At the end of every long roadtrip, you inevitably haul some stuff back into the house that never got used on the entire trip.
It’s impossible to predict exactly what will be needed. Everyone’s travel needs are different and the weather can change no matter where you’re going. But as I look forward to this year’s adventures, here are lessons that my series of tent-camping roadtrips has taught me over the last couple of years.
Non-perishable protein: Ice melts fast on a hot day, and I don’t want to spend my vacation worrying that my food has spoiled. I carry canned and pouched meat along with peanut butter, nuts, and individually-wrapped beef sticks. I also bring canned food but, after hauling some cans of cheap pasta across the country more than once, learned to only bring things I really want to eat.
Oranges and apples: Too much processed food will come back to haunt you. I was reminded of this when I arrived at the North Cascades after snacking on trail mix and crackers all day: My poor diet combined with near-record heat to knock me down for the evening. I stocked up on oranges and apples later in the trip.
Bottled water: I use refillable bottles and water jugs whenever possible, but water supplies at campgrounds may be turned off or may be declared to be contaminated. So, I travel with a case of water bottles tucked underneath everything else, just in case. I only used this supply once in 25,000 miles of travel last year, but I was glad it was there when I needed it.
Energy drinks: These aren’t part of my everyday diet at home, but they’re great to get through a sluggish hot afternoon.
One medium cooler and one small cooler: Even though I stopped bringing perishable foods, cold water and drinks are still a necessity in the hot weather. A big cooler takes up a lot of space and is bigger than what’s needed for one day’s worth of beverages. But I also found that my medium-sized cooler is too small to hold a ten-pound bag of ice (the smallest size sold in most places) so I started bringing a second, small cooler to hold the rest of the ice.
Chargers, chargers, and more chargers: Your needs depend on what you’re bringing. With my interest in radio and TV, I bring a lot of gear (too much really). I carry one of those large jump-start batteries that also has AC plugs to recharge the laptop and camera battery. (The irony is that it’s DC converted to AC back to DC.) I also have an inverter in case the large battery runs low. And then I have an assortment of of small rechargeable battery packs for radios, lights, and fans. The phone charges while I drive.
Weather radio: Even if you’re not a broadcast nerd, I’d recommend bringing a NOAA Weather Radio receiver if you are camping in a location where cellular data is limited. After expansions over the last couple of decades, most isolated areas are now within reception range of NOAA Weather Radio. (It helps if the radio has a headphone jack because those small speakers are hard to hear during a storm.)
Lights, flashlights, and fans: Small flashlights seem to have a tendency to get misplaced, so I bring a bunch of them. A small battery-powered fan can also be a big help for camping in hot weather. Don’t forget the batteries for the units that are not rechargeable.
A variety of clothing: Knowing exactly what you are going to need is impossible. The weather can change no matter where you’re going, so you need a little bit of everything. I hauled a set of warm weather clothes through the desert but was glad to have them when I arrived at the coast for cool, foggy July weather. The same is true even in the Upper Midwest, where the weather along Lake Superior can flip from hot and humid to cold and chilly within an hour. My strategy is to bring a little bit of everything and try to keep it clean. But I did find I was packing way too many T-shirts.
Reading material: I enjoy having some quiet reading time at a campsite. Some experiences camping in the rain led me to bring a lot of printed material in the past, but now I download it in my tablet and phone ahead of time. I also bring a guide book or other printed material about the places I’m visiting.
The bottom line: Don’t bring something “just in case.” Bland food, half-broken gear, and uncomfortable clothes just end up getting in the way.
Read about more of my roadtrip adventures in the Off Topic category!