How do you pack for an open-ended stay on the road? We are figuring it out as we go along. Here’s a catalog of what we took to make the first two months work, and a few additions we needed to round things out.
Clothes
Part of the challenge of down-sizing the condo was also right-sizing what clothes we actually needed to keep and deciding what we could take with us. I donated and gave away a lot of clothes before we moved, and went down to about 125 pieces including shoes and coats. Jan already had handle on his wardrobe and didn’t need to toss much.
We wouldn’t need all of our clothes all the time, so we decided to pack for the season and store the rest. Our heavy coats and sweaters would be needed eventually, but definitely not in August or September. We put those in wardrobe boxes and suitcases, being careful to store them towards the front of the storage locker.
I ended up bringing six pairs of shoes, two light wraps, about 18 tops/sweaters, two pairs of jeans and shorts, underpinnings, and five changes of workout clothes. Jan managed about the same with half the shoes. I also brought jewelry, a hat, flip flops, fanny pack, one purse and a few scarves.
We’re a few weeks in, and I think we’ve got the right mix of clothes to the amount of laundry we’re able to do each week — a critical factor. I’m missing a little variety, but I think that’s just a matter of getting used to things.
Jan “lost” his workout clothes en route and had to get a replacement set. I think they’re in storage and not in the hands of TSA. We will learn their fate eventually. I’ve destroyed one shirt and a pair of sandals which I may or may not replace while I’m here.
Electronics
We each brought smart phones, laptops, and more than enough chargers and cables. Jan also threw in a power strip and ended up buying an extension cord once we got here. Outlets are never where you expect them to be.
We always travel with a noise machine otherwise I can’t sleep with my tinnitus. I recommend getting one if you travel because I do think it helps when sleeping in a strange place.
I have a travel-sized blow dryer for my luscious locks. Jan brought strings of LED lights to personalize our space. Our Anker Bluetooth speaker pumps out the tunes and the Roku keeps us entertained.
Kitchen Equipment
We love to cook, so we couldn’t quite leave everything behind. We packed our favorite chefs knife, microplane, pepper grinder, and our morning coffee kit (french press, grinder, coffee, insulated mugs). Jan also threw in his favorite plastic cup and a small fold-able cooler.
We couldn’t put our food in storage, so most of it went to friends and neighbors. However, spices pack well, so we brought along baggies of our favorites instead of throwing them into the bin.
The only thing I miss is my baking equipment and our set of stainless steel mixing bowls because you can never have enough bowls when you’re playing in the kitchen. Jan really missed the pressure cooker, but it turns out our first host had one he wasn’t using so we’re set for now.
Jan ordered a stove-top smoker to smoke all the salmon we caught. I’m a little wary about accumulating more things, but I think this piece would pack well.
Sporting Goods
Before we left Chicago, we had a personal training session to figure out how to get our strength training workout without a gym. I picked up a set of resistance bands to torture our muscles into shape. We won’t need them at our first stop, but they’re small and will come in handy as we go along. We also have a pair of combination locks and water bottles.
We like to take a few casts here and there, so we brought our fly fishing gear since it packs up small. My regular fishing rod breaks down into smaller pieces, so we brought that along with some tackle.
The one things we didn’t have and needed were biking helmets. We picked up a couple at Canadian Tire, but will have to rethink them in the future. I’m not sure they’ll fit into our suitcases next time we board an airplane.
Personal and Sundry
Laundry pods, laundry bag, soap, shampoo and conditioner, razors, lotion and makeup. This stuff always takes up more room than you might think. ID, passports, money, notebooks and writing utensils came with us along with a few documents to tie-up business in Chicago.
Jan picked up a motion-sensor light for the bathroom so we wouldn’t bump into things in the middle of the night. It’s been a needed addition.
Luggage
We each have backpacks that we initially used as carry-ons for our laptops. Jan uses his to haul everything back and forth from the grocery store and the gym. I brought a smaller sling bag for my gym stuff and folding bags for shopping.
We each have a full-sized bag for our clothes/shoes, and we ended up getting a High Sierra duffel bag for everything else. I may end up swapping my bag out for another one of these because I like how it’s compartmentalized and it’s lighter while storing about the same amount of stuff.
I also got us a set of travel cubes to keep everything organized. I was skeptical at first, but they really do help when you’re living out of your suitcase.
We also have a hanging toiletry bag that I basically tossed the contents of our medicine cabinet into. I’m not sure we needed to bring it all, but we shall see. I threw some of the larger bottled stuff into clear bottles we bought at a drug store, and my makeup into a long, thin Tupperware-esque container that I picked up at Target. It had “locks” on it, which let me lay everything out without stacking.
I had a small Conair travel jewelry case that I got many, many years ago. It’s not fancy but enough to bring some bling. We each had travel containers for shower kits that we’ve been using on trips to the gym, so those came too.
Thoughts
We’ve done pretty well so far. It’s good that we’ve been to this part of the country before and haven’t been surprised by the weather or activities. I think our additions (bike helmets, extension cord, light, smoker) will work out without adding too much weight.
We’ve bought a lot of food here, but we’re not stocking up on condiments or jar food. We might not eat all the salmon, but our host has generously offered to take it off our hands. Since we’re not flying out of Canada, I think we’ll be able to bring leftover foodstuffs with us.
I’m curious to see what makes the cut for the next leg of our trip and what we need to add or drag out of storage. More to come!