Over-packing

Hi Pigeon, just finished (well almost) packing myself and agree wholeheartedly with everything you write. A total nightmare for me too, have tried the list idea which works for me if only a wknd away but never for a longer holiday. Have had stuff laid out on spare bed for a couple of days now and started actually packing this am. with the idea of casting aside a fair amount of it all but ended up with all in the case bar 2 T-shirts - aaargh!!! I know I'll end up wearing the same few things over and over again and will bring back 50% unworn but think it's a security blanket type of thing for me. Still need to decide on shoes.....

Hi Pigeon, just finished (well almost) packing myself and agree wholeheartedly with everything you write. A total nightmare for me too, have tried the list idea which works for me if only a wknd away but never for a longer holiday. Have had stuff laid out on spare bed for a couple of days now and started actually packing this am. with the idea of casting aside a fair amount of it all but ended up with all in the case bar 2 T-shirts - aaargh!!! I know I'll end up wearing the same few things over and over again and will bring back 50% unworn but think it's a security blanket type of thing for me. Still need to decide on shoes.....

Hi Pigeon, just finished (well almost) packing myself and agree wholeheartedly with everything you write. A total nightmare for me too, have tried the list idea which works for me if only a wknd away but never for a longer holiday. Have had stuff laid out on spare bed for a couple of days now and started actually packing this am. with the idea of casting aside a fair amount of it all but ended up with all in the case bar 2 T-shirts - aaargh!!! I know I'll end up wearing the same few things over and over again and will bring back 50% unworn but think it's a security blanket type of thing for me. Still need to decide on shoes.....

Hi Pigeon, just finished (well almost) packing myself and agree wholeheartedly with everything you write. A total nightmare for me too, have tried the list idea which works for me if only a wknd away but never for a longer holiday. Have had stuff laid out on spare bed for a couple of days now and started actually packing this am. with the idea of casting aside a fair amount of it all but ended up with all in the case bar 2 T-shirts - aaargh!!! I know I'll end up wearing the same few things over and over again and will bring back 50% unworn but think it's a security blanket type of thing for me. Still need to decide on shoes.....

Hi Pigeon, just finished (well almost) packing myself and agree wholeheartedly with everything you write. A total nightmare for me too, have tried the list idea which works for me if only a wknd away but never for a longer holiday. Have had stuff laid out on spare bed for a couple of days now and started actually packing this am. with the idea of casting aside a fair amount of it all but ended up with all in the case bar 2 T-shirts - aaargh!!! I know I'll end up wearing the same few things over and over again and will bring back 50% unworn but think it's a security blanket type of thing for me. Still need to decide on shoes.....

Hi Pigeon, just finished (well almost) packing myself and agree wholeheartedly with everything you write. A total nightmare for me too, have tried the list idea which works for me if only a wknd away but never for a longer holiday. Have had stuff laid out on spare bed for a couple of days now and started actually packing this am. with the idea of casting aside a fair amount of it all but ended up with all in the case bar 2 T-shirts - aaargh!!! I know I'll end up wearing the same few things over and over again and will bring back 50% unworn but think it's a security blanket type of thing for me. Still need to decide on shoes.....

Hi Pigeon, just finished (well almost) packing myself and agree wholeheartedly with everything you write. A total nightmare for me too, have tried the list idea which works for me if only a wknd away but never for a longer holiday. Have had stuff laid out on spare bed for a couple of days now and started actually packing this am. with the idea of casting aside a fair amount of it all but ended up with all in the case bar 2 T-shirts - aaargh!!! I know I'll end up wearing the same few things over and over again and will bring back 50% unworn but think it's a security blanket type of thing for me. Still need to decide on shoes.....

Who are you Derek, a rhetorical question of course.... you sound quite ignorant to me

Hi I do exactly the same as Kim19. I have a spreadsheet/table for holidays and another for weekends. It takes all of the hard work out of planning. The summer clothes are exactly the same each year! so under T-shirts I might put in brackets (4) but actually name them ie, pink grey, blue ( x2) and so on. When something wears out I replace it with a new description. If its a winter holiday I put jumpers x 3 and add a description! Shoes x 2 etc. I keep as many col coordinates as possible and add the jewellery to match!! I have columns for accessories, paperwork & books, toiletries and make-up. Its not as difficult as you think and although it might sound a bit of a boring thing to do it works wonders when it comes to packing, takes no time at all. the same for my list for weekends away! Nothing gets forgotten and I rarely take too much. BTW airline restrictive baggage weights are pretty good for keeping the amount you take down !

Thanks wildswan and I think you could to be the first to mention bra and knickers, I find these essential

My problem is I move between 2 homes and I have clothes, some rather old in the UK. I now travel very cheap so only a small hand luggage size suitcase. My problem is that I never remember what I have left in the UK. ( always intend to make a list). Then you have the weather, very variable. So I often end up wearing a mish mash of very old clothes or have too many of one thing and not enough of another. At least for dog walking and gardening I have plenty.

I'm enjoying this thread. We restrict ourselves to cabin bags only for a week in South of France. I usually spend the first half of the week pacing myself and being mean how many changes of clothes I make. I then end up having far too much left to wear for the last few days! I think I will just dive into the case this time and see what happens.

Toiletries I always buy in the airport lounge.

How to cut down on packing?

Book a rail holiday to Switzerland, which requires 3 train changes. Read the holiday notes that say you will have to carry your own bags at all interchanges, including lifting on and off the train. Choose a manageable suitcase, which common sense tells you needs to be small and the contents light. The simple fact that you can only take what you can get into the suitcase and what you can carry concentrates the mind wonderfully. Everything I took was used and it was remarkable just how little I did take.

I make a list.
Add all the days I'm going to be there. Decide on what to wear.
Make a list of outfits to wear...as not always a decent mirror to see what I might look like in said outfits.

Mix and match tops and bottoms.
All if all else fails.

Dresses are great in the evening as don't take up so much space.
Depends on type of holiday I think tho .

And Santorini isn't that big a place to lug a suitcase about.!!

Two minds, one thought sunseeker

I had to have a nice, comfy pair of cotton trousers cut off at knee level for the same reason - could have turned them into shorts I suppose!

Yes Derek, do let us know so we can avoid it

Well, we're all pc savvy - so lists, lists, lists and amend the list when you come home to delete or add as necessary.
But save the list on a memory stick just in case your computer goes kaput as mine did!

Do let us know where you are planning to go next, Derek

I'm laughing at all your responses to the lovely and loveable Derek!

I can pack to go away in about 20 minutes these days, although shoes are my weak spot. Will it be wet/dry, will we be walking/staying inside/at the beach etc?

It does depend on laundry facilities but I generally pack two tops to each pair of bottoms. For hotter climes, I have three pairs of linen trousers, red, navy and black, and have tops that will go with each of those colours so I can mix and match.

When the weather is uncertain, I pack lightweight fleece and M&S thermal tops, (which take up almost no room) so I can layer my clothing and don't need to take thick, heavy jumpers.

A tip given to me by another traveller was to take your oldest knickers and throw them away as you go. Although don't do as I did. The day before going on my first Caribbean holiday, I wore my oldest underwear. I didn't get knocked down by a bus but I did fall and break my leg and had to have my tatty, grey knickers cut off by the hospital staff. Oh, the shame!

Carry your own luggage, I just take a rucksack.

A very timely thread for me as I'm packing for Turkey, leaving Thursday. Some very useful tips but mostly I feel a lot better about myself knowing that I'm not alone when it comes to packing dilemmas, mine are usually centred around how many pairs of shoes I can reasonably get away with as I too have 'difficult feet'

Don't imagine Derek has a wife !

My downfall is always shoes, especially if we are on a cruise, as I want to pack too many. Also still miss being able to put liquids in hand luggage as they can be weighty. Do we think Derek is real?

?This is me. It's a nightmare. It was worse when we went on a UK break answer the car was bulging.

I'm usually ok when going somewhere warm, just make sure that all tops go with at least 2 bottoms. But this year I'm doing a cruise of the Scottish islands. I assume the ship will be warm but outings might be cold and wet so I'm in the same "just in case " situation as the OP !