I love long weekend getaways. These little trips are lifesavers.

I’ve booked my tickets for a long weekend adventure, island hopping to Samoa. It’s still a couple of weeks away, but I haven’t been back there since last year, so I’m excited to go and eat some good food, get a massage, and explore new places!

With that being said, I’m mentally preparing for the weekend escape with a list of things to bring, the essentials for packing light for a long weekend. Island style!

It’s only a weekend, so I don’t want to burden myself with too many things. And as much as I’d love to travel and have all the contents of my room readily available, it’s just not practical. Here’s my light packing list which I will be fitting all into one backpack and tote bag.

What to wear:

Samoa is a tropical climate, and it can be sunny one moment and then stormy the next. Either way will be very humid. It’s a good idea to pack clothing that is comfortable and dries easily, like cotton fabrics. I’m bringing 3 swimsuits that also double as my undergarments, because first of all, you’re on vacation, let those girls hang! And second of all, because I will likely spend most of my time in the ocean or by the pool, so it helps to have underwear and bras that dry very quickly. If you don’t have slippers, you must not know what an island is.

Adventures:

While some places offer snorkel gear for rent, I prefer to bring my own because it’s saving me money and I won’t have to worry about finding a place to rent gear from. I have this awesome Cressi Mini Frame mask and snorkel that fits my smallish head, and Ian got me this pair of DaFin kick fins that are perfect for bodyboarding and relaxing snorkels. Take sunblock everywhere (doubles as moisturizer) and a small bug spray if you plan to be hiking.

Technology:

It’s a long weekend away. Use this time to disconnect from technology and reconnect with mother nature. For technology, I’m only  bringing my DSLR camera, a Kindle (pre-downloaded 2 books so I don’t need to pay for WiFi), and my iPhone 6 for snaps here and there. Also, because Samoa has different sockets, I brought a power adapter in case I need a quick recharge.

Travel documents:

These are the obvious essentials: passport, driver’s license, wallet, and itineraries. Since I am packing light, I plan to take all these important documents with me everywhere, so keeping them stored safely is very important. I am using my Lalelei clutch to hold my passport, IDs, and money. As for the itineraries, I do like to have printed copies with me, but I also keep a copy on my phone, usually screenshots so I can just access them in my Photos folder. Tip: also save a photo copy of your passport and driver’s license on your phone or on your email, just in case.

Extras:

Bring a notebook and pen in case you need to jot things down. I’m bringing my Midori Travelers Notebook with a fresh insert for this trip. I’m also bringing my tricolor pen and my watercolor travel palette that I made out of an Altoids tin! Travel journaling is a lot of fun, and I just collect little mementos from the trip like tickets, receipts, stamps, maps and pamphlets and write down absolutely anything.