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  • Packing your luggage

    Tell me, which system do you use to pack your luggage? Do you pack everything in advance? The morning you depart? Do you pack yourself or do you let someone pack your luggage and than yell at this person on the cell phone because he/she forgot to pack in your favourite teddy bear ()?

    Personally, I start to build up a huge pile of stuff I have to take with me 5 or 6 days before I start my journey, than pack it the evening prior to departure. I'd never let anyone else pack my stuff for this person would certainly forget some important things.
    Positive sides about this method: I almost never forget important stuff- and if I do it's my own fault.
    Drawbacks:
    -The room where I pile my stuff up can look quite messy when I do longer journeys (I don't bother putting the stuff Into my bags because I'd certainly have to take it out again later, so they just sit on a side of the pile, making it even bigger)
    -I can't blame anybody for my mistakes
    Capslock is cruise control for cool... not!

    See you at W:O:A 2010- rain or shine!

  • #2
    I do all my own packing.

    Starts with an assessment of the mission, and luggagery required.

    I also have a checklist of stuff - with two blank spaces for T-2 days and T-3 hours. This is because some stuff needs to go into only at the last minute, whereas some stuff goes in much earlier.

    The excel file I use for the checklist has 3 different climates - Summer/Winter and Tropical. And I select the appropriate one.

    Common to all 3 tabs will be the core categories - passport/money pouch/cosmetics/makeup/underwear/electrical stuff/medicines if applicable.

    I just tick them off as I go along, being very careful to not "skip" steps just because a particular item from the "electrical list" is handy when I'm doing the "cosmetics" list at the time. Doing it in an orderly fashion ensures i don't miss out on anything.

    Leroy and Bubba go in last of all, but I never forget them

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    • #3
      I pack my own luggage.

      I have no method. I open my bag to air it out the night before, and start chucking in random stuff the morning of departure. I figure as long as I have my passport and ATM/credit cards with me, anything else I may inadvertently forget can be replaced.

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      • #4
        Pack my own (I have no one to pack for me)

        Normally start packing about 5 minutes after I should have left for the airport. Grab any suitcase dump a load of clothes into it and hope I havn't fogotten too much.

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        • #5
          I also use checklists, however have not prepared them in / converted them to an Excel sheet yet. I actually think the best way to do this is to make an Access database, select which items apply prior to and depending on each trip, then print them automatically like a checklist-report.

          My checklists include four main categories, namely clothes / accessories / toiletries / electricals. On the evening before the trip, I make the final check, going through every item in the lists. I have found this to be a very good way of (almost) not forgetting anything essential.

          I always pack on my own the day before at the latest. 'Mission assessment' as SQflyergirl calls it naturally comes before packing the luggage(s), normally 5-6 days prior to the day of travel.

          Big headache each time is the photo gear I intend to carry. Normally it is desirable to have with me a camera body with two lenses minimum, but they are heavy and hence not easy to carry around, especially if you decide to put a few in the bag. Photo gear never goes in the luggage, I always carry it with me in a special bag. In the event I know beforehand I am not in a mood to take any pictures at all, I always carry with me a compact camera or camera/videocamera combination, just in case.

          During my last trip this Xmas I also found that a simple zipped-front sweater is the only thing I need to wear on top of my shirt. Light to carry from through transit and perfect in keeping you warm enough onboard, during summer or winter.
          Last edited by N_Architect; 15 January 2008, 01:31 PM. Reason: typo correction

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          • #6
            always pack by myself 3 hours before the flight. never made a mistake.. till now. ha

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Savage25 View Post
              I figure as long as I have my passport and ATM/credit cards with me, anything else I may inadvertently forget can be replaced.
              Exactly my sentiments (plus paper airtix, if any)!

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              • #8
                Never had packed my bags earlier then needed, normally a few hours before I dpeart home for airport.

                No checklist needed...... but assess where I am going and what I am going to do...
                .
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                This is a computer generated message, no signature required....

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                • #9
                  Pack my own, usually the night before departure. The first thing I do is dump the most important stuff (passport, airtix, deodourant, fragrances, hair product) into my carry-on. Then open my wardrobe, do a quick assessment of what would work for the specific trip with trip length, dress code/s and climate/s in mind, and simply dump everything into the suitcase. The whole process usually takes me 10-15 mins.
                  All opinions shared are my own, and are not necessarily those of my employer or any other organisation of which I'm affiliated to.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by KeithMEL View Post
                    Pack my own, usually the night before departure. The first thing I do is dump the most important stuff (passport, airtix, deodourant, fragrances, hair product) into my carry-on. Then open my wardrobe, do a quick assessment of what would work for the specific trip with trip length, dress code/s and climate/s in mind, and simply dump everything into the suitcase. The whole process usually takes me 10-15 mins.
                    that's exactly the way I do it. hah
                    Home is where your heart is.

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                    • #11
                      My wife packs them... I just need to remember passport, money, C/C, and e-ticket

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                      • #12
                        I always say I want to be packed a day or so before hand. But more often than not it is the night before. I leave a spot for all the bathroom stuff and pop that in before I leave. I have perfected now how to fold my business shirts so they dont need too much of a tidy up at the hotel. And there is a set order how everything goes in.

                        My carry on is packed with 2 laptops, camera, a selection of cables and plus, a change for transit shower run and whatever products that can pass the 100ml test. and always pack some baby wipes.. they are the stain/spill savior!

                        Gotta`say impressed that some have lists ready to go at will. Must remember on my next trip to pack tropical and then freeze in Beijing at -7. I knew that long cashmere jacket i bought in Bulgaria would come in handy.

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                        • #13
                          I'm the only person who packs my bags. Similar to SQflyergirl, I have checklists in an Excel file (one for domestic trips, one for international trips, one for day trips) but I don't use them as often as I once did. I have travel sets of many items, from toiletries to chargers to laptop, and they tend to stay in one of my bags when I'm not traveling. I usually end up packing the day before I leave, but sometimes farther in advance depending on my schedule...I'll sometimes be coming back from one trip & running to my car to switch rollaboards before heading out on the next trip a few hours later. I've had more than a few times where I've had rollaboards (or other bags) for two more trips packed & waiting in the car while I'm gone on the first trip.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by cawhite View Post
                            I'll sometimes be coming back from one trip & running to my car to switch rollaboards before heading out on the next trip a few hours later. I've had more than a few times where I've had rollaboards (or other bags) for two more trips packed & waiting in the car while I'm gone on the first trip.
                            Sigh I'm familiar with that experience.

                            Didn't someone once ask you to pack some (OK, a lot ) of stuff for him?

                            My business trip packing is pretty routine. It's my leisure trips that need more strategizing: What weather(s)? What occasions / venues? Gym or not? Transit [so will have a chance to shower] or point-to-point?

                            The common theme to those is that I try to pack one day's worth of a change in clothes and some basic toiletries in my carryon, in case something goes wrong with the luggage handling.
                            ‘Lean into the sharp points’

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by jjpb3 View Post
                              ...Didn't someone once ask you to pack some (OK, a lot ) of stuff for him? ...
                              By "a lot", do you mean enough to fill a 30" pseudo-rollaboard?

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