What You Really Need in an Overnight Bag

Sometimes we have a tendency to overpack.  

It’s really easy to look around your room and start putting things in your bag that you feel like you need for the night (but probably don’t). If you’re only staying somewhere for one night, you most likely don’t need to take more than just the essentials. Here is a list of things to take with you on an overnight trip:

 

Toiletries:

You’ll obviously need to take your toothbrush/toothpaste and you might also want to take a small towel.  If you are staying in a hotel, these are things you could do with leaving at home as the hotel will provide it for you.  Otherwise, your friend’s house might not have a clean towel for you to wipe your face, and it’s better not to take the chance.

 

Wallet:  

You’ll want to have your wallet with your ID and some cash. It also takes up very little space in your bag.

 

Clothes:  

Aside from the clothes you are wearing, you’ll definitely need a pair of pajamas.  However, you might not need to take an extra pair of clothes.  If you are planning to go straight home, you could easily just wear the clothes from the previous day, and then change when you get back home.  But in the case that you do have plans that day, just one outfit is all you need to pack.

 

Makeup:  

This is something that you’ll only need if you wear makeup every day, but don’t go overboard and your whole makeup kit.  Just stick the minimum amount in a small makeup bag.  You don’t need very much.

 

Phone Charger:

Don’t forget your phone charger! It’s one of the easiest things to forget to pack for overnight trips.  You charge your phone before you leave, and then end up forgetting the charger in the wall.  Make it one of the first things you pack up because you will regret it when your phone is down to 10%.

 

What you need will vary from person to person and depend on the situation, but wherever you end up staying, these are most likely the items you’ll want to take with you.

 

About the author:

Aniqa Chowdhury is a third-year Communications major at San Diego State University with a growing passion for creative writing. Aside from writing, she also enjoys taking public speaking classes and reading fiction novels. Her hope is to work in the entertainment industry when she graduates.