Packing for Two Nights Away
A short, repeatable packing list for a weekend trip, built so that the night before takes ten minutes instead of an hour.
6 min read
Two nights needs less than you think and the same things every time, which means you can turn packing into a habit rather than a decision.
Here is the version that fits in a small cabin bag with room left over.
The clothes
Wear the bulkiest things on the journey. Jacket, jumper, boots. Everything else goes in the bag.
Pack two tops, one spare pair of trousers, underwear and socks for three days rather than two, and one item that makes you feel presentable if you end up somewhere nicer than expected.
One pair of shoes, worn. A second pair takes up a quarter of a weekend bag and gets used once.
The toiletries
Keep a permanent washbag stocked with travel sized versions so you never repack it. Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, whatever you use on your face, painkillers, plasters and any medication.
Most accommodation provides soap and shampoo. If you care about which one you use, decant it into a small bottle rather than carrying the full size.
- A washbag that lives permanently packed
- Liquids under one hundred millilitres in a clear bag
- Medication in the cabin bag, never the hold
- A phone charger and a small power bank
The documents pocket
One place for passport or ID, boarding passes, one card and a small amount of cash. A zipped internal pocket or a small pouch, always the same one.
Knowing exactly where these are is worth more to your peace of mind than anything else in the bag.
The bit of space you leave
Leave a quarter of the bag empty. It absorbs a bottle of something, a book, a jumper you buy because it was colder than the forecast said.
A bag that closes easily on the way home is a small daily pleasure.
The ten minute method
Keep a note on your phone with this list and reuse it every trip. Packing then becomes reading a list rather than imagining a weekend.
Pack the night before, not the morning of. Not because you will forget something, but because the morning of a trip should be quiet.
In short
Packing for two nights is a solved problem. Solve it once, write it down, and never spend an evening on it again.
