Holiday Packing - A Worrier's Guide

It's officially holiday season, guys! From now until September, every week someone new will be annoying you with tales of sunburn, drunken debauchery or, the classic, "this time next week I'll be on the beach!" - you know as well as I do how irritating the whole thing can get. Unless it's you who's off on holiday, in which case it's perfectly acceptable to do all of the above...

But with a holiday comes packing. Seems simple enough, but if you're not careful, you'll undoubtedly exceed the baggage limit at the airport, but still have nothing to wear. No longer the case, ladies.

I'm a real worrier, and packing for holidays always brings out the 'what-ifs' within - what if I get sick? What if I get sunburnt? What if we go somewhere fancy? What if I get sunstroke? What if the world ends while we're on the beach and all I have with me is a bikini?!

This is where the list comes into spectacular force.

Planning is my thing, and there's no better time for you to be good at planning than three days before your flight, surrounded by your entire wardrobe and grooming routine and an overstuffed suitcase. So take a step back from the closet and let's think rationally. Do you really need to take a hot cloth cleanser? Isn't three pairs of heels two and a half too many? Get a pen and paper and let's go slow.

Rule One - Streamline
However much you think you're going to need three outfits per day (that's a classic question of a What-Iffer, girls), you aren't. Let's think seriously. A week's holiday, somewhere warm. Take an outfit for every day, but be sensible. Summer dresses are a one-piece wonder, minimising packing. If you do love separates, take things that you can mix and match and wear again, such as versatile vests and t-shirts, or a pair of shorts. Pack three-four bikinis depending on how much you love sunbathing. Then take a few interchangeable pieces for the evening, to match up with those tops or shorts - I went for partially-sheer maxi skirts and floaty midi skirts, to take my daytime looks effortlessly into the night.

And shoes. Last year, I went on a girls' holiday and took ten pairs of shoes, including two pairs of heels. I wore, approximately, two pairs of those shoes - the comfiest of the sandals and flipflops. The heels were untouched. For Crete this year, I packed those sandals and flipflops again, added some comfy plimsolls and wore a pair of ballet flats. Job done. (If you're interested, my case weighed in at a whopping 6kgs less on this year's holiday than the last!)

Rule Two - Mix and Match
We've spoken about the virtues of mixing and matching already, but now I'm talking about accessories. Choose as few things as possible, but make sure they will work with everything you're packing. I took two belts to Crete, a plaited brown leather one for daytime, and a gold leather one for evening. Handbags are a tricky one - don't bother with sloppy totes or beach bags, as they are a thieves' best friend. I chose a canvas bowling bag that zipped shut and had a shoulder strap - my usual handbag style, but in yellow and white striped canvas, very holiday appropriate. It fitted in everything I needed it to and worked well with every outfit. I also took one clutch bag for the evening, in - what else? - black and white.


Rule Three - Make a List!
List everything you're packing. Write down everything as you think of it, and give yourself a few days to make it, to be sure you don't miss anything off. Tick items off as they go in the suitcase, et voila, you forget nothing. This is foolproof, but so many people don't bother. For the uber-organised, take the list with you and check everything again as you re-pack on the last day.


Rule Four - Toiletries
This is an area where you probably do need to cut down, especially if you're hand-luggage only. Try and choose items which multitask, such as a primer and moisturiser in one, or a shampoo and conditioner combo - it saves a huge amount of space, and the less products you take, the less risk there is of leakage. Decant things like shampoo, conditioner and shower gel into travel bottles; you can buy a set of this for a few pounds at the most, and it's much cheaper than buying miniatures of everything, which are incredibly overpriced. Think about what you use every single day. The basics. These are what you will pack. Yes, you like to use a face scrub and a mask once a week, but you can afford to postpone that until you get back. Shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, make-up remover, deodorant, perfume, leave-in conditioner, suncream, aftersun. The bare essentials.

Think seriously about makeup. At home, you love a full face and a smokey eye - will this work in 40-degree heat, foundation dripping onto your sundress? Thought not. If you must have a base, try liquid concealer and powder. That and a touch of mascara is all you need. Take a few bright lipsticks and maybe a shimmery blusher for evening, but honestly, I can almost guarantee you won't wear even a third of your full make-up bag if you take it with you.

Rule Five - The What-If's
The one upside to being a massive worrier is always, always being prepared. And as boring and mumsy as it sounds, I have a full first aid kit on every holiday, and every time I've been abroad, someone has needed something that I've packed in there. Think insect repellent, anti-allergy tablets and Sudocrem for nasty bites or rashes, ibuprofen for headaches or hangovers, heartburn tablets if you're prone to it, stomach-settlers for if you eat something a little untoward, travel-sickness tablets (essential for long car journeys or boat trips), ear plugs (in case there's noisy neighbours in the apartment next door, or your hotel is unexpectedly next to a nightclub), plasters and blister plasters. Also, try and get hold of an EU medical insurance card before you fly, just in case. Pack it all into a little case - it will take up hardly any room but you will thank yourself if and when you get a tummy upset, a heat rash or even a blister on your little toe!

So that's my foolproof guide to being happy, healthy and perfectly prepared for your holiday! What are your tips? Would you add anything to my list?