Packing for the hols

Continuing on the theme of the summer holiday, today's blog post is focussing on OISE Oxford's recommendations for holiday packing.

I find packing a most distressing experience.  I like to spend days before the big pack thinking about what to pack, though rarely making any effort to put anything in a bag (which would be helpful).  I also like to spend the days before purchasing new items for the holiday - it is just far easier to buy new than to wash existing clothes.  However, I have found that financially this can somewhat limit the actual holiday experience by not having the available funds to explore quite as much when in the holiday destination.  Then the actual day of packing usually starts at the very last minute, typically at nightfall and in a cold panic.  Urgh.

Things not to forget on holiday:

• Passport (essential for the foreign get-away)
• Sun cream (typically not used on the first day, then regretted)
• Allergy tablets (for that dusty hotel room or pollen filled sunny country)
• Anti-bacterial hand gel (essential for public transport)
• Plug adapter (to charge up the essential mobile phone etc)
• Rescue Remedy (because it is calming and reassuring, and tastes nice)

For the fashionistas, Lauren Laverne provides some fashion tips in The Observer for the holiday goer.  I will attempt to adhere to the following recommendations when I next pack in the hope to reduce some packing panic.

1 To pack and dress easily, limit yourself to three (complementary) shades. Then everything goes together without being too matchy.

2 Holiday Clothes are performing a function, don't feel obliged to maintain your usual look. Simplify, and don't pack anything you can't wear three times or three ways.

3 Layers. If you are holidaying in the UK keep them light but numerous, and you should be climate-proof and able to close your suitcase. Dresses you can wear with leggings, a rainproof poncho to go over a light jacket, a big multifunctional scarf...

4 Shoes. Even if you're going for a month, you only need three pairs: flipflops, ballet pumps and a pair you can walk all day in. Wear the latter during travel.

5 Crease-free fabrics. Jersey, Lycra and a couple of light wool bits are your best bets. 

Alright Campers!

Oxford is enjoying a super sunny day, which is turning everyone at OISE Oxford to think about summer holiday plans.   A classic British summer holiday is camping.  Camping is certainly a popular option among the OISE Oxford office with some classic camping stories being told!

Camping is believed to have entered into popular society as a recreational activity over 100 years ago.  It is widely accepted that Thomas Hiram Holding was one of the first proponents of the activity.  The number of people camping has been increasing over recent years.  A total of 5.43m camping trips were made in 2010, up 20% on the year before.  For the first time in 2010 camping was a more popular option than staying in Bed and Breakfast.

Camping offers the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors and visit some of Britain's finest countryside.  As well as the chance to build camp fires and taste BBQ delicacies.  The recent growth in popularity is accredited by many to the recession.   It is an affordable way for people to holiday more than once a year cheaply.  Also the rise in popularity of 'glamping' - glamorous camping - has persuaded first time campers to try sleeping under canvas.

The editor of the new Cool Camping Britain guide chooses 10 of his favourite new finds in England, Wales and Scotland, all of them in stunning locations.  Click on the photograph below to find out more.

Happy Camping!