Packing Light (and Then Repacking): What We’re Bringing Into Summer

Every year, I say we’re going to start packing light.

Every year, we repack three times.

Our annual summer trip kicks off the same way: me with a list, Michaela with a pile of clothes (half of them hoodies), Ariel sitting directly on top of the most important items, and Journey (our RV) waiting patiently to be filled like a Jenga puzzle on expert mode.

This isn’t our first rodeo—but somehow, we still manage to forget at least one essential and pack at least three “we swear we’ll use it this year” items that end up being donated or left at the next campground. Here’s what actually made the cut this time… and what didn’t.

The Essentials That Always Make the List

These are the things we don’t leave the driveway without—either because we’ve learned the hard way or because someone (usually Ariel) insists.

Ariel’s Gear

• Her harness, travel leash, and car tether
• Cooling mat for summer heat
• Paw balm (especially for rocky hikes)
• Her castle (crate)
• Three beds (she chews them)
• Five ballies and at least two squeaky victims
• Bags—plural—of treats
• Vaccination records (she’s well-traveled and well-documented)

Michaela’s Musts

• Portable fan
• Backup earbuds (because one will absolutely get lost)
• An unreasonable number of hoodies for summer
• Instruments (plural), sketchbooks, watercolors, and a book stack taller than she is
• Clothes (about two weeks’ worth across random seasons — I’ve learned to double-check for pants)
• Her stack of DVDs for movie nights
• A strong will to overpack and an equally strong mom to make her cut it by half

Stacy’s Non-Negotiables

• My clothes
• leather journal
• The emergency wine opener (learned that one the hard way)
• Reading glasses + spare pair
• Client files, books to read, work laptop, and the exact pens I like

Tech & Tools

• Two Halo chargers, one surge protector, multiple extension cords
• Charging bricks, plug adapters, and that one cable that’s impossible to find on the road
• Portable heater or fan depending on the forecast
• Cameras, tripods, and batteries in multiple sizes
• Kindles
• Doggy spy cam

Kitchen Core

• Cast iron skillet
• Go-to spices (garlic powder, chili flakes, smoked paprika)
• Collapsible mixing bowls
• Reusable food storage bags
• Burger flipper spatula (which I now check twice)

RV Staples

• Sewer gloves (glamorous, I know)
• Flashlights + headlamps
• Leveling blocks, water filter, chocks
• Folding lounge chairs + mini broom
• Tools

The Things We Always Forget

Despite best efforts and an increasingly sophisticated checklist system, here’s the Hall of Fame of Forgotten Essentials:

• Our actual pillows (left them at home… slept on rolled-up towels night one)
• Salt. Like, basic cooking salt.
• USB charging brick (the one you need, not the one you packed)
• Dog shampoo
• Flip flops for the campground showers
• The second set of camper keys
• Swimsuits… again
• The spatula (crucial)
• The wine opener (once)
• Paper towels
• that one weird cord… at this point, it’s tradition.

Michaela also once packed all of her clothes except pants. Just shirts, socks, and an amazing attitude. A quick Target stop saved us.

We forget fewer things now—I’ve just gotten better at organizing the transfer and we have started packing light(er). But we never leave town without a solid chance of a store run.

The Stuff We Finally Gave Up On

Every RVer has their dream items that feel essential… until they ride unused across five states.

Here are ours:

• More than two pairs of shoes per person (we wear the same pair every day)
• Dressy outfits (we’re not fancy—we’re firepit casual. We bring one outfit that’s not jeans for a fancy dinner out, but that’s it)
• “Just in case” gear—extra hoses, extra tarps, extra everything – if something breaks, I’ll buy it.
• The charcoal bag. Every year I imagine a rustic cookout. I never do it.

What’s New in the Rig This Year

On the 2022 trip, I bought a dog camera for the camper.

At the start of the 2023 trip, I bought the roof-installed wifi system.

For the 2024 trip, I bought a temperature monitor – it would tell me if the temperature in the camper got too high. Even if you leave the air on in the camper, it is not uncommon to have power gliches which could throw the breaker to the camper’s electricity, turning off the AC. This monitor would alert me if that happened. I never installed it … maybe this trip.

Packing light isn’t just about what comes with us. It’s about checking in with who we are this year. Michaela’s older. Ariel’s even more opinionated. I’ve learned that perfection isn’t the goal—presence is.

We’ll probably still forget something. We’ll definitely stop at Target. But we’ll be on the road, together, messy and over-packed and figuring it out as we go. And honestly, that’s the whole point.

What’s your must-pack? Or your most-regretted RV item? Let us know in the comments — we’ve got room on the list (probably).