I'm about to make my "list" to pack stuff,I keep telling my wife we have to pack lite this time.Yea right:)~Got any ideas?~Soon Come!
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I'm about to make my "list" to pack stuff,I keep telling my wife we have to pack lite this time.Yea right:)~Got any ideas?~Soon Come!
My packing is all done and I'm quite proud of myself this time.
I said I was NOT going to overpack and by my standards, I achieved that this time.
Now that I know that you can get whatever you need in Negril, just no need to bring so much.
I forget where I'm going and pack too much! This year was the first time both of us got it all in carry-on though....figuring we have been coming every year since about 92 and sometimes twice a year, maybe we finally figured it out......nah, wait till next time !
We go for 18 days and me and my husband only do carry on.
yamon, you are GOOD! A pearing knife. Going to get and pack mine now~~ TY
in the early years (80's), we would bring tape, rope, string,First Aid supplies, antibiotics, shower mats, and on and on...
now Negril is a modern city and we pack less and save more $$ to bring.......
Being a modern city doesn't come cheap 'ya know......early days 20.00 US we go all day for two of us, but everybody wanted this and that, and there go the prices............
(here comes the Way Back Machine)
ahhh direct 89.00 flights from OHare......nice sleeps for 20-30 a night with food, fifty cent cold beers, warm are a likkle cheaper, fine wines like Red White...:)....mushrooms by the 1/2 gal milk carton for 2-3 US........"those were the times mi friends"
Baggies (large and small), corkscrew, 6 good bottles of wine
gerryg always forget shaving cream. so there ya go.
My lists are really good. But this year I did forget a kitchen sponge and could have used more small baggies. I don't know how people possibly do just carry on -- you must be very small people ; ) This year thanks to the Board we did the duffle bag as extra bag going down and just had 3 bags (one for each of us) to come back, which was great. But, this year for the first time I also left a bag there -- not a big bag, but kitchen stuff and a few beach things in our big beach bag that we really only use in Negril. I like the fact of leaving stuff there -- thank goodness our friend/driver Malcolm said he would take it for us! Makes me feel like the return is soon ... even though it's not planned yet ; (
Mrs Wilson, you sound like you do things much the same as we do. We too leave things behind with our driver. Having a great time by the way! Loving room 7 :)
Extension cords !!!! So handy to have around. Generally speaking, I find a lack of outlets in most resorts. Plus, sometimes the bedside lamps may need to be moved about for my late night reading...so, having an extension cord is a God send. Then, I leave them with the folks at the resort. Seems like everyone there is thrilled to have them.
Collapsable cooler, lanyard for room key, large n small baggies, trash bags, dryer sheets keep clothes in suitcase fresh,lip balm... All items I have forgotten but now first in the bag.
Used to take two suit cases for one dude. - yes I know. Dont pick me as your amazing race partner...
Pared down to carry on worth if not for not being able to take on liquids (sun tan spray)...
Good topic!
Don't forget your PASSPORT. Got time for this crazy story? Read on.
I was planning a caribbean vacation to another island. Airfare from STL was significantly cheaper than flights from MCI, so smarty pants me, I'm going to ride the Megabus ($8 round-trip to/from STL), spend the night in STL, stay at cheapo motel and board 6 a.m. flight the next morning.
I'm all set. Bags packed. Ready to go!
Get to Columbia (1/2 way to STL) and realize NO PASSPORT. AW HELL! PANIC! Think about getting off Megabus in Columbia, hooking up with a friend and have him drive me back to KC, but who knows if he's home or where he's at - I have no cell phone and don't know his number by memory. So, I stay on the bus. Make it to STL about 9 p.m. Go to Avis. Rent a car. Drive back to KC. Get to KC around midnight. I was hauling a$$! Lucky I didn't get a ticket. Grab passport. Take shower. Change. Back on the road by 1:00 a.m. and to STL by 4:00 a.m. - passport in hand. Turn in rental. Take shuttle to airport. Wheels up at 6:00 a.m. and I'm on my way! Ended up costing more in the longrun.
All the while I'm thinking - KC, you are crazy as hell! LOLOLOLOL!
So yeah - don't forget the passport!
Now that is a true nightmare story. I check to be sure it's in my purse no less than 3 times.
Awww KC ... THANK YOU for telling your disaster story!!!! I leave in a week & haven't even thought about the passport & I would have forgotten it!!! Geez ... glad you lived that nightmare so I didn't have to :) ... totally kidding!
I think the G of M&G gets the prize. Couple of trips ago, he forgot his freaking carry on at home - the one with the meds and other stuff you don't pack for safety and security!
Thanksfully, our "driver" (daughter's boyfriend) drove us, and we are only 10 mins from the airport, so he whipped back to our house, go the bag and saved the day ... and trip!
Yeeeesh!
The important stuff is (for me) - Bathing suit; meds; passport. Other than that, I can make it. Make up melts off, so why bother (even though I have 3 kg of it to prove I don't practice what I preach ... hey, the Craftsman Beauty Kit ain't light, you know!)! :)
I'm intrigued by everyone mentioning small baggies. What do you use these for?
Enough baggies and shoestrings = flotation device
Keep things dry. Make good water wallet in trunks... I fill some with water and put in freezer and have ice packs all week. Put lip balm tums aspirin in the for mini meds cabinet.... Many uses for these ill bags....
Bottle opener, Benadryl, aspirin, tweezers (stepped on a sea urchin once and these came in handy), Band-Aids, a pen for filling out forms on the plane, small collapseable cooler ...
I was surprised at how many people forget this. You will see these people huddled in a group after they get off the plane, scrambling to find a pen before they go through customs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Maryann
Did anyone mention water shoes? Not only are they needed when visiting the falls, but I also wear them anytime I am swimming off the cliffs. You never know if there will be a sea urchin near the ladder, or a sharp piece of coral.
I tend to forget that we don't need so much stuff... :) I forget that the "what if we want to do this?" hasn't happened in 25 years of travel to Negril... Money, passports, and boarding passes are really all you need. That said, I'm an organized packer (perhaps a bit OCD passed on through genetic code) and have a fairly detailed checklist that helps.
We have found that we do like to have small air mats/floats and those are easier to take with than to get in Negril. And in Chicagoland, it's easier to find one in the summer months and have on hand for packing in the winter.
I also like MaryAnn's reminder of a pen... I usually have 3 or 4 (the OCD flairs again and what if one suddently dries up?). Someone on the plane always needs to borrow one.
I will also add to the list -- keys or some way to get back in to your house when you return... Yes, we've had first-hand experience with this one...it's on the list now. Happy packing!
I am so paranoid about the passport and the extra credit cards that there is a note in my suitcase, a note next to the pet sitters sheet, and a note on my to pack/to do list that says make Cindi (my wife) show you the travel documents.
The sad part is, she is about 1000x more organized than I am, and it's pretty silly of me to question her.
All of that aside... I have forgotten socks a couple of years. I do like to do a dress up dinner, and dressy shoes with no socks just does not work. This is not 1985, nor am I a star in Miami vice... I need socks with dress shoes.
Insect repellent
Don't forget your rolling papers!!
I always make sure to pack my swiss army knife... has come in handy lots of times.
Re small baggies, I use for leftovers and also for giving candies/nuts/cookies etc to the kid or staff as treats. (This year I crazily decided to bake cookies at home to give to my Jamaican friends. They loved them!
Don't forget your rolling papers!!
Good One :)
Last year I forgot to bring a belt. Hard to look cool when your shorts hang down too low!!
I always overpack even when I call myself not overpacking so I neva forget anyting! lol
Thought I was the only one that had OCD when it comes to packing! lol...although I usually dont need half the stuff I pack I have never needed anything so I guess the OCD comes in handy...haha!Quote:
Originally Posted by Kathy
Wow! impressive!Quote:
Originally Posted by yamon
A notepad with pen is great for trip note thoughts, peoples names, places to go, phone #s and emails...
Last trip I actually forgot my driver's license & health card. Not a big deal since I wasn't driving (except to & from the airport) but I missed having ID that wasn't my passport :)
As I pack I cross off the items from my checklist (it's in excel spreadsheet format....see above...touch of OCD :)). The checklist then travels with me and that is what I record notes on, phone numbers, emails, etc... When I return home, I transfer the notes to the spreadsheet, make revisions for next trip, etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by KidRick
A nightlight...
ok,got a good idea.But its weird on some stuff you think of that I should had packed.......
I always make a list about 3 weeks before the trip. I have the old lists from previous years. I keep them for reference. Call me nuts. lol :rolleyes:
that's what I asked my wife,Wheres the list from the last trip?~So I know I WILL keep my cuurent list then,with the pens and notebook.I will add to it or scratch out what we did bring:)
Kathy, I think I love you!!! Some one at least as bad as I am. (but I don't have OCD -- I have CDO -- things must be in order you know!) But I've actually started meds for it and now my packing is a mess. Yes, I used to have a list on Excel, check things off as they go in the suitcase. Make notes of things that aren't on the list that I put in -- Update Excel list. When leaving JA make notes of things I didn't use, things that I'm leaving with Richie, go home and update Excel list.
I'm still 4 days out from leaving and my bags are packed and locked.----- but I just couldn't pass up this thread, "just in case" I forgot something.