The trip that inspired me to want to live on the road full time was a 3 month solo road trip around the United States. This trip involved me living full time out of my car and staying mostly at free or cheap campsites in or around National Parks. But the one question I got the most often when people heard this was: “But where does all your stuff go?”
Honestly, I didn’t have that much stuff. I basically packed just the essentials and the only souvenirs I got the whole trip were stickers that went on a storage trunk that I used during the trip for actual storage. So, pretty much everything I had in the car, tucked in corners or hidden in secret compartments to save space had at least one essential purpose… except a few things.
Here’s everything I brought with me on my 3 month road trip around the country, and some things I wish I’d had:
Me and Theon, my Kia Soul, aka my house for three months
Absolute Essentials (things I brought and used literally all the time)
Of course, there were some things that I used every single day, without exception. Since I was simply living out of my Kia Soul, I didn’t have a lot of space, so I wanted to bring things that could serve multiple purposes for the most part, or that were 100% necessary to my survival in what was basically the wilderness.
Kitchen
I didn’t have an actual kitchen so my “kitchen” consisted of what could make up a kitchen on any table at a campsite or rest stop I was parked at (and the occasional tailgate out of my trunk).
· Camp Stove: my camp stove was absolutely necessary. This camping kitchen must-have will make things so convenient for you, and open doors for you to have actual meals, rather than just sandwiches for three months. I have a Coleman 2 burner camp stove, but there are plenty of options available depending on your needs. Make sure you know what propane your stove uses before you hit the road though!
· Cooler: honestly, I wish I’d gotten an electric cooler, but regardless, keeping your food cold in some way in a necessity. The only downside is having to buy ice every three days or so.
· Dishes: I didn’t bring a ton of dishes. For camping on the road, you really need to just think about what you’ll use at each meal. The things I used the most were my mess kit, spork, big pot, little pot, knife, tea kettle, mug, and plate (which doubled as a cutting board).
Camp Stove Kitchen on a bear box in Yellowstone National Park, WY
Clothes
It was super necessary to bring clothes for all seasons because I’d be starting in June in the desert, and ending in September in the mountains, and I did actually experience all weather! But when you’re packing for your own trip, really think about the time of year and destinations you’ll be hitting (or might hit), and don’t bring anything more than that. I probably had about 20 shirts total (t-shirts, tank tops, and long sleeve base layers), 4 sweatshirts/sweaters, 15 pairs of pants, leggings, or shorts, two thicker jackets, 10 pairs of socks, and about 2 weeks worth of underwear (so I could avoid doing laundry as long as possible).
Camping and Hiking Gear
As far as camping and hiking gear other than food-related stuff, I didn’t have or need very much. I had my hiking backpack and water bladder ready at all times, as well as easy access to my hiking boots. But I did use my lantern and multitool a few times!
For Fun
Of course, you need entertainment on the road, especially solo. So, my storage trunk I mentioned earlier was the home for things in my “fun” category. Essential for me when it came to entertainment on the road was my yoga mat and ukulele. I did pack a few books, as well as my sketchbook and journal, but I found myself playing my uke and practicing yoga more than any of those other things. A lot of times when you’re on the road, you don’t want to be in your own head, so these things allowed me to step out of that a little bit.
The inside setup of the car for the whole summer. Yes, I made the curtains myself…
What I Wish I’d Left at Home
We all overpack. This time around, my suitcase just happened to be a bit bigger than normal (car sized, to be exact). So, although I didn’t bring much to start with, there were definitely a few things I didn’t use even once on my trip. Leaving these things at my home base would’ve made the car lighter, and allowed me to have a little more space in the car, so what is it that I could (and did) live without?
· My tents: I was planning on pitching a tent once or twice on this trip, but instead, I slept in the car every single time I wasn’t staying at a family member’s house. This meant my tents sat squished at the bottom of the car the whole time (and yes, I brought two—one backpacking size and one normal).
· My ski jacket: while I did need one of my thicker jackets I mentioned in the clothing section, it never got quite cold enough for the actual winter coat I’d lugged around for three months.
· Lighter fluid and fire starters: I didn’t light a fire once. If I had a campfire, it was because someone invited me to join them, and otherwise, I just went to bed early if I was too cold.
· Dresses and nice clothes: let’s be honest, I was living in the woods for three months. When I was in cities (on the very rare occasion), I could easily just throw on my one pair of jeans and a t-shirt and be perfectly acceptable. I really didn’t need to take up space in my clothing compartment with the dress, romper, and other nice clothes I thought I’d end up needing.
What I Wish I’d Had With Me
It’s easy to miss the luxuries of home when you’re on the road, so of course there were things I wished I’d thought to bring.
· Electric cooler: The ice chest was fine, but it would’ve been nice to not have to buy ice all the time, and produce would’ve lasted me longer.
· Car charger for my laptop: there were so many times I was working out of the back of my car on hotspot and was racing against my battery for time. The Surface Pro does have an available car charger, so I was kicking myself the whole summer that I hadn’t invested in one.
· A van: honestly? I wouldn’t do this trip in a car again. It was too easy to miss things that I simply could never have in a car no matter what, like a sink and a toilet, so if you’re super committed to long term travel and don’t feel like you need to test it out before hitting the road for months at a time, maybe it would be best to splurge and buy the van instead of doing it out of the car like I did.
One of my beautiful free campsites, somewhere along a Great Lake
Overall, I was happy with everything I brought. Of course, there were a few things I didn’t end up needing, but they didn’t take up all that much space. So, if you’re planning a long term trip, just really think about what it is you’ll need, from shampoo to a tiny refrigerator. The thing is, what I considered necessary might be totally different for you, so go with what you know you’ll use, and consider these things: where you’re going, how long you’ll be there, what season it is/will be in your destinations, and what you love! And remember, everything works out—there’s always shopping to be done on the road.