Not to understand why people ask you if you're all packed days before you leave...

[Theoeopleversuswork]

Going on a work trip in a week and a colleague asked me today if I was all packed. Eh? We are leaving next Tuesday.... I have the whole weekend and haven't even started washing.....

I've been asked this question so many times in my life and am always bemused as to why people do this and what it is supposed to achieve. I can understand shopping and making lists in good time before a trip and I can understand packing big items which you won't use daily to cut down on prep time a couple of days in advance, but what use is it to pack suitcases several days in advance?

Don't you end up having to get stuff back out of the suitcase, use it and repack it if you do this? Are people just torturing themselves to be smugly organised? Or am I missing some great life hack?

Ditto. With young kids if I pack last minute I take so much stuff, packing weeks in advance gives me time to see it's too much and adjust accordingly. Think it's a hangover from backpacking when you have to pack much more carefully and buy things you need.

It's just making conversation. It's not like they actually care

Are they just making conversation ?

They're just being nice, there's nothing wrong with being nice.

I think it depends on what type of holiday it is. When we've taken the kids backpacking in, say, SE Asia then packing took weeks as we tried to work out what to take (what we thought we'd need vs what we could carry). For a fortnight camping in Wales I'd start packing a couple if days ahead.

They're just making polite chit chat :)

For the kids, I'm often organised, especially if we're leaving early on the Saturday for example (we're caravaners) so we tend to make an early start. The kids clothes will usually have been packed a week before or so when I have some spare time. I don't need to take stuff out as they'll be in their school uniform and nursery clothes up to bedtime on the Friday! It gives me time to make sure they have sufficient layers and make sure their requests for a specific paw patrol t shirt are packed.
Packing for my husband and I on the other hand is thrown together the night before.

Chill. It's just a pleasantry.
Plus years ago much more planning would've been required. People dud get a case down from the loft and start putting bits in.
If they'd have wanted certain clothes, they would've had to be washed and dried, starting a week before, so it was in the case in the days leading up. Now you can grab stuff the night before, get it washed and tumble dried, bung it in a case.
I still think about it the week before, plan to do a wash, buy certain small toiletries in the days leading up. I'm a planner, I refuse to stress, even if things change last minute.

It’s just small talk. Packing a week in advance is extreme but I do usually do it a couple of days before with a list to tick off so I don’t forget anything vital.

Oh my! I love packaging videos- I missed them in lockdown!
I remember as a child clothes were layed out and not worn as we were going on holiday.
I do the Glynis way (she told me) have all your washing and ironing up to date and pack the night before you go.

I don’t think it is always that though. Sometimes it is just chit chat. But some people really do have to be massively organised. I remember a male colleague once telling me his girlfriend always packed everything a week before. I thought he was joking but he wasn’t.

I think it’s an interesting reflection about how people have become very focussed on organising and managing stuff in their lives. A lot of people love this and get genuine pleasure out of it I think like people who colour code books and for others I think it’s a bit of a control thing.

I have always been a seat of the pants person so this level or organisation stresses me out and I think it’s pointless and self defeating.

But it’s very interesting to see how people approach this.

Who can be "all packed" days before they go away?

I have clothes that I like wearing day to day that have to be packed, as well as last minute hair stuff/make up. I'm using everything til an hour before I leave.

I don't think it's chit-chat either. I think a lot of people pack 5 - 7days ahead of time, especially for a summer holiday where you are packing clothes you won't be wearing in the meantime.

I really envy those people.

I am terrible at packing. I am always last-minute, takes 3 times as long as I plan, I'm rushed, late to leave etc. I aspire to be organised like that, it sounds wonderful!

If you are someone who can pack efficiently and quickly the night before, I envy you too!!

Yes. I don’t think it’s a serious expectation.

I know right, there are people in this world that plans the outfits they are going to wear and pack it all neat, including shoes.
I have been known to chuck our things in the suitcase around 10 pm, after working/ school, dinner, general tidy up of home, some TV watching...
Get it all in, get passports and drive straight to the airport.
I never have forgotten anything important.
If I put things in before hand, I will forget phone chargers, or tooth brushes, or medication, or cream... anything that we use daily. Because I will be less focused thunking I have already packed. It does not work for me.
I do give it some headspace. I do think if I want to buy any new clothes for the trip, buy them. Sandals or any equipment needed, that I get weeks before. And the washing of any clothing I want to take.
But packing it, not till the time to leave!

I’m with you OP. I never pack until a few hours before leaving, it’s the same stuff as always anyway with slight variations depending on whether the location is hot, cold, camping etc

It really doesn’t take long to pack, maybe an hour tops.

Only me in my circles that packs about a week early. So I can see what I'm missing and have time to wash it etc. if it's a friends holiday it's even earlier coz I'm soooo excited haha

Not if you have enough clothes. I guess I pack so early because I make a huge thing of my outfits. Have them all out choosing what goes with what and what I need to buy a top for or a skirt to go with etc. I plan what I'm wearing every day/night, all adds to the excitement of my holiday. Damn it I've got 4 months to wait, this will be looooong

It's just idle chat - a conversation starter but some people do pack excessively early and ime they are the people who tend to chat about it so could be one of them asking

I like having packed early. I have plenty of clothes and it really irritates me to have DP fannying about at 3am shoving things into extra backpacks and sodding ikea bags when we're leaving for the train at 6. Especially as he's guaranteed to forget things like socks in favour of three jackets or underwear in favour of five powerbanks and three additional devices when he'll only use his phone anyway.

I pack early. If I didn’t, I would be very, very stressed. I get anxious about forgetting things. Packing early makes the process more relaxed for me, but even then it’s still relatively stressful.

I'm never packed until the morning I'm going.

I do my packing list in plenty of time and know what I need to get through the wash, but I always pack the night before/ morning of travel. I don’t have enough clothes to pack in advance, plus I’ve never lived anywhere with enough space/ a spare room
to be able to leave a suitcase out half packed.

I have a FB acquaintance who posts photos about 2 weeks before any holiday "Doing the pre-holiday washing", "Doing the pre-holiday irining" etc, all accompanied by photos. The packed suitcases are photographed and displayed several days before the trip.

I make sure things are washed if we want to take them and on the last couple of days have to make sure kids have clothes out that we aren't taking but I am a day-before packer.

Because some people don’t wear the same things in this country for example that they may on holiday! If I was going away this summer for example, a week before I’d get the case down and put all my summer stuff in like bikinis and nice dresses. I don’t think it’s a weird thing to ask someone!

It's just small talk.

Like how's the new job going, how's the new house, is baby sleeping through yet/walking/enjoying their food, what's the weather like, are you organised for Christmas.

Are you packed yet.