There’s something about a weekend stay-cation that just puts you into ultra relax mode. No airport, no baggage allowance, no trying to squeeze everything into a tiny liquids bag. Which naturally means you’re going to have 2 best few days you’ve had in a while.
After a recent countryside escape, we got talking about our stay-cation non-negotiables and the things each of us refuses to leave behind. As it turns out, the Cora team has three very different approaches to overnight stays and packing. So, if we’re disappearing for a few nights somewhere not too far from home, here’s what’s coming with us and where we’ll be:
Tim keeps it simple.
Tim’s accommodation must have and I quote ‘a fleet of staff to cater to my every whim’ and maybe a room with a view.
He brings with him:
- A battery pack – because a dead phone halfway through the get away he planned in the hopes to ‘disconnect’ is totally not acceptable and wasn’t part of the plan.
- A simple white shirt – Cotton or linen, preferably. Works for pretty much everything and requires very little thought and room in the backpack.
- A bag inside the bag – Tim’s number one rule is keeping organised, a smaller Cora bag inside the Big Bag to keep all tiny trinkets in a safe space. Shame we can’t say the same for his desk.
Chloe brings her home comforts with her.
Before Chloe even thinks of packing, she scouts the local area in search of a nearby bistro with hearty pub grub.
And with her, she brings:
- Her Stanley – She’s hardly ever seen without and Stanley goes everywhere with her… no Stanley isn’t a person, it’s a water bottle! The staycation is no exception.
- An Amazon Fire Stick – possibly the most underrated thing you can pack. Plug it in, log on and suddenly a night in the shepherd’s hut feels a lot more like home.
- Welly boots – This is Britain. Enough said.
- Shelby – less of an essential and more of a non-negotiable. If the place is dog-friendly, Shelby is coming. Countryside walks, pub stops and finding every muddy patch within a five-mile radius are all part of the itinerary.
Olivia is prepared for absolutely everything.
Olivia’s stopover doesn’t even begin unless she secures a place with a luxurious hot tub for those relaxing evening dips!
Once that’s been assured she begins to pack:
- The Poly Bag – Olivia is a self-confessed overpacker, so naturally she needs a bag capable of enabling it. An extra layer? In. A book she may or may not read? There’s room
- At least three pairs of shoes – Yes she may only be away for two full days, but that’s two full days of activities, possibly four different outfits if you consider daytime and evening and she needs shoes to match!
- M&S snacks – the journey snacks are arguably as important as the destination
- Her digicam – because if you went away and didn’t come home with slightly grainy flash photos from the weekend, did it really happen?
So what are you packing?
Whether you’re a minimalist, home-comfort packer or committed over-packer, we all have those few things that make it into the bag every single time.
And now we want to know yours. What’s the one thing you’d never go on a stay-cation without? Tell us over Instagram, tag us @coraandspink on your next trip and show us your ideal stay-cation essentials!
*Shout out to The Bell Inn Ladbroke, Warwickshire for letting us use their incredible Shepherd Huts for the location of these pictures*
