Packing for a Weekend Getaway

Sometimes you just need to get away! Most of us don’t have endless amounts of days off from work, so these weekend getaways can be very important to help you not feel like you’re drowning in life. The purpose of these getaways, besides maybe seeing friends/family or going somewhere you’ve wanted to, is to get away from stress for a couple of days! If packing for a weekend getaway is stressful for you, that kind of takes away from the joy of it. With my family living in different states, weekend getaways are not something uncommon to me. So here are my tips for packing for a weekend getaway.

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Clothes

Make sure you’ve got layers. This can help you wear one outfit throughout the entire day, no matter what activities you’re doing. Going to the park and a museum during the day, but then dinner and a boat ride on the lake? I have a long sleeve coverup I love taking with me. It doesn’t really wrinkle so I can literally just toss it in my backpack and take it along with me.

When I’m determining what clothes to take, I’ll lay out all of the outfits I would like to wear, and then start eliminating things. Which items can be used for multiple outfits. Do I really need to bring 3 different pants? Or could jeans work for two instead of one? (I honestly LOVE leggings when I’m traveling!) Which coverup would go with most (if not all) of these outfits? Eliminating is your friend when you’re packing for a weekend getaway! (Also, this is when the Febreeze bottle I keep in my toiletries bag comes in handy!)

If you know you’ve got a fancy night out planned, then yes, pack those heels. Otherwise, I recommend you just bring those comfy shoes. Make sure you also bring either a bag or yes a shower cap (that does work!), to put the shoes in just in case they get dirty or stinky. Even though you’re going to wash your dirty clothes when you get home, you may have clothes you didn’t wear or even that you bought on the trip, and you don’t want them to get that mess on them. My suitcase has one of those waterproof zippered pouches on them and that’s what I’ll use for my shoes if they’re messy. Otherwise, I just pack them at the bottom of the bag, under my toiletries.

Packing Toiletries for Your Weekend Getaway

I have a bag for my toiletries that I have hanging in my linen closet. There are items that are always in there, and then there are items I toss in before I go. Some of the items that are always in there are my shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, cleanser, and moisturizer. The first three things I have in little bottles. I definitely recommend the trick of using some saran wrap to put in between the lid and the bottle. I used to always notice some sort of leak from something. Since I started doing this I haven’t had a problem at all with leaks!

The cleanser I actually put into a tiny shampoo bottle that I got from another hotel, and the moisturizer is in a contact container. For all of these things, something I strongly recommend is that as soon as you get home from a trip, you refill them before putting them away. That will be one less thing you’ll have to worry about when it’s time to go next time!

I also make sure I always have some Emergen-C and eye drops. When I travel my eyes tend to get dry, plus, if you head to the swimming pool they can be very helpful afterward. The Emergen-C, well we all know why that’s important. I do bring along my regular vitamins, which include vitamin C, but it doesn’t hurt to have a backup just in case that person next to you on the plane or in line at the museum was all sneezy and gunk.

When it comes to razors, I had read that you should put a binder clip on your razors. I thought that was silly. Nope! It totally works! Not the smaller ones, kind of like a more medium size, works best for me. Keeps them from ruining my bag, getting those little razor cuts on your fingers, and from ruining your razors!

Obviously, if you’re traveling by plane with just a carry-on, you’re going to need to put all of your liquids together and be picky with what you take! The contact containers are great for other things like foundation, night eye cream, etc., and that will make things fit easier into your allowed limit.

Makeup

I haven’t always been a huge fan of makeup and had actually gotten out of the habit of wearing it. Then I was reading one of Rachel Hollis’ books and she made a comment about doing whatever makes you feel beautiful. So, now that I’m wearing makeup again, I’m trying to also be better about the makeup I use, and how I treat it. I know, that sounds weird, how I treat my makeup. I used to just toss it all into whatever bag. Blushes would always crack, brushes would get all distorted, my makeup was a hot mess. Now I’ve invested in a good makeup case for traveling so everything has its place and is protected more.

For Around the Hotel

So, personally, I don’t always take my bathing suit with me. However, it is something good to remember to pack, especially if the idea of a hot tub visit sounds relaxing to you! Something I always remember to pack though is my slippers and my robe! Especially if you’re traveling with someone, having a robe with you is very helpful.

If I’m traveling somewhere by car, I’ll also usually bring a cooler with some items. Things like soda, wine, crackers, cheese, chocolate, etc. Just make sure you bring any utensils you might need for these items. It’s kind of useless to bring a bottle of wine if you don’t bring a wine opener! Having these things simply cuts down on small expenses, which can add up, while you’re traveling.

For Around Town

I have a smaller travel backpack I like to use when I’m traveling. The nice part about it is it opens from the back-side of the pack, so while you’re wearing it, people can’t get into it. It also has thicker straps so it’s not easily cut. The reason I like using this bag is that I love taking pictures. This bag allows me to bring my camera, an extra lens, my coverup, wallet, and everything else I’d keep in a purse. If I’m not planning on taking my camera with me, then I’ll just use my purse.

I do have a bag specifically for my camera equipment that I’ll use to get to and from wherever I’m traveling to. I did just get a new backpack that will allow me to put my laptop, camera bag, and some other items, along with attaching a tripod to it. I’ve only taken this on one road trip so far, mostly to just start getting used to it. I plan on getting good use out of it in November though when I go see polar bears!

Packing for Your Weekend Getaway

I have become a believer in rolling my clothes. I’ll especially roll things like tank tops and leggings to help fill that space in the bottom between the polls for the handles. Also, if you’re able to, fill your shoes with things like underwear and socks. My flats are FLAT, so it would be silly to try to fill those, but if I’ve got a different pair of shoes in there, I’ll definitely fill them. And then lastly, make sure to bring a bag for your dirty clothes. Sometimes I’ll just put the dirty clothes in a pocket in the suitcase cover during the trip and then put it away in the bag at the end.

Budgeting

The ugly word of budget! It’s the least attractive word in this whole post, I know. However, having my budget figured out before I leave town is actually very freeing! I know what money I’ve got to spend on fun stuff, and I don’t have to worry about it during the trip, or after the trip!

What are some of the items you always make sure to have with you when you are packing for a weekend getaway? What are some weekend getaways you’ve taken? You can read about one of mine to Southern California if you need some inspiration!

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