To really hate packing the wrong stuff for a holiday

[Echobelly]

I think I get a bit obsessive before a holiday checking that I'm packing the right stuff for me and the kids for the expected weather I hate the thought of being too cold or too hot because I packed the wrong stuff, but I also hate overpacking, so I'm not going to pack massive cases of things 'just in case'.

UK holiday starting Friday, relatively easy forecast to pack for - everywhere's pretty unanimous it'll be 19-21C some chance of showers, ie bog-standard British 'summer' weather, aka trousers and t-shirts to my mind.

What I can't stand is when you have really ambigous forecasts where you might get boiling hot/dreadful weather, or maybe it'll just be mild, or the weather's predicted to turn at some point during the holiday.

Am I a lone obsessive and everyone else just packs everything/shrugs if they get it wrong?

Absolutely not U! I am obsessive about packing too, but not with clothes, with everything else. I have travel size bottles/tubes of nearly all my toiletries (in different sizes for different lengths of time away), plus a large needle size plastic syringe to refill them (yup, really,) a cupboard where I keep sponge bags etc ready packed for overnight stays, & an extensive packing list on the computer as a checklist for things I may need!! But then there’s always something specific to each holiday that I only find out about when I get there, & then I’m straight on to Amazon Prime or something, next day delivery to wherever I’m staying!!! 🤣🤣

I do....
Sunny weather outfits for sun,
Plus....
Hoodies/Jeans/legging for when it’s cold,
Plus
Wet weather raincoats etc.
All weather catered for

We don't have holidays, but the DC stay with relatives and I usually pack for all available weather, except that DD hasn't worn shorts for 6 years.

Oh god I know exactly how you feel and have this to come at the end of the week. Going abroad you could plan which outfits you we’re definitely going to wear and pack them. UK it’s a total nightmare for me, I don’t want to be dressed too hot or cold, want to retain a semblance of style so the old stick a hoodie over everything doesn’t appeal necessarily. It is definitely stressful!

Pack it all. It's the only way.

I mean, I'm obsessive, but I do kind of enjoy the obsessiveness and I'm enjoying sharing the packing pedantry here!

Luckily I'm very unbothered about being stylish - I never take makeup unless we are going to a wedding or it's DH and I without the kids and we might go to a posh restaurant.

I've noticed in the last 10 years or so there seems to have been a trend of being more dressed up on flights from people clearly aiming to look like celebs on their insta or something, but I really can't be arsed.

Mum to a severely disabled boy who needs medicines, syringes, things to make milk, Drainage bags...honestly I could go on.... no if I was you I'd pack some normal shit for British weather and wash if over used !

The only time when I pay attention to what I'm packing is when I'm going to a festival because I have to carry all that shit from car to camp. Anywhere else I'm not really carrying much more than a few yards so if it fits its coming with.

I am packing so much for our break!! My fear is the same , I hate the idea of not having enough warm/keeping cool clothes so I have just packed so much that my clothes are now taking over DHs suitcase aswell!!
I have a whole bag for sandals , trainers, little ballet pumps just incase !!
When we go abroad Im really good although I don't get the taking of one bekini I take about 5 !!! But packing for a UK holiday is the hardest as the winter wardrobe has to come aswell 🤣

Worst packing incidents for me were a trip up North when kids were tiny and there was an unexpected heatwave at the end of may. The only shoes I had were biker boots and luckily I did have one dress that I was expecting to wear with tights but it was still way too heavy for the weather. I was so annoyed! Luckily kids were both v little and had layers anyway.

Then there was the time we went camping in Normandy with friends after a week in a villa further south. So we couldn't really see the weather for the camping... and it rained and rained (Normandy is basically England) and as our car's not very big we did not have enough clothes or any wellies

I can't beging to imagine the difficulty of packing when you have a child or family member with medical needs though.

I must be weird then, I can pack for 4 or 5 days in a backpack.
Jeans (not super thick ones), teeshirts, hoodies, a packable rain jacket and trainers. (plus undies) No matter the weather. Too hot take off the hoodie, wet, use the jacket.
Thats all I wore in that hot week in London before the flooding.

I don't often take jeans - I find them boiling when it's warm, not that warm when it's cold and hard to dry if it's wet, but I am actually going to take some next week because they are at least easy to wear without washing each time

@FedUpAtHomeTroels - that's basically packing like my husband except that he seems to take twice as many t-shirts as days we are away

Not just you OP. I find 'warm' UK holidays very hard to pack for. A week in the lake district with a sunshine forecast meant a big suitcase absolutely rammed to the brim - walking gear for warm weather, walking gear for wet weather, jeans, jumpers, vest tops, shorts, sandals, wellies, sun hat, beanie....

This is me right now! On a uk based holiday, the weather has been really cloudy, windy and we’ve had a bit of drizzle. The sun has shown itself a few times but with the wind it’s not felt as warm as the temperature should be 19-21 degrees.
I’ve packed shorts mainly!! A pair of white trousers for the evening and a long skirt, which are not suitable for walking and visiting the places we’ve visited! I should have packed jeans. I did pop in a jumper and a thin cardigan. Should have added another jumper.
You would think I’d have learnt from two summers ago when I went to Norfolk and spent the whole week freezing my toes off!!!
Maybe I’ll know for next time….

@Passthecake30
Obviously, I don't expect the kids nor my husband and I to wear tops more than once,if unwashed, esp in warm weather.
Most places are self catering with washing machine and dryer included and if not,a hand wash in the sink is ideal,we do this all the time, I could not deal with an oversized,ridiculously size suitcase to drag about

You’re never more than 15 minutes in England from a supermarket that sells clothes.

You need to concentrate on what alcohol and nibbles you’re taking.

I'm with you. Very annoying not having enough of the right clothes.

@NoProblem123 - yeah, I do remind myself that, worst case, I can go buy something in a supermarket. Had to do that one year when we went to my parents' 2nd home in Eastern Europe. Normally the summers are reliably hot, but that one year it was more like a British summer so I had to go down to the local equivalent of Matalan and buy the kids some more trousers and coats.

@Echobelly I went to turkey once and it was cold for most of the hole ! Has to wear my nephews tracksuit the whole time

I thought I'd screwed up when we went to Lanzarote at Christmas a few years back but it turned out that our first day there was just exceptionally windy, and once the wind dropped it was fine.

I get annoyed with myself when I bring something that doesn't end up getting worn. I aim to wear everything I bring and to get it all into a smallish bag (we travel by train mostly so can't be hauling any huge bags about).