Is anyone else heading to a
tropical destination this holiday season? As excited as I am, I am worried about packing. When I went to L.A. in the spring my bag was open and getting packed for two weeks pre-trip. Now I have a matter of days to pull it together. Packing can be an annoyance and can seriously ruin your trip if done wrong! (My most forgotten items: hair ties, hair brushes and my camera charger). This year, follow Jem's Guide to Proficient Packing and
you'll be ready to jet anywhere at anytime.
P.S. this guide is technically made for a one-week Caribbean vacation for a twenty-something female traveller but can be adapted to any locale or person!
I don't buy into the idea of "light" packing. Every time i've ever packed lightly i've felt like I didn't have enough clothes. There's nothing worse than having a suitcase filled with dingy clothes and nothing fresh to wear. For a reasonably fashionable female traveller I estimate that you will need two outfits
per day; a daytime beach-going outfit and a more formal dinner/nighttime outfit. Luckily, you can mix and match pieces to make more outfits out of what you bring.
The List
Clothes
- Pants: one pair of comfortable pants for flying and optional use at resort (example: lululemons)
- Shorts/Skirts: two-three.
- Leggings: optional but they are a great multi-use wardrobe piece
- Dresses: five-seven. Dresses are a staple for a tropical vacation. They're great to throw over your bathing suit and also wearable at dinner.
- Sweater: one. You might need it at night and its nice to have on the plane.
- Tops: seven. I want to have one shirt per day that I can wear with pants/shorts/skirts/leggings. Shirts are the one thing I find I never have enough of and they're not as re-wearable as other items. Don't forget to bring camis for layering.
- PJ's: this is kind of a personal choice. If you sleep naked score! one less thing to pack. If not, I recommend one pair of long pant PJ's and one pair of shorts with two comfy shirts. If you're going with your S/O you might want to pack something sexy!
- Blazer: one. Optional but is a great option to dress up your dresses for evening wear.
- Intimates: bras & underwear for everyday
- Bathing Suits: at least three. Nothing worse than a wet bathing suit!
- Shoes: practical flip flops for the beach, dressy sandals for evening/around the hotel, flats
- Hats: optional but a good idea in the sun!
Toiletries
- Smile: toothbrush, toothpaste & floss
- Face: make-up & remover, face wash, toner, moisturizer, sunscreen formulated for your face!
- Hair: hair brush, hair elastics, bobby-pins, shampoo & conditioner (if you're away for a week you definitely want your own!), straightener/curler
- Body: moisturizer, sunscreen (buy new before the trip and get the right SPF for your skin), body wash, deodorant, shaving supplies
- First Aid: birth control, medications ect.
Extras
- Beach Bag: something you can roll up and fit into your luggage easily is best! A beach bag/tote is a must for bringing what you need with you to the beach!
- Beach Reading: as a bookish gal I don't do "beach reads". I am going to take this opportunity to delve into the books on my "to read" shelf and get some serious reading done while I have the peace and tranquility to do it!
- Travel Essentials: travel insurance, passport, address of your hotel, money, copies of passport and drivers license (learned this the hard way one time)
- Hospitality Gifts: if you are travelling to a third world country its important to bring some gifts for your hotel staff. I bought my housekeepers soaps, toothpaste & toothbrushes, notebooks, crayons, stickers, pens & pencils, a hairbrush & hair ties, deoderant and a few fun girly items like pretty bracelets.
- Electronics: camera, phone (depending on country), chargers, iPod
Well, that's it for now. If you think of anything I am missing PLEASE comment! Now you should be ready to lounge in the ocean like these adorable baby sea turtles!
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