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
  
• 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!