The girls in my family are doing a small cottage trip this week, so while getting my stuff together I got to thinking about the absolute essentials to bring with. I'm the kind of girl who tends to overpack for any trip, no matter how long ( I always need options), but going to a cottage with a few girls for 3 days really doesn't require options, or anything overly nice for that matter. I'm actually very excited to not have to think about making outfits and accessorizing and everything; as much as I love it, it can be very exhausting (although I am planning to do a photoshoot or two of outfits because of the scenery, so I'll be sharing those with you hopefully soon!).
You want to bring only the absolute essentials, that will fit in a somewhat small bag (like the one below), as you will probably be driving up in a car with numerous people and so space may be limited. They key to light cottage packing is to bring basic items in basic colours that you can mix and match with each other.
For bottoms, I would go with one dark and one light pair of denim shorts, as well as one pair of sweatpant material shorts. Then I would also suggest leggings and sweatpants for night, since it tends to get pretty cold up north and help you to keep from getting too many bug bites.
For tops I would bring 3-4, and a mix of t-shirts and tanks. Again, very plain basic colours that would match well with any pair of bottoms. I would also bring some heavier long sleeves or sweatshirts for nighttime; whether you're hanging out outside drinking beers or it's cooler inside when you're going to bed.
For footwear I would stick to slip on sandals and then something a bit nicer for heading into town. You can also throw in sneakers or running shoes if you have to walk somewhere (like going on a hike) or need closed-toe shoes. In terms of purses I would just bring a cross-body bag in a neutral colour (so it will match with any outfit you wear). You won't need much room so a small one will do.
For swimwear, two tops and two bottoms should do it (depending on how long you're going for). Choose ones that you can easily mix and match with each other. If you're going for 3-4 days, two tops and bottoms will give you four different bathing suit sets to choose from!
If you think you might go into town one night to a bar or for dinner, bring something a bit nicer than just sweats, but don't feel the need to get too dressed up, as the locals in cottage country generally don't either. Try a nice tank with jeans and wedge sandals (yes, even at the cottage I do need some height on me!). You can also bring a simple necklace if you feel the need to accessorize (don't worry, I do too), but I wouldn't bring anything too fancy or expensive in case it gets lost or ruined. Pair the outfit with the nicer sandals and simple purse.
This kind of packing also works well for a weekend spent at the beach! How do you pack for a few days up north? See you at the end of the week readers!
