What to pack for your first narrow boat holiday
When you book a trip aboard a narrow boat, certain essentials will often be included in the price – such as cooking utensils, maps and guidebooks and bedding. But besides these basics, we’ve taken a look at some other items you may wish to pack for a fun holiday along the canals and waterways.
Basic food and drink provisions
While you will often be in the vicinity of local food shops and supermarkets on your trip – something that fellow canal boaters will be happy to point out to you, you will need to take some basic provisions. Take some tea and coffee, milk and bread, and anything else that you’ll be eating regularly. It’s easy to find a canalside pub where you can go out for dinner, but it helps to have some essentials packed for breakfast time, and you can save yourself some spending money by making your own sandwiches, soup or salads for lunch.Clothing
The best way to pack for a narrow boat holiday is to take clothing that you can layer up. It’s easy to work up a sweat while working the locks, but you will need extra warmth for when the sun goes down, so thin layers that you can take off and put on when necessary work best. Remember to pack plenty of waterproof clothing as the UK weather can change in a moment’s notice. Keeping dry is important as there’s nothing worse than sitting in soggy clothing!As for footwear, you may want to pack some walking boots if you plan to do some rambling along the way. You should pack shoes that are ideally water resistant and have good non-slip soles. Remember to pack more than one pair so that you can change should one pair get wet.
Entertainment
A narrow boat holiday is wonderfully relaxing, and the perfect time to catch up on a spot of reading. Take plenty of books and magazines with you, and colouring books for the children too. Take some stationary so that you can write postcards to family and friends back home, and perhaps some art materials so that you can draw and sketch the lovely scenery around you.Take a small portable radio, CD player or MP3 player and you can listen to the radio or your favourite tunes while you travel, or you might want to pack an instrument like a guitar. You’ll have plenty of time to practice and it’s a great way to get the whole family together for a sing-song.