Want to get out onto the open road, but you’re not sure what to bring? Or what kind of camping gear you want? Are you planning to tent camp, rent a trailer, or maybe a small camping van? Or are you thinking of a pickup truck with a camper, or a full-sized motorhome? Camping rigs come in so many shapes and sizes; choosing can feel overwhelming.
Some parks offer camping accommodations with a tent or trailer all set up for you. Many places, like KOA and mountain lodges, also have camping cabins. These are great options. There are so many fun ways to get out on the road! It all depends on your destination, and the way you prefer to travel.
When my husband and I were young, all we needed were sleeping bags, a ground tarp, a tiny cooler, a small camp stove, a mess kit, flashlight, and a few groceries. We put this into our compact car and took off for the open road. Comfort was the furthest thing from our minds; we wanted outdoor adventure.
Later, we decided to get a tent, down sleeping bags, inflatable sleeping pads and camp pillows. This felt like luxury! But we love to camp all year long, and when it was raining or snowing it was too wet or cold to camp outside. So, we found a small used pickup truck with an insulated camper shell. We packed a portable heater and felt invincible, camping out in all types of weather, comfortable inside with our favorite drinks and snacks.
When our kids came along we decided it was time to upgrade again. We found a micro-mini motorhome for sale. It was 13 years old: a little Toyota truck RV. It leaked like a sieve when it rained, but we were thrilled to have it. We found a repair shop nearby and got all the leaks fixed. It was a cantankerous old thing, and it groaned whenever we went uphill. We named it ‘Gus’ because it was like an ornery old cuss.
Gus took us all over the U.S. and into Canada. People with newer, bigger motorhomes pointed and laughed at our rickety little rig, but we had the last laugh, because we could fit it into any car-sized parking space anywhere. It got good mileage too, and it was cheap: we bought it for a couple thousand dollars. We kept Gus for another 13 years, then sold him to a neighbor who was delighted to get him. These days, old Gus is still out and about, 45 years after his initial rollout! Eventually, we graduated to a larger rig so we could tow a Jeep, travel in comfort, and explore the backroads.
Whether you choose a sleeping bag under the stars, or a full-size motorhome with all the comforts, the adventure is still the same: to get out and explore! Creating your own adventure and going where you want when you want is the epitome of freedom.
But every great road trip hinges on one thing: good planning and decent equipment. Here are some trip tips that will help to make your adventures fun:
First: plan your route. Even if you’re not exactly sure where you’re headed, pull out some maps (real or virtual) and look at which routes you want to follow.
We always ask ourselves the three G’s:
Where do we want to GO and how much time do we have? How will we GET there? What is the distance, and how much GAS will it take? Then we highlight the route we want to take, and plan our trip.
So … what should you bring on a road trip? What absolute essentials should you always carry? Everyone, regardless of whether they are tent camping or driving a motorhome, should carry these basics at all times:
Spare Keys: – How many times have you lost the keys to your car, truck, or camper and wasted valuable and stressful time looking for these? Bring extras and stow them where you can easily find them.
Real Money – paper money and coins – especially quarters for laundromats, pay phones, vending machines.
Travel mugs and refillable water bottles – These are a great alternative to plastic bottles and aluminum cans.
Emergency car kit – with tools, hand sanitizer, wet wipes, toilet paper, hand lotion, paper towels, tissues, extra sunglasses, a blanket, water bottles, first aid supplies, bug spray, sunscreen, garbage bags, portable phone charger that plugs into your car, power inverter that plugs into your car and can be used to charge up cell phones, tablets, and other devices.
Also bring:
- Quart of Oil
- Jug of Coolant or Water
- Wiper Fluid
- Portable gas container
Maps: Get good durable maps for where you plan to go. GPS and navigation systems are great … until you get to an area where the satellite technology is absolutely useless. Navigation systems can fail with you disastrous results, leading you to dead ends. A map will always be there for you, rain or shine, day or night, satellite coverage or not. There have been too many times when GPS systems have steered us off course (and sometimes almost off a cliff) to put our full trust into them. Maps are foldable, cheap, easy to store, and dependable. Always check to make sure maps are current, because roadways do change over time.
For the backcountry areas I recommend the National Geographic maps at around $12 each. These detailed maps show road types, topographic features, contour lines, featured landmarks, points of interest and much more. They cover most National Forest and National Park lands in the U.S.
Duct Tape (also known as duck-tape) can be used for all manner of jobs. It works for emergency first aid splinting and back boarding. It is great for sealing off a leak in a hose, or stopping leakage from a propane tank valve. You can use it to fix a window crack, or mend a broken pipe, among other things.
Extra Medications – If you take medications you should always bring extra amounts with you. What happens if you are on a trip to a distant location and you are unable to return home on time? What if you find yourself stranded in a snowstorm? Worse: what if you become ill or injured, and have to lay up for several days? Do you want to be without critical medicines? Always carry these and bring extra.
Over the counter medications – such as aspirin, Tylenol, flu and cold medicine, antihistamine, antacids, cough syrup, anti-diarrheal and laxative (depending on which way you are leaning), to name a few. You never know when you may need these, and you could be miles from a drugstore when symptoms appear. Don’t suffer for want of an aspirin or antacid. Store all medications into small snack bags to save on storage space.
Swiss Army Knife or Leatherman Tool – These time-tested all in one tools are a must! There are many brands to choose from, but stick with a trusted, quality source and don’t go cheap. You want these tools to work when you need them and a cheap knock-off will not stand up to the test.
First Aid Kit – you don’t need a massive trauma kit unless you are going on an extensive backroad trip. A simple, foldable kit that slips into a seat pocket or your day pack is generally enough. I like the ‘First Aid Only’ brand; it comes in a handy folding case with see-through pockets. Make sure you carry LOTS of Band-Aids in different sizes. Include a snake bite kit, scissors, bandages and tape. Most kits cost $20 or less. Or you can build your own.
Flashlight – Toss out the battery-powered ones. Batteries corrode, and work when you need them. Plus, they are expensive! Instead, carry a couple of hand-crank flashlights. These always shine after a few cranks, and most have the added benefit of also being radios. Many have a cell phone plug in port so you can charge up your phone. Plus, you can recharge these later by plugging into an outlet … or just crank away. My first choice is the Running Snail brand. Cost is around $20 apiece online.
Inflatable solar powered lanterns are invaluable too. At a cost of around $20 apiece, these are indispensable! They inflate up to 8” tall yet collapse down to a flat disk for storage. Just charge them up in sunlight and they are always ready to go. Most have a little hook at the top for hanging and come with a selection of several levels of brightness. You can stow these anywhere. I usually keep several of these in my camper in the event of a power shortage. Cost is around $20 each. My personal favorite is the Luci Outdoor brand.
Water filtration bottle – These are a must, especially if you like hiking. Lightweight and easy to use, most have a micro filtration system that absorbs impurities and renders untreated water safe.
A filtration bottle will let you drink safely from almost any water source . There are several brands available; the LifeStraw brand is an excellent choice at a cost of around $46.
A decent shovel – go to any hardware store and buy a sturdy, short-handled shovel. These can dig you out of a world of hurt if you get stuck. Or buy a foldable metal shovel that fits neatly into a tight storage space. Cost is $20-$25.
Disposable rain ponchos and emergency blankets – These come in wallet size foldable packets for around $5 each. Designed for one-time use, these can be invaluable assets in a sudden storm.
Backpacking portable camp stove – These tiny, foldable stoves run on butane canisters and can easily fit into the smallest daypack. Stoves cost $25 and canisters are around $5.00 apiece. Simple, compact, and great to have when you need a warm drink or a hot meal pronto. Jet Boil, Stealth Angel, and Pocket Rocket are well-known brands.
Larger cook stoves with several burners are good for your campsite. Personal favorites are Coleman or Gas One brands. Grab a few extra butane canisters and a canvas carrying case for a total cost of around $50.
Collapsible 5 gallon water dispensers – these hold 5 gallons or more and are invaluable for dry camping. Collapse them down for easy transport when empty.
Flint and steel fire starter kit – Available for as little as $20, these are indispensable. Have you ever tried to start a fire and run out of matches? Worse: maybe your matches got wet? Fear not: a flint and steel is a great way to spark a flame with a few easy swipes. Make your own fire with these handy kits, complete with combustible materials in a waterproof pouch. This is how prehistoric people used to start a fire. Sure, you can try rubbing two sticks together but this is a near-impossible and horrible task, so why bother when you can carry a little pocket-sized fire starter kit? Always carry extra matches and keep these in a waterproof container. Then you won’t need to resort to caveman techniques to light your fire.
Collapsible Canvas Cooler and reusable gel freezer packs are a great option for keeping food cold because they can fit in any storage space. The gel packs can be refrozen countless times and never leak.
MREs – Meals Ready to Eat – available through online shops and in camping supply outlets, these kits include a full meal with a built-in heating device to warm the food. Cost is generally $10 each and shelf life is 3-5 years. These are great for the short-term, but an alternate, longer-lasting option is freeze dried food. Cost is around $10 per meal and shelf life is 25 to 30 years! Now that’s staying power! Taste is decent nowadays, not like the cardboard-tasting stuff of the 70s. You can also buy these in 2, 4, 6 or even 12 month supply buckets. Make sure you keep these high, dry and away from pests. The sealed plastic buckets are the best way to go.
Sleeping bags and a blanket, inflatable pillow, tent – in case you get stranded someplace and need to stay warm, catch some winks.
Carry snacks. Dried fruit is great and it keeps a long time. Nuts, crackers, beef jerky, saltines and other long term snack food is a must.
Protective clothing accessories – Sunscreen and sun hats, wool caps, socks, gloves and extra layers of clothing — keep these in a handy day pack along with your snacks.
Powdered Gatorade or other electrolyte mix is essential to keep you PH-balanced, especially in arid environments.
Fuel cans– Plastic gas cans with a filling spout are critical if you plan to be on backroads OR if you get stuck in a snowstorm. These are readily available in any hardware or big box stores. Not all of these are created equally, so shop carefully and pick a decent one with a sturdy cap; carry a funnel to avoid spillage.
Propane – Portable propane heaters are great for tent camping or small camping rigs. ‘Mr. Heater’ is a portable 4,000-9,000 BTU indoor outdoor safe heater, available online or in any hardware store. Cost is $90 – $160.
If you travel in a rig that uses propane for heating and cooking it is always a good idea to carry an extra 5-7 gallon tank with an external fitting so you can easily disconnect it for refills. Have you run out of propane and found yourself miles, if not hours, from a propane filling station? Always good to have that extra tank along.
Extra car battery – while not always necessary, it can be a smart idea to carry an extra battery for your vehicle, especially if you like exploring backroads. A hundred miles out on a Jeep road is a bad time to realize you have a dead battery! Better to carry an extra one in the storage compartment, just in case. Remember to keep those battery terminals clean, and carry jumper cables.
Basic Tool Kit – A small plastic box with some basic tools (pliers, crescent wrench, screw drivers, small socket wrench set, mini crowbar, tape measure, hammer, flares, etc.) is a must. There have been countless times I have been thankful to have tools on hand. Murphy’s Law dictates that you will never be near a hardware store when things break!
Remember to check your spare tire and know how to use your road jack. Do you even know where these are in your car? Find them, dust them off, and try them out! Practice changing a tire BEFORE you leave on a trip so you can be confident of what to do in the event of a flat tire. It may not always be possible to call for help, especially if you are way out in the backcountry. DIY is the way of the road when you are out there; plan on it!
Carry chains if you plan to go into the high country, no matter what time of year it is. Sudden snowstorms and hail storms can happen any time of year. Once, while at the Rogue River in Oregon, we were hit by a hailstorm. The hailstones were as big as tennis balls and one of them smashed a roof vent to bits! Keep your chains in a canvas pack and know how to use them.
Is this everything you will need for your venturing out? No, but these are some of the most critical items. Think about what works best for you and make your own, personalized list for your next road trip.
Being prepared can mean the difference between having a great time or being stuck. Or even between life and death.
Here are some great links to trip planning preparedness:
- https://maketimetoseetheworld.com/road-trip-packing-list/#Road-Trip-Packing-List-8211-The-Comfort-Kit
- https://www.wellplannedjourney.com/road-trip-packing-list
- https://www.dangerous-business.com/usa-road-trip-packing-list
Happy Trails!
