How to Pack for a Weeklong Getaway in a Beach Bag

Pare it Back to the Bare Essentials, What to Take, What to Leave Behind

I am a snowbird who readily admits traveling light is not my thing. I overpack -- mostly on purpose -- because I'd rather have "it" and not need it than wish I had packed it. I dislike having to take the time and spend the money to buy yet another article of clothing when all I had to do was throw it in to begin with.  Our first few years of being snowbirds involved moving ourselves, our Golden Retriever and our business in a sedan. Then we purchased a Lincoln Navigator because it has soooooo much more space. As you can imagine, I packed smart, but not light. No thanks.

When the opportunity arose to stay at the beach for a week, I didn't hesitate to go for it. It would be just me, solo, for a Saturday to Saturday week in paradise. My husband and dog would stay behind largely due to my dog's physical restrictions from a recent knee surgery and also because of the remaining portion of our kitchen reno. The reno was already scheduled with our vendor and contractor and the dog was absolutely not able to travel. My husband could not leave, but he was very supportive of my decision to get away. For me, this would be a workcation combining deep cleaning our vacation rental in the middle of peak season with leisure time enjoying the beach service reading a book under an umbrella.

Driving to the beach for two days is out of the question for me and airfare was extremely reasonable from Indianapolis, Indiana to Fort Walton Beach, Florida. For a price upgrades such as a reserved seat and extra luggage could be purchased, but that defeats my low, low, low budget trip. So I challenged myself to pack a week of stuff into one beach bag that would fit into the specifications of the airline's one allowable "personal item" that doesn't incur additional charges. For $166 round trip I was determined I could do it! A challenge for sure, but one that I felt was worth the effort.

The object of my trip was not to pack light enough to get to and from my destination and then go berserk while at the beach. The goal was to pack light and live for a week with only the bare essentials. I did not rent a car. I did not take an Uber or Lyft or any other mode of transportation other than the professional driver I hired to get me to and from the airport. That's it. No help. No deliveries from grocery stores, Door Dash, local friends or anything else. This was purely a pedestrian workcation. Exercise, live light and haul it myself. That's the game and that's my challenge. I seriously wondered if I could actually do it. Could you?

There are a few adjustments I would make, but overall it was a success and I could and would do it again. The key is to utilize what I call "zone" packing. I do this with our extended snowbird stays and on a micro level, I did it for my weeklong stay. Assign yourself however much space to fit everything into it and if you have too much, edit and refine. You'll get there. The TSA and/or airline will be the ones to allocate your space for liquids and take the cues from the airline of what they allow for the dimensions a personal item. If I can do it, you can do it!