by Sapna Kaur

What to Pack for a Weekend Away

From must-have essentials to travel tips, our packing guide for a weekend away ensures your suitcase is prepped for a memorable trip.

What to Pack for a Weekend Away

 

    There’s nothing worse than arriving at your holiday destination and realising you’ve forgotten to bring your perfect midi wedding guest dress to the wedding. Forgetting everything you need has the potential to break a perfectly planned holiday into smithereens.

    While it might be annoying to forget to bring your waterproofs on a trip to Scotland or misplace your designer sunglasses when you go to the Caribbean, other times packing incorrectly can be something to really fret over.

    You don’t want to arrive at a destination wedding to discover that you’ve not packed the essentials.

    To make sure that your weekend away is seamless, we would recommend preparing for your weekend away. Alongside paying for the flights and booking the hotel, it’s important to make a holiday check list while packing so you take everything that you need and you can focus on relaxing.

    What to Pack for a Weekend Away

    It’s important to consider where you will go for a weekend away, what the weather will be like and what activities you’ve got lined up. Following a generic packing list won’t be helpful if it’s geared towards a particular kind of trip.

    Once you’ve figured out what you’ll definitely need for the particular place you’ll be travelling to and what you’d particularly like to bring with you, you should make sure that you’ve got the basics covered too.

    For any weekend away, we’d recommend bringing at least:

    1 pair of shoes

    3 outfits

    3 pairs of knickers and 1 bra

    3 pairs of socks or tights

    1 set of pajamas

    Toiletries

    Water bottle

    Electronics (phone, charger and headphones)

    Book or Kindle

    How can this list be adapted for where you’re going?

    Of course, this can be adapted or changed depending on where you’re going. If you’re going on a weekend away during the winter months, we’d recommend bringing at least a coat and an extra jumper.

    Depending on if your hotel offers towels, it could be wise to bring a small microfibre towel. Additionally, if you’re travelling abroad, there are some things you’ll definitely need - such as a passport and a travel adaptor for your electronics.

    We’d always recommend bringing something to entertain you for the moments when you’re waiting for your flight or for the journey. Whether you bring your favourite book, kindle or you buy a magazine before you leave, it’s important to take something to take your mind off travelling.

    How to pack if you’re going to a wedding on your weekend away

    If you’ve got a special dinner planned on one of the evenings, maybe you want to bring an extra outfit and a glam pair of shoes. If you’re travelling for a wedding, make sure to bring your wedding attire with you.

    If you’re a wedding guest, there are lots of options for a good wedding outfit to take with you. From jumpsuits and co-ords to formal dresses, we have a wide range of wedding guest attire that can be easily slipped into your suitcase. We offer a large selection of dresses - from a short cocktail dress for a wedding to a wedding guest dress with sleeves, you’ll be able to find the perfect wedding guest outfit.

    What are some essentials for a holiday?

    Once you’ve gathered all you need for your holiday, it’s important that you pack all your clothes in the right weekend bags or suitcase. You’ll need to take a small over the shoulder bag or clutch bag for when you’re exploring the city or checking out the local restaurants, but it’s also vital that you bring a well-proportioned weekend bag or suitcase.

    If you want to take a weekend bag with you, we’d suggest finding a duffel bag that will allow you to fit everything you need in it. You could also opt for a large backpack or holdall, but make sure that you can fit what you need in it and it’s easy to carry.

    What about a suitcase?

    A light, carry-on suitcase could be a great choice for a weekend away. Suitcases that have 2 or 4 wheels will make it easy to transport your suitcase from home, to the airport to the hotel. Typically, you should look for a suitcase that fits 30 - 50 litres for a weekend trip.

    Make sure that your chosen suitcase will count as hand luggage on an aeroplane if you’re flying. This means that your suitcase should be lightweight enough to lift above your head to place in the lockers or fit under the seat in front of you. Your carry-on luggage should be no bigger than 45 x 36 x 20 cm.

    Packing Tips and Tricks

    There’s an art to packing your suitcase effectively, so you have enough space for all your belongings and anything else you buy on the trip. To pack efficiently we’d recommend:

    Rolling your clothes

    Using packing cubes

    Bringing travel-sized toiletries

    Stuffing your shoes with objects such as socks and jewellery

    Wearing your bulkiest clothes and heaviest shoes on the day that you travel

    Is there an order to follow to pack a suitcase?

    We’d start with putting your shoes in your suitcase first. You can stuff your shoes with socks as well to maximise the amount of space available.

    Pack the shoes heel to toe in your suitcase, for an ideal foundation layer in your bag. Then fill any awkward gaps in your suitcase with very soft items, such as t-shirts and tights. You can roll these garments in your suitcase to help prevent creasing and to minimise the amount of space that they take up.

    You can then pack bulkier items on top - like jeans, dresses and suits. Then pop in other items in your suitcase that aren’t clothes - such as toiletries, books and electronic gadgets. If you’re packing any awkwardly shaped objects, place them towards the middle so that they’re protected as much as possible.

    We’d recommend double-bagging your toiletries to catch any spills and protect your possessions.

    Why should I roll my clothes when packing?

    If you tightly roll your clothes while packing, each garment will take up less space than if you folded it. Rolling also prevents creases in your clothes, so you won’t need to worry about ironing or steaming your clothes when you get there.

    Conclusion

    Don’t let your next weekend trip be overshadowed by packing the wrong things or forgetting an essential item. From choosing the right suitcase to packing everything that you need correctly, our guide will help you have a seamless weekend trip experience. By following our tips, you’ll be ready for your next holiday weekend trip and you can leave all your worries behind at home - just don’t forget your passport!

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