Help! Your packing top tips needed

[JaneDMumsnet]

With summer just around the corner you may well be dusting off the suitcases and wondering how on earth you'll carry everyone’s stuff within the less-than generous luggage allowance airlines provide.

If you've got the packing thing down to a fine art, come forth and tell the rest of us your top tips - whether it's for a short-haul weekend away, overseas family hol or your OFRS We'll be creating a video inspired by your ideas, so share your secrets to help out other, less experienced packers.

Hmm, my top five would be:

Keep shoes to a minimum - one pair if you can get away with it.

Iron clothes before folding into suitcase - they pack a lot thinner that way so easier to get more in.

Pack the foldable stuff first, then shove the rest - underwear, togs etc., into any random spaces left, or use any external zipped pockets on the bag for them and toiletries.

Stick to 100ml bottles for liquids, so you can carry in hand-bag/small child(s)' rucksack.

Buy any necessary sun-creams in larger bottles after arriving and leave behind you if not used by the end of the hols. Ditto beach towels.

Packing cubes, ideally a different colour for each person. Great for keeping everyone's clothes separate but at the same time no need for everyone to have their "own" suitcases. You can rearrange the cubes to ensure you have the most efficient use of space (packing cube tetris) and unpacking is an absolute breeze. Also great if you still travel with hold luggage for spreading everyone's clothes across different bags in case one gets lost.

Given nearly everything charges using a variety of USB (including I found a Nintendo ds) you need one of these multi usb chargers and a "clover power cable" for the relevant country you are in. Saves all those adapters, plugs and concerns over whether there will be enough sockets

Roll don't fold!

Definitely roll.

Don't buy too many heavy toilettries, get what you can where you are going.

I agree with rolling.

I do three layers in the case:

Start with shoes on the bottom and pack as much as you can in / around them: fragile things like perfume can go inside, along with socks / tights / undies. Fill that layer with other small items eg DC's t shirts

Second layer is entirely made up of rolled clothes - cover the case with them

Third layer is things that have to go flat - some jumpers / shirts / coats etc

Bras get tucked into the corners, toiletries and things like hair dryers that don't make it into the base layer are evenly distributed throughout the rest of the case.

Pay attention to which end is the bottom of the case and put heavier things there so you can stand it up on its end without it toppling over.

Finally, remember how much quicker it is to pack coming home? I find it helpful to get together everything that needs packing in a pile on the bed and then work out, Tetris style, how to fit it all in.

Capsule wardrobe! Depending on how long you're going for :
1 week: 2 vests, 2 shorts/skirts, 1 swimsuit, 1 flip flops, 1 out out sandals, 1 dress, 1 cardi, different accessories to change up the look Ie lightweight scarves etc, decant moisturiser with a little tinted foundation into a bottle,

Pick up sin lotion /towel etc on location (or use a sarong)

Hammam towels
Rollable Panama hat from Tumi (can't remember who rec'd it on here but I'm very grateful!!)
Concentrated travel wash
If flying with kids, buy a massive rucksack to use as hand luggage and fill it with distractions (stickers!!), snacks etc for the plane
Double-lead chargers (I only found out these existed a few weeks ago - changed my life already!!)
Stick to a colour palette so everything you take can be worn together - so all khaki, grey and blue, for ex, or all black and white

Make lists. roll never fold. take travel wash and travel line always to cut down on what you need. spare pair of glasses always as it is a right pain if your only pair break. stuff underwear into shoes when you pack. I always buy toiletries there but take own sun cream.

Definitely roll! Black cropped trousers aplenty and a variety of tops will see you through.
Swimming cossie x 2 and sarong/kaftan, flip flops
DS - lots of t-shirts and shorts, swimming shorts, hat.
Usually bring toiletries I can use then leave behind - raid the pound shop.
I buy Simple shower gel, shampoo etc so we can all use them
DP packs in about 5 mins - wash bag, T-Shirts/Shorts, swimming stuff, drives me nuts!

Beach towels make good base for packing and can help protect more fragile stuff.

Plastic bag around wash bag in case of leaks and you can use as rubbish bag when there.

Shoes in and around the sides with underwear stuffed in!

I usually distributes clothes for all of us across 3 cases so if one goes missing we still have something to wear :)

distribute* even!

Solid soap, shampoo and conditioner from Lush. Then you don't have to take liquids and it can remain sensibly packed in your washkit

We take two normal suitcases and a soft large bag for the three of us. In the soft bag we have shoes (sandals and pair of trainers or hiking boots, depending where we go) plus toiletries and electrics like chargers and other equipment we don't have in the hand luggage.

We pack everything clothes wise in the two suitcases, mix and match so no "this is mine".

Group things like shower gel/shampoo/suncream unless you really need more than one brand.