Twins Take on the Trip: Beach Packing List

Every summer, we head to one of our favorite places, Outer Banks, North Carolina for a beach vacation.  This year, we flew instead of driving and we carried on luggage.  As chronic over-packers, it's always a challenge to make sure that we can get everything we need but this really forced the issue!  Here's our tips to traveling light on a beach trip!

• Multi-taskers for the win: When you're short on space, you don't want to pack items that can only be worn one way (Swimsuits are an exception to this rule).  Try to think about clothing that you'll wear more than once and in different combinations with your other pieces.  Your workout leggings can double as traveling gear.  A swing dress might be worn to dinner or thrown over your swimsuit at the beach.  Be sure to include at least a couple of items like this to maximize your space!

• Pick a color scheme and stick to it: This tip works for any short trip.  We always pick a color scheme and stick to it, which allows us to mix and match everything we've brought.  You can often get a clue as to what color scheme will work by spending some time studying your closet.  If you're like me, there are colors you gravitate towards and some that you never wear.  If you choose one color scheme, you'll know that all of your items will coordinate well.  Make sure to include jeans or chambray for your pants/shorts options.  This ensures that you have something to go with every top you have. 

• You don't need all those shoes (We promise!): Jess is decidedly a reformed over-shoe-packer.  Her husband likes to joke that to calculate the number of shoes she might pack for a trip would be "number of days of the trip multiplied by 3".  However, shoes take up lots of space in the suitcase and often you end up wearing the same pair over and over again.  Think carefully about the activities you will be participating in during the trip.  At the beach (at least for us), this usually means one pair of sandals for the beach, one pair of nicer sandals (for dinner out) and tennis shoes (for workouts and/or travel).  

• If it's an option--share:  We grew up sharing a room, and we're more successful at sharing as adults than we were when we were 13!  We don't wear the same size, but we often share accessories on vacation.  To maximize your sharing, chat with your friends before you leave on the trip.  We try to talk first so we bring different options, especially since we have a lot of the same items!

What are your keys to packing successfully for a trip?  Let us know in the comments below.