What to Pack... Summer Packing Essentials!

This can vary immensely, depending on where you are going, with whom and for what purpose.
So I'll start with 'Summer Packing Essentials'. With all the baggage restraints and the cost of checking luggage, we chose to share one 20kg case for a week, as you can also bring a 10kg carry on bag.

Cabin Bag

I adore my Anter carry on, it's a perfect fit for Ryanair baggage check and fits everything I need on board. It's also a great weekend bag! It fit everything I needed for the flight, plus some extras like a spare outfit and Bikini - I'm always terrified of losing my luggage!

I picked up a great addition to this in the Canaries - a mini tote bag, which fits perfectly inside the carry on for boarding. It fits everything you need for in flight, without having to fuss with the bigger bag.





 

I was able to tuck all of my essentials in here: book, phone, Vaseline, hand cream, water, chewing gum, tissues and some comfy socks (I'm prone to ankle swelling when I fly - glamorous I know). It's a great little bag to keep everything together and to hand, like Passport, boarding cards, travel insurance and coach transfer details.



Checked Luggage

How do you choose what to bring on holidays? I love my creature comforts and love having all my home comforts to hand; which isn't always possible especially when you’re restricted by weight. Thankfully, I love organising/ packing and so usually start by making a list of what I think I 'need' to bring: Clothes/ Accessories, Beauty, Toiletries, Essentials like adapters etc. and then what you need for the Beach/ Pool.  Then I lay it all with the clothes I want to bring on the bed in the spare room and narrow it down piece by piece.

I don’t like to be carting a lot of stuff around with me if I'm not going to wear/ use it - so finding the balance between summer colour and outfits of choice can be a little tricky. I tend to stick to neutral coloured footwear as they tend to go with everything, making my options more versatile: White wedges and Rose Gold flats. 

It's always a good idea to familiarise yourself with the weather conditions at your destination. The Canaries has sun 350 days per year but I always throw in a pair of leggings and a shrug just in case.

This is what my case usually contains:

• 2 day dresses
• 2 evening dresses
• 2 tank tops
• 2 skirts (can be dressed up or down)
• 1 shorts
• 2 bikinis
• 1 maxi dress
• flat sandals
• wedges
• floppy sun hat
• beach towel
• bikini bag

Apart from not having the right clothes with you, the last thing you want to have to worry about on holiday is your make up running down your face! My Beauty bag usually just contains a lot of light waterproof items such as Rimmels Waterproof mascara/ eyeliner, Benefit Porefessional Primer, Rimmel Bronzer with SPF 8, and Revlon Lip Stain, which will not rub off, leaving you worry free and looking your best! 

Here's my checklist, feel free to use/ print.

Holiday Checklist from Juls Nicholl-Stimpson