FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Time it takes to pack & unpack, and any strategy for not having to repeat each time?
Old Nov 26, 2017, 9:05 pm
  #23  
CDTraveler
 
Join Date: May 2005
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Originally Posted by evergrn
If I'm going to Jpn or HKG in the summer time, I assume needing two sets of clothes (shirt, underwear, socks) per day. For a family of 4, that adds up. A 25" suitcase typically holds about 6 sets of clothes for a family of 4, which is good for ~3 hot days (eg, summer in Jpn) or 6 normal days (eg, spring in Jpn), but I still need additional space for jackets, toiletries, electrical devices, etc.
The neighborhood laundry could be your best friend. In HKG I know there are hundreds of small laundry businesses where you drop off the clothing in the morning, pick it up in the afternoon. I can't quote an exact price on what they charge now, but I'm sure it's less than what luxury hotels charge.

Originally Posted by evergrn
Plus, with our ~4 annual trips to Asia, we always bring back a bunch of purchases for ourselves and some gifts for few people. I tried the vacuum-sealable bags a while back to deal with this, but it didn't work out. Hence, one checked luggage is never enough for a week-long trip. For our recent week-long trip, we ended up taking 2 checked bags, 1 carry-on.
2 and 1 per person, or total? If you're taking that many bags times 4 people, you're definitely overpacking. Try packing an empty sturdy canvas duffle (LL Bean makes great ones) and use it as a dirty clothes bag during the trip. That gives you a convenient way to haul the clothes to the laundry and back, and then you can use to haul home clothes and stuff your purchases into the suitcase.
Originally Posted by evergrn
On the way back, though, every bag was packed. I think another policy of mine that maybe complicates the packing process is that I insist on packing all the essentials and one day's worth of clothes in the carry-on in case the checked bag doesn't make it to the destination. As I'm writing this, I'm realizing all of these personal policies that are making things more complicated. Precaution against checked bag not making it, allowing space for purchases abroad to bring back, not wanting to have to do laundry while traveling, not able to justify keeping an entirely separate set of travel-specific clothes/devices (since I'm only on the road ~50 days out of the year) .....
You don't need complete outfits for everybody in the carry-ons, a change of underwear will get you through until either bag arrives or you can hit a store. As for essentials, well, we all define those differently. For me, that's travel documents, medications,a toothbrush but not the full toiletries kit, anything irreplaceable or valuable (jewelry, electronics) and a book to read on the plane.

Originally Posted by evergrn
Almost everything I pack for trips are things I use at home and each thing has its own rightful place in different area of the house for everyday use. My laptop is my one and only home computer, and just walking to my study, unpacking and restoring that alone takes a good minute or more. There're all these other things that I have to do the same for... electric toothbrush, noise-cancelling headphone, jacket, swim goggles, sunglasses, electric shaver, etc, etc. So it really adds up. Having said that, I realize that 90min still seems too long, and I can't figure out why it takes me so long..
Do you take out 1 item at a time, put it away and then take out another single item? Have you tried grouping the items, say laptop, headphones and any other electronics in one trip, shaver, toothbrush, toiletries in the next, and so on?

Originally Posted by evergrn
My toiletry stuff has a 1-week pill case for daily vitamins/supplements, as well as a subcomponent that has little containers to hold skin care lotions and cream to facilitate bringing onboard the carry-on. For me, it's not as simple as just grabbing my toiletry bag, as the liquid skin care product containers and pill cases need to be refilled for each trip..
Again, it's about using time effectively. When you unpack from one trip, refill the containers before you put the bag away, then next time it's ready.

Originally Posted by evergrn
I really hate spending extras at hotels, but maybe hotel laundry service is something I need to start looking into. What would be the normal range of price for laundry at a Hilton or a Conrad in, say, Tokyo, Hawaii, Hong Kong?<br />(Most Hiltons/Conrads in Asia I've stayed at offer free pressing service for certain # of clothes for those on executive floors. I wish they offered free laundry instead.)
Hotels are the expensive way to go. Look for a neighborhood laundry.
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