Packing a Man’s Overnight bag – The Lowdown

My husband has to go into hospital at the end of this week, hopefully for a very short (read overnight) stay. To say this is causing consternation would be the understatement of the year. So far he has asked me to check out our medical insurance, the cost of private healthcare, and case studies of medical negligence – all ‘just in case’ (his words, not mine).

And don’t even get me started on the overnight bag. You would think this would be simple – a few essentials, something to sleep in, job done. But no, this has become the cause of some fretting, what to pack, and what to leave out?  What exactly do you put in an overnight bag, whether it be for hospital, or just a normal overnight business trip?

In honour of this, I have put together a checklist of essentials for an overnight stay. Let me know if I’ve missed anything out.

1. Overnight bag

This Armani jeans overnight bag from Selfridges is amazing quality, and you just know that the fact that it is also wipe clean is going to help it look good for years. Extra side pockets are also a bonus, useful for things like keys and business cards.

 Something to sleep in.

Even if your other half usually sleep in the buff, the chances are, that away from home, some sort of nightwear is required. I think a safe option are pajamas’s that resemble lounge wear. These tend to be comfortable and more up-to-date than those buttoned up, ‘Only when I laugh’ pj’s once sported by Peter Bowles and friends.

Toiletries

These days, there is no reason to pack the complete contents of the bathroom cabinet when going on an overnight journey. Most high-end bath and beauty brands stock travel kits which contain most the bathroom essentials. I love the Enlightened traveler Limited Edition kit from Bodhi which contains a wealth of gorgeous products in a wonderful overnight bag.

Personal Grooming.

Men’s grooming kits are a fabulous idea for travel and overnight stays. They compromise all the shaving essentials, along with clippers and tweezers that help keep the general appearance immaculate. This one from Menkind is a snip at less than £25, making it a great gift idea too.

Something to read.

It’s always a good idea to have some reading material in your bag, for those moments when you have a spare 5 minutes to pass.  Andrew Marr is always a brilliant read, so I would recommend ‘A History of the World’ which is illuminating and fascinating in equal measures.

[Hardcover] £11.25 click to visit Amazon”]

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