Packing For Vacations- Tips

[Janice]

Have you learned your lesson? I used to pack twice as much stuff as I would ever need. I really wasted a lot of space and took too many suitcase.

I am down to one big suitcase for each of us now on a cruise, etc. And one garment bag.

Basically living in shorts and capris and tanks for seven days and sandals.

I have seen people on cruise ships with as much as 6 suitcases. Suppose some of those are empty for shopping items...

[Miss Mary]

If our condo rental has a washer/dryer then I pack for 4 days worth. So in that way yes I've learned my lesson! If not, it's a challenge to pack for 7 days. Interchanging items twice. My husband likes to have the trunk neatly packed, every space taken in other words. Not thrown in and slammed shut. He has taught us well by now, he wants everything to go in a tote bag or suitcase, no loose items allowed. That way when we check in, everything has a handle and is easy to carry, no shoes falling in the parking lot. By now my girls just sigh - oh dad....okay, I'll put this stuff in a bag.....LOL

We have suitcases out in the hall right now. Leaving on vacation in 6 days. I like to pack early, and wear our rattiest clothes so the nice ones get packed. I could never just throw things in a suitcase and plan my outfits when there. No way!

[Janice]

I am with you Mary... I pack about 8 capris and shorts with a top for each... They fit in one little pile on the side on my suitcase. A pair of dress heels to wear with dresses and an extra pair of sandals. Sandals match everything. Nightwear and underwear, swimsuit and that covers a week for me. If on a cruise, I have one nice pair of cocktail heels that will match any of my dresses. I carry a big tote for makeup, etc.

[Janice]

Another tip we learned. Do not get your suits, tux and cocktail outfits cleaned before you leave. They will just get wrinkled when you pack them. We always get them done on the ship when we get to our room so they are clean and pressed and ready to go. No need to take an iron this way.

[Miss Mary]

Janice - years ago at the doctor's office I worked at, we would receive catologs with items similar to what Lillian Vernon would sell. And weekly we'd place orders. I bought a very simple, but trusty clothes steamer. Nothing fancy, all plastic, brown and tan. I know it didn't even come to $10 but it's worked like a charm for over 2 decades now! I even steamed off a wallpaper border with it, it works so well. It's very small and fits in our suitcase easily.

Thanks for the reminder to pack it! LOL But that is a good tip on not dry cleaning suits before a trip.

Mary

[Janice]

Yes, my sis has one and loves it. I should check them out. Thanks

You have a great vacation, I am jealous. At least you are getting out before the season gets here.

Yes, we learned that tip from another passenger. It only costs a little more on the ship, but, hey, you are on vacation.

[Miss Mary]

We're going to my FIL's condo, near Clearwater for a week. We haven't stayed there in over 6 years. He's been renovating his 2 BR condo so I'm anxious to see it. Yes it will be nice to get away. We almost left yesterday, right after school got out. But I would have never been ready. No way! I want one normal week before leaving.

We haven't had a real vacation in over 2 years now. College tuition - cha ching......that changes everything!

Mary

[O Town]

Well packing for a vacation with a family of 5 is a bit different than just 2. And we stay in a cottage so we are packing food as well. I have like 4 lists. Bath, kitchen, clothes, and misc. And then a menu planned out for the week. But as far as the clothes go I pack for about 4 days when we stay 8. They have washers and dryers and I do 2 loads about mid way through. 2 bathing suits for everyone, 2 shoes for everyone, and 3 casual outfits,shorts and tanks, and 1 dressy one, skirts and dresses for the kids, capris for me, and a golf shirt and nice shorts for the old man. It is so easy to over pack, but you have to control yourself. When hubby and I went on a cruise the 2 times we did we each had a small suitcase, and a bathroom bag. Thats it.

[Janice]

Yes, I get sick when I get home and didn't wear half the stuff I packed...

[O Town]

Well I pretty much live in my bathing suit on vacation. And we only would have one night where you are suppost to be all dressy for dinner on the boat. Oh how I loved those wonderful dinners on the big boats, we always went to the dinning rooms for our dinner every night for the good dinners. I am so longing for a cruise again.

[Janice]

We like the specialty restuarants too, making your meals and salads at your table... just a bit of luxury. We don't do it often tho....

I only live in my bathing suit if I have a cover up over it....

[O Town]

I only live in my bathing suit if I have a cover up over it....

Yes, or a pair of shorts on, or a towel wrapped around my waist. Days of just hanging out in just the suit are gone. But I love laying in the sun and swimming and am usually doing one of the 2, but if I want to get up and get a drink or run to my room, I wrap it up.

[Janice]

What a luxury to sit by the pool, reading a good book and having a nice drink with a paper umbrella in it.....

[beachbum_al]

I always packed too much for me and the girls. Better than to have too much than not enough clothes.

[Janice]

I noticed that the Princess Cruise ships had washers and dryers on each floor for the people to use. I wish all ships did that.

[Janice]

Another thing I do is, I went and bought a big nylon duffle bag. It rolls up like a tube. I pack it on one side of the suitcase, all rolled up, does not take up any space. Then when I pack to come home from vacation, I put all our dirty clothes in it and save the suitcase for stuff I bought.....

[O Town]

I noticed that the Princess Cruise ships had washers and dryers on each floor for the people to use. I wish all ships did that.

The boats we were on had a bag in each room to through all your dirty clothes in and you toss it outside your cabin and someone picks it up and does it for you. I am sure it was not free, but nice if you don't mind spending the money. I didn't even pay attention to washer and dryers while I was on the boat, I am sure they all have them though. I was too busy having fun. Ended up I had plenty of clothes in my one suitcase to last the duratioin.

[Janice]

No, those bags are not free. They are laundry service which charges a lot...

I always take enough so I do not have to wash anything.

[gtalum]

Mrs. Alum and I each pack into one 22 inch carry-on legal rollaboard suitcase for any length trip. Additionally I carry a computer backpack that also holds an extra set of "unmentionables" in case we get stuck somewhere overnight. We hate checking bags. The key is to pack for one week's worth of travel. A weeks' worth of clothing for us is really 3-4 outfits, since we wear everything twice between washing when we travel except for socks and underwear. Then just be willing to do a load of laundry. That two hours that it takes to do laundry may seem tedious, but IMHO it's much preferable to the hassle of checking large bags if you fly and lugging them around everywhere we go.

[cajungal]

Everytime I leave for vacation I pack way too much stuff. For my 2 cruises that I went on, I packed probably almost all the tank tops and shorts I owned. And barely wore half. Because on the sea days I lived in my swimsuit and by the pool. I wore my tanks and short for excursions, but had my swimsuit underneath because it was all things having to do with the water. I even went to Carlos and Charlies bar in Cozumel in a bikini top and shorts. (I was just getting off the beach, was very drunk, and did not feel like changing) I also brought nice dresses and outfits for dinner in the dining room. We had 2 formal nights.

I am leaving for Gatlinburg, TN the last week of July and hope to pack lighter. It may get chilly up in the mountains esp at night. So, I need to pack a couple pairs of jeans and capris. I won't need to pack more than a couple swimsuits. Because even though the condo has an indoor and outdoor pool, I probably won't have time to use it much. We will mostly be hiking in the mountains and we plan to spend a whole day on the Gatlinburg strip and another full day at Dollywood.