, Castaway Cay, Dinner Attire, Bedtime), and detail EVERYTHING I will be wearing for each day or daypart (right down to specific undergarments, jewelry/accessories and shoes). Once I have everything listed, I then go back and start editing to eliminate unnecessary items (i.e. realizing that I can wear the same sandals with all of my dresses, that I don't need new pajamas for each night, etc.). Then when it's time to pack, I print out the spreadsheet and pack everything I've listed. I'll usually include an extra "emergency" outfit and possibly a sweater or hoodie, but other than that, breaking everything out by daypart really helps keep me from overpacking, or conversely, forgetting something essential.

3) I also keep a separate running list for non-clothing items and toiletries, and starting a month out, will write them down as they come to me (even writing down the "obvious" things like passports, sunglasses, my son's favorite stuffed Mickey, camera chargers, contact lenses, etc.), then I go down the checklist the night before our trip to make sure I haven't forgotten anything. I've found that once you have a general "master list" like this, you only have to make minor edits for each new vacation.

Would u be willing to share your master list?

 

[redmomof4]

I hate packing, both for the trip and especially the night before we have to leave our cabin. We have a packing list that we each use for each trip and then update when we get home. We also find our luggage scale a valuable tool

But the best item we have every bought to make this task easier is our travelpro platinum magna rolling tote. Everything that we can, we put on a hanger. On one hanger I put a complete outer outfit; slacks, top, sweater. Our large travelpro holds 10 hangers on each end. There are 4 corner pouches that my shoes fit in (not his size 12s). When we unpack and repack the last night of our trip, all we have to do is move the hangers to and from the closet. Other clothes items, such as night clothes and underwear I put in clear storage bags, the ones I found at my dollar store even have handles. I leave my items in these bags when I unpack, just moving the bags to and from the cabin drawers. The tote fits under the bed.

.

I'm looking for some new luggage pieces, can u tell me more about the specifics of your travelpro. Which one do you have? http://www.travelpro.com/collection.cfm?collection=Platinum Magna#

 

[froggy flo]

i always bring small hangers for my kid, because adult ones in the cupboard are too wide...

 

[Tink-n-Belle]

We were on the 4 day cruise and I hate unpacking. My 2 teenage girls had 1 suitcase, I had one and we had a carry on for our tablets...

We put all suitcases under the bed and took clothes out as needed and put all the dirty ones folded in the closet.....then on the last night took all the clean clothes and put them in one suitcase and put all the dirty ones into trash bags and put them into other suitcase. Once I got home we took out the trash bags(2) and put them in the laundry room......so easy to unpack that suitcase....

And yes we had a full suitcase of clean clothes......so I guess the op post about putting back half the clothes is great advice.

 

[sullins5]

Ok, mine might sound silly, but it worked last cruise, so we'll be doing it again this cruise. Dress bags, or large plastic bags from Macy's, Dillards or wherever. Last cruise, I took EVERY formal, semi-formal, or dressy/silky item, and placed in it's own plastic bag. Then folded and placed into suitcases. When we got them out? No need for ironing or sending out to be ironed! I don't understand HOW it works, but it worked for us!

 

[Cruisin]

and bringing a pop up hamper for dirty clothes. No way I'm crouching down under the bed to pull out the suitcase and throw in dirty clothes every time someone takes something off.

What we do is just take the suitcase and stand it up inside the closet. Leave the zipper open at the top and stuff dirty clothes inside as needed. If you are on a long cruise with multiple people in your cabin, you could keep the suitcases under the bed and after you fill the closet one with dirty clothes put it under the bed and replace with an empty one.

I tend to roll all of the dirty outfit together into a roll and then stuff them inside the suitcase. Makes it easier to straighten out that way and if you put the dirty undies etc on the inside then nothing "yucky" touches the suitcase.

 

[KansasFroggie]

This is more a kid tip but I always use the really large ziplocs for the kids casual clothes. You can fold them nicely and then put each outfit in a separate bag. Before sealing I push all the air out and it vacuum packs it to save room. I unpack by placing the bags in drawers. Each bag has the top, pants, underwear, and socks. Each child can chose their bag each day but I know that they match and we aren't left at the end of the trip with upset kids and really odd looking outfits. It also saves them tearing through drawers, losing stuff, and time in the morning. They independently get ready and I get to get myself ready at the same time . Hope this helps someone.

 

[mtleota]

I make a Google Doc to keep track of what I want/need to pack. That way, I can access it while I'm on the go because chances are, I'll forget when I get home. Also, I can reuse the list for subsequent trips and just modify it accordingly. I can also share it with my DH so if he thinks of something, he too can modify it. I make everything I haven't packed yet in bold print. As I pack them, I unbold the things I've packed.

OMG! I do the same thing!!
I also make notes when I get back from a trip what I used and didn't use. Or what I would take the next time.

 

[cgolf]

When we pack our clothes we roll them and they take up less space and come out wrinkle free enough for us. This was something our teen picked up at girl scout camp. We also spread our clothes across three suitcases (1 each), so that if a piece of lugage gets lost, someone doesn't get stuck without clothing. We are slowly getting the hang of packing the right amount, but it is difficult with the unpredictable weather, we usually wish we had packed an extra set of pants for cool days, or extra shirts if you get a stretch of hot sticky weather (always cruise in January which is hit and miss weather wise).

cgolf

 

[Pwac]

Ebags packing cubes are the best. We use them for every trip now.

 

[carlasworld]

One word: essentials

Don't overpack. Leave room for souvenirs!

 

[sturner324]

Ebags packing cubes are the best. We use them for every trip now.

LOVE these things. Keep things so organized.

 

[staceycanada]

I had never heard of those ebag cubes. So need to get some for everyone.

My tips: pack a laundry bag. I put toiletries into bags like shampoo and conditioner, sunscreen, toothpaste, hair brushes and hair accessories, toothbrushes. After having shampoo open up on one trip and coat everyone's hairbrushes and toothbrushes I learned to keep them separate.

I pack outfits (usually kids) in bags for each day undies, top, shorts and hair accessories, socks. This way I just have to hand each child a bag and they can get dressed.

On this trip I was thinking I might pack the smaller suitcase inside one of the big ones. We always end up cramming the suitcases full with the stuff we came with and souvenirs.

I pack some of each persons clothing in each bag. This way no one is without clothing if a bag gets delaid or lost.

I take swim clothing and a towel in my carry on.
We can hit the pool right away!

#1 tip pack a roll of duct tape. You never know when a zipper might break on a bag or some other disaster.