The art of the weekender bag

Whether it’s returning home or visiting a friend or indulging in a weekend away, packing efficiently is a skill that will well and truly make your life easier. Although it is technically not travel season, it is always useful to know how to pack in a logical way that allows you to travel comfortably. I find this skill comes particularly handy when faced with the task of packing to visit a friend at another university. My first impulse is to pack all of my nice going-out clothes and to just leave deciding what I will wear to later on. We are all guilty of doing this (especially girls), but with these five tips you will be on your way to a journey that doesn’t involve lugging your bag around or a sore shoulder.

Start with the essentials. This seems fairly obvious but if you start your packing with only the things that you really need then I often find that you will continue with this practical mindset. Start off with your underwear and socks – you’d be surprised how many people forget them…

Coordinate your clothes! Choose clothes that you can easily mix and match. Whether you’re the type of person that prefers matching simple tops with fancy trousers or the reverse, pick a staple piece and choose a few options that will undoubtedly work with it. Remember to always pack a trusty jumper, especially in English weather.

Pack for the weather. Now you may be thinking ‘yes of course I will’ but you’d be surprised how many people forget to do this. Whether you’re going somewhere that is normally always hot or dry, being smart and checking the weather forecast can really go along way. If you’re going somewhere in England, ALWAYS bring an umbrella or something with a hood because no matter what the forecast says, there’s a chance it will rain.

You really do not need that many toiletries. For weekend-trips to see friends, remember that you probably won’t need to bring toothpaste, shampoo, and soap as you can nab this off your friend (unless they’re stingy…). Hotels and Airbnbs will almost always have things like hairdryers and soap as well.

Do the roll. My dad taught me the roll about five years ago and I’ve never gone back. Rolling your clothes saves space and also prevents your clothes from wrinkling. If you wanna go that extra mile, you could even roll your coordinating clothes within each other.