How do YOU pack the car?

A snowHead

Family of 4. Driving for the first time. We usually fly, so everyone has a cabin case each and we pack light.

Only equipment is 4 helmets with visors and one pair of boots. I have a Renault Scenic. No roof box.

Do you pack individual bags? Or have ski gear in big IKEA blue bags and clothes in suitcases?

I love a game of car Tetris, but hit me with your best hints and tips.

A snowHead

No suitcases - they're a problem to store. Squashy hold-alls much better. Pack big, heavy bags with lots of stuff in (IKEA bags are ideal) and lash them down to strong points at the rear of the boot - most cars have them. They can cause serious injury in the event of a crash, smacking into the heads of kids strapped into the back. Are you self-catering? You'll want to use any spare space in the car to stock up with things like tea bags! And perhaps a frozen meal. High-vis vests for all, handy. Chains - handy. Audio books all the family will enjoy. Tablets only for kids immune to travel sickness!

If they're not - sick bags, which reminds me, I must get some tomorrow as I'll be driving my Italian grandson from Genoa to the Alps and he does get car sick on winding roads.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Everything in supermarket bags for life, each passengers stuff in one bag for clothes/toiletries etc and one for skiing gear so they can unpack quickly. All the car stuff permanently lives in a soft boot organiser.

Unlike Pam I don't do big heavy bags, smaller ones are easier to carry upstairs and to squash down into small spaces in the boot

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I do big ones so there are not too many items to be tied down separately. I'm a bit of a fanatic about lashing down baggage. I usually have some strong arms to help carry stuff, and if not I decant. I certainly don't carry heavy bags.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

This is the missus' chosen specialist subject but let me offer the pictures...

Firstly a good foundation layer is essential

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@Owlette, As @pam w, with everything in soft bags, you can fit them in with many combination of squashing, squeezing etc to fit the load area of the car.

Clear plastic document case for travel docs + accommodation detail, separate one for return journey (all relevant ticketing etc) you can check it all out logically before you go and just have one pack available for all that journey's needs.

Big soft blanket for each passenger occupant, if someone needs to be warmer or make pillow ad hoc etc. Undo shoes while travelling to keep feet comfortable, passengers take them off makes it usually more rested for them.

Lock the car in service areas, even if occupant are in there. Not big risk but sometimes possible to have opportunistic approach.

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After all it is free

Car Tetris is a life skill

Holdalls with clothes, ski boots and skis in roofbox along with spare dog towels and blankets amd anything new to go to apartment in Ikea bags. Boot split in half with one dog at one side and cool box, overnight stuff, dog food for journey and their bedding in the other. Second dog secured on rear seat. Wheelie overnight bags best for us as can easily be wheeled along with dog in tow of necessary. Documents in old folder we had with a previous car as fits nicely in glove box and easy to remove. Increasingly smaller volume as most now on phone instead although passports, pet passports and car stuff still paper.

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I normally use suitcases but after reading this might switch to soft bags. For the 4 of us I a hyundai tucson and a roof box we're not pressed for space.

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If stopping overnight then a separate bag for the overnight and next day stuff, clothes, washbags etc packed in the most accessible position. A good place is on the back seat between the kids where it can act as a separator and/or a community armrest or pillow.

myself and my 2 daughters have a holdall type bag each with ski boot compartments either end for ski gear, and a bag each for normal clobber, but we also pack the clothes in vacuum storage bags, which saves even more space.
you can buy a set of 10 of various sizes from amazon for around £15 (next day with prime) and a pump is supplied, but i use a hoover this end, and generally there is a hoover in the apartment we have booked but will use the pump if not.

also, the bags with the ski kit is last to go in so as they are easily accessible if you are skiing before access into your accommodation

also, if you are overnighting in either direction a small bag each is useful for change of clothes/nightwear/toiletries etc

i must admit when skiing, i like to take practically everything but the kitchen sink with us, slow cooker, sharp knives and cooking ingredients etc but i can tend to pack quite well, though not as neatly as @Richard_Sideways, Very Happy

You know it makes sense.

Dry bags for clothes, ikea bags for boots, large storage boxes for staples I’m bringing from the UK.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

We've a bag "system" that works well for car packing.

Sounds more grand than reality, but useful nonetheless. Working for a company that used daily drop bags to highstreet shops, they have bags sized to take each day's product and hand carry into store, these are all soft construction with the handles incorporated into fabric structure.
All these were opaque and with a little window to show a label for destination etc, with a business review bringing "update" in the way of changing every single bag in our national chain to clear plastic. All of these old type, including quite numerous stock of new replacement were redundant virtually overnight.
Flip side is they make absolutely great travel luggage if using a car, equipping ourselves plus family and friends with the now surplus bag stock for free. Each one will take a compact weeks clothing, or anything else divided into logical collection to all be labelled so you can find which one you want without having to go looking in them.
We've arrived to stay at chalet etc where the host thought we were extraordinarily organised Very Happy

quite impressive for a no cost baggage solution.

Virtually waterproof too and great for camping, we take a few empty spare (they pack completey flat) and transfer worn clothes into the empty bags as the week passes, you end up not having to pack your laundry too.

A snowHead

A snowHead

Aww, him Sideways already posted my pictures - should point out that's a trip we did when the boys wanted to interchamge between skiing and boarding hence 6 pairs of boots between the 4 of us, there would have also been 3 pairs of skis and at least 3 boards in a soft board bag that goes as a through load and acts as a nice divider between the boys.

Basically, we find soft holdalls work best and if we can fit all that kit in the boot of a Golf then you'll be fine in a Scenic as it must have a boot as least as large.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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@Skiyeah, hi vis vests in the with passengers...having had to don them after a shunt you don't want to be scrabbling around in the boot...which may not be accessible

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

And, of course, on those rare occasions when you have a puncture, it's when you have to pile all that stuff out to get at the spare wheel. That's if you are sufficiently sensible to HAVE a spare wheel. We once had to do that rolling off a cross channel ferry. It was only when we were driving off we became aware of it of the clunkety-lurch, and had to pull aside the moment we were on dry land, get all the neatly packed gear out, change the wheel under the sympathetic eye of the other drivers rolling off, then throw it all back again in some kind of ungainly heap. Only to be told by the French garage that no, not only was the tyre "foutu" and unable to be repaired, they didn't have that kind, and had to sell us two new ones.

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Shove it all in, whack a couple of occy straps round it all and shut the door quick

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Squishy bags for clothes/equipment, UK food taking over in French supermarket bags, overnight bag (inc bin bag for dirty washing and medical bag) goes in last to keep handy, travel food bag (and bin bag) in back seat, travel docs and travel medicine in plastic wallet at front.

Leave space for boxes of wine and French supermarket shopping (if possible) and take reusable shopping bags.

If skiing as soon as you get there, make sure all of that kit is packed in one bag so no trawling through all of them

After all it is free

Thanks all. I forgot to add that we drive to France every summer, so are well used to long journeys, but we pack lighter items, so I've got Car Tetris down pat there. Though we do take cases. I'm now considering ditching them in favour of squashy bags in the summer too.

Ah, I'm very familiar with the bag of random miscellaneous crap. It's usually a pink rucksack we have.

We are staying overnight, so had already planned to do an overnight bag in the middle as a Peace Barrier.

Teabags are already packed and sitting on top of the salopettes etc bag. Not having decent teabags in France is only a mistake you make once.

@always29, Is that a Golf in that picture?! I bow down to your Tetris skills.

We have used vacuum bags for trips to France in the past, but that's staying on Eurocamp sites where you can park right outside. Wondering about the ease of carrying then up many flights in our French shoebox. We have an abundance of bags for life, so they're a good shout abx the children can carry their own.

hang on.....what's wrong with the humble cardboard box?

I always have used a load of boxes tapped with postal tape. Easy, stable. Write on each what's in it.

Done.

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Definitely squishy not suitcase.

Missus does ours. I once did it and even thought it was fine she repacked. Damn women's a control freak Laughing

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You know it makes sense.

Get soggy in the rain. Hard to tie down safely. Square, inflexible dimensions. Can only carry one at a time.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@holidayloverxx, @pam w, …blimey you are an unforgiving lot…for climbing and small expeditions I’ve used tote bags, plastic barrels, waterproof haul bags, equipment boxes, totally sealed duffels, and top end backpacks. Each fit for purpose. I’ve never used a cardboard box at a crag for example. Or bought a chocolate teapot. But when I pack the Yeti for CH, cardboard boxes are rather good…(and they do have handles) but hey ho, there we go.

A snowHead

Am I missing something, 4 of you in a MPV with the only ski gear being helmets, no boots or skis.
Are you going on holiday or moving house?

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@Richard_Sideways, I wondered who nicked my ski jacket.

We are for a few big bags rather than lots of little ones and use the dual opening ones with wheels of about 100 litres. One side holds all the ski gear , the other domestic stuff. These are easy to unload at the parking and carry up to apartment rather than lots of trips.

If, as usual there are only 3 of us one third of the rear seats gets folded down for skis otherwise they go onto the roof. A small rucksack carries the essentials for the journey and is tucked behind the front passenger seat.

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Pack the stuff you need most handily nearer to the opening.
e.g. Stuff to fix/resolve car problems should be most readily accessible (SnowChains, Piddler fluid, Water for the radiator, etc).
Next goes the stuff you need when you arrive and the accommodation isn't ready (e.g. Skis, Boots, Helmet, Base-layers and Saloppette/Jacket
Next to this is a change of clothes and a small washbag (very useful if driving through the night and want to have a wash&brushup on arrival)
Finally.. deepest into the recess goes the clothes for the week.

Inside the cabin, goes the Handy-Bag. This bag contains passports, tickets, some Euros, phonechargers.

Any laptop/tablet/expensive tech gets buried deep in the boot. Not near the opening, and also not easily available to a folded down rear-seat! If your car gets "done over" you want to make it hard as possible to get the high-value items.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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Vac pack bags for anything that can be compacted by removing air such as clothing and skiwear. Only works well if you are able to vac up to come home.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@jamescollings, what's piddler fluid?

laptop goes in the handy bag and is kept with me at all times

After all it is free

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How do YOU pack the car?

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