Packing

[aubriee]

I notice alot of people post on here asking for help on what to pack and how to pack lighter. How about we combine all our tips? Everybody packs different and what works for one may not work for another, but then again we might all gain some ideas of how to pack more effeciently. I'll start:

favorite packing items:
1. packing folders and packing cubes--you can squeeze so much into them and they make it so easy to organize your bags.
2. Vera Bradley trip kits, makeup bags, tech case, large hanging toiletry kit (get the VB items on ebay=much cheaper)
3. Vera Bradley soft duffels or rolling duffel
4. Take the plastic contact lens case out of a Vera Bradley contact lens holder and it perfectly holds your MP3 player and small earphones. http://www.verabradley.com/product/...ultColor/Folkloric/p/1001157.uts?fromSearch=1
5. a roll of Hollywood tape (to make sure bra straps don't show)
6. Wal Mart hanging organizer to keep my clothes on in the room:http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-6-Shelf-Organizer/15566813?findingMethod=rr I can hang nine days worth of clothes and only take up like 10" on the closet rod.

favorite sunscreen:
1. Neutrogena spray with Helioplex spf 70 or spf 100
2. Neutrogena for senstive skin for the face

favorite shoes:
1. in order of preference: OluKai Ohanas, Sketcher Tone Ups, Orthaheels Tide or Waves, Fit Flops, or Montrail Molokinis

favorite park bag:
1. Vera Bradley mini hipster
2. Vera Bradley ID case with a lanyard. http://www.verabradley.com/product/...ultColor/Deco+Daisy/p/154781.uts?fromSearch=1 It holds CC, ID, room key, AP, a little cash and still holds my small camera on the other side of the divider thingy.

laundry: I don't do laundry on vacation, but if you do:
1. carry the purex all in one sheets or else pack small snack size zip locks with laundry detergent and then pack them in a quart size zip lock with a few dryer softener sheets and a roll of quarters
2. buy the travel size pkts of laundry detergent in the travel section at Wal Mart
3. pack dryer sheets in your luggage to keep it smelling fresh and then use them in the dryers down there when you do laundry

makeup/toiletries
1. I use mineral makeup and love the little 3 gm jars that screw together--you can carry a variety of makeup in a very small column. I usually pour a little primer, foundation, top coat, two blushes, six or seven eyeshadows, two liners, and a highlighter into the screw together jars and they all fit in two 1"x1"x4" columns.
2. I also have some little 5 gr jars that screw together that I refill each trip with moisurizer, eye cream, and night cream. All three screwed together form a column that's like 2"x2"x3 1/2". Cleansing oil I pour into a small travel size bottle and then I use that, followed by Olay cleansing wipes to remove makeup.
3. anything you can, buy in travel/sample sizes (tiny lip glosses, lip sticks, mascara, small hairbursh and comb, shampoo, conditioner, hair silk, shine spray, etc).
4. Mascara-Heroine Me Kiss Me for Volume or Estee Lauder Sumptious
5. if you're like me and prefer your own products, invest in some travel size bottles and jars and just refill them each trip with your favorite shampoo, conditioner, bubble bath, shower gel, lotions, etc.
6. After each trip I clean out and refill my toiletry bag, then hang it in my closet ready for the next trip, so it's always ready.

packing light:
1. I always wear cotton panties around here, but have invested in some of the really thin, microfiber panties just for vacation. They roll up into nothing. I also have some thin cotton bras that I bought at Wal Mart that roll up much smaller than my regular good bras. They're cooler and more comfortable down there and take up less room in my bag. I do carry petal covers to make sure the headlights aren't shining though.
2. Match outfits before you go, allowing one outfit per day, plus one extra. Choose the thinnest material you can find. Cooler down there and takes up less room when packing.
3. Pack your outfits in the opposite order you'll be wearing them-- extra outfit first, then the last day's, then the next to last day's and so on with the first day's outfit on top, so that when you get to your room, you can just slip the stack into the closet shelf and they'll already be in the order you plan to wear them.

good extras to carry:
1. Body Glide is a lifesaver for preventing blisters and chafing
2. wrap some duct tape around a pen--takes up no room and duct tape is good for fixing hems, small rips, holding room curtains together if room is too bright at night, place over any areas that are prone to blisters, etc)
4. a pair of small kids scissors (handy for cutting mole skin, tape, cutting tags off pkgs)
5. write all your ADRs very small on a lime green Mickey Head, laminate it, poke a hole in it, use a platic luggage tag thingy and attach to your park bag, so you'll have them handy
6. white noise machine
7. Have doctor write a prescription for Lasix if you are prone to swelling in the heat and humidity
8. I use always prefill two of the weekly pill boxes. The first has my regular meds in it. The second I fill each slot with meds I might need (Motrin, Pepto, Lasix and potassium combined in one, Excedrin, antibiotics, etc). Label each slot of the second pill organizer. All your meds are together and take up less room. I like the Vera Bradley pill organizer because it has 8 slots instead of 7. http://www.polyvore.com/vera_bradley_travel_pill_case/thing?id=24993152
7. cargo shorts to avoid bag check lines
8. prestuff mousekeeping evelopes before you leave home. I use these:http://www.themouseforless.com/downloads/trip/mousekeeping.shtml

 

[aubriee]

I have a futon bunk bed in my spare bedroom. About two weeks before I leave, I put the full size bottom bed down and get out my packing folders and packing cubes and put them on one end, so they'll be handy. In a slim cube I pack enough underwear for one pair per day, plus one extra pair and also a nightgown. In another slim cube I pack enough bras to have one for everyday and one extra and add pair of nipple petals and a roll of Hollywood tape (to make sure my headlights and bra straps don't show down there). Because I use thin microfiber panties and thin bras for travel they will also roll up tight and fit into a couple of Vera Bradely trip kits (http://www.verabradley.com/catalog/search.cmd?form_state=searchForm&keyword=trip+kit&x=15&y=15). I then roll up two swimsuits and a coverup and stuff them in a small packing cube. If I'm going to any signature restaurants I roll up two sundresses and put them in a small packing cube. No matter how many signature restaurants I may be going to, I never pack more than two sundresses. Since they're not on that long, I don't mind rewearing them, if I need to. I match all the other outfits I want on hangers and narrow them down until I have one outfit for each day, plus one extra. I hang the rest back up in the closet, so I can't get to them. I hang the ones I'll be carrying from the top bunk and hang them in the opposite order that I'll be wearing them. I then add two pairs of flip flops and if going to a Signature restaurant, one pair of nicer sandals. The weekend before I leave I fold the outfits into a 18" packing folder in the opposite order I'll be wearing them (the extra outfit, then last day's first, then the next to the last day's and so on) so that when I'm finished the first day's outfit will be laying on top. When I get to the resort I'll hang up the sundresses, but just slide the other outfits out of the packing folder and put the stack on the top shelf in the closet or in a closet shelf organizer. They'll already be folded neatly and in the order I'll be wearing them. Every morning I just take the top outfit off the stack. I usually carry one black and one brown/tan pair of flip flops that will go with every thing, to cut down on shoes. I use mineral makeup and have alot of tiny 3 gram jars that screw together in little skinny columns. I use those jars for vacations and put a small amount of primer, foundation, top coat, two blushes, maybe six eyeshadows, and two liners in them, then divide them into two columns. Each will only be like 1"x1"x4", fits easily into a makeup bag, and still give me a variety of colors to choose from. I add a small 2" flat glass plate for swirling (really a small flat votive candle holder I picked up at the dollar store) , a small mirror, and a couple of tiny travel size lipsticks and couple of tiny lip glosses, and a small travel size mascara. I don't like dealing with a 3-1-1 bag at the airport so I pack all my liquids/gels in my checked bag in the hanging toiletry bag. When I get to the room, I just take the tiny lip glosses and mascara out and drop them in the make up bag on the vanity.

I am pooh size and usually go for eight nights/nine days and most of this will still fit into my 20" Heys hard sided carry on. Using packing folders and packing cubes, you can really squeeze alot in there. I usually drop the makeup bag, a divided plastic envelope with trip info in it, camera, cell phone, battery chargers, a book, MP3 player, prefilled pill boxes, a Vera Bradley mini hipster, sunglass case, and a box of snacks in my personal item.

Going down there there is very little in my checked bag: the rolled up toiletry bag, a waterproof ditty bag full of sunscreen, one or two pairs of shoes, and an empty 20" packing folder that I use to repack my clothes in every night. Folding them neatly into the packing folder every night makes repacking at the end of the week very easy.

 

[TheTurners]

I always wear cotton panties around here, but have invested in some of the really thin, microfiber panties just for vacation. They roll up into nothing. I also have some thin cotton bras that I bought at Wal Mart that roll up much smaller than my regular good bras. They're cooler and more comfortable down there and take up less room in my bag. I do carry petal covers to make sure the headlights aren't shining though...In another slim cube I pack enough bras to have one for everyday and one extra and add pair of nipple petals and a roll of Hollywood tape (to make sure my headlights and bra straps don't show down there...I am pooh size

 

[dsnyrn]

What are packing folders and cubes? TY

 

[aubriee]

Not sure what your problem is. I assure you unlike alot of people down there, I make sure I am well covered. The microfiber panties I get at Lane Bryant are anything but revealing or see through. They're very opaque and well made. They're simply made out of a thinner material that is cooler and dries faster than cotton. They cover alot more and are much thicker material than some of the bikinis or thongs you see sticking out of people's shorts and pants down there. As far as the bras, they also cover and support well. They're simply not overly padded and don't have underwires, so they're more comfortable. They are still alot thicker than most underwires, still supportive and nothing droops or pokes out. The only times the nipples would show would be after a water ride or maybe in really cold air conditioning. I wish all the ladies down there would wear the gel petal covers. Now if you were a D cup or bigger, they may not cover and support as well, but otherwise they are fine. As far as the Hollywood tape, sorry I don't wear even my wide strapped tank tops without it. I don't wear low cut clothes, tops with skinny straps, or tops that are cut too low beneath the arms. In fact, I usually order most of my tank tops from Woman Within specifically because they are not low cut, have the wider straps, and aren't cut low underneath the arms. I still use the Hollywood tape to make sure my bra straps never slip down though. I'm old school, who thinks bra straps should never show, so make sure mine don't. Unfortuantely alot of women down there don't feel the same way and you see their bra straps slipping into view or even showing intentionally. Regardless of your size, your naughty bits should be covered and secured and mine are. I wish all the ladies down there would do the same. You get really tired of seeing thongs sticking out of the back of shorts everytime someone beds over or seeing someone poking out of their t shirt, or bra straps sliding down their arms.

 

[aubriee]

What are packing folders and cubes? TY

http://www.ebags.com/category/packing-folders-and-cubes/20014520

I used to roll my clothes and use zip locks, but a lady here on the DIS (Jamstew), turned me onto the packing folders and packing cubes. She swore by them and now I do too. I can't imagine packing without them. When I got my first ones, I was disappointed and didn't think they'd hold much, but those things will hold tons. As long as you can get the velcro to close, the packing folders will hold. I can get 9 days worth of shorts/capris, tshirts, and tanks in one 18" folder, as long as I'm not packing anything made out of really thick material. For jeans or sweaters I still use zip locks. The packing cubes are great for organizing your bags and will also stretch quite a bit. I've never broken a zipper on one and have been using them several times a year for several years. My first ones I got on Ebags.com, but have since bought some more at our local Samsonite outlet and also at TJ Maxx. The ones at TJ Maxx were the good Eagle Creek ones, but were still quite a bit cheaper than the others. They were selling them individually though, instead of in sets, so you could choose a variety of sizes of both the folders and cubes. Before buying, I read all the reviews for them on ebags.