When you are planning your long weekend trip, it’s important to find that sweet spot between bringing enough to wear and keeping your luggage light.
A 3 or 4-day trip is all about finding the right travel bags and maximizing the space you have.
We recommend that you stick with a carry-on-sized bag and ditch the whole bag-check process. With a short vacation, you don’t want to risk your luggage getting lost.
Plus, with some smart packing, you should be able to fit everything you need in your carry-on and your purse or personal items.
Here are some tips to keep your packing simplified!
1. Make a List - The Most Important Part!
This part might be a bit boring but essential .
The more you plan, the less you need to pack and the less you have to lug all over the place while you are traveling.
Also, you avoid forgetting something very important that you can’t buy easily in the place you are visiting. For example, tech stuff, cables, and more…
2. Check the Weather
Don’t land at your destination and discover that you’ve packed all the wrong things.
Check the weather at any non-disputable weather site, look up the 10-day forecast, and strategize accordingly.
Here in the Bay Area, we see a lot of tourists on the Golden Gate Bridge, freezing in shorts in our unexpected summer fog. Weather forecasts aren't fool-proof, but at least you can get a solid idea of what's to come!
3. Choose the Right Carry-On
Our owner Katie Smith loves to travel ( check out her trip to Sardinia ), and she kept all your traveling needs in mind.
You can have a look at one of our best-selling totes, the Daisies Carryall Bag in pink color , made from 100% cotton canvas. You will find two outside and one inside pocket, a magnetic snap closure, and its practical characteristic is laminated water-resistant in the interior.
It is roomy enough to hold everything needed for the beach, pool, gym, or road trip!
4. Pack with a Plan and Try Our Travel Cubes!
How you pack is just as important as what you pack. We suggest you pack your overnighter in layers.
Plan your outfits for each day, and if possible, use each piece more than once (excluding undergarments and socks. For those it’s good to pack for an extra two days).
If your outfits for the weekend share the same color palette, they’ll be easier to mix and match. You can stick with neutrals for the basics. Blacks, greys, khakis. And then splurge on some color with accessories, like a lightweight, beautiful scarf .
Bottom layer:
Create a structure at the bottom of your luggage with an extra pair of shoes. For a weekend, we suggest you wear your comfy shoes on the plane and then pack a pair of dress shoes.
If your weekend happens to be in a warm climate, a pair of flip-flops or sandals won’t take up much extra space.
To keep your packed shoes from getting anything else dirty, wrap them in plastic bags, shower caps that you collect at hotels, or a travel cube (ours are machine washable!). Also, use the space inside your shoes to stash extra socks or small bags of jewelry.
Middle layer:
Pack an extra pair of pants and jeans, a heavy sweater, and less delicate apparel like your comfy t-shirts.
Top layer:
More delicate pieces like undergarments, a dress for dinner, and your toiletries go on top. If you’re checking in your bags, you can layer your toiletries within your clothing so that they are less likely to get crushed by other people’s luggage.
However, if you’re carrying on, it’s handy to keep the toiletries on top, since you’ll have to remove your liquid items when you go through airport security.
Remember the 3-1-1 rule for bringing liquids on a plane: 3.4 ounces (100ml) bottles or less (by volume), which all go in 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag, and just 1 bag per passenger placed in a screening bin. You can also keep your liquids in your backpack.
The top layer is where you’ll discover the beauty of travel essentials . Not only do they help you stay organized, and keep everything protected and clean, but they also help you unpack with ease.
5. Speaking of Fresh…
A nice little touch is keeping a small sachet of potpourri or even a dryer sheet in your luggage, to keep your clothes smelling nice on their journey!
6. Pack the Small Stuff – Or Pick It Up at Your Destination
Take the time to transfer your favorite, larger, liquid hygiene items like shampoos and lotions into travel-size containers.
If you’re not picky about particular brands, and you were about to purchase sample-sized items or a travel toothbrush from the drug store, consider waiting to purchase them at your destination. Imagine how much lighter your carry-on will be without all that extra liquid.
7. Organization Makes Your Life Easier Destination
To keep even smaller items organized, use one of our zip pouches . They are the best for makeup and jewelry.
You can keep your long weekend jewelry collection tight and be mindful and intentional about which pieces you bring. Small zip pouches are also perfect for smaller electronics and all their chargers. Game changer!
8. Bring a Laundry Bag
Don’t forget to stuff a small laundry bag or garbage bag into the nooks of your luggage to keep your dirty clothes separate.
9. Maximize Your "Personal Item"
If your everyday purse isn’t normally a big tote bag, switch it up for your plane ride.
You can always stow a smaller purse or clutch in your luggage. A big tote for the plane allows you to keep all your essentials nearby.
We like headphones or earbuds, a book or e-book reader, your quart-sized bag of liquids which might include eyedrops and face lotion to stay moisturized, face/hand wipes, chapstick/lipstick, and big scarf like our plaid wraps that you can use as a blanket when they crank up the cold air.
Our sets were made for organizing the contents of your tote bag, and they can match your tote, too!
If you are opposed to bringing a large carryall on the plane, we suggest wearing a light jacket that has zippered pockets for carrying more of your essentials.
Remember, If you take any of our clothing, scarves, or tote bags on your trip, please tag us on social media with #iamrockflowerpaper so that we can see them.
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