Friday OT: Leaving on a jet plane

[JP4CY]

Very early start to an OT. @Angie and I were discussing how we pack and prepare for a trip, how our spouse/family packs, and any tips for travel.

I'm a roll up my shirts on laundry day and get a suitcase out and put them in there even if it's days early. My wife likes to wait until the last minute and it drives me nuts.

In regards to tips, I usually try and bring a lightweight packable cooler. Whether we're having beach drinks, hotel drinks, it always comes in handy.

 

[SEIOWA CLONE]

We both packed our bags yesterday and last night, then bounced questions off each other asking "did you get this packed or that packed?" Loaded up the vehicle with my suitcases, wife was not quite sure yet. Recheck to make sure we have all the flight paperwork and cruise paperwork, passports, hotel printout, carry on's ready and then got about 2.5 hours of restless sleep.

Plan on heading for Des Moines around 3:00, flight leaves at 7:05. Goodby Iowa, hello Alaska.

 

[CivEFootball]

Remind myself people live where I'm going and whatever I forget to pack, if it's that important can be found in a store.

Otherwise my preferred method is to pack right after I'm all caught up on laundry. Also I try to pack everything in two bags: a carry on (actual international size carry on), and a backpack.

 

[dmclone]

For vacations, both domestic and international, my wife makes lists. To most people this would probably be overkill but I also like it and we've never forgotten anything. We very rarely check luggage, have gotten better at under-packing, use things like packing cubes, etc.

 

[BCClone]

I count the days and then pack the parts. Like it’s a 5 day trip, 5 pairs of underwear or 5 socks. I go through everything I need. I do this the day before. Toiletries are the morning of after I use them. If it’s a flight I fit it in a carryon and a personal belongings bag so I can avoid check in.

 

[CascadeClone]

Remind myself people live where I'm going and whatever I forget to pack, if it's that important can be found in a store.

THIS.

Once i figured this out, travel became a lot less stressful.

 

[Al_4_State]

The most important part for me is having enough outdoor/exercise gear that I can get dirty without having to reuse something that's sweaty and stinky.

We rarely travel for lengthy periods of time (lots of long weekends), and as others have said, if you forget something you can almost always find it along the way.

My wife generally packs more than she needs, and then buys a bunch of **** wherever we go so the car is overflowing on the way home.

 

[RLD4ISU]

I make a list ahead of time of what I'll need. I usually roll my clothes. My suitcase is always the last to be packed since my makeup and hair supplies are the last to go in. (Hmm...maybe I just need to buy a 2nd set for all that?)

If we're traveling by car/truck, then packing our pillows is a must. Not too worried if we forget something since we can usually buy it when we get there.

We have a week-long trip coming up at a lakeside cabin, so having a list is a must for us. "Going to town to get supplies" isn't quite as easy. I overpacked for our last trip like this, so trying to make sure we have just enough for this one.

Next year we're planning to take an extended trip and my goal is to pack everything in a carry on and personal bag. We can find an laundromat while we're there.

 

[Jeremy]

You have to make sure to stretch for when the plane hits the treadmill.

 

[CyCoug]

1) Write a list of what will be needed.

2) Start gathering items from the list a couple days before.

3) Pack the remaining essentials relatively early in the evening so they will be ready the next day when it’s time to go.

4) Listen to my wife scrambling to get all her stuff together much later in the evening when I wish I was sleeping.

 

[mramseyISU]

My wife makes a list and checks it off as she throws stuff into the suitcase. I have a count in my head of how many days I'm gone and just start throwing **** in the bag.

We're leaving for an Alaska cruise tonight so I better get started on that between meetings today.

 

[jsb]

I put my suitcase out about a week before the trip and start packing things I won’t need. I have two sets of toiletries and makeup, so I pack those right away. I like to be completely finished a few days before.

 

[JM4CY]

I have kids so waiting until the last minute is insane. Something invariably will be not checked off the list and there will be plenty of screwing around and we won’t leave on time which drives me nuts. People are just ok with being late like it’s no big deal need to be drug out into the street and stoned.

 

[Al_4_State]

I have kids so waiting until the last minute is insane. Something invariably will be not checked off the list and there will be plenty of screwing around and we won’t leave on time which drives me nuts. People are just ok with being late like it’s no big deal need to be drug out into the street and stoned.

Thank you. I think it's one of the rudest things a human can do. Perpetually late people need to be made to suffer the consequences of lateness from others.

 

[FarminCy]

I travel international frequently and I’m pretty low key about packing. Normally roll everything up a few hours before I need to leave. Enough underwear and socks to get through days gone, then a couple pieces of each segment depending upon where I’m going, rarely being more than 2 pairs of pants. Outdoor adventure travel requires more stuff obviously. However for work trips I can generally fit an entire week in a small duffel bag. Capsule clothing system has made travel so easy. My only issue is I’m much taller than the average person therefor buying clothes if needed on trips some times isn’t feasible especially in Europe.

Main point is over the years I’ve learned I was over thinking it and just bring bare minimums and use laundry services, etc.

 

[Angie]

Janny and I used to travel every other week for our jobs back when we first got together, so we both very much developed our packing styles then.

Me:
- Start about 4-7 days in advance
- Have a second makeup bag with all hair and toiletry items in there, just pack that
- Have a second bag with all over the counter meds and sunscreen/bug spray/etc ready to throw in
- Make sure travel phone and watch chargers are packed for kids and me
- Get any prescription meds counted out and ready in pill organizer before I go for me (and now kids)
- Get enough clothes for each day + about two extra outfits/underwear/socks/etc. for kids and me. I always overpack but am rarely unprepared. Rolling vs folding depends on space - rolling wrinkles more so I don’t love it, but it can be a necessity
- Keep anything that I will use the morning of out and visible so I remember to pack it

Janny:
- Pack day prior, usually just sort of wings it. Either I make him pack a separate bag or get frustrated if he messes up my system. (He did better this spring about packing in advance than I have ever seen.)

I was telling @JP4CY that perhaps my greatest achievement as a mom was to get all four of us packed in advance and under the 50 pound weight limit in one suitcase for a four day trip to Florida that included the beach, Universal, and Disney. It was the best case of suitcase Tetris I have ever played.

 

[JM4CY]

Thank you. I think it's one of the rudest things a human can do. Perpetually late people need to be made to suffer the consequences of lateness from others.

Or put all of them in a giant fenced reservation and make them live together. Then put some TV cameras in there so all of the sane people on the outside can watch their society crumble because nothing ever gets done or gets done properly.

 

[CascadeClone]

I make a list ahead of time of what I'll need. I usually roll my clothes. My suitcase is always the last to be packed since my makeup and hair supplies are the last to go in. (Hmm...maybe I just need to buy a 2nd set for all that?)

I have a shaving kit / makeup bag for toiletries and thats a life changer. It stays in the bathroom drawer prepacked and I just pull it out and go. Toothpaste, deodorant, backup phone charger, et al - ready to go and in convenient travel sizes!

 

[FLYINGCYCLONE]

Enjoy your vacation.

 

[Gonzo]

Wife packs at least a day or two ahead of time. I usually wait until either night before or morning of if we're not packing too heavy. I'm not a big fan of air travel, traveled regularly for work for over 15 years and cannot stand airports. So when possible we drive, and a big thing for me is getting car very clean inside and out prior to a road trip.