It's become more digital over the years. Making sure I download all the magazines/books/audiobooks/apps/documents/whatever to the applicable devices far enough in advance so I don't forget them. And usually doing this inspires a digital version of a packing list for the unusual items I'm likely to forget.

I pack the day of my travel and take as little as I can to avoid checking in luggage. Granted, anywhere I've travled, bulky clothes were NOT needed. I don't do cameras and I never read on the plan when I do bring a book so I've stopped doing that. Snacks, yup.

Yup, I definitely make a pile. You can be more sure you have everything you want to take since you can see it more easily in a pile than in a suitcase. And when everything is in one place, it's simpler to pack things logically and methodically.

Also:
(Q) How can you tell if the author of a blog post is vegan?
(A) Don't worry, she'll let you know.

I make lists. Put what I won't need in the meantime in the suitcase, sometimes, and make sure the list includes everything I think I wan to take. (I force myself to think in terms of inter-changeable outfits rather than whatever is my favorite Thing to Wear du jour, so my packing can be lighter and more versatile.

One great idea is to buy an extra cable for recharging the cell phone to permanently leave in the suitcase. If you forget that you can be screwed.

Our family has a saying: well stacked is half packed. I edit and lay out the things I need/want for a trip so that I can make sure I have all my bases covered (especially for business travel...) and so that I'm not struck by indecision when I need to be putting things in a bag to go. This also helps me edit and minimize what I pack, and not go bonkers with "well maaaaybe I need this, I might read that...."

Did it really bother you that much?

Indeed, I create a travel collection before any major or even minor trip. My suitcases are under my bed so I just add things to the suit case beind used and roll it back under the beds as the days get closer to departure. It saves me from "having to remember" on packing day the thing I thought about 4 days before.

I keep a running list instead of making a pile. The list lives on my fridge, and in the mean time, my stuff stays where it is until packing day. Granted, I often do a first draft of packing a few days before, and then edit that the night before. This way, I get to reflect on the things I've chosen, and decide what really needs to come, and what can stay.

If I do buy something special for a trip (gifts, for example), they get put in my suitcase when I buy them. Otherwise my suitcase just sits on top of my wardrobe empty.

I don't make a pile or pack in advance, but I do make a list of to-dos before leaving just to make sure I don't do something like forget to take out the garbage. My only travel trick, if you can call it that, is I have a plastic folder that I put all my travel papers in (like plane tickets, car reservations, google map printouts.) Because it is semi-rigid and a slick material, I can take it in and out of a bag easily without all the papers getting crumpled. Last time my husband travelled alone, he asked to borrow "the folder." And yes, anyone who has any food "idiosyncrasies" makes sure they can eat while traveling! In fact, last time I traveled, I brought recipes so I could cook special items while away. And, naturally, I put them in my folder. ; )

I start a pile and then set everything out before I start to pack. It helps me to see everything as a whole, and then I can edit/repurpose/discard as needed. Then I can see if it I can truly layer my clothes instead of taking the bulky sweater and jacket. Or maybe I forgot I was going to bring a different book/Kindle and trade out what was in the pile. And it's useful in actually placing items in your bag - evenly distribute the heavier items, put the immediate access items on top, choosing the the travel bag, etc..... I find that if I pack last minute I often have a lot of redundancy and carry heavier things because I don't have time to find/refill travel size toiletries or consolidate.

Im more of a list maker, but anything that can be packed ahead of time is packed, not piled. Usually im 90% packed a few days before i go. It makes things really stress free. This is easy because most of my "travel stuff" is not stuff I use everyday, the clothes are different, they toiletries travel size, etc.

If it cant be packed, I make a list and grab it as i go out the door, this is usually just a few things like charger (which im using to charge stuff before i go), somewhat perishable food I may be taking for the trip, toiletries I plan to use right before I go etc.

I usually pack the day of, while I'm getting ready in the morning. As I use each item, it goes into my bag. I have never forgot to bring a necessity this way!

I am a list/pile maker. I keep a common list for travel packing (one for myself, each of my children and a pre-trip to-do). I start a pile for all of the one-off things you need for the trip, special snacks for the plane, gifts, kids headphones, etc. This leaves on my dining table until time to pack.

I always make a pile. I need the visual reminder, and it helps me decide which suitcase or backpack is large enough for the trip!

I am not sure why you call it the pre-travel heap of doom. For me, making piles and/or lists is part of the anticipation of the trip.

I'm anal about lists - making them and constantly revising them. But thank goodness my mom taught me to start making piles, too, whether for travel or errands. "OK, put it by your bag so that you don't forget," she would say.

I'm in the middle of a month-long trip to Europe, and I only have a backpack (the kind you bring to school, not for camping). I didn't start making a pile until a few days before I left, but it helped me visually see what to include and what to cut out. For me, the travel heap isn't doom but an aid!

I do a hybrid of the two methods. I do a lot of short overnight and weekend jaunts, once or twice a month, and they're planned as much as several months in advance so there are usually a couple on the radar at any given time. So I list like crazy - usually three lists, the "stuff I always take with me" one, the "stuff I'm taking just on this trip" one, and the "to do before I leave" one. In general, I don't pile/pre-pack anything I already own, but I do keep a basket more or less permanently next to my dresser, into which I toss things I've bought specifically for an upcoming trip, and then it goes with me as a tidy catchall.

I am keeping a packing list on my ipad and also have the pile of to-go items corralled in a bag hiding in my closet. I don't like piles!

I travel 1-2 weekends a month, so I keep a packing list on my smart phone and check things off as I lay them out on the bed. I usually don't lay anything out until the day before I leave (starting with night-time toiletries so I'm sure I don't forget anything).

I make a pile in the corridor at least 3 or 4 days before, I find that I never forget things as I keep passing by it and adding or taking :) I just packed for a 2 week holiday (temp. 22ºC/10ºC) a suitcase that weighs 19.5 kg and a small hand-luggage suitcase that weighs 9.5 kg for 2 adults and 2 children including 6 presents and 4 jumpers!!!!

I do two things: make a list and make a pile. Like you said, some stuff doesn't have a home so it needs to be in a pile. The stuff that does have a home goes on the list until packing day.

For the pile: I hang a reusable grocery bag/canvas bag on my door and throw stuff in there. That way it isn't taking up significant space, but I still see it out of the corner of my eye, and think - yes - trip in 1 week!

What's wrong with making a pile? I also like to make checklists, which I store in my phone. A great one I made is the House Shutdown List, which has all the stuff like "take out trash" "adjust thermostat" "start dishwasher" and "lock back gate" so I can leave in a hurry and not forget something or worry that I forgot something.

ha!

I'm with Sherry. Make a list, but put anything that's ready to go in the suitcase even if it's four days before. I'm a travel packing fanatic.. sadly? :)

I do make a pile. For clothes I make a list and then pack them all at once at the last minute, but all the non-clothes items get tossed into a basket in an out-of-the-way corner as I think of them in the days leading up to the trip. Or there's a big pile in the middle of my dining room table for 10 days, but let's just pretend it's always in the out-of-the-way bag.
The biggest advance I made in making packing easier for myself is to have a toiletry bag that is ready to go. It has travel sizes of all the basics that live in there permanently, so I don't ever pack a toothbrush or my moisturizer or shampoo or extra contacts, because the travel one is already there. That eliminates an entire category of things to pack. (Plus on the non-travel front if I ever run out of deoderant or whatever, I have a built-in back-up.)

I sure do make a pile/piles. I have a house in the Bahamas so I keep a box in the basement where I add things I want to take for the next trip as soon as I return from a trip. For other travel I start making piles about 10 days in advance, especially reading material. I have learned to make things easier by keeping a well stocked toiletry kit and computer bag with appropriate chargers for phone, ereader, computer. My carry on bag is fully stocked with lip balm, tea bags, nail file, gum, lotion etc so I know I will be prepared for anything.

@DavidAlex: Thanks for the laugh - I've had a pretty depressing day & that felt great.

I make two very thorough lists: one of things to do (like pulling out suitcases, writing out pet care instructions & doing laundry a few days in advance) and another of things to take. Then I pack everything the day before.

I have recently started leaving travel items in my suitcase so I'm sure I'll have them. I'm most proud of the chip clips I now travel with to close those hotel curtains that have an uncloseable gap that lets the blinding sun in in the morning. We also have bike travel cases and I've now got lists stored inside the bike boxes, telling me what to pack in each box to optimize the space & weight distribution.

I travel for work a few times a month, so I have doubles of almost everything and try not to unpack anything but clothes that need to be washed (I bring a laundry bag to make it easy to keep track of what's been worn). I have a bag that's stocked with chargers/cables, a beauty bag with nail clippers and polish, medicine, feminine products and other things I've accumulated over the years - the things you always end up needing but never think to pack.

Before I leave, I make sure all my toiletries are refilled and ready to go.

In terms of packing clothes, I start to make piles 1-5 days before the trip, depending on how long I'll be away. Then right before I go, I pare down what I'll bring.

Yup, that and lists. Obviously, they're a lot more indepth if it's a big trip - if it's just something little, it tends to be stuff that I put together the night before. Bigger things? Up to my ears in lists!

I use a combination. I make a packing list, but I also collect a 'travel pile' in a corner over the week before I leave. I also make a list of things to do, particularly if I will be away for a longer period.

Looking at the comments it appears that there is a whole range of options which different people choose to use!

@MsScrabble: Ha, no, it didn't bother me, and I admit the comment was a little overly snarky. I just thought it was a funny detail to include and fit right in with the vegan-at-the-dinner-party joke construct.

I live in a rural location on alternate weekends, sometimes longer, and keep a shopping bag in a handy spot in my main house where I can put things destined for the "other" place as I think of them and where they're handy for packing on travel day. I also have a folder with an inventory spreadsheet of supplies there and a running list of what's needed as well as a project list. I have a checklist of essentials too (hat, sunglasses, rain gear, headlamp, etc ) It's pretty routine now but I find it's still possible to forget something important if I don't check the list while packing.

I've traveled. I've had to pack for 9 week stints in war zones with body armor (it gets its own bag and weighs 40 lbs. Hideous). 10 country tours for work involving weird Saudi princes who wanted to buy me with 3 camels (really). The best way to do this is lists.
Make a simple chart that shows every day you will be on the road. Divide chart into categories:
clothes (to include accessories and undies)
equipment (computer, power cords, thumb drives, pens, notebooks whatever)
documents (tickets, passports, directions)
hygiene: bandaids, meds, tampons, shampoo etc.
travel_ shizz for the plane ride. Books, Kindle, chewing gum, magazines, eye cover, socks.
Go through each day: what will you be wearing, when? Will you be exercising? what will you need to do your work (or go to wedding... gift? gift wrap?). Think through each day from the time you wake up to when you go to sleep. Write it on your chart. Do this simply sitting on your couch or at your desk. Think about it calmly. Don't pack a single thing until the list is completely filled out. No piles, no mess, and nothing will be forgotten.
The night before, pack it all up methodically going off the list. Pack the list last. When you come home, you can repack according to the list and you won't leave anything behind. More about this on my blog.
pam h in dc
howtorunyourlife.blogspot.com

i put my suitcase on the floor a week before i go, and make a pile in there. then the day before i pack, i go through the pile, remove/add/make sure i have it right.

I have rarely forgotten anything with this method!

I make a pile of the obvious things on the sofa in my bedroom. The big job is picking out clothes, which I avoid and leave till the last minute when I feel more inspired. If I'm really indecisive, I pick a theme, like Mod for a trip to Italy, nautical/preppy for a weekend on Martha's Vineyard.

I tend to skip the pile and just dump things in the suitcase. When it's time to pack for real, everything gets laid out on the bed and packed properly (i.e. so it all fits). I also have a packing list to make sure I don't miss anything. If I used a pile, I can pretty much guarantee something would get lost in the time between setting things aside and packing them.

I keep a running list as I think of items, I have 'standard lists' which I've established over the years and keep on old school paper in my suitcases (which all nest within eachother). I have a special list for toiletries and pharmaceuticals which I also keep on my blackberry in a note for those last minute overnight type trips. And I've just purchased the new Samsung Tab 2 7.0 so as per the recommendations here I've downloaded the list app and we'll see how that goes. I also have all my travel type items IN my suitcases. That includes the u-shape pillows, a prepacked toiletry travel bag ready to go, random items like power adapters, security door stops, travel laundry soap for sink washing etc. The only thing not kept there is passports which I keep in a safe elsewhere.

I may pack heavy (never more than the allowed baggage amounts) but I'm the go to girl when everyone else forgot something. I'm am also a health care professional so I travel prepared for all sorts of medical complaints.

I prepare with lists as the travel date approaches, but pack at most two days prior to avoid a mess.

I'm an ultralight packer wannabe.
My aim right now is one bag, preferably under the seat, no matter the length of trip.

So when I'm a couple weeks out, I do a test pack after jotting a quick list of days I'll be traveling and activities ( that is how I check that I have only what I need)

I do unpack a lot of it, but the travel only stuff stays in my backpack...the same one I used in uni for books back in the 90s. So that is my pile.

Both a pre-pack pile in the luggage I intend to pack it in and detailed lists are what helps me get as close to my perfect pack goal as possible (yes, I'm an efficiency geek).

All my packing lists are on their own spreadsheet in a single workbook. The name and date of the trip is on the spreadsheet tab. When I repeat a trip, which happens regularly for me, I copy the spreadsheet from the most recent prior trip, remove all the "done" check-marks, review the contents for any changes/additions, and start packing. I find that each trip has it's own unique contents, and reviewing prior, similar trips helps me remember to pack items I may not need anywhere else.