Am I making a terrible mistake? Holiday Packing

[HemanOrSheRa]

We are off on holiday in 3 weeks for a 10 night break so I am getting my holiday clothes sorted out. In previous years I have taken far too many clothes. So this year I decided to streamline my packing. But I have been gripped with panic that it won't be enough .

Could you S&B experts cast your eyes over my list and see if it looks ok?

4 or 5 dresses for evening
1 pair of harem style trousers
1 tunic to go with harems
4 loose fitting sundresses (use as beach/pool cover ups too)
2 (possibly 3) bikinis
Underwear
Flip flops
My ancient and trusty Oxygen berkie-style sandals
Tan sandals
Black sandals
Navy/pink/turquoise sandals
I'll be wearing my Toms when travelling
A selection of accessories
A selection of random shite that I thrown in 'just in case' .

It will be very much a pool/beach type holiday. Maybe a couple of day trips. There is a laundry facility at the hotel we are staying at so I'm thinking along the lines of taking fewer things that I really like and wearing them a couple of times. Rather than a case full of crap that I won't wear.

[Notfootball]

Hat?

I'm really impressed with your packing. I'm going away for about the same amount of time and my shorts habit doubles my packing due to the quantity of tops required. I'm off to review my suitcase.

[Northernlurker]

Where are you going? I think it looks ok but would probably add some shorts or cropped trousers or similar and a t shirt or two. Will you only want to wear dresses over bikinis?

Also you've no nightwear. Even if you sleep naked do you not want a t shirt or similar for chilling out in and putting on in case of fire alarms ?

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

It sounds like a lot to me tbh, but I tend to pack v light.

Definitely take 3 bikinis and at least 3 pool cover-ups
You won't need that many pairs of shoes - flip flops for pool/beach, comfortable sandals for sightseeing, one pair of sandals for evening.
I'd lose the harems - they'll almost certainly make you feel too hot and bothered - cotton dresses better and cooler.

[Oly5]

If it were me I'd have a few more day dresses in there. Otherwise fine

[FinallyHere]

Ok, apologies in advance , I am a bit of a packing geek and like to be organised. I start with a list of what i am going to be doing, and write down the changes of clothes i will need

Day 1
travel top1, trousers1, jacket, comfey but smart shoes, sunhat
Dinner in the evening top2, long skirt1, sandals

Day 2
Early swim swimsuit1 etc
Breakfast
After noon by pool
Evening dinner
Etc

This tells you how many tops, skirts etc you need. You may be able to double up on some, its always good to have one spare glamorous and one comfortable outfit for unexpected events

Now you pick which tops you take, you know how many you need. Check the sandals, bags etc all go, and that you have any special shoes, undies or jewellery required to finish the outfits.

Do all the planning on paper, where its easy to change your mind and juggle options. A day or so before you go, put out everything you plan to take, where you can see it all. Spare bed or a desk is ideal for this stage. Add / subtract as required leave it all out so you can see you have plenty. Add makeup, toothbrush etc and pack it all into the case, with the things you use last in first so they are at the bottom.

Enjoy stress free holiday packing. Keep the list of what you took for next time, and update it with good ideas. Enjoy.

[Doobigetta]

You don't need that many evening dresses. I always take too many. Unless they're white, you can wear each one at least three times, it's only for a few hours. You never need as many accessories as you think either. One set of jewellery, one pair of beach flip-flops, one pair of flat sandals for daytime and one pair for evenings- wedge sandals work well, I think. A couple of things in case the evenings are cooler than you expect- shawls, cardigans, whatever. I agree with more day dresses though. Even if you're on the beach and just putting them on to go for lunch, they get sweaty and full of sand and sun cream and creased pretty quickly and start to feel grotty. A loose cotton shirt that can work either as a nightshirt or as an emergency cover-up if you get burnt is useful.

[GreenSand]

6 pairs of shoes for 10 days??
I've come to the UK for the summer holidays with one pair of trainers, and one pair of Sandals. Bought a new pair of sandals here.

I'd say less dresses, maybe a pair shorts or another pair of trousers, with corresponding tee-shirt, but then I've not brought a dress or skirt in about 5 years!

Me and 2 kids for 6 weeks, DH for 4 weeks on 2 pairs of shoes, and 7 outfits each. About 40kg total. I'd say too much of most stuff!!!

[Whathaveilost]

Blimey, sure you're not going for a month!

[HemanOrSheRa]

Oops! I've added nightshirts to the list. We are going to Greece so it's going to be HOT. I've decided against shorts (I think) this year as like you Not I stuff my case full of vest tops to go with them and then don't wear them. Although I may pack one pair and one vest top I think.

Remus I think you are right about the harems. What I may do is travel in them instead.

A couple more day dresses it is then . I'm doing what you suggested now Finally. I looked at the tiny pile of clothes and panicked. Bloody stupid, I know.

I've got myself organised this year Doob as I have a wedding in Sept in a very posh hotel in Italy (gulp). So my holiday clothes will need to work for that too. I've gone for navy/cream/corally/pink clothes/accessories so everything should match. A great tip I picked up from a thread here which had never occurred to me before!

Once I've sorted myself out and can sort DS's stuff and DP can look after himself.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

Wow that seems loads to me. But then I took a small carry on bag for my 10 day honeymoon with a beach destination and Paris

For the beach I pretty much live in swimwear but max two swimsuits (one for wearing and one rinsed/washed out), a cover up of some kind, denium skirt (useful), couple of pairs of shorts, 5 vest tops that can be worn v casually or v dressed up with something smarter, couple of t-shirts and a jacket/cardigan for cooler evenings. Black/navy jersey dress (useful for day or evening) and two or three dresses for evening and maybe an extra skirt or trousers. Knickers for every day plus two extras, one nude and one black bra, one pair of trainers/plimsolls suitable for walking, some ridiculous shoes for evenings (gold high heeled sandles are my current faves), flat smartish sandles suitable for day or evening and flip flops for by the beach/pool.

I would expect to do no washing other than rinsing out swimwear and I'd have my airport outfit from that lot.

Actually looking at all that I'd chuck out a couple of vest tops, one of the dresses and one pair of shoes and add in a pair of PJ bottoms. Probably...

[HemanOrSheRa]

Aw no. I love my summer sandals. What if I need them while we're away ?

[Artandco]

That's a lot of shoes!

[travailtotravel]

Why not wear sandals when travelling? Do you need your Toms if its going to be hot?

[OhMyWord16]

Too many shoes/sandals. Pack 2, wear 1pair.
Few morere day dresses or shorts&t-shirts.
Fold away hat.
Otherwise great -have a good holiday!

[HemanOrSheRa]

Our flight is at 6am travail. We're travelling to Gatwick the night before, staying in a hotel and getting up a sparrow fart o'clock. I can't bear getting cold feet.

Maybe I could lose the black sandals. Maybe.

[Rinceoir]

I had a week in the sun recently- took 2 swimsuits, 2 beach cover ups. 1 pair of sandals, 1 pair of flip flops. A light jumpsuit, 3 dresses for the evening, 1 pair of white 7/8 trousers, 2 pairs of shorts and 5 t shirts, 2 nightshirts and 2 cardigans. Underwear. I didn't use everything! All in a mix of navy, mustard and white. It was hot and bright so we have some things a quick wash in sink at night and left to dry in morning, sun bleached any stains out anyway.

[HemanOrSheRa]

Some of you are hardcore packers . I've just ordered 2 cotton tunic style dresses, from LandsEnd of all places. I've been pondering over them for a while. I'll give them a try.

I'll lose 1 or 2 of the dresses for evening. I just have to decide which ones. And think about the shoe situation. I've just remembered I'll need to pack my running shoes and gym stuff (that rolls up to nothing) so I think the black shoes may be ditched.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I'm packing 2 bikinis for larding about the pool and 2 'proper' swimsuits for the waterpark (which my DD will insist we go to every day)

There's no way I want to be leaving half my cossie at the top of the slide

Flipflops (Primark cheapies) that I can wear and throw out at the end of the holiday.

If you can wash/dry clothes then you can double up loads. I always try to make sure that each thing goes with at least 2 others (so trousers and choice of three tops which will go with)

Now, just need to instill the Art Of Streamlined Packing to my 14yo DD

[rookiemere]

Just back from a week abroad. Like you I usually take too much, but this time we were restricted to one suitcase for all of us so had to streamline.

Things I took too much of :

• Shoes - you only need one going out pair, one beach pair and a walking pair, plus trainers.
  
• T-shirts - we had access to a washing machine so I really only needed a couple but took 5.
  
• Dresses for evening- took 3, could have got away with 2.
  

Your list sounds fine, but yes I'd add in at least one pair of shorts. I bought denim ones from M&S before we went and I thought they went well with quite a lot of tops.

[HemanOrSheRa]

Ah yes 70 my DS is 11 and although he has his baggage allowance, he gets very grubby, very quickly. So I have a feeling he will need more clothes than both me or DP. He's also getting to the age where wearing something twice fills him with horror .

2 dresses for evening and ONE SUITCASE rookie? That is amazing .

[rookiemere]

I packed far too much for DS. In fact his clothes took up most of the suitcase. If you have access to a washing machine then I'd just take 2-3 pairs of shorts and t-shirts for him.

[HemanOrSheRa]

There is a laundry service at the hotel we are staying in rookie. I think I will do what you suggest and take 3 pairs shorts/3 t-shirts, 2 smarter outfits (1 pair chino type things and 2 shirts) for the evening and get them laundered as we need to. Otherwise I'll waste money buying clothes that he'll only wear a few times at most this summer. They definitely won't fit him next year.

[Artandco]

We travel hand luggage only now unless skiing and needing actual skis etc with us.

Honestly kids hardly need anything travelling when it's hot. Two pairs of swim trunks are the main thing worn most the day. With tshirt on and off for walking about. Evening wear they can wear same smart shorts or chinos as mainly on 7pm-11pm only.

Packing list for my 6 and 5 year olds each for a week is something like:

• two swim shorts
  
• 5 tshirts
  
• 3 long sleeve linen shirts
  
• one regular shorts
  
• sandals
  

They wear chinos, cardigan and top. And Tom type shoes travelling

[iminshock]

Far too much imo!
I was in a pool / beach holiday in Greece for two weeks.
Took
2 bikinis
2 maxi dresses
2 beach floaty cover up thingys that you could also walk around in.
2 pairs flip flops
2 bras
One pair knickers ( I don't wear them under a maxi )
That was loads

[HemanOrSheRa]

Bloody hell iminshock that is streamlined packing . My list is a pared down version. Can you imagine what I usually take . DP has to sit on the case to zip it up and then we always had that heartstopping moment at check in. Will it/won't it be over 20kg?!

DS will probably need half a case for his Lynx spray supplies Art .