Packing Tips

[drcmk]

My family just got back from a long weekend away locally and I KNOW I could have packed better. The dilemma of course, is that I want to be prepared for anything, but still pack light ;-)! It is too early for me to pack for our November trip to WDW, but NOT too early for me to think about it. What are some of your greatest packing strategies? One I decided on this past weekend is to bring along a small blowdryer even if there is one in the hotel bathroom. That way two people can get ready at once and the bathroom isn't clogged by someone drying their hair.

 

[ducklite]

Bring clothes that can be layered and can serve multi-purposes. I have a black linen dress with a matching shirt that is kind of a "jacket". I can wear the shirt over the dress for a nicer outfit for dinner, as well as using it for a bathing suit coverup.

Pick one color scheme and make sure all clothes mix and match.

You won't need more than one pair of long pants, and a light jacket or sweatshirt.

Try to pack lighter clothes. In other words if I'm going someplace in the winter instead of a bulky wool or acrylic sweater I'll pack a slim cashmere sweater. Takes 1/3 the space.

Don't bring too many shoes. I bring a pair of sandals, maybe two slim pair (hope that makes sense), plus wear either sneakers or shoes on the plane. You don't need water shoes, sandals, flip flops, shoes, boots, sneakers, and loafers.

Bring travel sizes of all toiletries where practical. I wait until there is about a week of toothpaste left in the tube and stick it away and start a fresh one for home, and then use the almost empty one on the trip. I generally do NOT suggest going out and buting a bunch of trial size things, just be creative, and leave at home the things you do'nt absolutely need.

Lay it all out on the bed before you pack it, put away anything you're bringing "just in case".

Anne

 

[tinkerb]

don't forget some cheap ponchos, I buy the kind from the Dollar Store .. sure beats paying $6 or $7 at the park, and if you have a camera or cell phone, bring some ziploc bags along to keep them from getting wet...

 

[buckeye]

A few things that I have found useful to have:

zip-lock baggies that are large enough to hold a wet bathing suit or wet shoes,

a baggie with various types of medicines (in case of stomach woes or headache, etc..),

a hanging toiletries kit so everyone doesn't have all their "stuff" on the bathroom sink ( it can be hung on a towel rack and then zipped up when not needed),

and SHOUT wipes for stains on your clothes (especially if you are trying to use outfits more than once).

 

[Mrs.A]

An alarm clock that runs on batteries, you never know when the electric may go out.

 

[mars315]

Hi,
Regarding Buckeye's tip about the hanging toiletries kit: Depending on the size of your family and/or how many toiletries each person has, a clear hanging shoe bag works like a dream. We are a family of 4 with 3 females. I have used this shoebag for 3 trips now, after reading about it on one of these boards. I can't imagine traveling without it. You hang it on the outside of the bathroom door, and put all your health and beauty items in the pockets. We put all hairbrushes in one area, toothbrushes/toothpastes/floss in another, all medications in a section, etc, etc. It keeps everything neat and dry, and off the sink.

I know this is not really a packing tip, but this is a Good Thing!

Michelle

 

[Lewisc]

See if your hotel has a washer and dryer. If your trip is much more than a week you might plan on doing wash. Even if you don't want to plan on doing wash knowing that you have access to a washer/dryer allows you to pack lighter.

I used to pack a lot more extra clothes. Concerned about either rain or hot weather causing me to go through more clothing changes.

 

[Selket]

I just got back from a 2 week road trip with DH and 2 young kids and sadly I used just about everything we packed and I still washed clothes twice! And I packed alot! I did bring too many clothes for one kid. I think it helps to lay out some outfits for everyone and figure out how many times you want to wash clothes while you're there. We also sometimes buy t-shirts onsite so figure that in too if you want. One time I actually packed entire outfits (shorts, shirt, socks) into a plastic baggie for each day which made it easy to find everything in the morning for my (then) toddler.

I have 2 large duffles but I still end up dragging along 10 little bags of stuff and it's those little bags that kill me!