The Ultimate Summer Vacation Packing Guide

Hey guys! Summer is right around the corner, and many of us will be going on some kind of vacation or trip this summer. I thought it would be great to come at you guys with some super helpful packing tips and tricks!

Obviously if you are going camping in the mountains you’re going to need different things than if you’re touring Washington D.C. Take into account where you are traveling, what you plan on doing there and how long you’ll be there, which leads to the next point.

Know How Long You’ll Be Gone

This is another important one. Once you know where you’re going, you need to know how long you’ll be gone. You don’t want to have 3 bags for an overnight, or 3 outfits for two weeks.

Know What You’ll Be Doing

Sure you could be going to Orlando, but are you going to the beach? Disney? Other attractions? Or maybe it’s a mixture. Try to get a scoop on where you’ll be headed, and if you’ll be taking any day trips.

Know The Sleeping Arrangements

Will you be camping and need a tent and a sleeping bag? Or will you be at a fancy hotel, or staying with family?

Once you “know” these 4 things you’re ready to get into what you actually need to pack.

Here are a few basic (and straightforward) tips if you aren’t completely sure what you’re accommodations are:

Sleepaway Camp

You often will have a packing list specific to the camp. Typically you are not allowed to bring phones / other electronic devices. Make sure to have weather appropriate clothing too, eg. raincoat, closed toe shoes, swimsuit.

-Sleeping Bag + Pillow
-Rain Jacket
-Closed Toe Shoes
-Clothes (+socks)
-Waterbottle
-Shower Shoes
-Bug Spray / Sunscreen

City Sightseeing

You want to pack light, hotel rooms are often small and don’t have a ton of space for extra items. Try to bring clothing that works for more than just one day.

-Casual and Dressy Clothes
-Comfortable Walking Shoes
-Backpack / Large Handbag
-Camera
-Laptop

Beach Trip

You want to bring casual outfits that are easy to wear over a swimsuit. Maybe bring 1-2 dressy outfits if your group goes someplace fancy, but other than that you’ll want to keep it pretty casual and chill.

-Multiple Swimsuits
-Casual Clothes
-Sunscreen / Bug Spray
-Waterbottle
-Camera
-Laptop
-Sunglasses
-Flip-Flops + Sandles

^ Those are just a few guidelines for what is generally appropriate for various trips. I’ll be going into more detail about what items, specifically clothing you should pack.

Before You Start Packing

Before you even start packing you should make a list. Put all the things you typically forget down on the list first (sunglasses, headphones, socks), write down the obvious things you’ll need (clothing, shoes, toiletries, etc) then pack the vacation specific things, (sleeping bag, bug spray, swimsuit)

While You’re Packing

Plan your outfits for each day! If you know where you’re going, you’ll have a good idea of what your outfits will be. Try to set out one-two outfits for each day of vacation. Why two? Typically with my experience you do more than one thing in a day while on vacation. You may want to wear a swimsuit + coverup in the morning and change into something more dressy for dinner later.

Another thing I like to keep in mind is to leave a little space in my suitcase for any shopping finds that I might pick up while I’m traveling

Clothing Expectations:

Before I wrap this post up I just wanted to give a little guideline for traveling clothing expectations:

Casual Clothing Expectations:

Occasion: casual restaurant, sight-seeing, day outfit, amusement park, casual concert.

-casual shorts / pants / jeans
-linen dresses / casual dresses
-casual shirts

Dressy Clothing Expectations:

Occasion: gourmet restaurant, church event, wedding, business event, dressy concert.

-dressy slacks / skirt + top
-dress
-no jeans / ripped anything / no yoga pants/leggings

Weather-Appropriate Clothing Expectations:

Occasion: hiking, camping, outdoor exploring, zip-lining.

-boots / closed-toe-shoes
-raincoat
-bugspray / sunscreen
-no fancy outfits / excess jewelry

And that pretty much wraps ups this packing guide! I hope that even if you aren’t planning a vacation the guide at the end was a least a little helpful!

Have a wonderful weekend guys!

💙 Hannah