S/O How do you pack your clothes?

[alexsmommy]

I pack by outfit. I lay each outfit out complete with underwear, socks etc then roll it all together. So much easier for all of us. Same for pjs. Swim suits go in a mesh bag that also has the goggles and suncreen in a ziploc bag. Shoes are usually packed in plastic bags so they can be used if things are muddy. Carry on has simple/lightweight small to pack outfit for each person traveling (ie for me one piece cotton dress, boys tshirt and "parachute" pants), toiletries and anything else I'd want if our luggage is seperated from us or we get stuck somewhere overnight (chargers, glasses and contact case, small snack for my peanut allergy boys).

It cracked me up watching DS1 pack for camp... he was laying out outfits and asking for help rolling them neatly. He said he was able to get dressed faster than the other boys at camp because he stacked his outfit bundles in his cubby and could just grab one and go. His buddy's mom called me laughing saying her son said she needed to talk to me about how to pack for camp next time.

Just curious how others do it and seeing if I can pick up some more useful tips.

[WatchingThemGrow]

We pack by outfit too. We like to use packing cubes from ebags if we're at a destination just a couple days, then going to a different destination for a couple days, etc. We pack the kids' clothes together as in "kids day 1, kids day 2, etc." We pack all electronics and cords in one zippered bag. We use a packing list on google docs for each kind of trip we do (beach weekend in Fall, summer week in FL, Christmas trip to VA or GA.) Our lists are organized by bag if we are flying or by room if we are driving.

[AngelaS]

I pack by outfits too but I stack instead of roll.

[egoldber]

For me, I don't pack outfits unless it's a work trip. I just pack mix and match separates. I used to do outfits for the kids too, but now they also prefer to just pack separates.

When I send older DD to a short sleepover camp (like a week) I had her put outfits in ziplock bags. Now she does longer camps and has to do laundry while there, so I just make sure she has more than enough clothes to last between laundry days.

[crl]

I pack dd's stuff in outfits, rolled up together. Not my stuff though. And ds is now responsible for packing himself. I just tell him x pairs of underwear, y pairs of pants, etc and then check to make sure he didn't leave a whole category out accidentally.

Catherine

[BabbyO]

I pack in outfits, usually stacked instead of rolled...Pants on the bottom...so if you grab from the pants up, you've got 1 full out fit. Everytime I roll, it seems to take more space in my bags. I pack the same way for myself, unless room is tight and I need to rearrange to fit things better in my bag. (sometimes it works better to stack all pants on one side, shirts on the other then, socks/toiletries in the leftover space by the shirts. BUT I always layout outfits first...and when I unpack they are put in outfits.

[citymama]

Separates for grown ups (except for my work clothing which is usually a suit plus blouse set) and for kids, a mix of outfits and separates. Underwear and socks go into a mesh pocket so it's all in one place in case we need more than one set in a day. Shoes always go into bags - I can't bear to have clean clothes touched by soles that have been everywhere. I like the idea of outfits for kids if they're traveling solo. But I/we travel a lot and my system works well!

[lizzywednesday]

It depends on the trip.

For the 2-Day breast cancer walk I did for 8 years running, I would pack by outfit/location in a zip-top baggie with all the air pressed out to make it water-tight ... and it would always be labeled in pink Sharpie - "Day 1 - Walk"; "Day 1 - Shower"; "Day 1 - Camp"; "Day 2 - Walk"; etc. - in case of brain-fart or other exhaustion-related lapse of judgment. It also prevented over-packing!

For vacations, I count the days & pack 2 more changes of socks/underwear than I will need for the number of days we're traveling, plus DD's stuff.

[KrisM]

I used to pack by outfits and still do for DS2. But, DD changes it up and pulls apart outfits to get to what she wants, so I pack outfits and then separate into piles. I generally unpack when we are somewhere. I use cubes for my own stuff.

[mackmama]

For DC, I pack by outfit and put each outfit in a large ziploc. For myself, I stack separates - so all shirts together, all pants, etc. I'd like to pack myself by outfit, but then various parts of each outfit have to be hung up (skirt or pants) so then the outfit gets broken up anyway when unpacking upon arrival.

[AnnieW625]

I pack by mix and match separates. If I have a general idea of where we might be going I pack appropriate clothes for that destination.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Depends. When we packed ds1 for camp, we did everything for a day in one ziploc. He could pull out Tuesday and it'd have everything it needed in it.

When I have the family, I have been doing that same thing minus baggies (though really, the baggies rock...I have lost all my LL Bean mesh packing cubes but the bags work even if they don't look nice). I lay them in order of being able to pull them out of the bag each morning, ready to go. That's how I do shorter trips since we tend not to unpack.

I really did love those packing cubes and used to just put a whole family member's clothes in 1. Dh could pull all of his shirts out at once, for example.

I use one suitcase for me and dh and 1 for the kids.

[hillview]

totally depends.

For my work trips I plan and pack by outfits (usually 2 outfits a day plus gym clothes) but I don't pack in ziplocs or anything.

For vacation for all of us it is mix and match and all gets put into a duffle bag. We are going for 2 weeks shortly and the boys will have 5 outfits (we will have access to a washer and dryer a few times). DH and I will likely have 4 outfits or so plus gym clothes.

I've done the outfits in ziplocs and the outfits in packing cubes but it turns out to be more hassle than it is worth for me. Only exception is if we are landing late in say London and then changing hotels after one night there, then I pack a separate bag for us all for what we need for that one night/the next day.

[okinawama]

I have yet to get my act together on packing for myself. I usually end up throwing my favorite outfits in a suitcase and grab enough underwear for the trip....that's my plan. I almost always forget something. I'm much more organized when packing for my kids though. I usually pack by outfits, bottoms and tops folded together and then a ziploc bag containing socks and underwear for each boy. I did the outfit in a ziploc bag idea once, and found it to be way more hassle and created a ton of mess, so we never did that again. I usually bring enough outfits for the boys to wear the same outfit twice ( I usually take the amount of days were are going to be at the location and divide it in half and that's how many outfits we bring...). No matter how many days we are going, I only bring two pairs of pj's for the kids and two pairs of shoes.

[hillview]

No matter how many days we are going, I only bring two pairs of pj's for the kids and two pairs of shoes.
:yeahthat:

[Dream]

I pack by outfit. I lay each outfit out complete with underwear, socks etc then roll it all together. So much easier for all of us. Same for pjs. Swim suits go in a mesh bag that also has the goggles and suncreen in a ziploc bag. Shoes are usually packed in plastic bags so they can be used if things are muddy. Carry on has simple/lightweight small to pack outfit for each person traveling (ie for me one piece cotton dress, boys tshirt and "parachute" pants), toiletries and anything else I'd want if our luggage is seperated from us or we get stuck somewhere overnight (chargers, glasses and contact case, small snack for my peanut allergy boys).

It cracked me up watching DS1 pack for camp... he was laying out outfits and asking for help rolling them neatly. He said he was able to get dressed faster than the other boys at camp because he stacked his outfit bundles in his cubby and could just grab one and go. His buddy's mom called me laughing saying her son said she needed to talk to me about how to pack for camp next time.

Just curious how others do it and seeing if I can pick up some more useful tips.

This is great, I'm going to follow this method in the future. I pack by outfit too but don't roll it with undies and socks etc. so as a result I always have to dig for the rest of the items and If DH is dressing them I have to layout everything for him. With your method anyone can just grab an outfit and dress them. So much easier.

Thank you for posting.

[bostonsmama]

I, too, try to bring some interchangeable separates: a few neutral bottoms (tailored jeans for day trip into dinner, a black roll-waist skirt, khaki or white shorts in summer), then 2-3 tailored tops for restaurants/museums, 3-5 t-shirts for lounging/beach/shopping, and 2 cardigans/sweaters. It's the shoes (and sometimes coats) I save room for: Reef flip flops or tall boots, ballet flats, a cozy walking shoe, sometimes heels if it's a fancier trip. I flat-pack almost everything. I usually just wear my diamond pendant instead of hauling lots of costume jewelry.

DD gets coordinated outfits where all the bottoms could theoretically go with all the tops since DH tends to ignore grouped outfits and pick whichever tops and bottoms are at the top of the suitcase or dresser. I flat pat hers as well. I find her clothing is so small that it unrolls in a suitcase and wrinkles. I also tried the plastic bags but found it annoying and wasteful.

[SummerBaby]

I pack by outfit. I lay each outfit out complete with underwear, socks etc then roll it all together. So much easier for all of us. Same for pjs. Swim suits go in a mesh bag that also has the goggles and suncreen in a ziploc bag. Shoes are usually packed in plastic bags so they can be used if things are muddy. Carry on has simple/lightweight small to pack outfit for each person traveling (ie for me one piece cotton dress, boys tshirt and "parachute" pants), toiletries and anything else I'd want if our luggage is seperated from us or we get stuck somewhere overnight (chargers, glasses and contact case, small snack for my peanut allergy boys).

It cracked me up watching DS1 pack for camp... he was laying out outfits and asking for help rolling them neatly. He said he was able to get dressed faster than the other boys at camp because he stacked his outfit bundles in his cubby and could just grab one and go. His buddy's mom called me laughing saying her son said she needed to talk to me about how to pack for camp next time.

Just curious how others do it and seeing if I can pick up some more useful tips.

WOW! You rock! I usually just throw stuff in a suitcase and totally overpack. You have inspired me for our upcoming Disney trip!

[edurnemk]

WOW! You rock! I usually just throw stuff in a suitcase and totally overpack. You have inspired me for our upcoming Disney trip!

Same here, :rotflmao: I usually pack mix and match separates, and since I unpack everything as soon as we arrive at our destination, it works for me (hate living out of a suitcase). But the rolling up outfit idea is genius for certain situations, thanks for the tip OP!

[TxCat]

Wow! I'm impressed by some of these organizational tips!

Mix and match separates. I try to bring a lot of neutral pieces that will work across multiple outfits to pack fewer overall pieces. Usually 1-2 sets of pajamas, 1-2 bras (includes the one I travel in), and enough underwear for a daily change + 1. And at least one set of workout gear. What always kills me though are shoes. I can almost never get away with fewer than 3 pairs of shoes, and often I end up with 4-5 pairs of shoes. :bag It's a sickness.

[Dream]

I have a question for those who roll each outfit, do you store the rolled outfit into a packing cube? So everything sits tightly together. If not how do you ensure it doesn't unroll?

Or does anyone know how many rolled outfits(kids) will fit into a large packing cube?

TIA