Holiday packing

The weather was lovely in Italy apart from the first day (19th May) when it bucketed about 25 degrees every day after that and one day got even hotter. We were at Lake Garda. We went up to the Dolomites where it was much colder and snowing up where the ski slopes are.

P S I took lots of clothes as there was no laundry service at our hotel and I don't like washing things out in the room.

ExaltedWombat that, sir, is an exceedingly good question. I don't think I have owned 3 pairs of swimming trunks in the last 20 years. The idea of owning 3 pairs simultaneously seems bizarre.

I just came back from a week's holiday and analysed what I took when I got home, checking what was not worn and what would have been useful so I offer this list as a guideline of what worked for me:-
Aladdin pants – 2
3 Black T-shirts,black silk top
2 Brown T-shirts, brown silk top
Dress for over shorts
Shorts – yellow – 2
Summer skirts - 3
sundress (pashmina)
Black and yellow two piece (short s/sleeve jacket and long skirt)
Sports sandals
Smart sandals
Black bra and 2 flesh bras
2 Black knicks and 4 flesh knicks
White socks 2 prs
Cargo pants – yellow
Cardi – beige
Linen jacket
Lightweight black jacket
Sunglasses brown and black
Nightwear (PJs and kimono dressing gown)
Neckscarf (brown/yellow)
Glasses
Earrings (browns and black)
Gadgets and adaptors – phone, Kindle, camera, video, fitbit
Toiletries including
mouthwash, brush and paste
Contact lenses
Deodorant
Cleansing wipes
Make up
1 factor 10-ish Sun tan lotion
1 Jungle formula insect repellant
Pills and vitamins
Travel wash and pegs
Travel kettle and drinks
Adaptors

TRAVEL IN
Denim jacket
Jeans
Blue Wallis t-shirt (and matching headband)
Socks and trainers

Well, some of us don't like the idea of putting wet ones back on again. I've seen men do that. Come in from a sail in rough sea in a dinghy, soaking wet. Get undressed and then decide to go off again and put all the kit back on again.

I was going to say: Oh no, not another thread about packing - this must be the fourth of fifth one in the past 2 weeks. But I've had a giggle reading it.

Back to swimming cozzies. I took 2 with me to Portugal a few years ago. I had had them a while, but they had been quite expensive and not worn much. I wore one to the beach and when I got back and got in the shower, the elastic had left thick black rubbery marks all over my back. My husband spent ages trying to scrub it off (fairly ineffectively - we tried with soap, body lotion, but it was hard work). The second swimsuit had the same effect. So I bought 2 cheap ones there, and they're both still going strong.

Oh I wish I could pack light! We both always pay for extra allowance & always finish up discarding things 10 mins before we leave house as cases are overweight.We have massive but very light cases. I buy all toiletries & sun cream in Boots at airport after we have checked in- save my points for this every year. We have an ITSA each to save packing towels for beach.Hairdryer, straighteners etc weigh heavy- we tend to stay in apartments so rarely a decent hairdryer provided.Kindle has really helped as I used to take 10 books.
To be fair I never bring back anything I haven't worn & I do wash undies through & sometimes take a load to local laundry at end of first week.Some of the clothes I take I never wear here & are pure 'holiday' clothes. I am always terrified I have forgotten something.
However there is a quiet little cove on a Greek Island that is just waiting for me to get there in July & I can't wait to get there.

I should be packing at this very minute

However, we are staying in the UK and I'm thinking of packing my winter woollies plus coat, hat, scarf and gloves

Great to hear you had decent weather most of the time Teetime.
BTW I thought your list was very reasonable. Did you keep to one case and under 20kg?

just looked at the forecast - and a mac

First time I let my daughter pack for herself to go on holiday she took 42 tops (for a week) and no trousers, shorts or skirts! Luckily mine fit her so we shared. Eldest daughter packed for a week whilst having a celebratory Jack Daniels, took 20 pairs of shoes/sandals but no knickers! Luckily they have both improved their packing techniques with age...

We're going to Estonia and Finland for 2 weeks next week and travelling with only hand luggage as we will be on the move a bit and don't want to lug cases around. Also it makes checking less of a chore. We travel Easyjet so no weigh restrictions. Clothes are mostly lightweight and I was knickers etc. through with travel wash. Waterproof and jacket both have several pockets. Stick to 3 colours.

I discovered years ago it's no good just taking random items, so I write out a list which includes outfits rather than separate items. I reckon I can wear one outfit twice and it always works, I wear all the things I have packed and don't feel I haven't got enough clothes with me. Over the years my toiletries have got smaller and lighter, you don't need half of Debenhams beauty counters for a week or even two. Enjoy your holiday.

I have also noticed a very strange phenomenon when packing holiday clothes.

If you have a trying on session to see what looks OK, I find the clothes I tried on in yesterday morning which looked OK at the time, looked awful later on in the day

Last night I had a pile for charity. This morning I took some of them back. I think it was something to do with the size of my tummy which had expanded as the day went along ha ha !

I travel a lot, and have learnt by vast experience that hand luggage should contain extra undies, charger for phone, any prescribed medicin, any "valuables". For the inchecked luggage the usual indies, change daily,extra bra, t shirts one a day, then a few blouses to match skirts, shorts, pants, depending on where the journey is to. Maybe a warmer jacket/ cardigan again depending on the destination. Cant really understand why Harrigran needs so many bras and swimsuits, toiletries can be bought in small "travel" sizes which usually last a while, especially if the Hotel provides small sizes too, Hope Nonnie 1 has a good holiday

Right, knickers. I'm a bit intrigued by those who only take a few pairs and wash them on holiday. I always take 2 pairs for each day (I usually shower and change for the evening, especially if in warmer climes), but they take up hardly any room packed into shoes and tucked into corners. Why scrimp on them?

I’m with you, Exalted Wombat.

I live in US and travel to Scotland any chance I can sneak away (may be quite soon, depending on results of this miserable election!)
I am an ex-sheep farmer who now produces documentaries. Go figure!
I don’t even know anybody who owns 14 pairs of underwear or 3 bathing suits or 5 sets of matching brassiere-y things! That’s impressive.

I travel with a carry-on photo backpack full of audio, photo and computer gear. I also carry on large-ish purse with papers, journal, phone, and Kindle. (Where to put all the damn eye-glasses, that’s MY problem!) In the luggage hold I have 1 suitcase with 1 pair of jeans, 1 pair baggy comfortable pants, 1 skirt, 1 very light dancing dress (just in case…), 7 undies, 2 bras, I nighty-ish thing, Teva sandals, trainers or hiking shoes, 2 linen shirts, 2 Turtle necks, 1 wool sweater, 4 pair asst’d weight socks, knitting needles, balls of yarn, waterproof-ish jacket and pants, 1 pair gloves, 1 bathing suit, 1 scarf, 1 headband to wear in a gale. 1 pair cheapo earrings, tiny bit of make-up, sample size shampoo, etc. It’s full, but can be under 40lb. This will last for 2 weeks travel or 3 months of farm sitting in the Highlands. Everything gets hand-washed as needed.
I used to strap a walking stick to side of suitcase with duct tape. Now, I pretend I am really old and use it in airport, so it goes in carry-on.
If I’m staying longer than two weeks, I might have a second small overnight-sized wheely case for my wellies (stuffed with all sorts of odds and ends) and a small tripod. Otherwise I strap tripod to backpack and stuff the wellies into first suitcase and wear the hiking shoes on the place. Or , if staying awhile, travel light and buy new wellies and waterproofs (or camping gear) over there because you have much better stuff. Charity shops are great if you have the time.

I often travel with really junky luggage since it usually gets wet on all those little ferry boats.Sometimes I wear old footwear too, and ditch whatever has worn out before coming home. Yes,I look like a traveling, one-woman-band, but I appear (and am) quite friendly.

hand luggage should contain extra undies, charger for phone, any prescribed medicin, any "valuables"
I pack an extra outfit too if going longhaul because inevitably I get food or drink down me, and sometimes it is nice to have a shower at an airport enroute.

But do be careful to padlock hand luggage, because we have only been with Ryan Air once and they took our hand luggage off us and put it in the hold.

When our children were young we used to go on holiday by train and each of us had our own rucksack. I said to the kids they could take anything they like but they had to carry it. It taught us all how to pack light.
As a general rule of thumb I would say lay everything you'd like to take with youc on your bed, then put half of it away again. Out of what's left, colour co-ordinate your outfits. For a week I usually go for black/white, brown/beige etc. That way one pair of day trousers and one evening pair can be co-ordinated with different tops. Dresses are not essential. One pair of day shoes/sandals and one pair for evenings. Unless you really like washing, take enough underwear to last you. Roll everything rather than fold, no creases that way.
Toiletries should be the travel size, they last a week no problem.
Another thing we do is always take two suitcases with half mine and half husband's stuff in each so that if one case gets lost/left behind (it has happened), we each have clothes to wear until the second one turns up. Even for a two week holiday each of our cases never weighs more than 15kg and for a week no more than 10kg each. My DH takes a small rucksack as hand luggage with, mostly, our medications in plus kindles and iPad. I have a large canvas handbag with lots of pockets which I use as hand luggage (a smaller handbag is packed for use in resort).

I'm packed!

I've just traveled to tenerife to visit my mum with only hand luggage - I can borrow the odd cardy from her. Off to Italy in 2 weeks and we both have 23kg hold luggage with BA - so I shall be packing with gay abandon. Mind you - I only ever take 3 or 4 pairs of panties - wash and go. I have learned from somewhere (gransnet??) to roll up my clothes - they crease less and take up far less room. I tend to buy dresses and tops that don't really crease anyway. I agree with others that sun cream and toiletries can be bought abroad - often cheaper with the Euro rate just now, and another tip - pay shopping and restaurant bills with credit card - Nationwide always give me a better exchange rate on the card. (just an excuse to shop!!) I have bought mosquito repellent from Aldi as it was a bargain.

My dilemma is that we are staying overnight at Gatwick as we fly really early - do I offload my luggage the night before at check-in and stash essential overnight stuff in hand luggage? I really don't want to trail around in the evening with a big case - guess we could dump them in our room..........still pondering on that one. Presume DH will need his shaving stuff - a nono for hand luggage in the morning though. HeyHo watch this space.........

Disposable razor and a bar of soap for shaving? Then just throw them away.

As a general rule of thumb I would say lay everything you'd like to take with youc on your bed, then put half of it away again.
I just laid it all on the bed then packed it all.
Should have read your post first, brenh
DH had to fetch another suitcase for himself out of the attic.

Thanks Jalima - tip for shaving a good one - just have to convince DH.

When I took my mother on holiday I packed the pot and seat of the folding comode in her suitcase and took the frame tabled walking aid. This meant she could manage the loo and when she had a shower I could put it as a seat, with out the pan, under the shower. I also took 2 bars for the walls that gripped through suction. It all worked fine.

DH and I have just got back from Singapore and Borneo and most things we packed were far too hot to wear even though we knew it was going to be hot and humid! Undies not a problem as I tend to wash them every day but had to use hotel laundry (when not in the jungle!) more often than I intended!! Brought back far more than we wore (complete waste of time carrying heavy luggage around) - couldn't get my head round light cargo trousers and normal tee shirts being to hot for comfort!! Hairdryer and straighteners complete waste of time too - hair wet most of the time anyway and not because I'd been swimming !!

Awhile ago I noticed my dentist had small sample tubes of toothpaste and asked if I could take a couple - great for holiday packing, always top up when I'm at the dentist now! Anyone know if you can take disposable razor in hand luggage, never risked it but often wondered, tend to buy a pack for DH on "other side". Also can you take through customs battery tooth brush, again never risked it and always wondered?

We were offered the small tubes of toothpaste from the dentist and took one each - 'take more' said the receptionist - 'take a handful', so we took one more each.

I think a disposable razor will be taken off you at security. I have never taken a battery toothbrush through, we usually just buy an ordinary new one each for the holiday.