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We are always packed to the roof. I don't know how OH gets it in but he does??

We have just bought a newer car but its a lot smaller than our old one.

Scenic to megane!!!!!

I think we are going to have to down size our camping kit as well.

My biggest worry is buying things while away because there isn't a spare mm on the journey there. We always manage to squeeze it in though  

I hate the packing too. but find the packing to come home alot more stressful that going.

When going you can pace yourself but when leaving you have to be off the pitch by x.y,z time! Especially after my main 2/3 weeks lon holiday. 

I hate packing in the rain because the tent is first in the trailer because of the weight and the everything gets wet all laid out. Saying that though, we have found with a wet canvas tent the canvas packs down hell of alot smaller, but then you just struggle to lift it onto the car/trailer because it weighs so heavy.

I spend alot of time prepping my equipement before even packing whilst hubby is just like "oh whack it in". This is when we are argue on going home day.  I will spend alot of time squeezing air out of airbeds, repacking the holdels by folding the dirty washing so the holdalls are as small as possible (and hopefully the same size or at leats no bigger than when we set off). I will take care to roll up as small as possible any blankets, pic nic rigs, groundsheets etc, using string/cord to keep things rolled up as small as possible. Hubby has no patience for this and just whacks it all in!!

Saying that I camp alone alot with the kids now and just hate packing away day.  I try my very best to get everything packed apart from beds the night before but somehow still struggle to get off my pitch in time. I hate it when the site says off by 10am but they let the people waiting for your pitch drive down and watch you pack up at 9am! (Pentewan Sands - wont be back there).

I think this year as I am on my own again I will take my old 3 man dome tent (packs down to to the size of a small sleeping bag) for the last night. This way the trailer will be packed and I can hopefully feed my children a children an unhealthy crockery/cutlery free brekkie of broiche and cartons of orange juice before departing!  

Quote: Originally posted by nico13 on 23/6/2009

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Quote: Originally posted by anorak on 23/6/2009

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My tip would be you pack it yourself and don't let your hubby near it. Men can't pack as good as us women can, and he will just aggravate you lol!!!!

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I beg to differ - set yourself a challenge. If you have a dishwasher see which of you can sensibly pack the most in. My wife has terrible spacial awareness and as a result I can always get at least 25% more in the dishwasher than her.

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I agree with you about men packing the dishwasher. My hubbie probably can also put about 25% more in the dishwasher than I do .... and as a result I end up having to run the dishwasher TWICE because everything is so crammed in that water cannot circulate properly and so the dishes don't clean properly!!!

Might I also add that when packing the car it is me who crams 25% more into the car than hubby can for two main reasons:

1. He packs purely in the order that he thinks of things, irrespective of size or trying to work out what is still to come,

2. He storms off in frustration when it doesn't all go in!

I will admit that he scores far more highly than me when it comes to spacial awareness, but I think I more than make up for it with patience and methodical common sense!

Quote: Originally posted by nico13 on 23/6/2009

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I beg to differ - set yourself a challenge. If you have a dishwasher see which of you can sensibly pack the most in. My wife has terrible spacial awareness and as a result I can always get at least 25% more in the dishwasher than her. Packing a car is very much the same. Be aware of the shape and size of the spaces within the car where you can sensible put things.

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Dishwasher challenge? Me, by about 50% more than Hubby. I don't know about the spacial awareness thing (though mine is excellent btw...I loved Lego and Mecanno as a child) but it's more because he can't be bothered trying.

As for the carr, I can "see" how to pack it before I even start. Is that what you mean?

A little tip that might help is to pack around the kids. Once the boot space is full, and you're probably about half an hour away from the off..sit them in the car,seatbelt them up and then top up the car checking they can move ( a bit) as you get all the last bits in around them.

One child on each window, cool box on the floor in the middle, and a big bag/ suitcase and other assorted bits like in the middle on the seats with a duvet or the double sleeping bag thrown over everything for padding.. we told them we had made them their own"compartments" and they used it as a head rest when they wanted to sleep.

We do the same by packign around the kids - every little bit of space is taken up.  I love the picture of the car full though - I must try and remember to do that.

I've just taken our little tent back down and I got it back in the bag - whenever I do this I always say 'daa daa' as if it was a magic trick!

Dishwasher challenge? Me, by about 50% more than Hubby. I don't know about the spacial awareness thing (though mine is excellent btw...I loved Lego and Mecanno as a child) but it's more because he can't be bothered trying.

As for the carr, I can "see" how to pack it before I even start. Is that what you mean?

Quote: Originally posted by kitchensinkcampers on 23/6/2009

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I have to say taking a picture of the packed car and trailer would save us loads of bickering when packing up for home! We can never remember how we got it all packed/jammed in the first place!

But its one of those things you mean to do but never actually get round to doing!

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My husband, who I swear has a male form of OCD (it doesn't involve housework or cleaning lol), has a list of everything we take and where exactly it fits in the car. This is virtually useless, however, as most years we have acquired something extra, or decided to manage without something we normally take, which means we can't pack the same. He then freaks out completely because something's not where it should be according to the list!

Quote: Originally posted by LittleLemon on 24/6/2009

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I will spend alot of time squeezing air out of airbeds, repacking the holdels by folding the dirty washing so the holdalls are as small as possible (and hopefully the same size or at leats no bigger than when we set off).

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How is it that clothes get bigger while you're away? They always take up more room on the way home.

I think it's worth practising to see how much you can cram into the odd little cubbyholes in the car. Our Khyam windbreak with a roof, spare batteries and all our fleece blankets fit under the back seat when it's down; our walking boots, lantern and the rope for staking out the dogs fit into the little lockers behind the rear wheel arches. A 907 gas cylinder crams neatly into the little space between the front seats and the rear seat folded down.

Val Scot's advice about spreading out sleeping bags and putting everything else on top of them is good, too.