Trip Fundamentals - What To Pack
This is part of our ongoing posts about Trip Fundamentals. If you’re looking to start traveling, these are basic tips that can hopefully help you out.
Once you decide where you’re going, the next obvious step is packing. There is always a ton of stuff to consider when packing. This blog entry will cover clothing and toiletries. I know some of this may seem pretty basic and self-explanatory, however, when Andrew & I were very young and started taking long distance road trips, we didn’t think twice about what we were packing. We probably should have. Lists like this may be helpful to some of you out there.
Clothing
These packing cubes have been a lifesaver when it comes to our clothing. They come in a variety of sizes and colors, and they keep our clothing area neat and separated. Packing cubes have allowed us to compress some of our clothing down, allowing us to pack more items. If you’re clothing is cramped in the cubes, I highly recommend packing a travel size wrinkle release spray. Also, pack each cube as its own separate dresser drawer. That’s a great way to keep your cubes organized.
A couple rules of thumb for what types of clothing to pack:
Keep things lightweight and layer up
Pack items that can be worn multiple times (flannel shirt/hooded sweatshirt)
If you have to launder it, be sure it’s easy to wash/dry
Pack for what you are doing, not what you think you might do (i’m guilty of breaking this rule)
Make use of what you have to mix & match different outfits
Keep your shoes multi-functional
If you’re going to be traveling in a vehicle for long stretches, make sure you are packing comfy, weather appropriate clothing
Always pack a swimsuit regardless of your plans!
Here are some of our staples of what to pack (in any climate): athletic shoes, rain jacket, long pants, sweatshirt, extra undergarments, wool socks, hiking boots/trail runners, slides/Crocs. We have yet to go on a trip where all of these items didn’t come in handy.
Most of our trips have been outdoor-based. For example, we’re almost always hiking or camping. The clothes we pack are usually focused on those types of outdoor activities. For every single trip we’ve ever been on, we have always packed one “normal” outfit. If you’re keeping your trip unstructured (as we like to do), you’ll never know quite where you’ll end up. We will take one outfit made for walking around town—something casual that doesn’t stick out as touristy. If there is someplace you’d really like to check out (for us, it’s usually a restaurant or brewery) and, you don’t think wearing your North Face hiking pants with zip-off legs would be proper, it’s nice to have a good change of clothes so you can go where you want to go and not stick out like a sore thumb.
Again, ALWAYS pack a swimsuit. This has nothing to do with van travel. A very long time ago, I was told you’ll never know when you need one. When you need it, you’ll be happy you packed it. This has proven true for us many times. You’ll never know when/where you will encounter a hot tub, pool, or a hot spring.
There have been times where the need to wash our clothes has arisen. We can first-hand attest that driving in a Volkswagen Beetle for 2 weeks in the desert with dirty clothes stacked up will leave a smell. No one really wants to waste a day at a laundromat in the middle of their vacation. At least once on our trips, we’ll stop for a “proper” shower at an established campground. For us, we use that opportunity to launder our clothes. Another idea is to invest in a way to wash your clothes on the road. A few years ago, we purchased a Scrubba wash bag. It’s basically a waterproof bag that has a washboard built into it. As long as you have enough water to spare and your clothes are not super thick, this little bag comes in very handy. Be aware that it does take a bit of elbow grease and time to get clothes clean. For items like socks, underwear or dry-fit clothing, this little bag is a great way to clean things on the move.
If there isn’t a need to do laundry on the road, we HIGHLY suggest buying a compression sack for your dirty clothes. About a year ago we switched out our regular cotton laundry bag for a large Sea To Summit compression sack. It was one of the best decisions we made. Not only does it take up less space by compressing your items, it keeps the stink in as well. Be warned that all that stink will come out as soon as you open it up!
Over 2 weeks of our clothing stuffed into the Sea to Summit compression sack!
Toiletries
Packing our toiletries was a challenge for the few years we traveled. I, myself, like hygiene products. And I seem to have a product for every situation. In order to keep down the amount of what I’m packing, I always ask myself these questions:
Does it keep me clean?
If it doesn’t, why am I bringing it?
As a person that enjoys wearing makeup, I can go into a whole other topic of how to keep yourself looking fresh on the road (and I will eventually). For now, this will focus on the basics of what you should bring in your shower bag.
We each keep dedicated shower bags in our van. This bag contains all our essentials for getting/staying clean. This is not a shaving or makeup bag. This is strictly for items to keep us clean. The breakdown of this bag includes:
Shampoo - We keep this bio-degradable if we know we’ll be showering in the wilderness. Any runoff to the ground needs to be safe for where you are. Sometimes washing your hair isn’t in the best interest of the ground you are on, so be aware of where your dirty water is going. Dry shampoo is another option, but I don’t keep it in my bag.
Conditioner - I keep a leave-in conditioner in my bag. We use less water by not having to rinse something else out of our hair.
Face Wash- I keep two different kinds, a tiny bottle of cleanser and a travel-size micellar water. I also carry reusable pads for the micellar water. It’s a great way to wash your face quickly and without depleting our water supply.
Toothbrush/Toothpaste/Floss - travel-sized. For obvious reasons
Lotion/moisturizer - I keep a small tub of very thick lotion in the bag. Traveling thru different climates will do a number on my skin. I like to keep something that is extremely moisturizing for times when my skin is super dry.
Wet Wipes/Cleansing Cloths - I keep small packages of these around for the times we may need to….well… not stink. In the past, we’ve been on the road for 6 days or more without a shower. If one of us has to go into civilization for something, we may choose to give ourselves a wipe down so as not to be offensive to others around us.
Deodorant - As of right now, we just have small containers of what we use at home. I’m currently in the market for a newer, better solution. I I Will test a new product soon and report back in another post.
Small Travel Mirror - Because I want to know what I look like.
Soap - I keep small bio-degradable liquid soaps in the bag. Andrew carries a bar of soap (just his preference). But same as shampoo, keep soaps as good to the earth as possible. It’s going to run to the ground and we do not want to hurt any little animals or plant life.
Other Products - we also carry body spray, baby powder, shaving products and feminine products.
These are the basics of what we take on every trip. Obviously, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes packing personal items. These are basics that we do to make our lives easier. Keeping things as simple as possible allows us not to stress on an upcoming trip and make our trip prep an enjoyable process.
Next up… let’s pack some food!
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