The UK is massively underrated for getaways, there is so much to offer in our little country that we often bypass for sunnier climes and trips abroad, but this year we decided to hit the road with the kids and Hugo for a 9 night/9 day road trip down to the Jurasic Coast and back.
To save on the massive drive (for everyones sanity) we decided to split the drive and stay over in different cities and experience different places, but with the UK weather being as unpredicable as it can be packing can be a stressful experience.
To minimise the amount that we need to take with us (as the car is full with people and dog) and given the fact that we are staying in a mixture of camping and air b&b's, I made sure that at our halfway point (and where we stay the longest) that I booked somewhere with a washing machine and dryer so that I only have to take clothes for half the trip and can wash everything already worn to be worn again.
The Generals:
- Waterproofs
- Lightweight rain coat
- Comfies (trackies etc)
- Suncream
- Hats
- Sunglasses
- Blankets
- Camping beds (just the kids)
- Sleeping Bags (all 4)
- Couple BBQ's
- Beach Towels x 4
- Beach Stuff (buckets/spaces/kites etc)
- Toiletries
- Breakfast stuff (cereal bars/small cereal boxes etc)
Alice:
- 2 x pants
- 1 x dungarees
- 2 x jumpers
- 4 x tshirts
- 1 x co-ord (tee & shorts)
- 2 x shorts
- 1 x swimming costume
- 1 x beach shoes
- 1 x trainers
- 10 x underwear
- 5 x socks
Sebastian:
- 4 x tshirts
- 3 x shorts
- 2 x jumpers
- 2 x pants
- 1 x jacket
- Swim stuff
- 10 x Underwear
- 5 x Socks
- 1 x trainers
- 1 x beach shoes
Me:
- 1 x jeans
- 3 x shorts
- 2 x jumpers
- 1 x jacket
- 1 x shirt
- 3 x tshirts
- 2 x vest tops
Hugo:
- Bed
- Lead & Harness
- Food
- Walking bag (has treats, poo bag & portable water bowl)
- Towel
- Food Bowls
- Spike for lead (goes into the ground for camping sites)
- Toys
Car Bag:
- Snacks
- Drinks
- Chargers
- Camera
- Spare Batteries
With the clothes for all of us I packed great basics that can mix and match with pretty much everything. We have jumpers for chillier weather and if its really cold then we can put tshirts under jumpers too on top of their coats. I decided against the wellies as its too bulky to pack so just need to keep fingers crossed for torrential rain!
If we were going away and just staying in 1 location for the entire time then packing the suitcase would have been a simple job as you unpack when you get there etc and thats it however, as we are stopping off and staying in new places pretty much every day I didnt want to just pack it all in as finding clothes each day would be a nightmare. Graham had seen a little gadget that was basically a portable vacuum pack, you can take it with you to reuse so we could vacuum pack each persons clothes easily each day. It connects via usb so can be used in the car as well.
One trick we have done is with Alice's hair, its really long and gets knotty a lot and she isnt a fan of brushing it. In order to avoid the drama over the holiday with this and to minimise arguements, we paid for her to have it braided in rainbow colours. We let the kids dye their hair in the summer holidays anyway but this means no arguments about brushing hair and its easy to put up and keep out of the way!
Here are some hints and tips for packing for a family of 4 with a pup for a road trip:
Invest in a Roof Box or Bag - without this we wouldnt fit everything in as Hugo is in the boot
Have a car bag - this needs to have snacks, water, some simple games to play if the drive is longer
Choose essential clothes that can be mix & matched
Choose clothes that can be layered
Give the kids a backpack each to take toys/books/games in - this is thier responsbility and if it doesnt fit it doesnt go.
Pack underwear and socks in ziploc bags, you can get the air out of them to be flatter plus they wont get wet
Have a dedicated "dog" bag which has everything you need for your pup
Invest in a Vac n Go from JML, it made fitting everything into the suitcase a breeze and wont be going away without it now!