Over-packers Anonymous

Hi -

I am 4 weeks away from my Xmas/New years holiday in the UK and I am already starting my ritual stressing about what to pack, what will I wear, what shoes will I want to wear, what will the weather be like etc etc. I am a chronic over packer! I usually have two full uprights + a carry on (thank the gods, Virgin has a generous backage allowance). BF always teases at me as I struggle through arrivals with my trolley full of match luggage 

Does anyone have any advice on how to stream line this process. I have never been good at packing "outfits" - the word actually makes me cringe. But maybe I am missing the point totally.

And how about the shoes, one needs a least two pairs of boots, dressy heals and a casual walk around shoe. These take up soooo much space.

I am meeting more of my BF's family and we are attending xmas and new years events, I want to look perfect and its so much easier to just pack everything and decided what to wear in the moment like I do at home but obviously this isn't realstic. PLUS, I want to blend in-I don't want to look like an overdressed Yank.

We'll be in Manchester half the time and Wales the other half. Wales is easy because its dead casual and laid back. But the social bits will be happening in the city.


Please help!!!!

CMG

I'm pretty much an over packer too so don't know if my suggestions will help much but I'll try. 

1. Make a list and stick to it. if it's not on your list it doesn't go in the bag! (This is my husbands rule) it sucks I know!
2. I'd say wear your biggest pair of shoes/boots to save room in the suit case.
3. Bring things you can wear more then once. A top that will go a pair of jeans, slacks or a skirt etc..
4. Try not to over do it. The first time I visited I brought 2 suit cases and a carry on. I had so much stuff that I never even wore and was annoyed with my self for it.
5. Have so much fun on your trip! 

If your luggage is ever completely lost on a big trip (like it was on my honeymoon), I guarantee you'll find a way to cope & get by with far less than you ever thought you could. 

Most of the time now - if I can't carry it comfortably, I don't pack it.  Everything does double duty.  He's a bit quirky, but I like Rick Steves' packing tips & really try to stick to those.  Our last holiday, I washed some items out by hand every couple days or so & we got away with having to pack so much less.

Remember you can always go shopping!

I've been following my grandfather's advise for years - Take half as many clothes and twice as much money.  It works everytime! But I do hear you about how hard it is to pack for a long period of time especially over a holiday season. 

Thank you everyone, I know in my mind what I need to do, it's just hard when I get down to packing. I always think "oh, well, I may want to wear this and this and this - you get the picture. Usually I just end up in tears and my mother will come over and pack for me. God love her.

Plus this is my first Xmas with my soon to be in-laws I just want everything to be perfect. I also have to have room to pack pressies at least the pressies I will buy here.

30 more days until departure. Now that is something to be happy about! 

Ugh - packing ...   Not much advice to offer, but definitely commiseration!

I just got back from a trip to England and, as usual, I packed WAY too much stuff. I have the best intentions of dressing nicely while I'm there - but we end up living out of suitcases in very cramped conditions, so I usually find myself wearing the same three pairs of jeans the entire trip! All my nice clothes stay at the bottom of my bag. It happens every single time; obviously, I'll never learn. 

Anyway, I'd definitely wear your heaviest shoes/clothes/jacket on the plane. You can probably fit things inside and around your other shoes in your bag. Roll your clothes up into fat sausage-like shapes - I can't believe how much I've been able to pack in by doing that! And if you're planning to visit lots in the future, how about taking a ton of stuff now and leaving some of it behind? That way, you won't need to bring so much next time.

Someone once told me to pile up what you think you'll need, then half it. I've never been brave enough to do that, but I obviously have overpacking issues, too! Good luck.

I hate packing. I travel alot and I've gotten to the point where I wait until the very last second to pack, then throw whatever will fit into my bag.

I use to be an over packer, but then I traveled around Europe for about six weeks with just a backpack. And I went two weeks in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic with just a back pack. And both times I was leaving a trail of stuff behind me, trying to lighten my bag.

I'm definitely an over-packer, by nature.  While there's not much you can do about the shoes (another of my particular weaknesses), I would recommend investing in a set of vacuum storage bags for your clothing.  This makes a huge difference, especially if you're traveling in winter, with lots of sweaters or other bulky items.  It saved me a lot of space in my suitcases.

I picked these up from Target: http://www.pnt.me/rX5yDH  There are other types available, though the nice thing about these is that you don't need a vacuum cleaner to suck out the air.  They've got some sort of built in valves at the bottom, so you can just roll them up to force the air out.  The first time I used them, I thought they'd burst; it was a bit tough to get the air out.  But after that it was far easier.

So, if you can't pack fewer clothes, make the clothes you pack take up less space.

I like to wrap my shoes individually in grocery bags and then pack them in between the gaps at the bottom of my suitcase. (basically in between the tracks of the rolling handle stuff... does that make sense?) That way, it makes a flat surface for packing my clothes. Eagle Creek pack its are a life saver! I have 2 - one for pants/skirts and one for tops. You can get away with just one if it's less than a week long trip. Then a cube or two for stuff like socks, pj's, undies... A nice water resistant zipper bag for toiletries, done and done! YOu can find these things at Target or Container Store (if you live near one). It helps so much to have things compartmentalized. Plus you can take a little more I find, in less space!

 Good luck and bon voyage!

Remember you can always go shopping!

This kind of goes along with my packing theory... I always pack the bare minimum, and then tell myself, if i find I need something else while I'm away, I can always buy it while I'm there.  So far, I haven't had to do this!

This kind of goes along with my packing theory... I always pack the bare minimum, and then tell myself, if i find I need something else while I'm away, I can always buy it while I'm there.  So far, I haven't had to do this!

Great advice! I completely agree. If I overpack stuff, I end up only wearing half of what I brought (like I did in Greece this year) and then kicking myself for having to drag around a big suitcase. Since we are going to my mom's this weekend, I plan to only bring two pairs of jeans (I'm wearing one pair), a few tops, one pair of pajamas, and maybe one other pair of shoes besides the ones I wear to the airport. She has a washing machine, so there really isn't a reason to bring more, plus I can buy a few clothes while I am there!

Excess baggage fees have pissed me off to no end in the past, so now I'm really careful about my packing. Plus I hate to be that girl with the huge pile of luggage that I can't move by myself. 

I would highly recommend getting a really good handheld luggage scale.  I got one for Christmas last year and its one of the best gifts I have ever had.  Mine is really accurate too.  I suppose its less of an issue when you have airlines that have good baggage allowances, but FlyBe's is terrible which I end up on more often than not for an internal flight.  However, its still useful in making sure that your bag isn't too heavy to carry.  It also is lightweight and portable, so you can take it with you for your trip back.

My biggest hurdle this year will be getting x-mas pressies back to the US.  I will probably only have room for clothes in a carry on.

 

 

If I'm traveling somewhere that I'll return to (like my parents, or when I'd visit my now DH), I wouldn't waste space on toiletries. I would buy shampoo, conditioner, face wash, hair spray, etc and leave it there. I figure I'll use it again. I used to over pack when I'd visit my parents, but then I realized that they have a washing machine! Ha! I'm also a fan of rolling my clothes up into sausage shapes. You can fit much more!

Check out the bundle method explained on this website:  http://www.onebag.com/pack.html

It is amazing how much you can fit.  The only problem then becomes weight, of course, but I packed like this when I made the move over and I recommend it to everyone!