Summer Bag Packing Tips

Are you going on a summer holiday/vacation later this year?
This summer there are going to be many people heading off on their first holiday away without their parents or any supervisors. This is an exciting time but it can also be stressful as you begin to plan things on your own for the first time.

For many there's the panic: Do I have everything I need for this holiday? Have I packed everything that I need?

I thought I'd help out so here is a basic idea of what to pack for your holiday before jetting off. When you're young and new to travel we sometimes end up packing way more than we need so these are just suggestions, you may not need every item. Travelling and packing light will make the trip easier (and maybe even cheaper) so try to balance having enough AND not having too much.




Clothes

• Going somewhere warm? Consider packing beach wear and lots of light clothing with a few thinner cardigans/shawls in case the evenings are cold
• Going somewhere cold? Make sure to bring layers to keep warm - include scarves and hats
• Don't forget underwear and socks. Let me tell you that's a holiday ruiner right there.
• Shoes - try to have a few different sets of shoes to suit your various needs. Maybe you'll want heels for a night out, flip flops for the beach, trainers for hiking etc.

Beach Holiday?

• Make sure to pack towels and swim wear. Also anything you or your family need to swim - goggles, floatation devices
• Sunglasses and consider a sun hat to shade your eyes and face
• Sun cream/sun tan lotion/burn lotion
• Hair ties - if you have long hair, a simple hair tie can keep hair out of your face when you swim and minimise tangles.
• Beach bag to carry your essentials
• A good book

Bathroom items:

• Deodorant
• Toothbrush & toothpaste
• Shampoo
• Face-wash
• Moisturiser
• Conditioner
• Shaving gel/razor
• Insect repellant/insect bite cream
• Body wash
• Perfume/cologne/body spray
• Any of your usual hair care/styling products
• Make up
• Sun tan lotion/burn lotion/heat cooling spray

Other good items?

• A camera to document your trip. 
• Currency for your destination
• Guide book if your destination is new to you
• A phrasebook or a list of good local phrases for the holiday
• Hairbrush 
• Passport - obviously.
  
• Phone and phone charger
• Your travel insurance/travel details.  A good thing to do is create a little folder of all the information that you need for the trip to stay organised. Perhaps even create a schedule of the trip to keep yourself on track.
• Plasters
• Travel adaptors to be able to use and charge your appliances
• A plastic bag or two to put dirty laundry into so you can clean the dirty clothes once you return home
• Paracetamol
• Hair dryer or straighteners

Just think: what do you need every day? What can you afford to leave behind? What troubles could you run into and what could help or prevent them?
Have fun on your travels - stay safe too.