Is it too early to pack for my holiday?

[toeaseatroubledmind]

I go away in three and a half weeks.

Growing up I was in a “pack the day before you go” family, which always meant things were left behind, arguments at the airport and generally a miserable first day, traipsing to the supermarket to pick up the forgotten items.

I’m now a “pack the weekend before” person.

My issue is that in the next three and a half weeks the only weekend I have free is this weekend! I just kept saying yes to plans and now don’t feel like cancelling because I need to pack is a good excuse.

AIBU to pack now? Is it far too early?

I’m a bit bemused though that people have spare clothes to pack so far ahead, I’m wearing my summer dresses as it’s hot! Now winter sun holidays are easy because nothing is being worn at the time bar underwear

One thing I did after a 5-week September to October holiday in the UK, Spain and Singapore was to list all the things I actually wore, as opposed to packed, on my phone as a reminder of how little I needed.

The only things that needed to be multiple were socks and knickers, due to the need for washing.

Obviously the time of year changes things, but it's proved invaluable.

How long does it take you to pack? Won’t you need some of the clothes before you go? Will you forget what you packed and then have to unpack to check you packed xyz?

Oh come on OP. You don’t need to rewash the clothes unless you put them away dirty.

Ironing?! I haven’t ironed anything for 25 years and they will get crumpled to fuck in your suitcase anyway. Especially if you’ve packed an ice age before you need to go.

I travel very regularly. Ultra long haul and often going to a different season with a mix of formal, professional, fancy and casual/beach clothes needed.
I make a list on my phone of very specific things to take eg rather than 2 pairs of trousers it will be ‘white cotton culottes, Black linen trousers’ etc and I list the activity I will wear them to.
I add to and whittle down the list over the days leading up to it. Wash anything that’s in current circulation and ensure it’s clean day before and pack the evening before I leave. It’s no stressful because the list is the key

I have a toiletries bag ready to go along with my carry on bag (headphones, power bank, eye mask etc)

I then make a list of the final things to remember; hairbrush, phone, keys, passport, charger etc.

My mantra is as long as you have the critical things with you (phone, passport, keys, bank card, specs, medication, contacts) everything else can be bought and it’s not the end of the world if you forget a certain top or your deodorant. Stops the anxiety

I am a mixture of both. I make a detailed list (normally of I am stuck in one of those meetings that could have been a brief email). I have a basket somewhere that I drop things that I will need to bring think mini toothpaste, mini hairbrush, plasters, wipes, charger cabels, power banketc. I drop them in as I think of them up to a couple of weeks before travel.
Clothes wise I plan my outfits and as much as I can I avoid wearing what I plan to wear on holidays the week before I travel. Tend to pack the evening before though. Between the basket and the list I am sorted and the packing the evening before feels like the start of my holiday. Admittedly I am travelling solo so I would imagine it is far far different when packing for a family.

I definitely don't view myself as a last minute.com packer but I do generally finalise my packing the night before.

I definitely don't rewash anything, and I refuse to iron things. I don't really wear different clothes abroad though.

I have a long, categorised list of stuff on my phone. I have a quick look at that some time in advance to check there's nothing I think I am running out of, like insect repellent or whatever. Generally all travel items would be replaced immediately post holiday if I am running low so this is unlikely to be an issue.

All specialist travel items live in the suitcase.
Non specialist items, I start thinking about a week or so out. Trying to stop wearing anything I particularly want to take on holiday so I can wash it or, or wear it enough that it needs washing so it goes in the suitcase clean instead of half worn. 3 days before or so I would generally do a final wash to make sure any bits I want to take are clean and dry and I have plenty of pants or whatever.

And then the last day or so before I go I get the suitcase out and actually put everything in it. That process takes like 15-20 minutes for a short trip, and probably 45 if I am trying to do a week+ on hand luggage simply because more optimisation is required.

I don't really view any part of the process other than the final paragraph as packing.

Make a list early so you won't forget anything, pack the day before (minimises the creasing). Do any necessary laundry a few days before. I get miniatures / duplicates of toiletries / cosmetics a week or so before if I'll be taking off really early, so as to pack those the night before and not be cramming them in after washing / dressing in the morning.

I think it's wild that anyone would just create chores that are completely unnecessary.

My clothes are all clean and dry as I wash them when I've worn them. I don't iron anything before packing as they just get creased in transit.

I have a tick box list on my phone that I build up over a few days, and then put everything in my bag either the night before or the morning of travel, ticking off as I go. No dramas at all. I also have a holiday drawer where I keep things like travel plugs, travel bottles and mini toiletries, bikini etc.