When do you start packing?

[fairy oma]

I started as soon as I made the ressies and we are 15 mos out. I have a 31 tote that I can add things to as I get them...Ponchos, power strips, 1st aid kit, body glide, frog togs, little gifts for DGDDs...you get the idea.

We are going to WDW during the holidays 2015 so after the summer ends next year I will gather shorts, tees, capris, etc and pack them so they are ready to go in the suitcase 1 week before.

 

[SweetMissy]

The night before....seriously, it's just how I roll, lol.

 

[quakechicago]

I'm terrible. We have a trip to the Dells planned in a week and I find myself doing the bad thinking of Oh I have tons of time. Then I end up not sleeping the night before!

 

[firegurl]

We booked at about 185 days and I started gathering then.I was waiting until summer vacations are over before I put anything into suitcases but now that they are, I will start that. Once it is no longer summer weather in Maryland I will start packing clothes for our November trip. Of course I bought DS new summet clothes back in the spring that were a little large so they would.last through our trip. He grew so much that I need to buy him more new clothes. I hope these will last through next summer.

 

[JoeyEmmaMomma]

I usually start packing for big trips about 2 weeks before we go.

 

[pinkprincess30]

So glad I'm not alone! We leave in 147 days and I just printed my master list and started to look it over to see what I needed to start gathering/purchasing. DH looked at me like I had gone completely MAD

That's a great idea to pack clothing that's out of season. My kids have all pretty much grown out of their Summer clothes and we don't leave until April, so maybe I will try to find some summery clearance items to put directly into suitcases. It is currently 25 degrees where I live....so DH will REALLY think I'm crazy now!

 

[MandiC]

I take the suitcases out and start packing for any trip 2-3 days before. However, with Disney I went and put stuff we bought specifically for Disney in the suitcases as we bought them.

 

[North of Mouse]

Wow, some of you really take this packing thing very seriously!! I'm not a big planner (the reason I'm upset with Disney now) so I don't start packing until 2-3 days before - then I get really serious!

 

[my3princes]

Our next trip in in July. I've already started purchasing toiletries, underwear, socks, had t-shirts printed etc. I will wrap each persons up for Christmas, that will take care of a lot of the last minute packing.

 

[wishing4PA]

The night before....seriously, it's just how I roll, lol.

Nice!

I usually "start packing" the day before. If I waited until evening, I'd be a wreck, but as long as I start during the day, I'm okay. The way I see it, there are only 3 things I need for any trip. #1: Money (in one or more forms). #2: Passport (or in this case, just license). #3: Tickets.
Forget anything else and #1 can pretty much take care of it.

That said, about a week before I will start setting certain items in a pile of things I would like to bring. I don't consider this "packing", but as I run across something I don't want to forget, I set it in the pile. Usually by the time I'm ready to "pack", the pile consists of about a dozen oddball destination-specific sort of things, like "the Disney bag", a visor, bathing suit, a book I've been meaning to read that I won't look at the entire time , etc.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

We leave next Wednesday. I haven't packed a thing and likely won't until Tuesday night.

I'm way ahead of the game this trip! We leave Friday, and today I made everyone gather up their clothes, which are all sitting on the guest room bed, ready to be packed. August was much easier to pack for than December though...shorts, tees, bathing suits. Boom, you're done. December is a totally different ballgame, with a little bit of everything thrown in, and now I need to fit all that into hopefully two suitcases.

 

[powellrj]

I use to be an early packer, but anymore I usually start as we are walking out the door. It keeps me from overpacking! Our last trip I started about 20 minutes before we left and was packing clothes that were coming out of the dryer! It makes a difference that we don't have small children anymore. If our kids come with us, they are old enough to pack themselves.

 

[AriesAriel]

We aren't leaving for 6 months but I already have a box started! LOL!