When/how do you pack?

[WeeClype]

How far in advance do you pack? .....I'm away next Friday so trying to hold off until Wednesday but I'm soo excited. I keep writing to do lists instead.

Do you give everyone they're own suitcase or mix and match? I have 2 adults/4 DC's to pack for so undecided what's best.

I was just trying to find some crumb of comfort in having very vocal teenagers with strong views.

I can assure you my teenagers are far from boring.

I didn't mean they were. Better a bright teenager who understands the need to spread clothes around in case of suitcase loss than my stroppy few complaining about privacy rights and keeping confidential the contents of their luggage.

A different view here, you are all very last minuters.
I have lists and start at least 2 weeks ahead with all the stuff that isn't clothes, which, in my experience seems to take up the bulk of the luggage.
A week before I hide all the clothes that people might wear again I start to round up clothes.
It's all done bar the clothes that crease a couple of days before. Those go in last.

Same here secret- I start months before hand buying bargains when I see them and making lists. ( In fact that's all part of the fun) Like you too it's the non- clothes items that take up most of the space in my luggage.

My mother was like that when I was growing up. I hated not having my favourite clothes to wear for weeks before a holiday. I think that's why I'm a last minute packer in adulthood!

Oh I don't buy clothes in the run up- or if I do then I don't keep them for holiday. They tend to get trashed anyway on holiday.

I make sure the weekend before that everything is washed. During a few nights before I iron bits and pieces and then the night before form 3 piles of clothes, one for each of us.

I mix and match into our 2 cases, just in case and then go!

We have it easy now. Handbaggage only. Everyone has a suitcase the right size and they pack their own. If they were small I'd help! I do let people know what I've got that shares but mostly each to his own and if you forget something, your fault!

We buy basic sharing toiletries when we get there.

Yes, clothes are the easy bit. It's the chargers, games, books, pens and pencils, first aid stuff, sun cream, sunhats, wellies, waterproofs, camping and cooking stuff that takes all the time for us. We went on our first ever non self-catered holiday last year and it was blissfully easy to pack for.