What I actually pack and plan for when I’m going away for a few days with a chronic illness. A mix of practical travel essentials, things that make being away from home easier and reminders that help me enjoy a mini break without trying to squeeze an...
Sections
5
Before I Leave
My Travel-Day Bag
Clothes Without Packing My Entire Wardrobe
Once I’m There
Coming Home
Before I Leave
The little bits of planning that make being away from home considerably easier once I’m actually there
I will absolutely remember the random book I want to take and somehow forget something genuinely important if I don’t write it down
Make a Very Boring Packing List
For a couple of days away I don’t need to take half the bathroom with me, but I do need a way of keeping everything organised
Weekly Travel Pill Organiser
Plans change, journeys get delayed and sometimes coming home exactly when I expected to isn’t completely in my control
Pack a Little More Medication Than I Expect to Need
Enough of the products I actually use for a few days without carrying several full-size bottles around
Plastic 10 Piece Travel Bottle Set
Knowing where the nearest supermarket, pharmacy and somewhere I can get familiar food is makes arriving somewhere new considerably less stressful
Check What’s Near Where I’m Staying
Mostly because digging through my entire bag every time I need one T-shirt gets old remarkably quickly
Set of 3 Travel Packing Cubes
My Travel-Day Bag
Things I want with me rather than buried somewhere completely inaccessible
Cold water within reach for the journey rather than realising my bottle is underneath everything else
Water Bottle with Straw
Anything important stays in my accessible bag rather than somewhere I can’t easily get to during the journey
Keep Medication With Me
Directions, tickets, hotel information and getting home are all on my phone. This is one thing I really don’t want dying halfway there
Anker Portable Chargers
Travel days are not when I particularly want to gamble on whether I’ll find something I actually want to eat
Pack Something Familiar to Eat
Useful for the journey, useful when somewhere gets overwhelming and useful when I just want the world to be a little less loud
Apple AirPods
The sunglasses come with me regardless of whether the weather forecast thinks they’re necessary
Hard Shell Glasses Case
Clothes Without Packing My Entire Wardrobe
Enough options to be comfortable without pretending I need a completely different outfit for every possible scenario
They’re comfortable, go with basically everything I own and take up very little room. Easy decision
Thermal Leggings
I would rather wear it than sacrifice half my bag to one enormous jumper
Wear the Bulkiest Jumper While Travelling
Travel day, cold hotel room, evening, unexpected weather. It earns the space in the bag
My Fave Oversized Sweater
A mini break is not the moment I suddenly become somebody who happily spends all day in uncomfortable shoes
My Most Comfortable Vans
Apparently three days away does not require clothing for every weather event Britain has experienced since records began
Pack for the Actual Forecast
Although this is Scotland, so obviously some weather events are worth preparing for
Lightweight Rainjacket
Once I’m There
Because arriving does not mean I immediately need to start doing things
Medication, charger, water and toiletries first. The rest can stay in the bag until I care about it
Unpack the Things I’ll Actually Need
For going out without carrying my entire travel bag around with me all day
ABANU M
Getting there was already an activity. I don’t need to immediately prove I’m making the most of the trip
Don’t Make Arrival Day a Full Sightseeing Day
Takes up basically no room and inevitably becomes useful for something
Packable Tote
Anything else I manage is extra rather than another thing I failed to fit in
Pick One Main Thing Each Day
Sitting in a library, café, park or back at where I’m staying still counts as being on the trip
Take Breaks Somewhere Nice
Coming Home
The part of the mini break I need to remember is still part of travelling
Dirty clothes go straight in and I don’t have to work out what is clean when I get home
Laundry Basket
Travelling home uses energy too. Apparently arriving at my front door does not instantly restore all of it
Don't Schedule Something Immediately After I Get Back
Medication and anything that needs refrigerating aside, the suitcase is perfectly capable of surviving one night without being unpacked
Leave the Bag Until Tomorrow
Clean bedding, easy food, charged devices, whatever makes coming back require slightly fewer decisions
Have Familiar Things Waiting at Home
If I need a day doing very little afterwards, that doesn’t mean I did the mini break wrong
