Packing for British break is so stressful!

[confusedofengland]

Does anybody else find that packing for a break in Britain is really stressful?!

We are going to the Midlands for 4 days with family, which will include a party. DH said "Oh that's easy, just sling a few clothes in a bag, it won't take long" It has taken ages so far! I have packed rain gear, sun gear, party clothes & now need to pack games & books to take with us as FIL doesn't have any. And that's after I've made sure everything is clean!

It is also one of my least favourite parts of camping

YANBU. Having to pack clothes for every possible weather condition is annoying.

The joys of packing for a UK trip during the summer. Thank god I’ve got a roof box.
I agree it takes an age packing for nearly every season for an Aug trip in the UK

I don't get the angst.

I packed for me, DCs aged 3 and 5 to stay with family for a week last week. Including clothes for all weathers, games and toys, snacks and a separate bag for the first morning as we were setting off at 5am and needed clothes for when we stopped for breakfast.

Top me an hour tops.

I feel you, I've went to London from Scotland and I packed summer clothes. I've had to buy a jacket. I should have really known better. I just got excited about how warm it would be "down south".

I visited London in a heatwave a few years back. We were traveling by train with buggy and older child so packing light was really of the essence.

I still couldn't bring myself not to pack waterproofs and layers though. Dragged all the way down and dragged all the way back up again unworn.

I'm too Scottish not to pack for 4 seasons in an afternoon though.

Nah - it's easy enough. You just have to pack everything.

I can pack for me in a few minutes it’s not hard to look at the weather forecast and then grab some suitable clothes and a few extras just in case.

There again I’m used to packing for ds who has complex needs and so needs a shipping container worth of things for even a night away so I have streamlined packing for me!

Currently packing for a week away glamping and I feel your pain. DP seems to think that we won't need much stuff as don't need to take a tent, bedding etc but we do still need clothes for every eventuality (I think we're currently at 5 pairs each), towels, indoor games, outdoor games, food, loo roll and all the endless bits and bobs. DP will just throw a load of clothes for himself in a bag and doubtless forget something anyway!

I do keep a camping packing list so I'm not starting from scratch each time but it still takes ages to find and pack everything. And then try to fit it all in the boot...

@DappledThings you are obviously a packing genius then! I've been doing this for 4 people for 7 years, prior to that for 3 or 2 people (DH does his own) & I have never not found it stressful! Holidays to a hot sunny place are a doddle to pack for, by comparison.

Agree Op.

In fairness I travel with numerous different coats in the car anyway just because of the weather.

I find shoes tricky ( I have weird shaped Fiat feet). Trainers are great but not for damp fields, walking shoes great but not for round shops, comfy flats that get trashed on the beach or sandals that take the skin of your toes if you walk too far. I
always take wellies to Scotland happy in the knowledge that if I do it won’t rain as much as when I forget them.

@DappledThings you are obviously a packing genius then!

Not really! But what's the difference really between a sun holiday and a few days in the UK? A couple of extra jumpers, a couple of pairs of joggers alongside the shorts which are all in the same drawer in the first place. One extra bag for life with raincoats and wellies in.

The fiddliest bit is is getting all the toiletries together and deciding if the 3/4 empty toothpaste will last or whether to pack a fresh one but that's the same regardless of location.

@IToldYouIWasFreaky my DH is the same as your DP, it's very annoying! And if I don't pack everything I mentioned, he will start asking why I didn't pack the wellies/sun hats/whatever else, even though he's only had to remember clothes for himself

I am just about to start tackling the packing for a week in Devon, agree we need beach stuff, rain stuff, sandles, trainers, welly's coats etc

Vs going abroad for week where we take all summer clothes !

Toiletries don't bother me as I know there will always be shops near where we are going & even foreign shops stock toothpaste & shampoo.

I do find it takes an age to think of what we might need & make sure it is clean in time to take it. And to make sure we have things that fit, if they are seasonal & not used often eg wellies or beach shoes.

@sleepyhead

I visited London in a heatwave a few years back. We were traveling by train with buggy and older child so packing light was really of the essence.

I still couldn't bring myself not to pack waterproofs and layers though. Dragged all the way down and dragged all the way back up again unworn.

I'm too Scottish not to pack for 4 seasons in an afternoon though.

I'm too Scottish too!

I was the same packing for our holiday end of June. As it was we didn't wear half of it, but we could have needed it!

Packed 2 teens off earlier with their dad for a week up North. Thankfully these days I write a list and leave them to it- game changer!

We're leaving tonight for 5 days away. I have been packing all day and it's in the hallway waiting to be put in the car when dp get home. I have no idea how we are going to fit it all in!!

As well as all the usual clothes, jackets, beach stuff. We have 4 sets of bedding as 2 nights is 'glamping' in a pod. Usually I would order an online food shop to the accomodation but as we're arriving so late I got the food delivered here this morning to take with us . Plus dc want to take the paddle board.

It isn't going to fit!

Totally agree OP! Went to my inlaws in May and trying to choose warm/cold/wet clothes and pj's plus a mix of shoes plus toys she'd play with and snacks she'd eat was a total pain, whereas last years holiday to Greece was so easy to pack for.
Hate taking so much stuff when half might not get used, no use looking at weather forecasts because the damned things are unreliable

It's a pain. Always need raincoats, but most clothes other than jeans look ridiculous with raincoats, but it's usually too warm for jeans. I feel your pain.

I pack for the range of weather (especially if camping) but you can run short if the weather gets stuck in one extreme.
At least DS1 only wears shorts, that's simple. I always seem to get DS2's shorts/ trousers ratio wrong though!