A little planning ahead can go a long way when you’re hitting the road for a camping trip. Use this RV packing guide to make it easy.
There’s nothing quite like loading up the RV and hitting the open road for an exciting camping trip… until you go to reach for your favorite snack (or any other essential item) and you realize you forgot it at home.
Sure, you could stop at the nearest store or make a trip to the campground supply store to get whatever you need. However, that’ll probably cost you a pretty penny and there’s no guarantee that you’ll find what you need. The safe bet is to just do your best to remember everything you need before leaving.
I’m not going to sit here and list all the essential items that you should stock up on for your camping trip. Every camping trip is different and the items you take along really depend on where you’re going, how long you’ll be gone, and who’s going with. So instead, use this RV packing guide and tips to make sure you have a comfortable (and well-stocked) trip.
Plan Ahead
This is definitely an obvious part of any RV packing guide, but it’s extremely important. Think about your trip and all the different factors involved and start keeping a list of the supplies you need. Check your current stock of food and gear, and see what needs replacing or what you’re running low on. This is especially useful for the first RV trip of the year. If you’re heading somewhere a little colder, like a beautiful campground in Alaska, forgetting to plan ahead for weather could ruin an otherwise unforgettable trip.
Visualize
Gather all of your supplies in a big pile somewhere in your house before leaving. A physical checklist is great, but actually seeing everything you’re taking will help you remember things you might be forgetting. Keeping everything in one area not only helps you remember everything, but it also makes loading up the RV an easier task when you’re getting ready to leave.
Consider Security
If you’re a seasoned RV camper, then I probably don’t need to really bring this up. However, staying safe is always important to keep in mind, and a reminder never hurts. Even if you go to the same campground every year and feel comfortable in your surroundings, you just never know what other people might be up to. Having cash and other valuables in a locking travel safe or other security device is essential. The last thing you want to be is stranded with no cash if something bad were to ever happen. Staying at secure campgrounds, like your favorite KOA, is always a safe bet.
Keep It Light
In other words, don’t over pack. Even if you do end up forgetting something, it isn’t the end of the world. You’ve been through worse than running out of toilet paper or forgetting that book you’ve been meaning to read. Don’t fall into the trap of packing too many things. Plan meals ahead to avoid unnecessary food items. Remember that even though you’re in an RV, you’re still camping. Every comfort of home just doesn’t need to be a part of your trip. I know it’s really tempting to stock up at those big box bulk discount stores, but trust me, that gallon sized ketchup just isn’t needed!
Safety First
One last thing, make sure to check that first aid kit before leaving too. Items inside your kit can expire if you haven’t used them for a while, and you might forget that you ran out of band-aids on your last trip. Hopefully you don’t have to use your first aid kit very often (knock on wood), but this is certainly one thing you definitely don’t want to forget.
The bottom line is to simply think ahead and use some common sense. If you’re new to RV camping, you’ll continue to learn what you need and what you don’t need as your trips start piling up. Pretty soon, you’ll have RV packing down to a science, and forgetting things will be a rare occurrence. So head on out to an incredible campsite enjoy the experience, and pretty soon you’ll be offering others your own RV packing tips.
Head over to Roadtrippers to start planning your first RV camping trip of the year today, and be sure to check out KOA to discover a new campground to visit this camping season!
