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Original poster

Holiday packing mishaps, what's yours?

186 replies

tiggerbounce77 · 04/05/2019 17:46

Have come away for a little weekend away and completely forgot to pack my pyjamas, have remembered to pack everything else for everyone else. Its bloomin freezing, aibu to nip to a supermarket to buy some more even though I have plenty at home and really don't need another pair?

What important thing have you forgotten to pack when going away?

OP posts:
ilovepixie · 04/05/2019 19:28

Make up!

Trumpton · 04/05/2019 19:28

DH , me and 3 small children packing for Cornwall . Leaving home at 5.30am for ferry then 400 mile drive to destination .
I carefully made 5 x 3 picnic meals for the long journey as I knew how expensive it was to eat on the way and how foul the ferry food was.
Left the cool bag in front of door . Got to boat ,unpack cool bag........., no cool bag .
DH had moved it as it was in the way !

Rang my dad and told him to let himself into our house and enjoy the food !

It was a costly move DH !

JumpingFrogs · 04/05/2019 19:39

Go to Isle of Wight annually, and in at least occasions I've forgotten to pack my knickers !
Took 6 kids (mine and neighbours) camping for a weekend. Arrived at campsite to discover I'd failed to pack neighbour's big frame tent, and only had my two man pop-up tent (for 7 of us !)

JudyDenchsBloomers · 04/05/2019 19:44

I live in a hot country. I came back to the UK for a work trip in November and had forgotten to pack a coat, socks, gloves, hat etc. I'd just completely bypassed it Confused

BoysRule · 04/05/2019 19:44

DCs shoes. Picked them straight up from school for a weekend trip to Lisbon. They only had school shoes which they refused to wear - bonus was some time spent in Portuguese shoe shops!

mrsmoppp · 04/05/2019 19:45

We stayed overnight at the place we got married. Dh stayed the night before the wedding so he had packed all his things ready for the big day. What I didn't think about was a bag for him to take for me 🙈 I had nothing with me other than my wedding dress! I had to go down to breakfast with all my dh"s family in his clothes!

Elphame · 04/05/2019 19:48

DP once left his suitcase at home. 3 hours later at the airport he discovered his mistake and there was no time to go back and get it.

He had to fly to Orkney for a week with only the clothes he was wearing. I of course had MY case so I was OK...

Sallycinammonbangsthedruminthe · 04/05/2019 20:05

My DH and I are going abroad in 2 weeks with our DD ...I have run myself ragged as he and DD have never been abroad before....He is showing below zero enthusiasm for this holiday....I have gone totally overboard and we have everything and I mean everything new all 3 of us....I work lots so last weekend I made a start and packed his stuff but oh no he knows better...so out came loads and in went next to nothing but its ok he wont need it,want it or like it...so he is learning the hard way and I am chuffed if I am running round buying replacements when we get there!!! Packed DDs today and will do mine next weekend...totally missing the point of the thread but just wanted a rant!! Sorry!! Have loved reading your mishaps though forgive me!!!

JustDanceAddict · 04/05/2019 20:16

I have done the classic forgotten toothbrush, thankfully only for one night but in a place w no shop. I used my finger!!

MrsWicket · 04/05/2019 20:34

It’s a running joke in our house that I ALWAYS forget to pack something whenever we go on holiday. The worst was forgetting the holiday money Blush

Fr3d · 04/05/2019 20:36

Dh used to be very overweight then lost 3 stone. Hadn't put out all his big clothes in case he put the weight back on. You can see where this is going...

We were abroad for a formal event and he went to put his suit on...3 sizes too big for him now, it was like a tent! Completely unwearable, we put out all the big clothes after that

SimonJT · 04/05/2019 20:45

Booked a surprise weekend away for my then boyfriend, so I packed him a bag ready and put it in the boot of the car. I was in a rush and a bit nervous and didn’t pack a single thing for myself, I didn’t realise until we arrived. Which being a weekend away was fine in the cottage, but we couldn’t go anywhere as I was just wearing a hoodie and shorts in December, far too cold!

BikeRunSki · 04/05/2019 20:56

Richard Bacin once told a brilliant story about his dad on his radio show. His dad was a bit excentric, bit absent minded, bit disorganised and needed to travel abroad fir work a few times a year. I think he was an academic. He had bern known to miss a flight by going to the wrong airport.

Anyway, he usually managed OK with his wife to help him get to the airport with everything he needed. One day he had to get himself to an overseas conference by himself. Got everything he needed packed, all documents to hand, airport parking booked at the right airport etc. Got to the airport in plenty of time. Went to the boot to get his luggage....,, and the dog jumped out!!Grin

Yes, I don’t think I’d accept this defrernof incapability in DH, but that story did make me laugh!

Hushnownobodycares · 04/05/2019 20:57

Not mine but dd went to a festival and forgot to pack any underwear. She managed to borrow a pair from a friend but still...Hmm.

On the upside she's never done it again Grin

Hushnownobodycares · 04/05/2019 21:03

Oh. Just thought of another. We went to Holland for a week on a May half term and bizarrely I thought because it was the continent it would be warm so didn't pack a coat Hmm Unsurprisingly it was cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey and I had to buy an outrageously expensive a fleece in the local town.

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 04/05/2019 21:03

Festival - packed tent, forgot tent poles. DH ended up buying a tiny, flimsy, hideously expensive tent from a festival supply stall.

Likethebattle · 04/05/2019 21:17

Forgot pants on my way to stay with a friend. Luckily knickerbox existed in the station and I got a few pairs and luckily I remembered whilst on the train.

TakeMe2Insanity · 04/05/2019 21:28

Overnight long haul flight with 3 year old ds. Potty trained but still prone to the occasional accident. Classic scenario would have been him being unable to wait for queue at the toilets on the plane in the morning. So do our over night long haul flight, change planes, transfer to hotel. Only when in the hotel room I realise I had forgotten to pack his bag on spare clothes. Fantastic he didn’t need them but could have been awful.

Calatonia · 04/05/2019 21:28

I regularly forget towels.... and on two occasions have travelled abroad for the weekend and discovered upon arrival that I am wearing odd shoes - and because it was only for the weekend I didn't take a spare pair.

TooMinty · 04/05/2019 21:32

I went to London overnight for work last week and forgot to take a hairbrush. Fortunately the meeting was in a trendy "innovation space" so I was dressed down and hopefully got away with finger styled hair (pixie cut)!

Pleasegodgotosleep · 04/05/2019 22:40

2 incidents -

Husband - packing for Our honeymoon which include a cruise with black tie functions. Packed all of his full Scottish Dress (shoes, socks, sporran, jacket, shirt etc) but not the actual kilt!! Had to buy new suit before we boarded the ship 😂🤣

Me - didn't forget to pack anything but so over organised I was packed 2 weeks in advance. Night before hols my dog shows his displeasure at my leaving him by getting in my suitcase and vomiting on everything! Had to unpack, wash, dry and repack everything...

GiveMeFood12 · 04/05/2019 22:48

Not me; but my mum went away and forget to pack all her hanging clothes for a fancy weekend away - think ball gowns - she'd left them hanging on the door of the bedroom and only had jeans and leggings Grin

She also went away and forgot all her medication except the 2 days she had packed in her hand luggage - so she had me back at home trying to get it sent out to her

PodgeBod · 04/05/2019 22:53

Twice we have packed bags for the kids and not put the bag in the car! First time we only had DD1 and we were going away on a long weekend for a wedding, second time we had both of them and thankfully it was just overnight but still had to buy a new outfit, pyjamas, toothbrushes.

Twofurrycatsagain · 04/05/2019 22:53

In a crazy moment of thinking I could look vaguely smart on holiday I took only new shoes to Florence instead of well worn, tried and tested ones. Nothing says smart like a patchwork of plasters on your feet.
Partner forgot socks on one trip and only took one pair of shorts on a beach holiday. Mind you he also took jumpers 'in case it got cold' last year to a destination where it was 90+!

LadyRannaldini · 04/05/2019 22:56

I once forgot to pack pj's when I was on a course and I knew that iId be sharing a room! All kind of plans for using bath towels were coursing through my mind during the Get to know you drinks. When I went back to my room a man was coming out and said I saw your stuff hanging up, they've obviouly not realised that your name is female so I'll get them to find me another room! Phew, saved me and I had a lovely big room to myself for the weekend.

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