I have all my clothes and most everything ready to go except for last minute stuff. I roll my clothes, and would love to get started, because I know I’ll have to redistribute between my carryon and backpack.
We leave Friday, I’d pack Thursday if I waited. Since I roll everything, I don’t think they’d get anymore wrinkled today than they would if I leave it to the night before, don’t you agree? Or not?
I start the packing process up to a week ahead of time by doing some pre-packing and weighing of items. But for the final pack, I always pack at least the day before, if not 2 days ahead. One day won't make a difference in wrinkling and that way you'll have it done and can relax (a bit) and think if you've missed anything.
I liken it to writing a paper or essay. You always want a rest period after you finish it and before it's submitted. You come back to it the next day with your refreshed brain and you can more easily spot errors. That's how it is with packing. Get your clothes packed and then just take a break from it, and later you can think if there's anything you're missing. OR want to switch out.
I start packing about a week before the flight. Many small items like socks and underwear are the first items to go in my suitcase. I look at my toiletry bag and make sure have what I want. I review my packing list based on the weather report for where I'm going and adjust the packing on the anticipated weather.
I pull out clothing items a few days before and sit them in the open suitcase. Final packing doesn't happen until the day before the trip.
It depends, in part, on how much your clothes actually wrinkle, and how much you care.
My travel clothes don't wrinkle much, and I care even less, so it hardly matters. However, I also hung a small rod outside the closet that is under my stairs. I can hang travel clothes there as early as I like to make choices. And I only ever put one top in my backpack, so no decisions for me there.
Hi Lulu, I don’t travel with items that wrinkle, but I would think your results would be the same regardless of a day or two ahead. I heard once that packing with tissue paper helps avoid wrinkles - in case that helps.
To answer the question, “”How many days ahead do I pack?””, I have a custom packing list that I reprint each trip. I have some staple clothing items that usually go - such as 1-2 pairs of black pants & some dress that’s easy to sink wash & dry. After I select those & others by lightest weight, I hang those on the closet doorway in the guest bedroom a month ahead. I do a couple of trial packs a month ahead & a week ahead. Those are both to make sure everything physically fits into my bag and also so I can walk around with my packed travel bag that goes on my back. That helps me know the bag is ready & I am physically ready - LOL! Each time, only items written on the list get packed & I check them off. This helps because there’s the chance to make sure I have everything & check expiration dates, etc.
My final pack is done 2-3 days ahead.
I only have one overseas trip per year, so packing is very much one of the exciting parts!
I make lists and start putting likely items in the suitcase I plan to take about 6 weeks before.
Then I can see if I need to buy anything new .
It gets edited now and again until the day before, when I do the final pack and close the case.
From the first day till 6 weeks later, I what I do end up bringing always changes quite a bit.
I wear the same things at home as when I travel. So it is a question only of washing them. All in all no more than 2 days ahead of time. I use a list, so all goes smoothly.
All great comments above! And no, they shouldn't wrinkle any more if you pack a day or 2 earlier. I usually leave clothing out on the dining room table until the day before, so I can see everything that's getting packed & not have any last minute temptations to add things! Of course your shoes, undies, whatever can be packed far ahead of time. In fact, I pre-pack when I arrive home from a trip, a number of items live in my carryon!
And I finally bought a luggage rack I store under stairs, it's so nice not to be bending over constantly while packing. Hope you have a wonderful trip!
It depends on the trip. When we had a camper van for one trip, I was packing weeks in advance to make sure we had all the gear we needed.
We are headed to Alaska next month, so need our serious winter gear. We are already putting stuff on the packing bed and this weekend we will really sort through and make a list. I do not want to forget something crucial and arrive to -40 degrees.
If it is a city trip, then the week before just so I can make sure that all the laundry is done etc.
In September my friend and I heard back to Iceland. Thank goodness we did not try to pack the day of. We both had had our bags at our doors for about 2-3 days prior. The day of, I got a text that our flight was cancelled. We rushed like you can't even imagine and ran out of the house and to the airport and caught the one earlier flight. If we had not packed, we would not have made it.
"Collecting" vs "Packing" are two separate processes for me.
Generally, several weeks out I have already set out a small box to collect stuff I don't want to forget for the trip and don't want to have to chase down at the last minute. The travel charger or a money belt or some electronic doodad I might need or even printed documents can all be collected there.
About a week out, the luggage comes out and is opened up with the stuff stored inside taken out. That stuff is things like over the door toiletry bag, our "dirty wash" bag, assorted travel adapters, some travel shampoos/soaps/sundries, and other stuff that really only gets potentially taken & used on a vacation. With the bag open & now empty, we can start adding clothing we want to bring/consider bringing. I often will count out things like underwear and socks and set them in there, and the same with bathing suits or sun shirts or whatever I know I won't need before then. My wife generally rolls everything we can. And, if going skiing, we usually opt for "compression bags" that will make our bulky stuff much less cumbersome.
Packing of the checked bag(s) usually takes place a FULL day ahead so that even if we get derailed a bit, we're good to go with the checked luggage. The carryon luggage is usually a lot of the stuff in the "collection box" plus water bottles, electronics, and snacks, and that is finalized well before we head off to the airport.
Packing is definitely a multi-step process for me! I start by compiling the list of all the things I need to take. Then I put together the first aid/bathroom items (that I don't need the morning of travel) and make sure everything is in the electronics bag. About a week before travel, I put aside all the clothes in the closet. Make sure they are clean and in good repair. I do the same with the shoes (always broken in beforehand). I usually pack the day before, making last minute adjustments as needed.
The mental process starts a few months before. Do I need new shirts, pants, shoes, etc. What kind of jacket might I need, and do I need a lightweight AND a sweater? As the date gets closer, the mental list becomes more focused.
I only travel with carryon luggage plus a daypack. In my daypack (goes by my feet), is one complete change of clothing, my most important bathroom stuff (pills and makeup), electronics bag, and enough room to put my crossbody purse. On my body, I have my heaviest shoes plus my lightweight/sweater. My carryon, which fits in the overhead above my seat, has everything else.
But no, I don't think it matter when you pack your stuff if you're only talking about a day or two. It will still get somewhat wrinkled.
I have a travel excel worksheet with several pages, one of which is my packing plan. I start working on it as soon as I have my air booked. I even take a stab at what to wear. Needless to say it gets lots of updates during the weeks/months prior to the BIG trip. The wardrobe planning helps me determine what I need to replace. I start packing a week before take off. At this point I am just laying out everything on my list. I don't start putting in my bags until a couple days prior to the trip. When I get home one of the first tasks after unpacking is to update the list with things I don't need and suggestions for additional items. BTW I don't weigh each item, but I do weigh the bag after it is packed & do a test lift to be sure it isn't too heavy.
I travel with a carryon bag and backpack and often am away for 3+ weeks, which can be a challenge. A few weeks before my trip I start thinking about a color palette, something like navy, cream and brown. As my travel date gets closer, I make a general list of items - 3 pairs of pants, leggings, a skirt or dress, tops, sweaters, underclothes, socks, accessories, etc. A couple of days before takeoff, I start making piles of specific garments and doublecheck my toilet kit. I don’t actually take my luggage out until the day before I fly because it upsets my dog. Packing happens the night before I depart.
I'm a procrastinator. I pack the night before leaving. If I'm lucky, I'm washing the clothes I need by 7 pm. I'm grabbing a Rick Steves book off my shelf at 9 pm to run through his packing list as I throw everything together. About midnight, I finish, and I swear I will never wait that long again.
Then the next trip rolls around. The same thing happens.
It happened about 5 nights ago as I prepared for my current Mayan ruins trip on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.
The day before.
