The time has finally arrived – vacation! Summer is here, and you can feel the cold and damp sadness leave your body to make way for sunshine and sun cream. But wait, what do you take? Of course, there are the essential items that you bring on holiday but there will always be something you miss, especially if you just go from memory.
Well, I am here to lend you a helping hand and put together the ultimate holiday packing list for you to check out and go by when you need to pack smart and correctly. Read on to learn about what to put on your holiday packing list and how you should be packing them!
Where Are You Going?
Your holiday is just around the corner and you cannot wait to have a week (or two) away from your normal routine and just soak up new experiences and new destinations. However, you need to be prepared for the climate you are going into. Not everyone wants a sun-soaked vacation, others love to go somewhere crisp and cold, so this is where the thinking cap comes on.
Hot Weather
lightweight, lightweight, lightweight, I feel like you understand where I am coming from here, when you are in hot weather for a long time, you do not want to be weighed down by heavy clothing that can make your beach holidays abroad a nightmare for your health and suitcase.
Sun protection will always be a must, but you need to look at heavy items that can be made lighter, for example, a waterproof jacket may be known as heavy but you can get foldable ones that you can put in your beach bag that won’t be too much for you to carry, as well as a water bottle and sun hat.
Whether you are going to Mali, Bahrain, Spain, Abu Dhabi, or somewhere like Greece, your holiday packing list has to include lightweight items that won’t weigh you down but will keep you protected.
What you have planned for the trip is also something you’d have to think about. If you’re going somewhere hot, you might have planned some water-related activities, like para-sailing, fishing, or even just a beach day. For instance, if you’re interested in going on a fishing trip like you’d find at Tamarindo fishing charters (or a similar activity elsewhere), you should be sure to carry light clothing that doesn’t hinder movement.
Cold Weather
Running onto the sand and jumping into the sea is a perfect getaway for many, but diving headfirst into the snow with ski boots on and a full backpack is more the style for some vacationers out there.
Whilst people will be bringing layers upon layers for a winter-type holiday, they may not realise that sun cream also needs to be squeezed onto that list.
Even though ski resorts and winter wonderlands are freezing and full of snow, there is still a sun in the sky that will beat down on you and cause sunburn if not properly covered, so your holiday packing list will need to have sun cream on it, no matter where you are popping off to.
Time to Pack
With your holiday destination in mind and your sun cream firmly packed in there (it’s staying), you now need to get your packing checklist out and see exactly what you are going to need to pack.
This is where I gracefully come in and provide you with some things to think about. This is just a suggested packing list that you can go by, but it may be one that you refer back to for years to come.
Clothes
The MOST essential part of your suitcase, your beloved clothes. Now, there is no point grabbing a handful of your clothes and thinking that’ll do, you need to think about what you are packing and why so you can bring stuff you actually need, and not what you think you need.
T-shirts & Shirts
If you are going for about a week, it may be best to pack at least 6 shirts to cover you for the week (not including the shirt you’re traveling in), this will mean that if they get dirty or damaged you have a spare to throw on in your hotel room. The same for tank tops and cropped tops, have a few each of those just in case the weather turns on one day and it’s hotter.
Shorts, Skirts & Trousers
A hot climate is going to mean sun, sea, and sand, covering your legs is not ideal, however, if you really do not want to show off your legs, opt for lightweight trousers that won’t be too heavy to wear and are breathable to your skin. Pack in a few pairs as you will not need to change them every day (it will depend on what you’re doing but you should be fine!)
Underwear
This is always a joke that people talk about when packing for holiday, they chuck in about 20 pairs “just in case”, I get it, you just never know so you want to be cautious, nonetheless, it’s overloading your suitcase. For a week, try and go for 7 pairs of underwear to see how you fair.
You should be fine, they are part of your essentials so it is understandable that you want to be prepared, but what you think may happen… probably won’t! Same with socks – you don’t have that many feet to cover.
Swimsuits
You may think one is enough, but alas no, using your swimsuit most days will keep it permanently damp, it wouldn’t be great to keep putting that on each day, urgh. It would be best to pack another one, so when one dries you have the spare to go swimming in! Throw it in your luggage and voilà.
Smart Clothing
You are probably going to go out a few times when you are on holiday, so you’ll want some fancy clothes that make you feel good and look good. Pack at least one dressy/smart outfit to wear, and some pieces that would look good together without seeming too fancy. Jewellery can make all the difference to an outfit.
How to Pack Everything
Get a suitcase that has a hard shell, this will keep you to what you need as it won’t stretch for you to put more stuff in it, basically wrinkling your clothes. Your shirts, tops, trousers, shorts, etc., will do best when rolled.
Lay them out on your bed and smooth them down with your hand, fold them slightly, and start to roll, do it slowly and tightly to save space. You can also use packing cubes to help with keeping things compact, plus you can put outfits together so they are easy to put your hands on when ready for them.
Toiletries
The little things you need to bring with you to make being in a hotel room bearable, forget your toothpaste and toothbrush? One of the worst things that can happen to you! Some other small but mighty hotel room essentials are mini cleaning supplies that often include items like hand soap, dish soap, and a multipurpose cleaner. Having these on hand makes maintaining cleanliness and hygiene on the road much easier. You don’t realize how handy those travel-sized cleaners are until you don’t have them and end up with a stained shirt or dirty surfaces in your room. A mini bottle of multi-surface cleaner and some disinfecting wipes take up hardly any space in a suitcase but can really come in handy for tidying up during a hotel stay. Portable cleaning supplies are just as important as remembering personal care items like toothpaste and a toothbrush when it comes to hotel preparedness. However, there are a few other things that you will also need to bring along:
- Shampoo & Conditioner
- Toothbrush & Toothpaste
- Shower gel
- Wet wipes
- Eye mask
- Deodorant
- Wash bag
- Bug repellent
- First aid kit
- Face wash
- Makeup & Makeup remover
- Beach towel
- Hand sanitiser
- Medications & Vitamins
- Contact lenses/Glasses
Do any of these ring a bell? Have you suddenly gone “ohhhhh bug repellent!” If you have, then it’s a good thing I wrote it down. You don’t want to be halfway on your way and suddenly realize that your holiday packing is incomplete. This may be particularly essential if you have a medical condition, say something like diabetes, wherein you are needed to medical essentials such as insulin in FRIO ® insulin cooling case and syringes with you at all times. To avoid forgetting to pack these items, just add them to this list.
How to Pack Everything
Your toiletry travel essentials will not be someone else’s, but I can guarantee that your holiday packing list will intertwine with the person you are going with, so if you can lighten the load, see if you can spread it out between you both (or others) in your hand luggage or suitcase and just share.
You may want to pack your toiletries in your suitcase, or you can put them into a sealed waterproof bag inside your hand luggage so you can keep them with you at all times. You could misjudge how tight you put the cap on and find that when you open your suitcase your shower gel and shampoo are over all your clothes and shoes. Funny story, but not a great experience.
Accessories
Your ultimate holiday packing list is not a list without adding in the little pieces that make up your holiday outfits.
Jewellery
One of the best things to take with you on holiday. A necklace can make a dress look fancy, rings can accentuate your nails, a bracelet looks elegant, and earrings are just the perfect staple to have. You can go with basic gold or multicoloured to elevate your outfit from drab to bright.
Bags
We are not talking about your checked luggage here but bags that you can take out with you during the day and the night. A clutch is great for a night out, whereas a small crossbody bag is good during the day to carry your purse and any little extras like makeup and sun cream for touchups.
Sunglasses
A hugely important staple for all weathers, this accessory is probably in your bag, suitcase, and your head, you can’t go wrong with some sunglasses, you may want to bring two pairs, just in case one goes missing or gets broken, never seems to happen at home, but on holiday it decides to snap.
How to Pack Everything
A lot of your accessories will be delicate, so just chucking them into your luggage isn’t going to do much good. It may be wise to put your jewellery in your socks rolled up into your shoes so they have double protection when being transported.
You can put your bags in one another (if one is smaller) and place your sunglasses in the smallest one so it is all compact and nothing gets squashed or broken via transit.
Electronics
You will have other items that you want to bring with you when on holiday, and no I am not talking about your passport and travel documents (you should already have those on hand), but rather I am talking about electronics, you might not really think about it, but you do take electronics with you on holiday, and they should be on your holiday packing list so you can make space for them in your suitcase or at least in your hand luggage.
- Laptop
- Chargers
- Camera (plus spare battery)
- Voltage adapter
- Toothbrush plug
- Electronic shaver
This is a small list as you may not really be thinking about taking a massive amount of electronics, however, some people do like to bring GoPros and drones on holiday for fun and to capture the moment.
If your dad brought a camera to take tons of photos on your family holidays then he more than likely now is in love with a GoPro to capture everything he can. Your holiday checklist isn’t really complete without some electronics.
Miscellaneous
We do forget things when we go on holiday, it’s going to happen, and sometimes the things we forget are those that don’t fit into the categories we typically have. This can be stuff we need to sort out beforehand, as well as things that are so obvious we can forget them or forget to do them.
- Passport & Boarding pass (airport security is going to need to see this)
- Digital copies of travel documents
- Travel insurance (yes you probably need that)
- Money (changed into foreign currency)
- Proof of vaccinations
- Headphones & earplugs (you’ll need one or the other at times)
- A little suitcase for more space (just in case)
- Neck pillow
- Pack of tissues
- Handheld wet wipes
- Book or magazine
- Travelling games
- Baby milk/food/snacks/teething toys (for the parents out there)
Hopefully, some of these have jogged your memory and got you running to pack them in time. Some of these things we don’t think about because we are so focused on the essentials on our packing list that these random, (but important) items can slip us by.
How to Pack Everything
Packing these items is really up to the person. You can fit them into your suitcase, hand luggage, or a small side bag, anywhere you can fit them is up to you. Just make sure that anything essential stays with you on your flight as you do not want to lose them hundreds of miles away.
Conclusion
Hopefully, after reading all of this you are more aware of what you need to bring with you when you are going on holiday. All the items you bring will need to be packed properly for your trip so you are not left with little room to pack any other essentials for your holiday that you remember at the last minute.
Please don’t forget your passport!
