How do you pack for holidays?

[CharliesAngles]

Are you a roller, a cuber or a traditional folder?

Going on holiday with adult DCs.
Two of us are rollers, one swears by packing cubes and DH is the traditional folded flat packer.

Obviously no right or wrong way, just curious!
Going to add poll for extra nosiness.

Packing cubes for us. We each have a couple of sets. I tend to do one for socks and underwear, one for tops etc. It's been particularly useful when we've stayed places that have shelves inside wardrobes rather than drawers.

Chuck it all in. Works for me. Top tip though is to pack dr Beckmann’s hand wash and take less stuff

I roll... into cubes!

This is the law in our house.
Over packing is frowned upon!
We have Dr Beckmann's magic leaves detergent sheets 👍

Some stuff in packing cubes, some rolled. I like to mix it up. 🤪

I overpack.

Roll or fold into cubes.

Packing cubes.

I mix our clothes between both cases, too, since we came home but our suitcases went to Gatwick for a week.

I'm a dolly mixture. I start off with fold and roll. Fold stuff in middle, slot rolled up things around.

And then it'll descend into chaos of just bucking it all in because I want to be organised but I have attention span of a fish.

DD21 has similar aspirations and ADHD so buys all the packing cubes and then leaves packing last min and chucks it all in. You could get to destination and find a packing cube with just 2 little things rolling around in it.

DH folds.

DS18 will attempt to fold but will look like a chuck in.

One of my friends is a self confessed over packer.
And likes to pack weeks in advance, no joke.
We are polar opposites and she always teases me by asking have you packed, knowing the answer will always be no!
It's not last minute as such, but more likely a day or night before, depending on work.
We're still friends! 😉

My mum packs the day before!

For my upcoming trip I’ll be packing over the course of the week before I go, because I’m away the weekend before and working the week before

Fold and roll combi. And a list.
Not an over packer, but we don't party or dress up for dinner. Sparkly sandals have never featured and ime you can buy sun cream, etc, abroad.

I'm a list person. I have a list for cool weather and moving around trips and another for fly and flops. They remain pinned to the notice board in the spare room where the suitcases, spare chargers, spare holiday make up/toiletries and underseat bags etc. are. I'll never forget my meds again for example! That was a big lesson learned. Oh and I fold, but use large ziploc bags to keep smalls and shoes etc. from floating around the bottom of the case. Ha ha.

Now I sound organised, but in order to achieve that I get going about a week/10 days in advance laying out stuff, adding more, discarding some, swopping the discarded stuff with other stuff. I really hope to improve some day.

I roll and put in packing cubes. One for swimwear/cover ups, one for evening wear, one for days out, one for underwear.

Im a planner, so I warn the family about a week before that anything they want washed beforehand needs to be in the laundry basket by 48 hours before we leave. otherwise they will have to take it away dirty, or wash and dry it themselves.
Then I'm a folder with socks stuffed inside shoes.

Me too!

@parlona yes, this is why I don't need to pack weeks in advance.
I have lists on my phone and holiday related items stay in the case and replaced/topped up as necessary.
I generally know the clothes I plan to pack are clean and ready to go.

Timing-wise, I am a last minute packer but I absolutely hate unpacking! Usually I deal with the dirty washing straight away and everything else just stays in the bag until I need it/I give in and unpack properly about a week later.

I always start with socks and underwear as they fit into the gaps made by the case pull along handle. Then when it’s level pack the rest.

Interesting @LeedsLoiner
I always save socks and undies last as you can squish them into any gaps!

Roll into cubes. Each person in the house has their own colour of cubes and I split the cubes across cases as pp have mentioned. I always make sure there is a full/coordinating outfit in each cube so worse case scenario there is at least one or two full outfits for everyone. Packing lists (different depending on holiday type)held online via Keep app and shared with husband to check off as we go but on reality I pack everything else for me and the kids and he packs his own stuff. Stuff all washed and set out probably a week before and then I go through and take out probably a quarter to a third of it but make sure kids have got stuff they will wear, isn't itchy, too tight etc. I probably enjoy the organizing sometimes more than the actual holiday!

Used to fold, now roll. I’m away for 4 days next week, I’ve shoved lots of mesh long sleeved tops in and tried to be minimal. Normally I overpack.

I roll, tightly, hate luggage and enjoy compressing everything into the smallest possible case or bag. Thanks for the reminder that I need to pack right now.

I roll into packing cubes.
Pack 3 outfits max per person. Wash and rewear. Pack water shoes if going to a beach/lake, otherwise the shoes we wear on the plane are the ones we wear for the whole holiday. Decant exact amount of toiletries I'll use. I never pay for a checked bag and usually manage with hand luggage (allowance spread across 4 people).

@Wriggli me too.
Even with package holidays where they give you 22kg luggage allowance each, with a 10kg cabin case on top, we only ever take a cabin case each since the DCs were out of the annoying pack everything including the kitchen sink phase!
The mind boggles at the amount of extra stuff deemed necessary to fulfil those allowances, just because it's there.

I roll but use cloth bags for certain delicate bits. Shoes in shoe bags