Road Trip Packing List

I love a good list and get way too much satisfaction out of checking things off. When my family started doing a week of cabin camping back in 2010, early preparation and list making made the whole experience smooth and relatively pain-free.



When packing, I brought everything into the dining room and laid it out on the table; that way, I could see everything before it got packed away. I could mark it off the list — not because I thought about packing it —but because I gathered, then I packed, then I crossed it off. This is an important clarification.

VanLife Road Trip Packing List for a Family of Five

Kitchen Essentials (no glass!)

  • 5 plates
    packing a family of five for a road trip
  • 5 bowls
  • 5 cups
  • 2 travel mugs
  • 5 sets of cutlery
  • 1 large knife/1 small knife
  • 1 cooking spoon
  • 1 spatula
  • Scissors
  • 1 sauce pan with lid
  • 1 frying pan
  • 1 kettle
  • 1 French press
  • 1 cutting board
  • 2 metal mixing bowls
  • Can opener
  • Plastic wrap
  • Aluminum foil
  • Small tupperware
  • Dish soap (biodegradable)
  • Salt/pepper/other seasonings
  • Groceries (see menu suggestions)

Accessories

  • Fan
  • Tool kit
  • Small shovel
  • Swiss army knife
  • Broom
  • Camp chairs
  • Outdoor table
  • Toiletries (dry shampoo, shampoo, conditioner, tooth paste, tooth brush, etc)
  • Towels
  • Toilet paper
  • Wipes
  • Latex gloves (for emptying the black water tank 🤢)
  • Garbage bags
  • Bug spray
  • Sunscreen
  • First aid kit
  • Matches
  • Laundry detergent
  • Change for laundromat
  • Pillows, sheets, blankets
  • Rope
  • Clothesline/clothespins
  • Umbrella
  • Health card
  • Passport (if crossing the border)
  • Van manual
  • Flashlight or headlamp
  • Jumper cables
  • Spare tire
  • Car jack
  • Tire pump

Wardrobe (per person)

  • 7 T-shirts/tank tops
  • 1 long sleeve shirt
  • 2 sweaters/hoodies
  • 1-2 pair of jeans
  • 1-2 pair of sweatpants/yoga pants
  • 1-2 pair of shorts
  • Pajamas
  • 7 pairs of socks
  • 7 pairs of underwear
  • Bathing suit
  • Hiking shoes
  • Sandals/flip flops
  • Sunglasses
  • Hat

Electronics

  • Laptop and charger
  • Cell phone and charger
  • USB car charger
  • Batteries
  • iPad or tablet
  • eBook reader and charger
  • Headphones
  • Extension Cord
  • Solar lights

Entertainment

  • Playlists
  • Books/audio books
  • Journal
  • Pens/pencils/paper
  • Guitar/hand drum
  • Playing cards/small board games
  • Road trip Bingo (coming soon)


Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments!

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