to think that actually, no "everyone" does NOT unpack on holiday!

[PyongyangKipperbang]

My sister and I have very different views on this!

She and I have gone away many times, always for a week.

She always spends a good hour or so unpacking, setting stuff out etc on arrival and then a couple of hours repacking before we leave. I just live out of my bag/case and dirty clothes folded into a plastic bag when I take them off to chuck back in the case at the end of the week. Repacking takes less than half an hour. The only item I unpack is my "going out" dress, of which I only take one.

She thinks I am abnormal as "everyone unpacks!" I think its probably more like a 50/50 split and when you only have a week, time is of the essence so I prefer to use the time to holiday (made up verb of the week) than fanny about putting my knickers and socks in a drawer!

YABU - I unpack!
YANBU - I live out of my case!

I don’t unpack, my dh does even when we are stopping 2-3 nights!. It annoys him (mildly) that I don’t so he unpacks my things and re packs them often😁

I was a live out the suitcase type but since having a couple of kids I'm an unpacker so that suitcases are put away instead of a trip risk, and I can easily find stuff for two small children.

Things get untidy as it is in a small space and we'll want to nip back to base, grab whatever we need post breakfast and off out again. There's nothing worse than spending ages trying to find things while kids tip the place upside down 😂

Usually there's not enough cupboard space or hangers so I don't. One year though, we went to quite a posh hotel and had a mini suite with a walk in for clothes, which was brilliant. Not only did I unpack I also ironed and hung everything up (instead of looking vaguely crumpled).

I look back on that little room with fondness 😁

I was like you until I had children, then I couldn’t bear or first holiday of strewn out suitcases. For the past few years, I have properly unpacked (it also means my husband has to do the first bath time of the holiday which is also a nightmare).

If its just me I don’t unpack apart from toiletries, but now we have children we always get an apartment etc, so we need to unpack so their clothes are in their room. Where I can I book somewhere with a washing machine so we don’t bring back dirty laundry apart from that nights pjs.

Last trip I stayed in 19 separate hotels/rentals (over 27 days) and even he relented and I often packed a smaller bag for the following night so I only dealt with the main luggage every other or even 3rd night.

I find it difficult to believe it takes your sister “a couple of hours” to pack her case at the end of the holiday. You are massively exaggerating.

I unpack stuff I want to hang up and my toiletries. I leave underwater, socks, shorts etc in my case. I rarely use the hotel drawers, partly because I once left a load of stuff behind in a drawer and partly because sometimes they are not very clean.

I generally unpack. It doesn’t take an hour, it takes about 15 minutes. And about 15-20 mins to repack, which toys probably have to do anyway to fit everything in if you live out of the suitcase.

Also I'm pleasantly surprised by how many don't unpack. In my non-unpacking days I was considered very lazy by friends. I'm surrounded by friends who are very organised types. I tend to do all the organising for everyone beforehand but I'm not very organised once we get there.

Last year I emptied my bag of dirty washing straight into the machine - forgetting that I'd put a jar of orange chutney (bought as a present) in the middle to stop it getting broken. I now know that if you can't get a lid off a jar, putting it in the washing machine is a great way to open it.

I use packing cubes but the other way around to many pp. I have one for knickers, one for t shirts etc. Then unpacking is just lifting them out and unzipping. My clothes aren’t touching the shelves, i can see what I have, and my case is out of the way.

I'm also taken aback by this. Surely everyone mostly shoves all their dirty laundry into one suitcase, and anything else gets shoved into a second suitcase/bag. Usually takes about 15-20 minutes. If the toddler is helping I might save a few minutes, but if she's taken stuff out I've put in them add another 5.

So I’m just back from a week away with my husband and we are exactly the same as you and your DSis! I unpacked mine and DD’s clothes first day we got there otherwise I feel like some of my clothes will crease, DH just lived out of suitcase. I think everyone is different and there’s no right or wrong.

I’m a cube user too, so underwear, swimwear, cover ups, accessories, bags, shorts, t shirts, vests and shoes are all in cubes which I put into drawers or the bottom if the wardrobe. I hang my clothes up. I have a Stackers hanging toiletry bag too that I just take out and hook in the bathroom, clear make up bag too.

I unpack as it makes it feel like I’ve arrived and am settling in and the room is now ‘mine’. But like other OPs this takes just a few minutes.

I would unpack for a week, yes. For a night or two I would happily live out of a suitcase.
It would only take me 10 minutes to unpack though and not much longer to repack. Not sure what your dsis is doing for a couple of hours!

I'm always fascinated by the washers. I like the idea of having it all done before you get back but I want to do as few household chores on holiday as possible! I would be tempted by an on-site serviced option where someone collects all the dirty clothes off the floor and washes them. If they could also fold and put into suitcase that would be even better. Not too much to ask for..

I unpack then iron everything that needs it and hang it up or fold it in a drawer 😅 I can’t stand looking untidy.

Its so nice getting home when unpacking means putting things back in the wardrobe/drawers and you’re done. It also means if its a long holiday you don’t need to take as much and you don’t need a ridiculous amount of pants/socks. We did three weeks in Canada this summer, if we didn’t do laundry we would have needed 84 pairs of pants between us!

You’re absolutely spot on, @PyongyangKipperbang with your 50:50 prediction! Very neat. Unlike, possibly, your and my suitcases

Goodness me. We don't even iron at home. Certainly wouldn't bother on holiday - unless attending a wedding or other formal event.

The thought of sending laundry out frightens me. How do you know what temperature they will wash things on? How will they dry them? So many of our (generally my husbands…) clothes must be washed at 30C and not tumble dried or else they will shrink 😬

Much easier to do it myself… though I still managed to dye a bunch of socks turquoise on our last holiday. Thank goodness for some emergency laundry bleach I found at the supermarket 😆

I like to unpack properly, but you are not wrong in that many people don’t.

This is me - unpack toiletries, hang up dresses/clothing that would be better if creases dropped out, remainder (undies, shorts, tees etc) remain neatly folded in the suitcase. DH seems to unpack entirely, but he travels for work continually so has a 5min unpacking and repacking system.