Summer is the best period to stop spending your precious weekends in town and letting yourself and your family enjoy some time away from the city frenzy. The best way to take advantage of the best 48 hours of the week, is to plan a weekend getaway somewhere near your city- you don’t want to spend all day in your packed SUV.  As you already know, we are based in New York so I can’t but propose a couple of ideas with NY as a starting point. So first off, if you wanna enjoy the beach but also have some Chardonnay or Merlot, you should visit Long Island’s North Fork, where you can start from the beach –swim, sunbath or rent a kayak to go around- and continue with a wine bar. Now, if you wanna head east, you can visit Lakeville which is a 2-hour drive and of course is popular for the lake –where you can spend the day swimming or just enjoying the view. Lakeville is also a good destination for campers. Finally, if you are not that much into water and prefer the mountain scenery, you can visit Woodstock where you can go hiking or for those of you who just wanna relax, you can spend the day at a spa.

But no matter where you decide to go, you can even get in the car and just leave with no specific destination, the most difficult part is to prepare your luggage on Friday night. After a week’s tiredness and loss of sleep, it would be perfect if somebody could do it for you, can’t you tell? But, you have me! And you know I always wanna help you out! Especially when it has to do with clothes and vacations –obsession! I’ll tell you the way to prepare your stuff in 4 simple and absolutely quick steps. The only thing you’ll have to do before I start, so that you can follow, is to get online at Eastern Mountain Sports and then follow me. Oh! And of course don’t you dare to think that I’m gonna lead you to spend a fortune! I look after my wallet too, and I have just for you the best way to save a ton! Just choose among our unbeatable EMS coupons and be happy before even getting into the car! And remember, with EMS you can enjoy free 2-day shipping, so there is still time for this weekend!

Step 1: First of all, you need a bag to start packing and when a girl says a bag she always refers to the largest size. That being said, I propose the EMS Camp Duffel Large which comes in 3 colors so that you can get one for you in red and one for your other half in blue or black! This duffel is too practical, with a side pocket and adjustable shoulder strap. You can now get this one for less than $40, because yes (!) it’s on sale!

Step 2: When we pack for summer, we pack for the beach. Even if you are gonna visit a mountain, you have to be prepared; as we said before, you might visit a spa. So, all you need is some hot swimwear styles. For women, since we are talking about canoeing and other activities, I would go for the NRS Women’s Hydrosilk Rash Guard made from the perfect fabrics for all-day-long comfort and quick drying. You can combine this one with the EMS Women’s Sessions Shortie Shorts which comes in 2 colors- I chose the limeade print. This piece is water resistant but also super soft and comfortable. You can now get this one and save more than $10. For men, my favorite piece is the O’Neill Men’s John John Board Shorts which comes in green and blue; both colors look great! If you wanna avoid the sun, you can match this one with a t-shirt which you can choose for yourself since the choices are endless!

Step 3: As it goes with swimwear, you can’t leave your house in July without a pair of sandals! And since in most cases, you are gonna engage in activities, you need a pair of sandals that are comfortable but on sale too! Ha! So, that’s why you need something from EMS again! J And since we are speaking of footwear, I’ll give two choices for each one of you! This time I’ll start with men, and the Chaco Men’s Hipthong Two Ecotread Sandals that come with a $16 discount. A beautiful sandal that supports your body and offers maximum comfort. A second style I’d propose it the Rainbow Men’s Premier Leather Flip-Flops which you can get for less than $40. Also, both styles are so cool that can be worn in the city too! For women, I suggest the Rainbow Women’s Flirty Braidy Flip-Flop which comes with a $10 discount. A great pair that can be matched with almost every color! And for the most adventurous of you, there is the Chaco Women’s Z/1 Vibram Yampa Sandals that come with an amazing $20 off discount. A top quality, lightweight and fast-dry sandal that can be part of any outdoor adventure!