• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • pinterest
  • rss
  • mail
LiveShareTravel
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • pinterest
  • rss
  • mail
  • Luxury Holiday Destinations
  • Travel Ideas & Inspiration
  • Travel Tips
  • Cruise Holidays
  • About
  • Advertise on LiveShareTravel
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
LiveShareTravel
  • Luxury Holiday Destinations
    • Africa
      • South Africa
    • Asia
      • Malaysia
      • Thailand
      • United Arab Emirates
    • Australasia
      • Australia
        • Melbourne
    • Europe
      • Austria
        • Salzburg
        • Tirol
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Spain
        • Andalucia
        • Canary Islands
          • Tenerife
        • Menorca
      • United Kingdom
        • London
        • Scotland
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Caribbean
      • USA
        • Florida
    • South America
      • Ecuador
  • Luxury travel by interest
  • Travel Tips
  • Cruise Holidays
Home    Travel Tips    How to pack: 7 packing tips for a long weekend break

How to pack: 7 packing tips for a long weekend break

Updated on August 9 by Lorraine Loveland

How to pack for a long weekend awayThere is nothing quite like the excitement of finishing work, with the promise of a long weekend adventure ahead of you. But how to pack to ensure the best use of limited space?

But we often view packing for a long weekend break as more troublesome than preparing for our main travels – it can feel so much more restrictive.

With the best colours and types of clothing to take with you, as well as gadgets designed to make your luggage look more minimalist, these tips are designed to make the chore of packing quick and easy.

Whether you have an impending “staycation” in the countryside or have planned a fabulous mini-break to explore the city sights in a far-flung country, here are our top tips for stress-free packing.

Often take off for a long weekend? Share your tips for packing for a few days at the end of this feature.

Table of Contents

  • How to pack – seven tips
    • 1. Neutral clothing works best
    • 2. Layering up
    • 3. Select the right luggage
    • 4. Leave hair straighteners at home
    • 5. Dispense toiletries, dispense with weight
    • 6. Lose the plugs
    • 7. Use your phone to capture the moment

How to pack – seven tips

1. Neutral clothing works best

How to pack - pack neutrals such as black jeans to transform your look from day to night | Pic: Lisa Leonardelli

This has to be one of the most useful packing tips you will ever come across. Always rely on the neutrals such as black jeans, which are easily transformed from exploring in the day to dinner and drinks at night.

Simply change your top, add some jewellery and a (neutral) clutch bag. Also it works to apply the 2:1 rule, two tops for each pair of trousers or jeans.

2. Layering up

How to pack - layer up with cotton clothing for an instant cool or warm effect | Pic: m01229

Cotton clothing is perfect as not only is it light, it folds down easily too.

Weather a bit unknown? Stack up on your cotton garments and you can instantly transform from a cotton vest for warmer climes or add a long sleeved t-shirt for added warmth, without the need for bulky jumpers.

Instead of packing a raincoat, take an umbrella with you. And if it’s really cold, pack a scarf as well as thermal or normal leggings or tights to wear under jeans for an instant hit of warmth without the weight.

3. Select the right luggage

How to pack - use a holdall or backpack to fit more in for a long weekend | Pic: Design Initiative

Ditch the hard shell suitcase and opt for a soft holdall – particularly for a trip near close to home.

You can always squeeze a little bit more in around the edges, and it will fit snugly under your seat on a train or plane. Just leave bulky shoes or boots at home – or wear them for the journey.

4. Leave hair straighteners at home

How to pack for a long weekend, lose bulky items like hair straighteners

Women’s lives were transformed forever with the invention of hair straighteners, and for those of us tormented by frizz, these are usually the first things to go on the packing list.

But for a long weekend, they are a bit bulky. Instead, use John Frieda Frizz-Ease 3-Day Straight semi-permanent formula. Before leaving home, spray on after washing your hair, dry and straighten as normal for three days of permanent frizz-free hair.

5. Dispense toiletries, dispense with weight

How to pack for a long weekend - dispense with heavy toiletries

Don’t carry big bottles of toiletries with you – dispense shampoo, conditioner, moisturiser and more into smaller silicone travel bottles to reduce weight, and if you’re flying they’ll fit airport security restrictions for hand luggage.

6. Lose the plugs

How to pack, invest in a dual USB charger for all in one charging and less plugs in your luggage, such as this one from Amazon

If you are jetting off to foreign shores, pack just the one travel adaptor, with USB sockets which can charge two devices at once. Plus depending on the television at your hotel, you can sometimes charge your phone from a USB socket on the back of the television set.

No need for lots of bulky adaptors, just remember to bring the right cables with you.

7. Use your phone to capture the moment

How to pack for a long weekend - ditch the camera, take your phone

Cameras have long been a staple on our packing lists, but like the transformation from disposable to digital versions, phones have also been subject to some serious camera updates.

Leave the digital camera at home, and use your phone to capture key moments. Budding photographers with an iPhone need not lose out either, as the Olloclip 4-in-1 Lens allows you to take pictures with wide angle, fish-eye and other photo effects. Simply clip the lens over your phone and start snapping.

Discover more packing tips in our features how to pack: seven tips for your next trip, and seven tips for your cruise packing list.

Do you have other ideas of how to pack a long weekend? Leave your suggestions below…

Some images used here are licensed under Creative Commons 2.0: Lisa Leonardelli, m01229,Design Initiative, Justus Blümer

A land of a thousand lakes – finding winter magic in Finland’s Lahti region
Places to go in San Sebastián: must sees in the European Capital of Culture

About Lorraine Loveland

Lover of all things travel, Lorraine can often be found whiling away hours on Pinterest (so easily done!), looking for new places to visit or new spaces she can make over at home. Throw in a good book, delicious food and wine, combined with great company, and she is a happy soul indeed!

Follow Lorraine Loveland

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment

  1. Kate says

    March 12 at 5:59 pm

    Great packing tips – thanks for sharing!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Please tick to confirm your consent to us storing and using the information you have entered here according to our privacy policy.

Primary Sidebar

BY THE FOUNDERS OF LIVESHARETRAVEL

The Luxury Traveler's HandbookBuy Now

Also in US Edition

Sign up to receive our FREE eBook, How to Find Luxury for Less, with our 12-point plan to saving your money on your luxury travels



Plus you’ll receive travel deals, tips and resources by email each month. Plus add us on Bloglovin’ for all our latest stories.









Follow

  • Our World of Luxury Travel

    • Luxury Holiday Destinations
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Australasia
      • Europe
      • North America
      • South America
    • Travel Ideas & Inspiration
    • Travel Tips
    • Cruise Holidays
    • About this Luxury Travel Blog
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Contact
    • Terms of Use & Privacy Policy
  • About LiveShareTravel

    Liberating luxury is at the heart of our philosophy here at LiveShareTravel. There’s a sense with luxury travel and lifestyle that it’s unattainable to people on anything but a celebrity budget.
     

    Not so. Here you’ll find great luxury deals, tips and ideas for how to travel and inspiration to make your life more luxurious and without breaking the bank.
     

    Read more about us and this luxury travel blog
     

    Follow our journeys in luxury…
     

    • facebook
    • twitter
    • instagram
    • pinterest
    • youtube
    • bloglovin
  • Award Winning Luxury Travel Blog

    Winner of Digital Influencer,
    Visit USA Media Awards, 2017

     

    Winner of Innovative Campaign & Content Award, Travel Media Awards, 2015

     

    Winner in Caribbean Tourism Organisation Journalism Awards, 2013

     

    Runner Up Best Content, Travel Marketing Awards, 2018

     

    Runner Up Best Content Marketing,
    Travel Marketing Awards, 2016

     

    Visit USA Media Awards 2017 Digital Influencer Winner Travel Media Awards winnerRunner Up Travel Marketing Awards 2018 Runner Up Travel Marketing Awards 2016

  • Copyright © 2023 · LiveShareTravel