How long to pack for a trip?

[Himeno]

When you are packing for a trip, on average, how long does it take you?

Does it change depending on the length or reason for trip?

 

[DC3]

5 weeks to the USA (in winter)/ Mexico takes me a bit longer to check what’s needed compared to a long-weekend in Cairns

 

[747sp]

For work trips it takes 10 minutes and usually just before I go bed the night before.
For holidays it takes longer maybe 2 hours as Mrs 747sp will want to take the right clothes for the weather and location.
For big trips we may use a spare bedroom to put stuff we want to take.
Our main thing to remember is passports,meditation and credit cards. Everything else is an inconvenience or can be bought.

 

[serfty]

30-60, although I do make sure my headphones and backup battery are appropriately charged sometime earlier.

 

[RooFlyer]

If the trip is not HLO then I’ll start putting things next to the case in a spare bedroom probably two weeks before. Just bits and pieces as I think of them.

Recharge everything, including outside security stuff day prior.

Then the day or night before, I will probably take half an hour to pack finally, put things in layers, photographing them, maybe changing around a bit

 

[Princess Fiona]

I only ever travel HLO. It takes me under an hour to pack. I have a basic toiletries set up ready to go at all times and packing cubes for my clothes. It’s a bit more of a challenge for varied climates eg Europe / North America in January along with Asia in between but I can still do all packing under an hour.

 

[offshore171]

Does it change depending on the length or reason for trip?

Definitely there’s a big difference between packing for a routine business trip at one end of the scale.

Compared against packing for a northern hemisphere ski trip for example, where you’re digging out a bunch of gear and technical equipment that you haven’t looked at for almost a year.

 

[SYD]

For longer trips, I often start a few weeks out depending on the destination climate and what I’m planning to do while I’m away.
I try and pack for 1 or 2 wks. ie a 4 week trip is 2x2 weeks. A strategic AirBnB with washing machine half way through overcomes the risk /desire to pack too much and then lugging a large suitcase around. You can also put the washing on and go and do something rather than wasting hours sitting in a laundromat…

 

[DC3]

I try and pack for 1 or 2 wks. ie a 4 week trip is 2x2 weeks. A strategic AirBnB with washing machine half way through overcomes the risk /desire to pack too much and then lugging a large suitcase around. You can also put the washing on and go am do something rather than wasting hours sitting in a laundromat…

I certainly take enough clothing so as not to be doing laundry every couple of days, preferably travelling with at least 7 days supply.

 

[Himeno]

I try to book somewhere with washing machines at least once per week away

 

[p--and--t]

Definitely there’s a big difference between packing for a routine business trip at one end of the scale

Definitely. Back when I travelled every few days for work sometimes with less than 2hrs notice, less than 15mins to pack. I had duplicates of everything I needed, wet pack, shaver, bathers, etc. Throw in a few pieces of business attire and go.

Big difference to planning a 3 months holiday to North America which included everything from activities such as cruise, wedding, coach touring, train journeys, glaciers and weather from mid Alaska to the southern states of US. All confined to max of 23kg per person by coach company.

I try to book somewhere with washing machines at least once per week away

Yep. Packing schedule for approx one weeks of requirements and either accommodation with washing facilities or 10mins walk from a highly reviewed laundry.

 

[tgh]

2-3 weeks nowadays, although historically for business about 30 min….
I thought I might get a few wows but see that some others are also "long packers"
We use a spare bedroom each ; I start with everything I think I might need and work backwards to a -20kg target.
Free laundry on a cruise is a godsend and these days we usually arrive home with clean suitcases
Major challenge these days is to get the communication electronics right, with enough chargers connectors and adaptors.
I don't "get" the HLO concept, seems like a hair shirt mindset….
We don't have to manage luggage much on our holidays and we like to have a decent selection of clothes and shoes

 

[Pushka]

MrP packs in around 2 hours. But this assumes everything he wants to take is clean. Another story.

I'm starting to isolate clothes I want to take to Japan in April which I can do as it's a spring trip and it will be full on summer here until we leave.

 

[Quickstatus]

No more than 15min

 

[Forg]

Does this include procrastination time, or is it just the actual physical shoving-of-things-in-bags?
I doubt I spend more than about 15 minutes with the shoving-of-things-in-bags, but the actual planning and working-out what I’m wearing on a daily basis before leaving such that the correct clothes are washed/ironed ready to go (and that I have something to wear upon return) starts 2 weeks (2 washing cycles) beforehand … going to the northern hemisphere probably helps in some ways as it’s often “opposite season”.

 

[VPS]

Business trips were so easy - you always had spare toiletries ready to go and could pack in less than 15 minutes. Bag was always at the front door for the early starts.

Holidays - depends how long - I've had some six months and two to three months so that takes some thinking about because of temperature variation. Filling the suitcase then taking some out. I rarely overpack

 

[luxury-lizard]

For longer trips (e.g. 3+ weeks) I usually spend most of the day prior packing using a packing list - I also pack for Mr LL. Most of the time is spent deciding what to pack (e.g. packing list may state T-Shirts but not how many, what color, etc). All my friends laugh at me but if we're staying in any holiday apartments I need to assemble and pack my "portable kitchen" (sharp knives, tea towels, dishwasher tabs, kitchen gloves, foil, glad wrap, etc etc etc).

 

[Tiki]

To stuff everything in the bag would be less than 30 min. But I start a few weeks ahead to choose outfits, shoes, accessories, camera gear for birding, charge all the batteries. Get the small travel laptop charged, updated. Weigh bags if it's relevant to the airline. Last minute changes. On birding trips I bring old clothes and toss them after they get dirty or muddy leaving room for shopping. Trips to Turkiye need good clothes as Turkish women dress nicely I have to fit in.

 

[woodyren]

Our trips are often for a few months or more. This theme has been pretty constant for many years.

Step one is being reminded constantly for a few days prior to our trip that I need to pack.

Once I get rolling it takes me 15-20 minutes to fill my suitcase. I don't use checklists and we have not ever (touch wood) forgotten anything import over many years of travel.

It then takes Mrs Woodyren 10 minutes to tell me how I packed everything poorly and me to argue that it's fine.

Then another 30 minutes for her to pull it all out and rearrange stuff plus IF we are still talking another 10 minutes for me to explain that it would probably be a better outcome and save us both time if she just packed my stuff in the first place.

We head off for 6 months in a few weeks and I expect things will be no different this time.

 

[p--and--t]

Our trips are often for a few months or more. This theme has been pretty constant for many years.

Step one is being reminded constantly for a few days prior to our trip that I need to pack.

Once I get rolling it takes me 15-20 minutes to fill my suitcase. I don't use checklists and we have not ever (touch wood) forgotten anything import over many years of travel.

It then takes Mrs Woodyren 10 minutes to tell me how I packed everything poorly and me to argue that it's fine.

Then another 30 minutes for her to pull it all out and rearrange stuff plus IF we are still talking another 10 minutes for me to explain that it would probably be a better outcome and save us both time if she just packed my stuff in the first place.

We head off for 6 months in a few weeks and I expect things will be no different this time.

There's lots of ads on QLD TV atm about controlling behaviour.