We love any chance we can get to take a short getaway—and the July 4 weekend is the perfect time to make a few spur-of-the-moment plans with friends and family.

Whether you’re heading to the beach, the mountains, or exploring a city over the next couple of days, the key to making your trip fun and easy is to do a little homework beforehand and pack smart. With a short trip, you want to make sure that you are totally mobile so you can go wherever the mood takes you. There’s nothing worse than heading out for a three-day getaway with two-week’s worth of clothes … and then having to lug it all around with you. Below, we’ve come up with some of our favorite travel packing hacks to help get you going!

Create a capsule collection
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This is the golden rule to smart packing:
Do not bring everything in your closet. We think of packing as creating a capsule collection for a particular trip, and plan accordingly by pulling pieces that are versatile and will work together (color, style). For a trip to the beach, we select items that are casual chic (i.e. light colors, white jeans, flowy tops); for a city jaunt, more structured pieces in darker hues are our go-to’s. Everything should be able to worn more than once (if a dress is only good for one particular event, leave it at home).

Another pro tip:
Roll t-shirts, tuck socks inside shoes, and stow jewelry and makeup inside a clutch bag to create more space.

Select your bag
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Like Goldilocks and the three bears, you need to find the bag that’s not too big and not too small, but just right for a long weekend away. If you’re traveling by plane or train, Jessica’s French Floral Stripe 20-inch Carry-On (in navy or cream) with the divided interior is perfect for fitting a few outfit changes, along with a couple of pair of shoes. Toss your phone, wallet, a book, and your noise-canceling headphones into the Camille Convertible Hobo in natural straw, which also doubles as a great walking-around-town bag when you arrive at your destination.

Leave stuff out
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Don’t forget that you are most likely going to a place that’s easy to get to and has shops just in case you’ve left behind a toothbrush or your sunscreen. You don’t need to bring everything and the kitchen sink along—and by “kitchen sink” we mean “your special hairdryer,” which is unnecessarily cumbersome and an item typically found at whatever location (hotel, a friend’s home) you’re going to.

Jessica's favorite sunscreen:

Accessories are a girl’s best friend
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Earrings, necklaces, rings, and bracelets can add a pop of color and refreshed flair to an outfit that you are recycling during a weekend getaway. As far as shoes are concerned, make you sure you bring something comfortable and sporty (for exercise and/or exploring), flip-flops for pool or beachside, and a great pair (like the Siera Wedge Slide) for nights on the town.