Essentials to take when going away to holiday cottage?

[grenlei]

We're going away this weekend for a week in a sc cottage in the West Country. Am going through my packing...I can guarantee I always forget something however much I plan. So can you give me your essentials - or alternatively the things you always forget!

I’m so intrigued by duct tape, why and do I need to add it to my list?

I take a chopping board because normally HC provide a glass one which
I don’t like to use. Chopping on glass?

Tea towels, because they never provide enough.

Oven gloves- Can be hit and miss.

Bread knife because we went away to an Airbnb and there wasn’t one ,so I had to buy a super expensive one as that’s all the supermarket had. So that’s now in the s/c box.

Oh, and I always take a bucket! Handy for hand washing, transporting wet beach stuff. Wet shoes. It’s a small slim one that tucks behind the front seats.

08:24DobbyTheHouseElk

I’m so intrigued by duct tape, why and do I need to add it to my list?
It's my husband's weird obsession with the mighty GAFFA. It's not necessary really. But it keeps him happy

OK I have lists...

Hardware
Knives
small decent chopping board
pack of cards
waterbottles
Hot waterbottles
I have been known to take a favourite pan as well

Other
Kitchen roll
kitchen towels
Hair towels (kind you wrap round your head like a smurf -- saves bigger towels from getting too damp as head towels can just be popped on the line to dry
small amount sugar, tea, herbs and spices (esp salt and pepper) - I try and use local to the house supermarket en route
Foil
some plastic food storage bags

@Breathmiller

08:24DobbyTheHouseElk

I’m so intrigued by duct tape, why and do I need to add it to my list?
It's my husband's weird obsession with the mighty GAFFA. It's not necessary really. But it keeps him happy

I feel a little deflated now.....I was hoping for some desperate reason to add it to my long list.

Now I think I’ll have to add it, incase.....

We go away next week but wondering if travel will be restricted if there are new local lockdowns?

I'm quite happy to be holed up in the cottage with DH and dog. Lots of board games and food. We can still do our walks for 'daily exercise'.
But our area is on a local restriction now so I'm a bit worried that the Lakes won't want us.

We take an old towel for muddy paws and feet in place of a doormat.

DP also normally packs some WD40 so he can oil any creaky doors that are annoying (especially if they might disturb the kids)!

@Taswama

DP also normally packs some WD40 so he can oil any creaky doors that are annoying (especially if they might disturb the kids)!

I love this. That’s very sweet.

Blimey people. You need to stay in my holiday cottage. We have knives (quite good ones), mugs, tea cups, plenty of wine glasses, anti back spray, towels.
Seriously who are you all booking with that you need to pack such basics?

And dishwasher tabs and bin bags. BIN BAGS! Gee seriously whose cottages are these?!

If I'm away for more than a week, I take my Instant Pot 🤣

@BeepBoopBop

If I'm away for more than a week, I take my Instant Pot 🤣

I do too!

Travel black out blind.

@TheoneandObi

Blimey people. You need to stay in my holiday cottage. We have knives (quite good ones), mugs, tea cups, plenty of wine glasses, anti back spray, towels. Seriously who are you all booking with that you need to pack such basics?

This is why I stay in hotels. I’ve never stayed in a sc place in UK that was properly equipped. Particularly kitchen knives, cutlery and crockery are totally inadequate as a rule.

Currently in a holiday apartment and we had to bring our own towels and tea towels and washing up liquid due to Covid restrictions. The kitchen has no sharp knives at all and no scissors! Also only given 1.5 toilet rolls so needed more of that too.

Decent coffee maker, either stovetop or aero press.

Also milk, butter, bread and jam for first breakfast.

Oh and always take own pillow.

A blanket. It can be used as a picnic blanket, sofa throw, extra warmth if it’s cold. You can fold it and use it as an extra pillow or put it over the curtain rail if the curtains are too thin.
Large safety pin to hold curtains together if they’re not wide enough.
Nice chopping board as cottage ones tend to be scratched, warped or made of glass

A 4 gang socket.
Comes in handy when you have 1 plug socket and 4 phones to charge.

Just on our way home from a cottage in Cornwall. Due to Covid was glad to take tea towels and oven gloves. Also took several towels. Dips in the sea meant we needed far more towels than were supplied. Always take at least one knife that I'm used to and a bottle opener - just in case.

Do the curtains in your cottage keep out the light too @TheoneandObi ? Whether or not oven gloves / tea towels / washing liquid is supplied does vary enormously, but in 10 years of holidays in Cornwall and a few abroad, I've never stayed anywhere that you can sleep much past 5.30 am in July with the curtains provided.

Our last cottage had stuffed curtains. Curtain, lining and something squishy in between.

It was the seagulls on the flat roof that woke me.

Agreed Taswama. Holiday cottage curtains are generally useless, along with blunt knives and buckled cheap frying pans and toasters that either incinerate your bread or gently warm it a bit. Maybe I should go to more expensive places!