You’ve booked your week at a summer rental. Maybe it’s a house on the shore, split among friends. Or a lakeside retreat where you can escape the humidity. Whatever the case, you’ll want to plan ahead to ensure a splendid time.
Most rentals probably have the basics, like pots and pans and extra towels. But there are certain items that help make an experience even better and more personal. Read on for tips from expert travelers and seasoned renters about the items they toss into their totes to make a rental feel like home.
For your comfort
All those warm-weather activities — swimming and lying in the sun all day, hiking or kayaking — can be tiring, so it’s important to consider what you’ll need to relax once you’re home.
For Macey Phillips, founder of boutique travel agency , a portable sound machine is essential to getting a good night’s sleep during the annual beach trip she takes with family in Florida (she prefers a $40 model from ). “I always stay in a house with a bunch of people, and everyone is waking up at different times, or some years I’m sharing a room, so it just helps to block out the extra noises,” she explains. Plus, if you couldn’t snag a beachfront rental, you can program your machine to emit the sound of the surf.
Another small addition to the packing list that can make a big difference, according to Phillips, is scented candles. Sure, they can add to the ambiance, but maybe more importantly, they can mask unpleasant odors. If she forgets to pack one, Phillips says she’ll even make a trip to town to pick up something locally made. Toss in some throw blankets for added comfort.
It’s never a bad idea to bring a small first aid kit along, too. Many houses will have some basics, but you don’t want to be in a situation where you need supplies urgently and don’t have time to run to the store, says , founder of and an experienced beach renter. This is especially important if the trip involves drinking alcohol or if kids are coming along. Keeping a stash of Band-Aids or Tylenol on hand for nonserious injuries or minor aches and pains helps you get back to the fun faster.
For eating and drinking
Good coffee is a nonnegotiable for , founder of luxury travel advising firm Acera Travel. She travels with a portable , handheld grinder and frother so she can ensure each day starts with a great cup of joe. Pack your favorite beans or strike out and explore the local options available.
Farrington was on coffee duty on a recent trip with friends to Panama City; after flying in, she discovered local roastery Sisu Coffee Studio and picked up some bags, both to bring home and to make for herself and her friends during their stay. “We all have our little assigned duties, and I’m just a coffee nerd who will make it for myself anyway, so I’d rather make it for everybody,” she says. More of a tea drinker? Follow Phillips’s lead and bring a small electric tea kettle and a box of your favorite tea bags or loose leaf tea.
If cocktails are key to your vacation mode, don’t forget to bring a collapsible shaker (she prefers ) and a , neither of which is a guaranteed find in a rental house’s kitchen.
Now for the eating part. Places will typically have some basic ingredients and salt and pepper, but you should bring anything you’re sure you’ll need for a particular meal. Bowling Ajavon brings her own seasoning so all her meals are as spicy as she likes.
, owner and culinary educator at the in Lexington, Mass., similarly travels with bags of homemade spice rubs and sauces. “I love grilling in the summer, so I bring things to make it easier to prepare the food I like to enjoy,” she says. Sharp, high-quality knives make whipping up any dish easier, so her roll of knives always tags along on her annual road trips to Bar Harbor, Maine.
For your entertainment
Bring extra items that’ll help you make the most of downtime. A portable Bluetooth speaker is a must for Bowling Ajavon (if you’re going to the beach, look for something water-resistant or waterproof that you can stick in the sand or have by a pool). Phillips brings along her Apple TV remote and console. All of her streaming services are loaded and logged into her account. “I take it with me on almost every beach trip I go on, because you have so much variety to choose from and it’s easy,” she says.
A portable projector can be another great addition to your packing list. Use it to project movies onto a sheet, a blank wall or, if your rental has a pool, a floating screen. “You could even have people in the pool in floaties or on the sides with their drinks and popcorn for a unique movie-theater-like experience,” says Bowling Ajavon.
To get your crew off their phones and socializing with one another, bring along favorite board games, puzzles or a deck of cards. “We’re so into technology, and we don’t always take the time to enjoy where we are, and being able to really connect without electronics is something people forget about a lot,” Bowling Ajavon says. She suggests games without too many small, easy-to-lose pieces, like or . Throw your favorite lawn games, pool toys or sports equipment in there, too — Pérez Kennealy’s grown kids still enjoy playing Wiffle ball, so someone in her group always brings a bat and ball.