To ask for your most unhinged packing lists?

People who take a whole suitcase full of English food, because they don't like what's on offer there - a specific flavour of Monster Munch is one I remember, but tins of Heinz Baked Beans, sealed packets of bacon to Turkey. I recognise this is sometimes related to mental health issues, but it still amuses me greatly - you wonder why some people actually leave the UK.

I do this, but it's too make sure my husband's CPAP machine is close to him instead of some random chair a meter away.

Other countries don't have vegetables - or curry?!

Many years ago I travelled abroad frequently for work. Another woman would have a case full of Asda tinned new potatoes, peas, carrots and beef curry! Apparently you couldn't get anything like it abroad!!

Yes 🙌 one place I had to go and buy tea towels !
it had none ..and I decided I wasn’t going to use the oven because I searched for an oven mitt and no oven mitt

I remember as a child playing at a friend's house, we were maybe 8 or 9, and it was the day before they went on holiday so her mum had lists and was packing. They were going to France by ferry so packing the car to self cater at maybe a Eurocamp or similar. I remember seeing 'lettuce spinner' on the list and even at 9 I thought that was a bit batshit. I barely knew what a lettuce spinner was, let alone how anybody could find one do vital they couldn't do without it on a camping holiday! It was the era of catalogues and petrol station tokens and game shows so kitchen gadgets were big, but still!

As an adult, I still think that was batshit.

In the 70s for package trips to Benidorm etc my mother always took various sauces, cereal and jam/marmalade. I remember being mortified even then.

Same!!! Also always have one camping

😆

I always take a 4 gang extension lead with a one metre lead.
Plug it into the travel plug and put all the devices into the extension sockets.
Some travel plugs (US) won’t stay in the socket with the weight of the multi device chargers.
When the kids were small, and we used to go away to resorts, I brought a small bicycle lock and, while we were out, all the devices we weren’t taking with us, were put in a locked suitcase & it was attached to a fixture (often the room safe wouldn’t hold a laptop, multiple iPad’s etc)

When I went on my first ever holiday I packed a bikini, shorts, two boob tubes, mascara and 5 packs of ciggies. No sunscreen, no hairbrush, just me, hardly any clothes and 100 benson and hedges ciggies… oh to be so carefree. Didn’t even bring pants I just went commando 🤦‍♀️

Isn’t it stilettos that they show people removing on the safety video/booklet? Flat shoes are fine

I have a swiss army knife type thingy which I pack in my wash bag, flipping amazing how many times we've needed the different attachments!

Instant Pot and Dyson - tbf, I usually travel in my van and take the dogs.

I always take one of the 4 socket extensions as some places have limited sockets. I've also got an extendable usb cable with different ends (I know most things are usb-c these days, but my toothbrush isn't!).
I always pack a reusable shopping bag, a plastic camping spoon/fork/knife and a silicone pint glass (because I CBA with tiny glasses or plastic cups in hotels!).
I always over pack. I'm on my last day in Crete and I will be taking back 6 unworn bikinis (just wore and washed two favourites - I always pack travel wash!), 2 pairs of unworn shorts, several tops and a load of underwear! I like to have options 🙈😂

I think you’ll find you don’t !

Well if I don’t survive it won’t matter, but there have been crashes where people have survived and had to climb over glass and debris to leave the plane in a panic, the OP asked for ‘unhinged’.

Carbon monoxide detector and smoke alarm. We stayed in an air bnb and one of the lights in the kids’ room was smouldering. The room filled with smoke and the only reason we knew is because we heard one of the kids coughing on the baby monitor. Never travel without the detectors now

My mum is in a care home and it would confuse my dad if I left stuff in the house, it is likely he would 'put it away' somewhere or think it was my mum's and take it to her and then forget what he had done. It's all a bit chaotic.

Your probably the 4th person to say that. It's my unhinged packing item....in many years of travelling for work and pleasure I've only been in one hotel fire...caused by the management of the hotel. I have been in about 50 hotels that were decidedly dodgy.

It's not rammed under the door so you can kick it out from inside

I always pack loads of medicines. Eg. Paracetamol, ibuprofen, diho tablets, gaviscon, antihistamines, rehydration sachets, antibiotics in each suitcase and lso a set in hand luggage. We run out when we all got sick a few years ago. I also take an extension cable, washing line and pegs. My newest holiday purchase (after 2 kids getting food poisoning) is a collapsable bucket just in case anyone is sick. Trying to catch your childs sick in your hands is not fun.

I remember on at least two holidays in the 90s people had a vanity case of sauces, jams etc which they took down to the dining room with them.

Love this thread

For me it’s as many medications as possible

I also pack in multiples so if one suitcase goes missing the other has more or less the exact or similar stuff

also tea bags and oat milk!

cleaning stuff, washing up gloves and toilet paper

We always self cater, both home and abroad and Ive learnt over the years that a sponge, ttowels, washing up liquid, ice cube bags, sandwich bags are all necessary, it was such a revelation when we started travelling with these things how vital they were!!

A phone torch wont last as long and is no where near as practical as an actual torch, if you holiday in the countryside and like walks over pathways you need a proper torch. Also in general you need a proper torch for the strength and direction, we always take one on holiday