Packing essentials: What would I pack if I could ONLY take a rucksack to Center Parcs?

You might’ve seen our Ultimate Center Parcs packing list (with over 200 items!) – now let’s take it to the other extreme… What would you pack if you could only take a rucksack to Center Parcs? Here’s my Center Parcs absolute essentials packing list…

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*What would I pack if I could only take this rucksack to Center Parcs? … Scroll down to see what’s inside!*

Blanket

Okay, first things first, I did strap a blanket to the outside of my rucksack. Some might say that’s cheating… but hey, I like to be cosy!

Water Bottle

Always an essential when you’re out and about. We just take cheap flip-straw bottles from Asda, they do the job and don’t seem to leak. Let me know if you have any other recs!

Clip-on Mini Towel

That’s the small purple thing you’ll see hanging from the zip – it’s surprisingly handy, for everything from wiping up spills to drying off benches, bike seats or outdoor slides when it’s been raining. Ours was from Mountain Warehouse and comes with a carabiner clip and detachable pouch. Would recommend!

Link: Mountain Warehouse Clip-on Mini Towel*

*All my Center Parcs packing essentials (for one person)*

Quick-Dry Travel Towel

That’s the light green pouch in the picture above… I think it’s designed for the gym, but it’s perfect for taking to the swimming pool and it dries out quickly so you can use it again the next day too.

Small Coat Hanger with Clips

This is one of my surprise must-pack items for Center Parcs – there’s never enough hanging space to dry all your swimming stuff in the bathroom so these are a game-changer!

Plastic Carrier Bag

This is also for swimming – somewhere quick to put all the wet stuff on the way back to the lodge.

Clothes

My must-pack essential clothes for Center Parcs would be:

4 or 5 tops/t-shirts
1 jumper
1 pair of jeans & 1 pair of shorts
Loungewear/nightwear
Slipper socks
Underwear
Swimwear
Laundry bag to put your washing in

Toiletries

Here’s what I’d pack in my toiletries bag if I was trying to pack light (obviously this is different for everyone!):

Small shower gel
Toothbrush & toothpaste
Small shampoo/conditioner
Basic skincare (cleanser, moisturiser, serum)
Basic makeup (BB cream, mascara, lip gloss, small eyeshadow)
SPF/suncream

Hair accessories

Small hairbrush
Spare hair bobble
Microfibre hair-drying scrunchie (this is great after swimming!)
Travel-size dry shampoo

Link: Large Microfibre Drying Scrunchies on Amazon*

Mini First Aid Kit

Just a small pack with a few essentials (most items can be bought from the Parc Market on site if needed).

Paracetamol
Plasters
Blister plasters

Entertainment

Even when packing light, it’s always good to have a few options for those tired evenings in the lodge when there’s nothing good on the telly! Here’s what I’d choose (again, your choices might be very different!).

Phone charger & earphones
Card games (Sushi Go and Backpacker are great options – fun and compact!)
Nintendo Switch & games
A book to read
Notebook & pen

Snacks

There are loads of options for buying food at Center Parcs and you’ll always find lots of snack options in the Parc Market. But it’s always good to have a little backup stash in your lodge just in case! Here I’ve packed some tea bags, a bar of chocolate and some Caramel Buttons… What would you pick?