It’s pretty amazing the freedom one extra day can afford you on vacation. Taking a trip over a Saturday and Sunday can feel like you’re traveling as much as you’re relaxing, but throw a Monday in the mix and now you can take a day (or two) to fully soak in all the warm-weather goodness the upcoming season brings your way.

Before you head out this Memorial Day weekend—or any other long weekend you choose—you have to know what (and how) to pack. To show you how to fill your suitcase and feel your best, we tasked two Primark shoppers to pack for a vacation before leaving from their stunning Theatre District apartment, as listed by Caulfield Properties.

What to pack for a long weekend

Choosing the right outfits for every occasion on a vacation should be fun—especially if it involves shopping for new vacation clothes. Watch this video to get some ideas on what outfits to pack and how to make them fit your unique style and trip itinerary. 

How to pack for a long weekend

Now that you’ve got all your new clothes (for a reasonable price), you need to pack them up and make sure they look just as good out of your suitcase as they did on the rack. Follow the tips below to pack like a pro and be sure you’re ready to look your best every day of the weekend.

1. Forget folding, roll your clothes
   Save room and reduce the chances of both wrinkles and shifting clothes when you tightly roll your packed outfits into your suitcase. Now, you can pack more clothes or choose a smaller suitcase, the choice is yours. The suitcase below fits every item featured in the above video—that’s six outfits worth of vacation clothes—with room still remaining for shoes, bags, and accessories. The total for everything, suitcase and outfits included, comes out to less than $250.
   
   Rolling your clothes lets you fit more items in your suitcase and helps reduce wrinkles and creases.
2. Nest your smaller items
   Fill anything with space inside it with extra, smaller items. This helps keep your delicate items safe, too. At Primark grab sunglasses for as low as $3 and chic accessories for under $5.

   When packing a suitcase with bags and shoes, the space within each can be valuable, so don’t let it go to waste! Put rolled socks or smaller accessories inside your sneakers and fill any purses or day bags with cosmetics or toiletries.

3. For trip-long freshness, pack dryer sheets
   Don’t let one bad apple (or smelly sock) spoil the bunch. To keep your clothes smelling fresh, add a dryer sheet to you luggage, especially if you won’t doing any laundry until you return home.
4. Buy a lightweight suitcase
   Your suitcase is just what holds your stuff, so it shouldn’t hold you back from packing everything you need by adding extra weight. Grab a lightweight suitcase, like the Light One suitcase at Primark for around $50, and keep the dead weight to a minimum. Even if you’re not checking a bag, having less to lug throughout your trip is always a blessing.
5. Save room—if you can
   The best parts of a vacation are the memories you make along along way, with all the stuff you buy being a very, very close second. If space allows, save a little room in your suitcase to account for any additional outfits you buy, souvenirs you snag, or gifts you gather on your trip.
6. Remember, you’re sort of like a walking suitcase
   The outfit you wear while traveling can be your chance to bring along any extra or bulky clothing that doesn’t fit in your suitcase. Wear a jacket or travel in your workout or lounge gear to stay comfy in the airport and have an extra outfit once you land.
   Wearing lounge clothes (like the outfit on the left, which totals around $30) or work-out gear (like the outfit on the right, which totals arounds $35) while  traveling lets you “pack” an extra outfit that you can wear while on vacation, while saving room in your suitcase for other, fancier clothes.
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