7 Essentials You Need For a Weekend at the Cottage or Cabin

It’s hard to believe that it’s already mid-August. Even with scorching hot temperatures, at this point in the season, it starts to feel like fall is just around the corner. The truth is, we still have several weeks of summer left to enjoy! This means, we aren’t ready to say goodbye to the hot, humid weather, BBQ’s, summer parties, or weekends away at the cottage. A lot of people take holidays in August, because it’s a great month to escape the city and head up north to the cottage, even if it’s just for the weekend.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m invited to a cottage, I get a little bit anxious about what to pack. I’m always afraid of under-packing, but I’m also afraid of being that person, who shows up with way too much “stuff.” I love going for weekends away in cottages, they’re so relaxing! I’ve even been looking at some large properties in Wales since I’d quite like to visit somewhere like Conwy in the summer. I haven’t booked anything yet though! You’ll always need to pack the basics (ie: clothes, toothbrush, etc), but to help take away from of the anxiety around what toiletries to pack, I’m sharing the 7 essentials you need to pack for a weekend at the cabin or cottage.

Scroll through to see which items you need to put on your next cottage packing list!

7 Essentials You Need For a Weekend at the Cottage or Cabin

1. Moisturizer with SPF

The odds are, if you’re going to the cottage, you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors. It’s important that you don’t forget to bring sunscreen and apply it to all of your skin that will be exposed to the sun. I’m not picky when it comes to the type of sunscreen I use on my arms and legs, but when it comes to protecting my face, I am. I’ve been using the Skinceuticals Physical Matte UV Defense with SPF 50 for the last few months and highly recommend it. The special formula works to moisturize and protect your skin. I love that it has a matte finish, even in hot, humid conditions. It’s lightweight and dries almost powder-like, which helps even out your complexion. Since I’ve been using this product all summer, so you may recognize it from my summer beauty essentials post.

2. Lip balm with SPF

It can be easy to overlook the fact that you need to protect your lips from the sun, too. Of course, once you’ve experienced sunburnt lips, you may not be so quick to forget! I’ve been using the Nivea Sun Lip Care with SPF 30 for years. It’s inexpensive, protects your skin and leaves your lips feeling smooth. A total win!

3. Minimal Makeup collection

Some would argue that it’s silly to bring any makeup with you on a trip to the cottage or cabin. That may be the case, but I’m the type of person who always needs to be wearing at least a little bit of makeup to feel like myself. I find a little bit of bronzer and some blush on my cheeks can go a long way. Ultimately, just keep the number of products you bring to a minimum. The cottage isn’t the place to try that bold new eye shadow palate that you just got your hands on.

4. Texturing product for hair

The cottage is not the time or the place to be fussing over how your hair looks. That being said, after a swim in the lake, or hot day in the sun, you may want to give your hair a quick refresh to bring it back to life. I recently discovered Lush Sea Spray Hair Mist and it’s instantly become a go-to product for me. Lush’s Sea Spray is made from a blend of sea salt, sea water and sea weed, to add shine and give that beachy look to your hair. It’s perfect for that quick refresh, but also to add volume, texture and shine. It also contains orange flower, grapefruit, neroli and rosewood blend perfumes, so it smells ah-mazing!

5. Dry Shampoo