Do I need to pack that?

[braumeister]

When I was on active duty in the Air Force, it would take me 15 minutes to pack for a two week trip.
Now it seems like I can be busy for a couple of hours, rounding up all the "necessities" for the same length trip.

I try my best to travel as light as I possibly can, and I'm always conscious of the fact that there will be actual stores almost anywhere I go, but it still drives me crazy that I'm not as efficient as I used to be.

Anyone else in a similar situation?

 

[audreyh1]

I suppose your packing choices were far more limited in the Air Force.

Two hours sounds great to me. It takes us far longer to gather things (including review of choices) even for a light packing trip. We did well on our 6 week Europe trip in terms of what we took. Definitely not too much and had to do laundry several times, no problem. Smaller suitcases for lots of train travel, worked very well.

So I get started days ahead before a trip, working through different categories. Toiletry bag I have pretty much ready to go, but clothes take a while, more so if cold weather gear is needed. And then there is additional possible gear to pack for hikes or birdwatching or photography, whatever.

 

[FIYes]

I find that making a packing list is invaluable. I keep a list on my phone. I check off items as I add them to my suitcase.

On my last trip I used packing cubes for the first time. Like many new converts, I am extremely enthusiastic about this new way of packing. Since our last trip involved changing hotels a few times, the cubes kept me organized.

 

[Aerides]

When travelling for business, I had it down. I knew exactly what to take to keep a carryon for a 5 day stint. I even picked clothes when shopping that would travel well - things that can roll up tight and be ready to wear if I hang them overnight. I also didn't want to spend much time packing at home, as that felt like "on the clock" time.

Now, since I don't that limit, I can often start packing a few days in advance...which then of course leads to "uh, did I pack that or have I lost it?" in the final hours so I end up unpacking and repacking and it drives me nuts.

 

[MichaelB]

Maybe not 15 minutes, but close. And like the OP, since then, much more time needed to do what used to be such simple tasks.

I view this an example of how one’s job leads to a certain single mindedness and causes one to focus. I’m glad it’s behind me and don’t care if it takes me a day to pack. This is so much better.

 

[braumeister]

I'll admit I learned something a few years ago about this. On our expedition to Antarctica, when all our luggage was stolen in Chile the day before boarding the ship, we had only a total of about six hours to hit the stores in Punta Arenas and buy everything for the two week trip.
Most of us on the ship were in the same situation, so the array of clothing on board was, um, unusual. I did feel sorry for the guy who was 6'7" trying to shop there. He managed to clothe himself, but just barely.

Ever since that experience I've had no worries about not having the right stuff with me!

 

[brett]

Since we moved to carry on only 13 years ago and geared our wardrobe to lightweight easy care items it takes me all of 10 or fifteen minutes to pack for a two month snowbird trip or five or six weeks in Europe. Most of my business travel was like this. Suitbag that I hung up in the aircraft.

DW takes more time and starts to select/assemble a day in advance. Only because she has the time. I have no doubt that like me, she could be out of the house and on her way to the airport in 15 minutes if she had to.

It was not always so. In the first two or three years of carry on only there was usually a certain degree of angst. Not just on the physical size of the bag but also on the weight restrictions on a number of carriers we used.

Now it has become old hat. What I hear more often than not when we travel is 'thank goodness we pack light'. We have it down pat now. When we return from a trip we take note of anything that we did not wear or use very often. It gets replaced by something else on the next trip.

 

[ls99]

Living out of a duffle bag in service is simple as is variety clothing. Uniform, pair of jeans some T shirts, boxers, socks, boots maybe shoes or sneakers, shaving kit.
Vacation is more complex depending on locale and venues to go to.
Later when I was on a research ship with 30+ days out and three days in port, half a duffle bag was enough.
Recall flying to Singapore to meet ship via stop in Fairbanks in November, 1971, getting kicked of the airplane while refueling it, running across the icy runway in shirtsleeve, freezing my butt. It was around -20F. There was no jetway then. Then sweating my b*lls off after landing in Singapore. Oh, and the smell of open sewers next to highrises.
I understand nowadays Singapore is fine city. They have a fine for everything.

My many trips to Alaska, one duffle bag. Lightly packed.

 

[Car-Guy]

Most of my trips are over nighters these days. One small bag with most things already packed. Just add a change of clothes and I'm out the door.

 

[pacergal]

I make a list and start gathering stuff the morning before departure.
The actual "packing" takes about 1-2 hours. DH and I pack together in one larger suitcase and pack our pillows in another one. We sleep much better with our own pillows.
We check our bags, I have bad shoulders, DH bad back, so no lifting carryons overhead.
We did have an experience after retirement, of leaving a suitcase at home. We went shopping when we got to our location. Luckily a Target and Macys was near the hotel! That was an added expense I don't wish to repeat

 

[jollystomper]

I traveled a lot when working for Megacorp. Some of the trips resulted from being told in the afternoon that I need to be in another location via plane the next morning, with having to spend at least a few days there. This meant getting home, packing and getting to the airport in time to catch a flight late in the evening or at night. So I got used to packing quickly and usually efficiently. I also had the benefit of being able to have a rental car, so getting to a store for anything I needed - including clothes - was not an issue.

In retirement I can still pack quickly. I have a separate set of toiletries and electronics for use only for travel, so that takes zero time. Everything else can be done in less than an hour.

DW does not have as much recent travel experience (she did live in France and Taiwan during her college undergrad and graduate years and traveled lightly around Europe and Asia during that time), so fast packing is not her forte . Once I found a great travel deal for a 5 day trip to Las Vegas, but the flight left early the next morning. She wanted to go, but was panicked at the thought of packing that fast. I assured here anything she needed when we got there we could by. We ended up buying her a few outfits while we were there, based on the activities and entertainment we chose. Fine by me, she looked great in them .

I will have to try out travel cubes on our next trip. DS and DDIL had them when they last visited us, and it was very convenient not just for travel, but for keeping things organized while in the hotel or house, especially for the grandkids.

 

[zangbao]

We travel light these days. My wife and I each pack a couple of quick-dry clothing, electronics and toiletries in a small back pack. No worries about lugging luggage around.

 

[SecondAttempt]

I find that making a packing list is invaluable. I keep a list on my phone. I check off items as I add them to my suitcase.

On my last trip I used packing cubes for the first time. Like many new converts, I am extremely enthusiastic about this new way of packing. Since our last trip involved changing hotels a few times, the cubes kept me organized.

I'm also a list maker. My list can take weeks to develop but mostly just adding or taking things off ass I get ideas, very little actual time spent. And it makes packing itself a quick effort, usually less than an hour. But I keep things I almost always take like laundry supplies, toiletries, and many other things in my suitcase so it's really often just a matter of packing a few clothes.

I used to pack for short business trips in 5 minutes! I did occasionally have to buy something like an umbrella but I usually got by.

 

[Montecfo]

I suppose your packing choices were far more limited in the Air Force.

Two hours sounds great to me. It takes us far longer to gather things (including review of choices) even for a light packing trip. We did well on our 6 week Europe trip in terms of what we took. Definitely not too much and had to do laundry several times, no problem. Smaller suitcases for lots of train travel, worked very well.

So I get started days ahead before a trip, working through different categories. Toiletry bag I have pretty much ready to go, but clothes take a while, more so if cold weather gear is needed. And then there is additional possible gear to pack for hikes or birdwatching or photography, whatever.

Same for me. I make a list and work it over, decide what to take, shop for needed items, and work to rationalize taking less.

It's a process.

 

[SecondAttempt]

I'll admit I learned something a few years ago about this. On our expedition to Antarctica, when all our luggage was stolen in Chile the day before boarding the ship, we had only a total of about six hours to hit the stores in Punta Arenas and buy everything for the two week trip.
Most of us on the ship were in the same situation, so the array of clothing on board was, um, unusual. I did feel sorry for the guy who was 6'7" trying to shop there. He managed to clothe himself, but just barely.

Ever since that experience I've had no worries about not having the right stuff with me!

I've also gotten more thoughtful and proactive about what I pack for "just in case."

A few years ago on a business trip to Europe where I was giving a presentation to a huge professional group my electric shaver died. I could have bought a new one of course but would have been stuck with a European plug. Fortunately the death was the day before my presentation so I went on stage with what could be called fashionable stubble. But by the end of the week I was too beardy to attend the conference. But fortunately those days were not of much interest anyway. Could I have bought a razor and shaved? Sure. But it has been about 40 years since I used a real razor so I was afraid of the outcome.

When our luggage was lost for four days on the trip to Sweden last summer I relented and bought disposable razors and shaving cream. It went reasonably well and now I make a point of shaving with a razor every month or two just to stay in practice and I carry disposable razors when I travel. I don't carry shaving cream. I heard hair conditioner works in a pinch and tried it successfully. That's available all over the world!

 

[2017ish]

Unless we are scuba diving, we do carry-on only. But, despite 3 different packing lists, it often takes a couple of hours for a long trip. (Packing lists: 1) USA driving trip; 2) airplane trip foreign or domestic; and 3) foreign driving trip.) For example, packing for a 2.5 month trip that involved fine dining in Santiago, Montevideo, and Buenos Aires; Easter Island; 3 week Antarctic cruise; and more than a month driving and hiking in Patagonia, involved a lot of tradeoffs.

So too, our present 2 month USA/Canada driving trip took longer to pack for because it combined 3 or 4 trips in one. (Family reunion for a week, usual hiking, wine tasting in two different regions, and our first ever bicycling trip with friends that morphed into one of the wine tasting outings....) Even given the luxury of going beyond the usual carry-on limit, it was a pain. Luckily, stores exist!

OTOH, 1 month driving and hiking in Iceland was a breeze, as we basically just applied the foreign travel packing list.

 

[Midpack]

Between decades of business travel (carry on only as much as possible) and long distance sail racing where I had to pack extremely light without forgetting anything essential - I’m still very quick and efficient packing. I often make myself a list and stick to it. OTOH DW packs at least twice as much when we travel. If we have two carry ons, at least 2/3rds of the space is her.

 

[Ronstar]

I plan out trip activities and start packing days in advance of departure. Whenever I think about what I need for an upcoming trip, I add it to our "loading zone".

Our foyer seems to be a good loading zone. A packing pile accumulates there, starting with empty carry-ons/ luggage. Add clothes to carry-ons or luggage over time - DW loads packing cubes. Camera gear, loose items for road trips, etc get added to the pile. I just keep adding stuff there as needs come to mind. Only need to add toiletries and electronics on the day of departure.

 

[athena53]

Living out of a duffle bag in service is simple as is variety clothing. Uniform, pair of jeans some T shirts, boxers, socks, boots maybe shoes or sneakers, shaving kit.
<snip>

My many trips to Alaska, one duffle bag. Lightly packed.

I still have my late DH's duffle from the Navy, marked in white paint with the places it had been (one was Keflavik). I can't bear to let it go but having tried using one in 1980 on a trip to Europe (previous owner of my house had left his behind), I realized they're darn heavy when full.

Like someone else noted, I keep a packing list on my phone. Not all items are necessary for every trip but it's a start. I've learned over the years that you should ASSUME that at some point you'll be lugging your stuff up staircases by yourself and pack accordingly. I've been pretty good at keeping it to one small roller bag and one carry-on that fits under my seat but I usually end up checking the roller bag. I don't live near a hub airport so my first flight might be a baby jet that has tiny overhead compartments, and sometimes if you gate-check it they check it through to your final destination anyway. On the way home the roller bag might include purchased alcohol, local honey, etc. so I can't carry it on.

I do a lot of hand-laundering of clothes on the longer trips but it's manageable.

 

[audreyh1]

We’ve used packing cubes since before 2000! I don’t know how I’d pack without them. Certainly on a long trip they help keep the suitcase organized.

 

[Lorenzo]

Unless we are scuba diving, we do carry-on only. But, despite 3 different packing lists, it often takes a couple of hours for a long trip. (Packing lists: 1) USA driving trip; 2) airplane trip foreign or domestic; and 3) foreign driving trip.) For example, packing for a 2.5 month trip that involved fine dining in Santiago, Montevideo, and Buenos Aires; Easter Island; 3 week Antarctic cruise; and more than a month driving and hiking in Patagonia, involved a lot of tradeoffs.

So too, our present 2 month USA/Canada driving trip took longer to pack for because it combined 3 or 4 trips in one. (Family reunion for a week, usual hiking, wine tasting in two different regions, and our first ever bicycling trip with friends that morphed into one of the wine tasting outings....) Even given the luxury of going beyond the usual carry-on limit, it was a pain. Luckily, stores exist!

OTOH, 1 month driving and hiking in Iceland was a breeze, as we basically just applied the foreign travel packing list.

That reminds me of the trip where we were mostly car camping in France, but we had planned one meal at a 3-Michelin starred restaurant, so I packed a suit and lugged it to and from the US and all over half of France--all for a single use. I changed from shorts and t-shirt into the suit in our tent.

Trips where the style of travel, type of activities, and climate remain the same throughout the trip are no-brainers for packing. Still, to the OP's question, it takes me at least two hours if not more for even that kind of trip. I'd rather pack carefully than spend two hours of my first day after arrival hunting down a store that sells socks.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

When my dad was in poor health and I was traveling 3-4 hours each way to look after him multiple times a month, I started keeping all my cords and adapters in a gallon ziplock bag, with each cord in its own sandwich or snack bag to keep them from getting tangled. I found I can flip through the bags almost like paper folders. (Besides having a few devices, I also keep enough cords for my family to charge everything overnight, too.) I also have a short travel extension cord with 4 outlets, and a USB hub with 8 outlets. And, of course, a Dopp kit with an extra of everything I needed, and a stretchy cotton sleep shirt, shorts, and slippers in case I was using a pull-out couch in someone's living room, or wanted to go for ice or to a vending machine in a hotel. After that, all I have to worry about is clothes.

I also have a fanny pack with ziplock sandwich bags in it, that I mostly use to go to theme parks. If I want to go on a water ride, I put my phone, wallet, and keys* in ziplock bags. (*If we're staying at a hotel, I'd have my keys in the hotel safe, but sometimes we do day trips.)

 

[MarieIG]

I supposed when when travels frequently, in particular for business, one gets very organized. DH currently travels much more frequently than I do, in particular to help out the grand babies, and can be ready to go extremely quickly, i.e. the proverbial 15 minutes. But, he keeps a small travel bag with the necessities, and a medication supplement bag - ready.

I was never a quick packer, and start days in advance . . .

 

[simple girl]

It takes me forever to pack for trips like the one we are on now. We are in Maine for 3 weeks then North Carolina for 5.5 weeks. So, I need both warm and cool clothes (both relaxed and dressy) to cover the various activities and weather - hiking, biking, sailing, and dining out.

We flew this year, so I really cut down on the items packed. I definitely will be re-wearing some outfits! Also, my dressy outfits were limited to those that went with the same pair of shoes (one pair each for warm and cold weather).

I definitely use a list and couldn't function without it!

 

[brett]

I cannot remember having to buy something that one of us did not pack. There are one or two items that DW only buys overseas.

Our main focus to get out the door is do we have our passports, money, eyeglasses, ipad, credit/debit cards, medications, etc. And is the heat/air turned down and the water shut off?

For us the rest is noise level. IF we did forget something else, like the OP said, we can simply buy it during the trip.