When do you unpack?

I unpack almost immediatly.. since I am the elected laundry queen at our house, ,, and we tend not to do laundry on vacation.. so lots to do when we get home.

I will say the suitcases do sit for a day ot two with assorted "stuff" in them some times,, and then often another few days before I finally get hubby to do his part( suitcases are stored in basement,, his job,, LOL )

It depends upon how much I buy along the way. Sometimes it takes months to get unpacked and reorganized. I usually get everything out the bags and put the bags away but the extra bedroom has piles of stuff in them. One friend just leaves her bag out and starts packing for the next trip if she is going again in a couple of months.:D

Pat, we do take out dirty clothes for the laundry, but other than that, we tend to leave them lying around. Our Christmas tree is still up! Planning to take it down this coming weekend.

We don't have a basement, so I have to send the kids to the attic with ours which they LOVE doing,LOL

I unpack everything within a day or two. On my last trip (got back from Europe Dec 18) I had everything unpacked the next morning as the suitcase set that I'd bought from Costco just for the trip didn't hold up at all. (note: make sure your suitcases actually have inline skate wheels!)

I unpack the bags within the day following getting home, but I'm slower about actually putting away the things I take out. Some things, like gifts, have no "home" at my house, so they sit around until I am going to see the person I bought them for. And I'm usually more occupied with assembling journals and pictures than putting things away.

I unpack soon after I get back, just to get the gifts and new stuff out, but I leave my dirty/old clothes around or in the luggage until I decide to wash them. They go directly to the washer.

I'm a procrastinator, but my husband unpacks immediately upon arriving home, so I usually just join in and get it all done. Of course it depends on our arrival time at home. We arrived one night at midnight and didn't bother with it until the next day.

I am the Laundry Queen at our house too, and so our bags get emptied upon arrival home. I hate waking up to the "suitcase bomb" in the living room. The misc stuff(souvenirs,menu's,bus tickets,gifts) get put in a basket for distribution a few days later.

It has not escaped my notice that only females or those with female screen names have responded. Including me. It's not the most interesting or useful thread, is it. My husband would label it "small talk".

To Norma...Meow. The thread reflects I think the realities of real life, political correctness be damned.

On behalf of the other gender, I respond. I used to unpack and promptly wash and put away everything as fast as I could. Now that I am retired, I unpack as far as the toothbrush, and the rest ,well, let's just say I have grown more tolerant of suitcases as furniture and socks as throwrugs.

My husband has usually emptied his suitcase with in 30 min. of his stepping in the front door. I usually wait a few hours or until the next morning. Clothes are washed and put away next day. When you pack light, clean up when you get home is not overwhelming!

Hi all,

We unpack as soon as we get home. Well, at least the night we get home. Believe it or not, this means everything... and we aren't "light packers" to begin with. The next day is very relaxing at least. Oh, the latest we've arrived home is about 10pm.

Paul

I unpack within a day or two, but not everything. There's a corollary--are there things that you always leave in your suitcase? I do! I have a toiletries kit that never leaves it. I also have little portable dryer, I store my ditty bags and stuff bags in the suitcase. I have one little bag that has a spare pair of glasses, bathroom clothesline, and a compass. Wouldn't want to get lost! ; ) It used to have a swiss army knife in it, but new rules removed it. Pam

I pack very light so when I get home, the few clothes I've taken with me are unpacked right away and put in the laundry basket. By the next day, the rest of the stuff is sorted. Some of it is taken out and the rest is kept in the luggage ready for the next trip. I'll just note what supplies need to be replenished.

I must say that this thread got me motivated to finally "unpack" the little baggies that held meds, makeup etc. which I would leave lying around on my dresser for weeks, so you see Norma, it is useful after all!

Pamela, I like your idea of leaving those things that you will reuse on another trip in the suitcase. Makes a lot of sense. I decided to get my son to bring down one of the suitcases and then I repacked a few things that we always need for the trip. Thanks for that tip :-)

Personally, I'm thrilled to find out that others procrastinate to some degree just like I do (or worse)!

Like Norma, I keep one bag packed with my ditty bag and cubes all the time. Funny you used the term "ditty". A couple of years I used that term to an older traveler and he said "I haven't heard that term in ages". I get the laundry started the next day but it may take me weeks to get the souvenirs and gifts distributed. I still have some on my desk from an October trip!

I also leave certain items in my suitcase all the time. I am a light packer, so have many items I use over and over and they basically remain in my suitcase for next time. I do have a spare bedroom where I leave my suitcase out on the bed until needed for the next trip. One item is my travel towel (after being washed, of course, for the next time). I have packing cubes that I leave also. I have a small cube I keep my meds in and always replenish the supply as soon as I get home for my next adventure. Also my bathroom bag, which I also replenish each time (shampoo, Qtips, bar soap, etc.) It sure makes it easy when we need to leave on short notice. Great question. I like hearing what others do. Usually find a good idea here and there also.

Great comments!! What do YOU leave in your suitcase packed for your next trip - in the USA or for your next overseas trip?
I am always thinking "what do I need" when I decide to take a quick get away from home in the US. Thanks for your "packing list" to leave in your suitcase.
b

Some of the things I leave in my bag are: packing cubes, ziploc bags, laundry bag, locks, daybag, universal travel charger and adaptor plugs, toiletry kit (this will be replenished just prior to my next trip), moneybelt (this way I know where it is), laundry kit, ear plugs, eye mask, travel alarm clock, tiny flashlight, umbrella (very small).

My wife and I unpack and have everything put in its place within 24 hours.I make notes about what we took and didnt need and also what I needed and didnt take along.

Ditto to Frank's items plus I keep an ziplock bag with office/desk supplies (post -it notes and flags, pens, Sharpie, address book, glue stick, sm notebook,& sm journal, etc) in my to-go bag.I also recently put in a small bungee cord.

Frank and Audrey,
Thank you for your lists of what you keep in your travel bag. I keep most of it in a drawer but then I have to start looking at my "to take list" to make sure I have it all. I put scotch tape and masking tape around a ballpoint pen. I will get my bag ready to go...
My husband just retired so now we have all the time in the world to travel but no income to pay for it. :-) I'll figure something out. We live in Oregon and I'm ready for some sunshine. Thanks again for all the information.

A friend told me she leaves a list of clothing/items taken and what she actually used!

That's not a bad idea.