Packing for 2 week holiday DH has no idea.

[Happyspendingthedayinthegarden]

I'm not complaining at all.

But...DH has presented me with (what he thought) was a bag that he'd packed for a 14 night Mediterranean cruise (including 3 'formal nights')

Was hilarious! He had 3 pairs of underpants, a suit that hasn't fitted him since about 199?, a pair of trackie bottoms, a pair of shorts & 2 tee shirts (one of which I'd be reluctant to allow him to wear in the garden as is so old & out of shape) - that was it!! He said that he likes to travel light. I said that he was in danger of travelling naked 😂

So, I've sent him back to his wardrobe with a list of what he should take which includes a suit that does fit him, formal shirt & ties to wear, more undies, swimming trunks, linen trousers, polo shirts, trainers to wear sight-seeing, etc etc.

A case of 'start again brother'.

His late wife used to do all his packing & now I know why. But he's an adult so needs to learn to predict what he's actually going to need.

He tells me that when he went on holiday with his late wife & asked at the airport if he'd packed his case himself he would answer 'I've been married for over 25 years - do you think my wife would allow me to pack my own suitcase?' 😂

Anyway he now has a list to work from - well 2 lists, one for his clothes, another for his medications & personal grooming stuff. I'm going to laminate it to use on our next holiday.

Just thought I'd share as I'm laughing about his idea of what he will need on a 14 night cruise.

Well ,whatever floats your boat. I find it odd how men rule the world but can't figure out how many undies to take.

well, I would always ‘keep an eye’ on what DH was intending to pack, because he didn’t enjoy the planning what to wear side as much as I did. OoTOH, he did the packing because he is a whizz at folding ( he can fold a double fitted sheet into a perfect square).

it’s called partnership…..

Does he get to "allow" you to wear things?
Heck no! What I wear is entirely up to me. He may say that something suits me better than other things, but never, ever has said 'I'm not happy with you wearing that darling'

And yet he would ruin your holiday by wearing the wrong clothes?

Agreed.

My 'dinner outfit' at home and my planned 'dinner outfit' on holiday are very different things when I'm actually on holiday and am tired, hot and just can't be arsed after a day of holiday.

If you asked me to go out to dinner from home several nights in a row I'd tell you that was ridiculous, let alone plan and wear outfits for every night. Yet on holiday I fantasise that'll happen.

It never does.

And don't get me started on shoes.

Beautiful shoes or even just what I think would be practical shoes that within 10 minutes of wearing are rubbing the skin off my feet in several places and becoming instruments of torture.

Even crocs!

My mum still packs for my father. He’s clueless when it comes to clothes. Happiest in 20 year old threadbare jeans, crocs and an old tee-shirt (or t-shit as mum calls them).

She also puts clothes out for him for social occasions.

Would I do it for DH? Hell no. Her rationale is that him being scruffy wouldn’t bother him one iota but it would ruin the holiday/outing for her.

In all other respects he’s lovely and pulls his weight. Just has a massive blind spot about occasion specific attire.

I figure my mum thinks it’s a reasonable trade off given his other (many) good qualities 🤷‍♀️

Not the point of the thread but why does he still have a suit that hasn't fit him for years.

Does no one here see the irony of being horrified at the idea that DP might choose their clothes, at the same time as claiming that DP could ruin their holiday by wearing the wrong ones?

Nothing amusing about OP's post. I'd find that extremely unattractive in a man

And joking that 'I've been married for over 25 years - do you think my wife would allow me to pack my own suitcase?'. That's just grim, sexist and misogynistic all in one sentence. Yuck

OP hasn't allowed him to pack his own suitcase....

He made that joke when talking about his late wife

How can two separate women fall for this weaponised incompetence? Of course he could pack for himself. He just doesn't want to

We have lists for what to pack for different types of holidays ie weekends away in posh hotel ,weekend with grandchildren holiday, weeks on a cruise. It’s really helpful as DH is a pack the kitchen sink type and I’m minimal as a decent hotel will have a laundry if necessary and certainly a cruise will. Last holiday was a five star hotel but DH took a cream linen and silk suit for Michelin restaurants but it was too smart! In the past he has had problems when I’ve packed for him when he was working nonstop up to the very moment of going away. Op has my sympathy.

Because it was very expensive tailor made & he lives in hope that he will slim down to fit into it

Exactly. How can you fancy a man that doesn’t even have basic skills to look after himself. It’s very unsexy. Is he completely pathetic in other aspects of his life? Honestly the shit women put up with blows my mind.

Its not the point of the thread, but pointing out something is inappropriate is not the same as telling someone what to wear or "banning" them from wearing something.

You don't wear the same things for a formal dinner as you do for doing some gardening for example.

Just leave him to it and he’ll quickly learn!

This

He obviously did it badly so you would take over. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that 3 pairs of pants isn’t enough for 14 nights, unless he is filthy as well as lazy

That's wild, even my kids pack their own cases now for a week away and youngest is 12. He done it last year at 11 for each of our holidays 🤣 I hope his future wife thanks me. Admittedly I did check it before we left but he had everything we needed, although he'd packed 14 pairs of boxers. A pair for day and night each day.

No I did allow him to pack his own suitcase. He asked me to check that he had everything that would be needed. Totally different to not allowing him to pack for himself - he asked my advice, I gave it.

How could he possibly think he only needed 3 pairs of pants?

My sister has been married for 40 years, and has at least two holidays a year. Not once, not once! has her husband ever packed or unpacked his own case. When he gets to the holiday destination, the contents of his case are a mystery or surprise to him. I've been married 30 years and I've never, ever packed or unpacked for my husband, he would hate it, he likes to sort that sort of thing himself.

I’d have let him.

let him deal with the consequences of not having enough underwear and being uncomfortable in a too small suit.

I would not find it at all funny.

OP for some reason checked his bag and decided it was wanting.

With what she thinks is needed or not or appropriate or not for a cruise.

It doesn't mean OP is right just because thats what she thinks he should pack.

My DH is 67 and is brillant - he even irons everything, and my stuff too. I do remember the year though that I forgot to check dd's packing, and despite spending a fortune in H&M she went on a 3 week holiday in France with 2 pairs of shorts, 3 t shirts and 30 million loom bands. She remains aggrieved this day if I ask if she packed enough clean pants.

My mum always packs for my dad as he'd take a couple of pairs of pants, a spare shirt and pair of shorts for a 2 week holiday!!! Growing up he'd pack the car in an amazingly efficient way!
I always pack for my DH (and children) as he's useless - would just chuck a handful of clothes in at the last minute and buy anything he forgot.......over all it's much easier!! He is very capable in other ways.......