Resort packing goes wrong in one specific way: packing a different outfit for every day rather than a small set of pieces that recombine. Seven days needs about four daytime looks and four evening ones.
The capsule that works
| Category | For 5–7 days | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Swimwear | 3 | One drying, one on, one clean |
| Cover-ups | 2 | One casual, one that works for lunch |
| Day dresses or sets | 3 | Choose two neutrals and one print |
| Bottoms | 2 | Linen trousers and shorts, or a skirt |
| Tops | 3–4 | Two plain, one linen shirt, one nicer |
| Dinner outfits | 3–4 | Restyle with accessories rather than adding pieces |
| Shoes | 3 | Flat sandal, dressy sandal, trainer |
| Layers | 2 | A wrap and a light jacket or blazer |
Swim and beach
- Three swimsuits
- Cover-up or kaftan
- Straw or canvas beach bag
- Hat with a brim
- Sunglasses and a spare pair
- Reef-safe sunscreen, SPF lip balm, after-sun
- Wet bag for damp swimwear
- A packable towel if you're leaving the resort
Daytime
- Two or three light dresses or coordinated sets
- Linen trousers or a long skirt
- Shorts
- Three or four tops, including one linen shirt for sun
- Something with sleeves for excursions and cold restaurants
- Activewear, if there's a gym, hike or class
Evening
- Three or four dinner outfits, restyled with jewellery
- One dressier option for the best reservation of the trip
- A wrap or blazer for air conditioning
- A small evening bag
- Check the resort dress code before you pack — many have one
Shoes
- Flat sandals for the day.
- One dressy sandal — a block heel is far more useful than a stiletto on decking, sand or cobbles.
- Trainers for the flight and any activity.
- That's genuinely enough. Shoes are the heaviest thing in a suitcase.
Beauty and hair
- SPF for face and body, and lip balm with SPF
- Cleanser, moisturiser and a serum in travel sizes
- A lightweight base for humidity, plus setting spray
- Bronzer, mascara, two lip colours
- Deep-conditioning hair mask for sun and salt
- Leave-in conditioner, dry shampoo, wide-tooth comb
- Clips, elastics and a silk scrunchie
- Nail file and clear polish
Health and essentials
- All prescription medication in original packaging, in your carry-on
- Pain relief, antihistamines, antacids, rehydration sachets
- Motion sickness tablets, if there are boats or transfers
- Insect repellent
- Plasters, blister plasters and antiseptic
- Hand sanitiser
Tech and documents
- Passport, visas and travel insurance details
- Downloaded confirmations and an offline map
- Two payment methods, stored separately
- Chargers, cables, power bank and a travel adapter
- Headphones and an e-reader
- A photo of your passport saved separately from the passport
Worth the space
- A folding tote for the way home.
- A refillable water bottle.
- Laundry sheets, which turn a five-day capsule into a ten-day one.
- One outfit for weather you're not expecting.
Leave behind
- Full-size bottles.
- A fourth pair of shoes.
- Valuable jewellery.
- Hair tools the hotel voltage won't run.
- The 'maybe' outfit.
For the evenings, vacation dinner outfit ideas covers each dinner scenario. Travelling with children? Mommy and me vacation outfit ideas covers coordinating without matching.
