Do you "pre-pack" for your trip?

[sbkline]

At some point several weeks prior to your trip, do you get the suitcase out and start throwing stuff in it in preparation for the big event, or do you do all your packing immediately before leaving?

Normally, I drag the suitcase out and put it in the extra bedroom 7 or 8 weeks (possibly more) ahead of time and throw things in it that we won't be needing until the trip, such as shorts, tanktops, beachtowels, etc. Obviously, there are several things that can't be packed until time, such as socks, underwear, etc.

I dragged our suitcase out recently and put it in the extra bedroom, but before I can lay it down and start putting stuff in it, we first have to clear out all the clutter from the floor and the bunkbeds (no one sleeps in that room yet...the bunkbeds are my wife's that she had at home before we got married). Unfortunately, that room is our "let's throw this crap in here and get it out of our hair" room, so there's alot of crap that has to be put away or thrown away. So we were doing the first phase of it tonight, and I hope to do more tommorrow, and then I will be ready to start packing some stuff into the suitcase.

In the process of cleaning up that room, I came across a map of the Epcot resort area that I never knew I had. I don't know if it came in the mail with an info packet on WDW or if I picked it up at a motel along with several other brochures at some point. And, in organizing that room, I found some stuff that belongs in our hallway closet, and in the process, I found our beachtowels. Up until then, I had totally forgot about those when thinking of things to prepack, so it's a good thing I started this project tonight and stumbled upon them as a result. :sohappy: Our trip is planned for April 13-20, with us leaving for the roadtrip on April 12, which is 8 weeks from today.

So how many of you dig out the suitcase and start packing several weeks ahead of time, and how many just do it all in the last few days?

 

[Foolish Mortal]

Weeks/days ? The night before.

 

[sbkline]

Sbkline, your spare room sounds like ours. No one sleeps in there, and it has become the "collection" room - the place I put stuff until I get a chance to put it where it belongs!

And if you guys are anything like us, "putting it in there until you get a chance to put it where it belongs" ends up translating into "dumping it in there for long term storage because we're too lazy to ever get in there and deal with it!" :ROFLOL:

Well, that's all changing for us. In the very short term, that room needs cleaned out so that I can have room to lay out the suitcase and all the other stuff that I need to gather for our upcoming vacation. But after that, the room must be cleaned out and prepared for our toddler son to move into in another year or so. We plan to start trying for our second child in another month or so, and whenever that child is conceived, our son will have to move into the extra bedroom 9 months later so the new baby can have the nursery. So that room MUST be cleaned out before too long anyway, because we'll be needing to move the dressers out and move the bed so that we can paint the room.

But between last night and this afternoon, we just did a major clearing out of that room. Several things went into the trash, several things got put in storage in the garage or attic, and several more things have, or soon will taken to the resale shop. So just a few minutes ago, I laid out the suitcase and threw my wdwmagic T-shirts in it, along with my tank tops and my shorts. I pretty much only wear those things on vacation anyway, and if I do wear them outside of vacation, it won't be until after vacation is over anyway. I also dug out our beach recliners, the beach towels, the coolers, the portable DVD player, the camcorder and my vacation wallet. So now over the next 8 weeks, if I think of something that must go on vacation with us, I can just toss it back there with the other goodies.

 

[Tiggerfanatic]

Ooh, I wish I was getting the suitcases out to pack for a trip, too. Alas, our trips are on hold for a few years until we're done with tuition. I'm in an opposite spot from you - in 3 more years I'll have a second spare room because DD will have graduated and moved out (that's the plan, anyway!)

 

[Montyboy]

No, SB, you are not the only one with clutter in a spare room. My Labrador retrievers (Monty and Sydney) eat in the dinning room. The dinning room table is "temporary storage". I eat in front of the TV.

Next trip, I'll try the pre-packing in a spare room. It's a reason to clean.

 

[WDWRLD]

the new underwear that you have to buy for every trip

And my wife says im wierd....wait till she gets home and I show her this thread. Now she will know that im not the only one who does this.

 

[jtced]

I cannot pack until I have listed everything. I list clothes, list toiletries, list prescription and OTC medicines, list miscellaneous (i.e. batteries, cell phone chargers, camera battery charger, itinerary, etc.) list purse/tote items, of course each list is sub-listed by person (i.e. myself, son, husband) then most important, the list that contains the lists. Only after everything has been properly catagorized, then and only then do I start listing which item will go into which suitcase. I do not actually start packing until about a week before we leave and that is items we will not need during the week. Regardless of how organized I am, somebody inevitably wears something that needs to be washed the day before we leave and I am "final" packing the night before we leave.

Same way here. We went on our Honeymoon completely unprepared!! We overslept, threw clothes in suitcases and took off. We got to the park only to discover that my tennis shoes were still on the front porch! I have a list of everything complete with clothes already organized in plastic bags by the day for our daughter. I got burnt once and that's all it took for me to become a MAJOR planner for any trip.

 

[Jenngusto]

Thank God I thought I was the only one who did that

I am already thinking of things to pack for our trip but will not pack until about six weeks before our trip............. in December. I pack, repack, pack, repack for weeks!
:xmas:

 

[mrerk]

OMG, you must be my long lost twin! That is EXACTLY how I do it. My friends think my packing lists are insane...I'm glad to see I'm not the only one!

My wife actually has the list on the computer. It is checked off as the suitcases are packed. Then the list comes with us on the trip in case we need to add anything to it. When we get home the list is updated on the computer so next time we are working off the updated list. She actually has different versions of the list depending on season of the trip, if we are going to the races in Daytona (really missing the 500 right about now) while we are there, etc.

 

[maryszhi]

OMG, you must be my long lost twin! That is EXACTLY how I do it. My friends think my packing lists are insane...I'm glad to see I'm not the only one!

me to i am obsessive compuslive when it comes to organization and cleaning
my parents tease me cause they never have to ask me to clean my room or anything

 

[mickey&me]

Okay...

I make my packing lists as soon as we decide when we're going, even before I make the actual reservations.

Next I make my shopping lists (stuff to buy and how long before the trip to buy it).

The next part--early packing--is tricky. I pack the shorts and t-shirts as soon as we are finished with them for the season. If we are going to be using them at home, I pack them three weeks before the trip. You are just not allowed to need them again. I usually buy new socks and underwear for everyone, so they go into the suitcase still in their own packaging. We keep toiletries packed in their own bag all the time.

Three to four days before we leave, I pack snacks and OTC meds.

The morning we leave, all I have to do is grab our prescriptions and sprint out the door.

I'm so glad to know that I am not alone!

 

[mousebymarriage]

I cannot pack until I have listed everything. I list clothes, list toiletries, list prescription and OTC medicines, list miscellaneous (i.e. batteries, cell phone chargers, camera battery charger, itinerary, etc.) list purse/tote items, of course each list is sub-listed by person (i.e. myself, son, husband) then most important, the list that contains the lists. Only after everything has been properly catagorized, then and only then do I start listing which item will go into which suitcase. I do not actually start packing until about a week before we leave and that is items we will not need during the week. Regardless of how organized I am, somebody inevitably wears something that needs to be washed the day before we leave and I am "final" packing the night before we leave.

Oh God, I think we are twins seperated at birth!:lol:
I swear I thought i was the only one with the lists and sub-lists by person.
Your answer is identitical to what I would have said.

 

[Minnesota]

Mentally I start packing the min. we figure out when we're going next. My DH teased me back in november because I took the clothes DD wanted to wear away from her 3 weeks before the trip. In my defense she spills on a lot and tens to rip holes in her knees. I figured she had more than enough clothes till we left and less stress for me. I've already started to mentally go through my clothes for summer/fall but we don't go again till sept 09. It does give me something to think about while I walk around that stupid track yet again listening to my Disney music.

 

[NewfieFan]

Sbkline, your spare room sounds like ours. No one sleeps in there, and it has become the "collection" room - the place I put stuff until I get a chance to put it where it belongs! I get the suitcases out a couple months in advance, and start throwing in stuff like toiletries, the new underwear that you have to buy for every trip, but I can't put clothes in too early, or the cat makes a bed out of them. I get serious about laundry and packing around a week out - we have to wear our ratty clothes that last week because all the good stuff is being washed and packed/

Ok, I'm glad I'm not the only one that makes my family wear the "old" clothes before the trip. I have all the kids' nice summer clothes packed - so the week before the trip they're all wearing mismatched outfits!:lol: My husband though, will always wear his favorite clothes and then the night before we leave he'll announce that he needs a certain t-shirt washed so that he can take it with him - men!!!

I do everything else as well that everybody has already mentioned... pre-pack, practice pack, make multiple lists, etc. You name it, I do it! (I'm pretty sure I have OCD!!!:lol Organizing is part of my vacation - even though I stress out about it, I love it. Kepts me busy while I wait for the vacation. Now I must go and make a list - I just thought of something I needed...

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

I start buying items I know we will need in advance so that I don't have the stress of getting them at the last minute. I actually pack the bags a few days in advance.

 

[UKHelen]

I'm happy to admit to being a list person too (inherited from my mum), my DH is always taking the $$$$ out of me about making lists!!!

My holiday packing list is stored on the computer and will get printed off a couple of weeks before departure day, but I may already have started buying odd things by then! I must admit though we (try to) take very little in the way of toiletries (keeps the suitcase weight down) and visit Walmart upon arrival to buy what we need. As we visit for (usually) 3 weeks, anything left just gets binned again for weight purposes............

The suitcases will come out about a week before (once a space is made in the spare room for them!) and then holiday stuff (shorts, vests, swimming stuff) starts making its way in. Then 1 week before DH gets the 'last chance to wear if you want it washing before holiday' warning (we both wear uniform for work which makes it a bit easier) and then serious packing takes places 2 or 3 nights before with final packing being the night before we leave.

I do find the last few days before we leave I end up wearing the most uncomfortable underwear!!!!!!!!

 

[e4ymod]

I'm a procrastinator. Packing for me doesn't usually happen until 20 minutes before I leave. :lol:

 

[H20Babie]

I am packed! :lol:

I just have to pare it down a bit

 

[JustPlainBill]

We usually do it the week before.
My wife, bless her, tries to do it sooner but meets with resistance from me, I like to be as organized as the next guy but I can't get my heart into packing more than a week early. I feel like I'm jinxing the trip if I do.
Call me crazy.

 

[Kingdom Konsultant]

I always pack ahead of time and since I do go to WDW numerous times each year I pretty much wash my clothes and repack them. I double check the toiletry bag to make sure that is full and I refill it when needed. I am a firm believer in packing and planning ahead.

And Yes I am definitely when it comes to this.:lol:
This drives my husband and my odest daughter crazy. My youngest is just like me though, we are always planning the next rip. She's my travel partner a lot of times when it's just a quick weekend trip.


Pam:sohappy: