Panicking about holiday packing

[Marthadartha]

I'm alternating between crying hyperventilating over packing for our holiday which is early Sunday. I know it's an overreaction and I just need to stop and get on with it but I'm really struggling and need talking down. I have a list and I've done all the washing. There's a few last minute bits to pick up in town but need to take the kids after school to do that. Please can anyone offer words of wisdom.

[Moredarkchocolateplease]

OP are you going somewhere hot? If so, less is more.

Dont worry about having endless outfits.

I take an outfit for each night which I then rewear the next day (hot city break).

Or if its beachy you can wear the same thing twice without washing really on holiday.

Or just buy some hand-wash detergent when you arrive and do some small washes in the sink for the DC.

[Moredarkchocolateplease]

We did 17 days in calaifornia with the DC when they were 10 and 8 with a hand luggage bag each.

Every three days one of us went to the laundromat and did a wash for less than $5.

It is liberating taking less not more. Hve a wonderful holiday

[Turfwars]

Remember - passports and meds and everything else after that is optional and can be bought locally.

After every holiday I make a note of what I brought but didn't need, and what I didn't bring that we needed to buy and now my list is nicely minimalist.

Get everyone a cheap beach bag so they can carry their own shite. I ordered these as soon as I switched off airplane mode after the last trip to Greece and I was carrying so much even the Lindos donkeys looked at me with pity.

Get everyone to clean the house before you go. Coming home after a great holiday is shit, but even shittier if you've left the place upside down and you're all in work/school the next day.

We do a two week sun holiday I'll put my list in another post.

[Turfwars]

Not all will apply to your family but this is what we find useful:

Household:
Teabags
Coffee
Coffee Pot
Sugar
Washing line
Pegs
Laundry detergent (if pods, secure in doubled up zip loc bag to allow for air pressure in aircraft)
Box of zip loc bags.
 
General/ Medical if you need to buy these, do a Boots 3 for 2 or stock up points on your boots card.
Tweezers
Scissors
Panadol
Nail file
Plasters
Paracetamol
Neurofen
Bug Spray
Sun cream – 50, 30, 20
Aftersun
Aloe vera – small 100ml will be fine.
Football valve
Sudocream
Bite salve
Cotton buds
Wipes
Shampoo & Conditioner
Nice body wash
 
Electronics/Electrics
Extension Leads
Chargers
Travel Adaptors
Iron
Travel Kettle if hotel have none
Tablets
Kindle
Waterproof phone case
Underwater camera
 
Beach bag – per person
Baby powder – parent bag only- great for getting sand off feet.
Suncream  - one of each factor in everyone’s bag
Goggles or Snorkel (full face one for kid)
Flippers
Sun glasses & hat
beach shoes – hot sand can hurt.
Swim suits
Rash vest
Thin Beach Towels – thick ones are too bulky.
Change of clothes
Mesh Picnic blanket
Inflatables

Travel bag for each person
Passports, boarding passes (parent only)
Clear bag for small liquids & pastes – perfume, ecig, lip balm,
Activity pack for smallies – toys or colouring books
Snack bar, sweets for takeoff
Small drink (after security)
Ear phones
Tablet/ devices & games (fully charged, download movies from Netflix beforehand.)
Inflatable pillow
Ear plugs
Socks
Eye mask
 
Clothes
I work off a capsule wardrobe on holidays and pare down beauty routine, so I bring light make up and don’t bring any hair straighteners. Waxing if you've time before hand removes the need to bring shaving products. My “dolling up “ basically consists of a sun dress with sparkly flipflops and a clutch bag, a bit of makeup and scrunch dried hair.
 
My capsule wardrobe is based around a few colours that feature in my wardrobe – in my case blue, navy, white & black. And I tend to handwash when there. I keep accessories to a minimum or make sure they are universally suited to most of what I’m bringing.
 
Nude underwear x 5
Nude bras -strapless and other
flip flops for beach wear
Gold sparkly flip flops - evenings
Silver sparkly flip flops - evenings
Tee shirts x2
Strappy A-line light dresses x 4, 2 coordinating clutch bags for evening
Mix & Match Bikinis - 2 types of bottoms, a halter/ strapless  top and balconette type in both patterned and add in a coordinating black one too
Vest Tops x 4
Caftan
Wraparound Skirts x 3 – for the beach /shorts
Cardigan if needed.

Do similar capsule wardrobes for the kids and DH.
 
Tips:

Get kids (and yourselves) used to wearing sandals /flip flops before you go. Blisters are common for feet unused to being bare in footwear. Also bring 2 different types of shoes (eg sliders and crocs) so that if they do get a blister the change in style will prevent the blister getting worse.
 
Bring one or two extension leads and local adaptors. Then you can charge up everyone’s’ devices at once.
 
Water parks can work out quite pricey and it’s basic fast food mostly so throwing together your own lunch to bring can work out much tastier but most of them will let you bring in your own food (no booze tho) so once I got wise, I’d get some fresh rolls from the bakery, cut and butter them, strip a rotisserie chicken into a zip loc, get some ham and cheese packs and also separately bag up prepared salad. Then you just let people pick and mix their own roll.
 
If your accommodation has a fridge with a freezer, Freeze bottles of water solid over night to bring while out and about. As it gradually defrosts, you’ve cold drinking water all day. Plus if you pack a lunch the bottles will keep the food cool too!
 
If your freezer has room, you can freeze beer tankards as well to keep it chilled for longer.
 
Add an address tag to all luggage, tie a ribbon around the handle or a sticker on the case to identify it. Take a photo of your luggage so that if it did get lost, you could email a picture of it - put it in the whatsapp group - see below:

I set up a whatsapp group with DH and I add in messages containing holiday insurance number, hotel details, flight details, take a picture of the car where it's parked at the airport (after the time we lost the car for fucking hours!) and attach any documents we may need to that. That way both of us have the details handy in any emergency.
 

[StColumbofNavron]

@Turfwars

Not all will apply to your family but this is what we find useful:

Household:
Teabags
Coffee
Coffee Pot
Sugar
Washing line
Pegs
Laundry detergent (if pods, secure in doubled up zip loc bag to allow for air pressure in aircraft)
Box of zip loc bags.
 
General/ Medical if you need to buy these, do a Boots 3 for 2 or stock up points on your boots card.
Tweezers
Scissors
Panadol
Nail file
Plasters
Paracetamol
Neurofen
Bug Spray
Sun cream – 50, 30, 20
Aftersun
Aloe vera – small 100ml will be fine.
Football valve
Sudocream
Bite salve
Cotton buds
Wipes
Shampoo & Conditioner
Nice body wash
 
Electronics/Electrics
Extension Leads
Chargers
Travel Adaptors
Iron
Travel Kettle if hotel have none
Tablets
Kindle
Waterproof phone case
Underwater camera
 
Beach bag – per person
Baby powder – parent bag only- great for getting sand off feet.
Suncream  - one of each factor in everyone’s bag
Goggles or Snorkel (full face one for kid)
Flippers
Sun glasses & hat
beach shoes – hot sand can hurt.
Swim suits
Rash vest
Thin Beach Towels – thick ones are too bulky.
Change of clothes
Mesh Picnic blanket
Inflatables

Travel bag for each person
Passports, boarding passes (parent only)
Clear bag for small liquids & pastes – perfume, ecig, lip balm,
Activity pack for smallies – toys or colouring books
Snack bar, sweets for takeoff
Small drink (after security)
Ear phones
Tablet/ devices & games (fully charged, download movies from Netflix beforehand.)
Inflatable pillow
Ear plugs
Socks
Eye mask
 
Clothes
I work off a capsule wardrobe on holidays and pare down beauty routine, so I bring light make up and don’t bring any hair straighteners. Waxing if you've time before hand removes the need to bring shaving products. My “dolling up “ basically consists of a sun dress with sparkly flipflops and a clutch bag, a bit of makeup and scrunch dried hair.
 
My capsule wardrobe is based around a few colours that feature in my wardrobe – in my case blue, navy, white & black. And I tend to handwash when there. I keep accessories to a minimum or make sure they are universally suited to most of what I’m bringing.
 
Nude underwear x 5
Nude bras -strapless and other
flip flops for beach wear
Gold sparkly flip flops - evenings
Silver sparkly flip flops - evenings
Tee shirts x2
Strappy A-line light dresses x 4, 2 coordinating clutch bags for evening
Mix & Match Bikinis - 2 types of bottoms, a halter/ strapless  top and balconette type in both patterned and add in a coordinating black one too
Vest Tops x 4
Caftan
Wraparound Skirts x 3 – for the beach /shorts
Cardigan if needed.

Do similar capsule wardrobes for the kids and DH.
 
Tips:

Get kids (and yourselves) used to wearing sandals /flip flops before you go. Blisters are common for feet unused to being bare in footwear. Also bring 2 different types of shoes (eg sliders and crocs) so that if they do get a blister the change in style will prevent the blister getting worse.
 
Bring one or two extension leads and local adaptors. Then you can charge up everyone’s’ devices at once.
 
Water parks can work out quite pricey and it’s basic fast food mostly so throwing together your own lunch to bring can work out much tastier but most of them will let you bring in your own food (no booze tho) so once I got wise, I’d get some fresh rolls from the bakery, cut and butter them, strip a rotisserie chicken into a zip loc, get some ham and cheese packs and also separately bag up prepared salad. Then you just let people pick and mix their own roll.
 
If your accommodation has a fridge with a freezer, Freeze bottles of water solid over night to bring while out and about. As it gradually defrosts, you’ve cold drinking water all day. Plus if you pack a lunch the bottles will keep the food cool too!
 
If your freezer has room, you can freeze beer tankards as well to keep it chilled for longer.
 
Add an address tag to all luggage, tie a ribbon around the handle or a sticker on the case to identify it. Take a photo of your luggage so that if it did get lost, you could email a picture of it - put it in the whatsapp group - see below:

I set up a whatsapp group with DH and I add in messages containing holiday insurance number, hotel details, flight details, take a picture of the car where it's parked at the airport (after the time we lost the car for fucking hours!) and attach any documents we may need to that. That way both of us have the details handy in any emergency.
 

Wow! I don't even own most of that stuff in day to day life.

I know you said, what is useful to you though, I am just in awe. 😀

[allthewoes]

My DH went away with no pants once, had to travel half hour to the nearest shop to stock up. I'm sure you'll be fine, anything you get you'll be able to pick up.

[Turfwars]

@StColumbofNavron it looks like a big list but things like the medicines fit into a 1l lidl ziploc bag. My clothes & makeup weigh usually about 6kg or less, so only a small case is needed.

[Alongtimelonely]

@Turfwars i just copy-pasted this list! Love it.

[StColumbofNavron]

@Turfwars I am more fly by the seat of my pants, so am going on holiday tomorrow and am washing clothes now and will sweep the shampoo and conditioner from the bathroom into the case :-) But, that truly is an impressive list.

[CaloundraBlues]

Wow at Turf's list! I take a few bits of clothes and buy any toiletries when I get there

[TheSandgroper]

Pack spare underpants in your hand luggage. Best decision I made on one trip.

You can cope with a lot knowing that at least you have clean knickers.

[cocksstrideintheevening]

Bloody hell turf where do you go with all that stuff?!

I have long learnt I need half of what I pack. Unless we're driving to France when I manage to absolutely ram the car full.

[BarbaraofSeville]

That list is insane @Turfwars. You and I have a very different idea of capsule/pared down and I'm not one for saying 'I just take my passport, phone, clean pants for the first day and a credit card' because schlepping round unfamiliar shops to buy worse and/or more expensive versions of everything I have at home is not my idea of a holiday.

But I have to ask, what is the purpose of a football valve in the 'general/medical' section of your list?

[12345mummy]

Packing is hell and I reach this point every time we go away. Have the meltdown first and then recognise you have a job to do!
Second packing cubes as you can lift the whole cube into a draw at the other end. Write a list eg. Underwear, swimwear, day clothes, night clothes, day shoes, night shoes, extra layers. You don’t have to write down which you are taking but use it as a guide. Pack one traveller at a time and follow the list getting out items in each persons room, then pack. Then do toiletries, sun cream, Calpol. Go back through suitcases if you have too much. It will all be worth it OP!! Have a lovely time xx

[Turfwars]

Bloody hell turf where do you go with all that stuff?!

How do you mean? We fly Ryanair or Easyjet.
It all fits into our cases which are the next size up from carry on luggage size. We have one of those each along with a small bag apiece for the flight.

Buying toiletries and clothes in resorts because it's pretty expensive, and especially galling when I've it all at home anyway.

[Turfwars]

But I have to ask, what is the purpose of a football valve in the 'general/medical' section of your list?

To deflate a ball for the plane so it doesn't get confiscated.

When he was 5, we carried it on the plane and the steward took it off us because it would burst in flight due to cabin pressure and cause a panic.

DS was so dismayed watching the ground crew happily playing kickabout with his beloved paw patrol ball as we taxied away.

[Turfwars]

@Alongtimelonely

@Turfwars i just copy-pasted this list! Love it.

Thanks, it's nice to hear one lone voice dissenting in amongst all the people calling me insane for packing what amounts to less than 10kg.

[Knightsrest]

The only genuine essentials are passport and medications. If you forget anything unless you are off in to the middle of nowhere you can buy most things.

Roll clothes, take lots of zip lock bags.

My worst nightmare packing was for a 3 day wedding in 2019 in America. One huge suitcase with all the evening gowns and formal wear, bags and shoes in. If that had got lost I would have been screwed. I know people freak out about wedding guest attire on MN all the time but my Dads culture goes all out.

[Turfwars]

Spreading clothes across each suitcase is handy too in case someone's case goes astray. That won't matter on the return journey as much.

I fold clothes carefully into a narrow strip then roll everything tightly, and wedge them firmly against each other. In between you can put your bigger toiletries with a plastic bag around them in case of leaks and electronics that need padding around them for safety. Think of empty spaces within your items so usually any crocs or shoes are stuffed with underwear and any packed handbags likewise. Start packing at the wheels end of the case, working your way up to the other end, bearing in mind how it'll all lie when you close it and stand the case up.

[FoxBaseBeta]

@Turfwars

Thanks, it's nice to hear one lone voice dissenting in amongst all the people calling me insane for packing what amounts to less than 10kg.

I'm packing this weekend so I'm using your list too!

[LadyJ2023]

Lol 2 older kids to help and your panicking 🤣 try 4 and 3 are under 3 lol and still I don't panic or it spoils the fun up to the holiday

[DitherDother]

I find packing for holiday ridiculously stressful and almost guaranteed to cause a row.

Ways I have learned to be better (over nearly 40 years of holidays as an adult)

• remember if you haven't got it you'll either manage without or buy it. Probably manage without
• take the bare minimum anyway, once you get there you won't care what you're wearing
• I've created a generic list for all holidays that I print each time. Then cross off anything not relevant for this break, so it feels like a win. If there is anything your really missed, add it to the list for next time. Also amend for things you took that really weren't needed.
• recognise it's really about the stress of being away from home, not the packing.
• do it last minute. If you start a week beforehand, it will take a week of stress. The night before it will still get done and the stress is shorter.

[Aposterhasnoname]

Tickets, passports, money, medication, anything else you can either do without, or buy.

[Discoverysnakes]

I also find packing really stressful - and I think more so now I’m a single parent and travelling on my own with the kids. I get particularly stressed about medication as if one is ill there isnt anyone can go and get something for me!

I am currently packing and wondering why on Earth I’ve never thought of saving the list I make to use next year! Plus updating it after the trip - that is something I’m defo going to do so thanks!

Great youve started OP - you will feel so much better once you are on the plane ( assuming you are flying!)

[Lovetotravel123]

My mantra is: passport, money, tickets, medication. Anything else can be bought there.