I have a confession: I’m a crap packer…

I have a confession…I’m the worst packer in history.

Fortunately my husband is one of the best.

I’m a last minute packer.

I’m a no planning packer.

I’m a no list packer.

I’m a roll it up and shove it all in the suitcase packer.

The best example of this was the first time I went to Hong Kong.

I was travelling for work for a week with a colleague. Because it was a last minute trip and we were getting the kitchen ripped out while I was away, and I had an article due, I left even thinking about the trip until after the word count was done and the kitchen emptied out.

As a result, I didn’t even start packing until he called to say he was in the car leaving his house.

Twenty minutes later as the car pulled up outside my place, I zipped the suitcase closed. I really had no idea what was inside it, but figured I could buy whatever I needed over there.

Later that night at Hong Kong airport, we realised that the one thing both of us had forgotten was Hong Kong dollars. Luckily between the two of us we had enough aussie to change for sufficient HKD to get two tickets on the train into the city, plus a coffee and a donut each…. following which he was sent off in search of an ATM to get the cash we needed for a taxi to the hotel.

Anyways, that night when I opened my suitcase, everything had moved and squashed. It’s always a little like that after I pack- no matter how long I take.

When my husband packs, everything arrives as it was packed.

He folds and he rolls and he bags shoes and shampoos. He fills the gaps with undies and socks and small stuff, and layers it all. Then he fastens it all in place with those claspy things inside the bag.

I use those claspy things too, but I generally pile clothes into two towering piles, shove the toiletry bags in the centre and shove shoes somewhere in the middle.  Then I pull the claspy things rather ineffectually over the mess.

Inevitably, during the flight, the piles topple into each other.

The thing is, as messy as my method is, I know where everything is in the bag.

His layers are so neat, and usually mix all of our clothes together, so by the time I find what I’m looking for, it doesn’t really look a whole lot different to if I’d packed it in the first place!

Oh, and in defence of myself, aside from the Hong Kong dollars incident, I’ve never yet forgotten anything important…

What’s your packing method?

Are you neat and tidy? Do you use a list? Are you a last minute packer like me or just a little more prepared?

This post is a link up with My Home Truths…