To win at NaNoWriMo you must write 50,000 words during November which could be a solid foundation for any type of writing project.

What to Pack for a Writing Retreat
Author: Alison Hazel – Updated: May 2025
Overarch
Ideas to Help You
In this article, I’m sharing my favorite tips on what to pack in your pencil bag, yes, the writing tools you’ll actually use, plus a few thoughtful extras to bring along for any kind of retreat, whether it’s for writing, art, or a mix of both. But I’ve got more to share (because let’s be real, packing for a creative getaway means bringing more than just pens and notebooks).
I cover everything from what kind of luggage works best, why having a handy city bag is a total game-changer, and what to tuck inside it. I’ve also included comfy yet creative outfit ideas that can take you from daytime doodling to evening journaling, including jewelry, makeup and the toiletry bits you’ll be glad you didn’t forget. Plus, I’ve added a few thoughts on tech and must-have accessories to keep your creativity flowing no matter where you are.

Getaway
A writing retreat happens when you go away for a weekend of two to three nights, or three to four days to clear your mind and do some writing. It could either be a weekend, mid-week, or a shoulder-week where you’re partly in the weekend and partly in the main week, it doesn’t really matter.
This summer with my friend, I’m planning a two-night three-day writing retreat for artists. I’m going to share with you the best things to take and what to pack without overloading you bags and hauling unused or unwanted stuff around. I will have more to say about our actual retreat experience later.
What to Wear
Three Days
You’ll need clothes for three days. You’ll be travelling up on the first day and travelling back on the third day, so you really want travel clothes for those two travel days.
Arrival Day
On arrival day, you’ll want to wear your comfortable clothes and these you can also wear on your departure day on the way home.
Arrival Day Afternoon and Evening
Once I’ve arrived at my destination, I’m happy to remain in my travel clothes for the bulk of the day, through lunch and into the afternoon. But in the evening, I do like to change into something better. On our particular weekend away, we are having dinner in the restaurant, so I want to have a nice top to wear, even though the pants were kept simple.
Middle Day or Days
The middle day when you’re at the hotel is more flexible. In the morning and afternoon, you can wear your casual middle day outfit. Then you could just swap out the top for dinner, add some extra jewelry. Your pashmina and you’re ready to go.
Social Media
If your weekend away is more rustic or in the woods and you don’t feel like putting on clean clothes just for dinner then of course you don’t have to, but I like to. So that’s why I like to take an extra top for the two evening dinners. Typically photographs will be taken in the evenings, so it’s nice to look your best. If you don’t mind being snapped in the same outfit for the whole weekend, that’s fine.
In this social media age, it tends to be the case that pictures will be taken. I don’t like getting caught in the same top or, I don’t like getting caught in the same clothes, so particularly it’s the tops you need to change. The bottoms don’t really matter as much.
Departure Day
On departure day, you’re going to wear the clothes you wore up on travel arrival day. This keeps things simple.

Luggage
Monster Luggage
When I went to Europe a few years ago, I had a monster suitcase full of stuff. I was only going for a week and yet for some reason I thought I needed mountains of clothes, shoes and who knows what was in my suitcase. When I checked in at my home airport at Vancouver, I was already overweight and had to pay a fee before I’d even started.
Hauled on the Coach
Finally, I arrived in London and I had to catch a coach up to Oxford. My suitcase was so heavy the guy couldn’t lift into the hold of the coach and he turned to me and said rather loudly, “Have you got a body in here, madam?”
Hauled at the Hotel
My journey continued, I dragged the suitcase to my hotel. The day I arrived the elevator wasn’t working and I was on the 4th floor so I had to pay the bellhop to carry this suitcase up the stairs. It was so heavy they needed two of them. Anyway, I pushed on.
More Stuff
I bought souvenirs, knickknacks, gifts for my kids, some books, who knows what. To take home with me. In the end, I had so much stuff that I had to actually buy a second monster suitcase to stuff in all the stuff that I had purchased whilst I was in England. Back at Heathrow for my flight home and of course, I was overweight but this time on both suitcases and had to pay another set of fees.
Never Check a Bag
I finally got home after dragging tons of junk around the world, and half of it I never even used. I made a pact with myself that I would never ever check a bag again. What this really meant is that I only ever take cabin sized bag wherever I go.
That was back in 2013, over twelve years ago. Every time I’ve traveled since then, I have only ever taken the small cabin sized suitcase which you can put in an aircraft cabin above your head.
In the Bag
My packing policy now is that if it doesn’t fit in my little suitcase, it doesn’t go. The cabin bag I have is the Rimowa and this one is similar. I’m not sure of the exact dimensions, but it actually fits in an aircraft cabin above the seats. It’s a hard shell in a dark ruby red and I’ve had it probably since 2014 and it’s still going strong.
Now people say to me, “Is that all you’re bringing?” and I say, “Yes” because I can travel with my little suitcase whizzing around cities, on buses, on trains and on planes. It’s so small it just can never be that heavy. If you pack less, you may discover that it is liberating to haul less and use a smaller suitcase.

Clothes to Pack
Trousers
Choose elasticated trousers, pants or joggers which are not too tight. You’ll be sitting in the car for nearly two hours, and you want to be in something comfortable. Currently, I enjoy traveling in these joggers as they are light and comfortable. I have them in both black and khaki and I like to travel in the olive green / khaki ones because they really don’t show the dirt.
Tops
I like to wear layers when I’m traveling. On the top this means a bra, a camisole and a T-shirt and additionally, perhaps a soft hoodie. I have this Hanes hoodie. If things get too hot in the car you could take off the outer layer and if things get cooler, you can put a layer back on. Even if you are traveling in the summer, you never know if the vehicle is going to breakdown and you have to stand at the side of the road for three hours as it gets dark and rains.
Footwear
Limit Weight
I once went away for a week to Europe, and I took seven pairs of shoes. For that whole week of travel, I only ever wore my trainers. The other shoes lay in the suitcase, never to be used, but I had to haul them in my massive heavy suitcase all around in taxis, on planes, on trains and buses. It was exhausting. After that trip, I decided to cut my footwear right down.
Trainers
The best shoes to travel in are your trainers which are comfortable. In general, I prefer Nike sneakers for travel. Make sure the laces are not done up too tight or get slip ons. You can wear these on day one travelling up and definitely for on day three traveling back home. Your trainers do not go in your suitcase, you wear them.
Slippers
If you are staying in a hotel, you really don’t want to be walking barefoot, in your room, in the shower, in the corridors or around the pool. One way to overcome this is to have flip flops to go to the pool and in the public areas within the hotel and then you can have some soft slippers to wear in your bedroom. I find that the solution to this problem is to have some neutral-colored furry slippers that look like slides which you can wear in your room, in the hotel or by the pool. Maybe not in the shower but then I stand on a towel that does not cover the drain.
Sandals
You will probably need sandals or strappy pair of shoes to wear on one of the middle days. Personally, I like a flat sandal which is strapped to my foot. So, not flip flops or slides, but a pair of sandals that is secured to my foot. I like to choose my sandals in a neutral colour like beige, tan or olive which will co-ordinate with my whole outfit’s colorway. I like sandals which coordinate with my city tote bag too.
Socks
You will need three pairs of socks, one for each day. Personally, I prefer a low-cut white sock which fits neatly into my sneakers and are comfortable. I usually take white socks only when traveling. If you have room in your travel bag, then take an extra pair of socks. Socks can be worn in your room if you don’t have flip flops or slippers.
Middle Day Clothes
Show Your Style
It depends how many middle days you have. On our two-night getaway we had one middle day which was, well, the middle day. The middle day (or days) is when you want you to wear something appropriate and comfortable. Here I’m offering you three options for your middle day, depending on the type of retreat you’re going on.
Option 1: T-shirt and Pants
This is my favorite look for middle days, white T-shirt and some casual loose pants. The white T-shirt must be white and you don’t want something that’s three years old and been lying in the bottom of the dog basket. If you can’t get your white T-shirts white, then wear a coloured one.
I like to keep my T-shirts plain and simple and so I avoid logos where I can. Wear a skin tone bra underneath your white tee so it doesn’t show. For the loose pants, these could either be palazzo, a cotton pant, a cargo pant or some loose jeans.
Option 2: T shirt and Wrap Skirt
The second option is the same white T-shirt, but now we’ve got the addition of a wrap skirt. A wrap skirt is usually made of light fabric, so it has drape and is easy to wear. They are usually thin and do not take up much room in your suitcase. Your wrap skirt could either be in a darker colour or highly patterned so it can double up as your sarong when you go to the pool. There are many styles, but I have this neat skirt and it has shorts underneath with a pocket for your phone.
Option 3: Dress
My third option for you is a dress. For many women, a dress is a great choice as it can be in any colour or pattern, it can be a mini or midi, and whatever length you’re comfortable in. If I do decide to take a dress, I prefer to have one that’s got pockets in it. Additionally, I like my dress to coordinate with my hoodie from earlier and my pashmina.

Accessories
Pashmina
A pashmina, or light wrap, is a great item for travellers. You can also take it with you in your city bag on the car journey both back and forth. It doubles up as a wrap for the evening. Your pashmina can be flexible enough that you can also use it as a sarong when you go to the pool if you don’t want to bring a separate sarong along.
City Bag or Tote Bag
I like to use what I call a city bag when I’m traveling. This is a large bag and it can be a tote bag which is big enough to contain your laptop and iPad and all your travel documents. Personally, I like a structured city bag which is open at the top and one that maybe has a couple of zip pockets for the smaller things. A city bag is easy to put over your shoulder. Your city bag will also stand on the top of your suitcase, hooked over the main luggage handle.
What to Carry in Your City Bag
When you leave home, your city bag does not contain your laptop and iPad, all your tech that’s in your suitcase. It will have your travel documents, make up, cash and wallet and maybe you can tuck your pashmina in there as well.
Once you are at your destination, and you are doing your writing as we will be doing in the coffee shop, your city bag is where you put your laptop, cables, iPad, your journals and pencil case. Suddenly your city bag gets heavy, but as you are just hauling it around the hotel, going to the coffee shop, going to the writing room and going to the business center it’s okay.
Make sure you do not travel in the car with all the weight in the city bag from the start. Only load in the bulk of your tech and books when you are at your destination. An option to a city bag is a tote, but I find totes quite floppy and irritating to use in general.

Makeup and Toiletries
Note: If you don’t wear makeup, you can skip this section.
Makeup
Makeup
In my makeup bag I have a few essentials:
- Brow pencil
- Eyeliner
- Mascara
- Eyeshadow
- Lip liner
- Lipstick doubles as blusher
- Earbuds
- Cotton wipes
Hair
Straightener
If you don’t straighten your hair, skip this bit. If I let my hair air dry, I then call it my thatched roof look. As someone who has slightly frizzy hair, I do find a flat iron can help, but I don’t want to take my monster size industrial strength from home because it’s just too big and clunky. I choose to take my mini travel hair straightener which is about five inches long. It is lightweight, but gets the job done.
Shampoo and Conditioner
You have three options:
- Take your own good shampoo and conditioner decanted into two small travel size bottles.
- Only take your good conditioner to soften your hair and use the provided shampoo.
- Take neither shampoo nor conditioner and use the hotel’s products.
Hairbrush
A basic hairbrush for blow drying your hair. Hint: Wrap 5cm (3″) strips of black electrical tape around the hairbrush handle. Use the tape to cover the peep hole on the inside of your hotel door and if your shoes rub your heels, use this tape on your skin instead of a Band-Aid.
Comb
A comb if you use one.
First Aid Kit
Medications
I carry a micro first aid kit because I may require something when I’m out and about. Pack any prescribed medications that you are taking, but you don’t need to take the whole bottle. What you do need to do is take enough for your trip.
My first aid checklist looks like this:
- Prescribed medicine in small bottle.
- Cuts and grazes: Band-Aids (Plasters)
- Headaches and stiff backs.: Tylenol and Aleve
- Traveler’s tummy: Imodium to settle things down.

Travel Jewelry
Why Pack Jewelry?
If you are someone who never wears jewelry as a matter of course, then you can skip over this section. Let’s be quite clear what I’m talking about when I say jewelry and travel. I’m not talking about your finest gold chains, diamond rings or heirloom strings of pearls from granny — you can leave those precious baubles at home. What I am talking about is some lovely costume jewelry that will elevate your outfits and show your personality when you travel.
What to Avoid
Costume jewelry can be very tricky to collect.
There is a fine line between cheap and nasty junk jewelry and artisan handcrafted, responsibly sourced natural jewelry pieces.
- Avoid compound materials like brass and base metal alloys.
- Avoid nickel, tin, lead and copper if not coated and treated.
- Avoid cheap metals and “gold-looking” plated chains and jewelry.
- Avoid all pieces which contain components that you have never heard of.
What to Choose
Here are some tips on what to look for and how to choose costume jewelry.
- Choose hypoallergenic gold plated, sterling silver or stainless-steel prongs for your earrings as they are unlikely to cause an allergic reaction.
- Select jewelry made from natural items like wooden beads, glass beads, stone beads, plant seeds, seedpods, feathers, crystal beads, bone, seashells and fossils.
- Select necklace and bracelet cords made from cotton, cotton elastic, bamboo (modal), silk, wool, leather, raffia, hemp, twine or other natural fibers.
- Choose non irritating resin (plastic) if you like, but it does impact the environment.
Earrings
Personally, I like to wear simple fine gold hoops as earrings. However, I will take an optional pair of big jazzy earrings that I could wear on one of the evenings. I usually purchase my evening earrings at Walmart, as it doesn’t matter if they get lost.
Necklaces
Necklaces will finish off your look even when you’re traveling. For a three-day trip, I would probably take two or three necklaces and all of them are costume jewelry. To make things easier, I like to have necklaces that coordinate with my whole travel wardrobe colour palette which is mainly neutrals and earth tones.
Typically, and mainly for the evenings, I will take two, what I call statement pieces, which are larger chunky jewelry pieceswith perhaps bigger and brighter beads or crystals or they have something fabulous dangling off them. During the day I’m likely to wear a light beaded necklace that fits the season and where I am. I have a couple of necklaces which I picked up at Walmart over five years ago for $9 that I’m still wearing because they still look good.
Bangles and Bracelets
One or two bangles and bracelets can add interest to your look. Typically, I will take an elasticated beaded stone or crystal bracelet, or a wooden bangle or two, so I can pick and choose how to coordinate everything once I’m there.
Jewelry at the Poolside
Of course, you would never swim in your fine jewelry, nobody does. You would not get into a chlorinated pool wearing a string of pearls or some fabulous gold chain which you received from your great aunt. But when you are swimming or lounging by a pool, you’re not really wearing very many clothes and this is the time when accessories can add to your look.
When I’m reclining by the pool, I will wear earrings and a necklace. I may or may not wear a bangle. These pieces are all costume jewelry and often have wooden beads which are not valuable whatsoever.
I’ll let you into a secret, I’m also a crocheter, and I have crocheted several necklaces. specifically, to wear at the poolside and in the water. Here’s a photo of me in Mexico last year wearing a handcrafted crocheted necklace, admittedly at dinner, but I still wore it in the pool earlier in the day.

Remember that jewelry is a way to elevate your look, finish off your outfit and it says something about who you are as a person as well. I believe that it is important for your self-esteem to make the best of yourself.
Travelling with Jewelry
I like to put my costume jewelry in little plastic bags so nothing gets tangled up and I can see exactly what I have.
Sunglasses
If you have a pair of sunglasses, take them with you. I only have one pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses (not cheap) which I wear all the time, so definitely in the car traveling back and forth and probably went outside if it’s a sunny day.
Reading Glasses
If you have reading glasses or glasses in general, of course you would take them with you.
Clutch Bag
I like to take a very small clutch bag which is small enough to only hold my cell phone, my credit cards and my room keys. This is the micro bag that I’m likely to use after the day is done and when we go for dinner. I don’t want to be hauling my city bag around with all that it contains all day and then into the night. A small clutch bag does not take up much space in your luggage.

City Hat
It really depends on who you are and where you’re going whether or not you would need a city hat. So, a city hat is not a ball cap, not a visor and it’s not a wide brimmed beach hat. Beach hats have massive brims to keep the sun off your shoulders, whereas your city hat is much smaller
Typically, a city hat has a narrow brim, and it could also be a fedora or a Panama hat. I like them in straw and perhaps with a ribbon. This year I saw a fabulous city hat at Free People which was crocheted from straw and had a copper edge which was great because it was the only hat that fit me.
It seems I actually have a large head so a small or medium just doesn’t cut it. Sometimes the large hat doesn’t fit me either they just perch on top of my head, so it is tricky to find a hat that actually fits and just pops straight on. Ideally, I need an extra-large because I don’t want the brim gripping my head either as that just gives you a headache.
If you are someone like me who actually lives in a city, then the city hat makes sense. It’s small enough when you’re traveling on the bus so you’re not bashing into other people and hitting the bars and whatnot as you go about your day on public transport. So far this year I am still looking, I may go back to Free People and pick up the hat I saw last week.

Tech
Laptop
For a writing retreat you’re going to need to take something to write on, and typically it’s going to be your laptop. I write in Word and have my pages set up before I leave home. And if you are going away with your laptop, it is always best to restart it and clear the cache before you leave home. The main thing here is to make sure that you remember to take the charging cables.
iPad
As I do digital art, I also like to take my iPad so I can work on some ideas as they crop up. This is not essential, but if you have one, take it.
Apple Pencil
Along with this, I’ll have to pack my Apple Pencil too so I can draw with Procreate and do digital art on my iPad. Nothing worse than being away from home with your iPad but not with the Apple pencil Because you can’t. You just can’t draw anything.
Phone
It may be obvious, but for sure, you’re going to take your phone with you. It’s got all your information on it. It has your payment methods. It’s got your hotel booking details. Your phone is what you’re probably going to take most of your photographs with unless you have a camera.

Art and Writing Supplies
Journals
Travel Journal
When I’m traveling, I like to take my travel journal. This is an A5 sketchbook which I will often layout ahead of time with my destination title page and other details like the date. Typically, I will pencil sketch something each day that interests me. This can be what I did, or where I went, or what I ate, but these are definitely sketches. they’re not finished art pages.
I also like to add stickers or cards or images from flyers or brochures, perhaps from the hotel with their name and logo, or restaurant’s business cards where ate. I use the glue stick and this is where my pencil bag and markers come in and you can see more on that below. I will only finish my travel journal pages once I get home.
Sketchbook
As a hobby artist. I like to take my sketchbook everywhere with me and it really does depend what I’m doing when I’m traveling which size of sketchbook I would take.
For example, if I was doing a sketch weekend, I would take my big A3 sketchbook. However, for our Writing for Artists Summer Weekend Retreat I will probably take my A5 sketchbook with multimedia paper from Strathmore. None of the sketches which I will do when on my travels will be finished on the journey, I will generally finish them off when I get back to my home studio.
Writing Journal
On a writing retreat, I’m going to be taking my writing journal. So, for this particular summer writing retreat I am working on a manuscript for a book. I’ve probably been occupied with this project for the past two months and which I envisage it will be published sometime next year.
I use my writing journal exactly how I see the book unfolding. I segment it out into sections and chapters and add tabs on the side so when I come across ideas or thoughts about certain areas of the book, I can insert them in the appropriate space.
My writing journal is a working document stuffed with images and ideas of what I want to put into my book. My current writing journal is the Leuchtturm 1917 A5 dot grid with a pale dove grey cover. I love this journal.

Pencil Case
Case
I like to use a simple pencil case and the one I have is a great net version from Muji.
Pens
I carry three ballpoint pens in black, blue and red. I also have some black Pigma Microns, typically in a 0.3mm and 0.5mm sizes.
Graphite Pencils
I travel with two graphite pencils. I prefer Staedtler 2H and HB as good solid pencils.

Colored Pencils
When travelling I only take a few of my Faber Castell polychromos coloured pencils.
To travel I pack about five colours:
- Warm grey II (for shadows and depth)
- Warm grey III (for shadows and depth)
- Caput mortuum (a red brownish puce, for people, animals and tree branches)
- Earth green yellowish (a greenish yellow, for trees and foliage)
- Gold 250 (great for shadows and warmth)
- Cobalt blue (blue, for sky, sea and water)
Markers
I’ll probably take three markers in red, blue and yellow. I like the Tombow dual brush markers. Typically, I will only use these for writing a restaurant name or place where we went.
Eraser
I use a Staedtler white plastic eraser.
Ruler
I usually have a six-inch ruler in my pencil bag. Sometimes I will also take a full maths set including a protractor and a 45° and a 60° set square.
Compass
Depending on how much stuff I’m already packing in my bag and how long I’m traveling for, I may pack a compass as well to draw circles.
Glue
I take a glue stick and I usually get these in bulk from Amazon. I use the glue stick to attach small pieces of paper like menus, receipts, stickers and other bits and bobs as memories of my travels.
Washi Tape
I may take one or two rolls of washi tape and typically they will be in neutral shades or in the theme of the place where I’m going to. For a beach getaway I would take a seaside styled washi tape and for a writing retreat perhaps something simpler.

Paint Set
Travel Watercolor Set
I don’t always take my watercolors with me, but if I do, I take my travel watercolor set. I have the Schmincke Horadam Aquarelle watercolor travel set with twelve half pans and it is only five inches long.
Paintbrushes
I use synthetic squirrel brushes. I pack two paintbrushes, a fat brush size 10 and one thin brush size 4.
Watercolor Sketchbook
If I’m traveling somewhere and I think I’m going to be painting, I will take my Strathmore watercolor sketchbook which is slightly larger than an A4 (11 x 15 inches).
Full Items and Supplies List
Clothes Links
Below are all the basic clothes to which I have linked in this article. Generally, these are items which I have personally bought and wear myself. Most of these you can get from Amazon.
Elasticated beaded stone or crystal bracelet
Art Supplies
Staedtler 2H and HB pencils
Tombow dual brush markers
Staedtler white plastic eraser.
Synthetic squirrel paintbrushes
Schmincke Horadam Aquarelle watercolor travel set
Strathmore watercolor sketchbook

Author Bio: Alison Hazel
Alison Hazel is a hobby artist and she shares her ongoing journey about becoming an artist later in life. She creates simple art that anyone can make. She hopes to inspire you to reach your creative potential in the area that suits you. Read more about Alison’s story. Get her newsletter.
How to Do Morning Pages
See how writing morning pages helps you tap into your inner creative. Learn how I use morning pages to help me produce more art and write blogs.

Artzlife Newsletter
Author: Alison Hazel - Published: December 2024 Artzlife Newsletter Creative art journal inspiration for hobby artists Welcome to a Place for Passionate Hobby Artists Are you a hobby artist seeking inspiration, connection and gentle guidance on your creative...