by Hope
At the time of this post, I’ve just returned from my 2 weeks in Georgia. And will have a busy couple of weeks with doctors appointments, annual vet visit for Addie, and wedding dress shopping with Beauty and her bridesmaides…fun times!
I wrote previously about my plan to travel and car camp in between extended visits to my parents in Texas (to help with my mom’s ongoing care) when and if the house sells. Many BAD readers had a lot to say about it. So I wanted to share kind of how I’ve been planning and preparing.
First, I started with created a long list of “needs”. And I shared that with some friends who know my plan along with my sister and dad. For now, I am not planning to 1) purchase anything and 2) do any permanent build out in my car. For the time being, I will be using what I’ve got to set things up.
The Original List
This is set up as a checklist in my Notes app so I am literally checking things off as they are packed specifically for the car (more on that later).
Personal
- Shower shoes – crocs or slides?
- Sunscreen
- 1 suitcase of ‘dressy’ clothes
- 1 ball cap
- 1 sweatshirt
- 1 nightgown
- 4 tank tops
- 3 bras
- 3 workout outfits
- 3 shorts
- 3 work shirts (2 sets – one for each season)
- 6 daily shirts (2 sets – one for each season)
- 3 pants/leggings
- 15 underwear
- Swim bag – swimsuit, swimshoes, swim towel, sunscreen
- 1 sandals
- 2 tennis shoes
- 2 sleep pants
- 1 sports bra
- 7 socks
- Daily bag – for showering/changing in facilities
- Laundry bag
- 1 daily towel
Daily hygiene
- Travel size – shampoo, deodorant, soap/bodywash
- Medicine bucket
- Pads
- 2 wash clothes
- Pack of hygiene wipes
Kitchen/Food
- Zero water dispenser – 55 cup
- 3 metal water bottles
- 2 plastic cups (cost $1)
- 2 plastic bowls (cost $1)
- 1 insulated bowl holder
- 2 plastic plates (cost $1)
- 2 forks
- 2 spoons
- 2 knives
- 2 sharp knives
- Dish soap
- Wash bowl/bucket
- 2 wash cloths
- 3 storage containers
- Small cast iron skillet
- Egg skillet
- Sauce pan
- Tongs
- Spatula
- Smoothie blender
- Chia seeds
- Granola
- Veggie powder
- Protein powder
- Jerky
- Shaker bottle?
- Spices?
- Salt & pepper
- FUTURE – Single burner?
- FUTURE – Fridge/cooler?
- Laundry detergent
- Lighters
Work Stuff
- 2 pairs glasses
- Books – will begin to eliminate and move to digital only for most
- Computer – charger
- Phone – charger
- iPad – charger
- 2 notebooks
- 1 journal
- 3 pens
- 5 highlighters
- FUTURE – Big monitor, keyboard, mouse?
- FUTURE – Charging station? Battery? Eco flow?
- Scrap supplies?
- Backpack for daily use
- Formal work bag
Dog Stuff
- Food container
- Treats
- Waste bags
- Food bowl
- Water bowl/dispenser
- Mat
- Tie out
General Comfort
- Fan – charger
- Hearing aids – charger
- 3 pillows
- 12 pillow cases – I double case all my pillows, always have so this is just two sets
- 4 flat sheets – I use two at a time, so this is 2 sets
- 1 comforter
- 2 extra blankets
- FUTURE – Bed rest pillow?
- Camping chair
- FUTURE – table top?
- Car tent
Tools
- Umbrella
- Flashlights
- Pocket knives/box cutter
- Basic tool box?
- Jump rope
- Zip ties
- Duct tape
- Sharpies
- 2 scissors
- Battery charger – jumps car and fills tires
- Battery packs for electronics
- Car charger for laptop etc.
Car Facilities and access to consider
- Place to hang wet to dry while driving – towels/washcloths – like a clothesline, but where to hang?
- Desktop for crafting/writing and for big monitor/keyboard
- Charging station – existing batteries for now then consider eco flow? FUTURE What do I need for blender and big monitor? Are current batteries able to handle that? Not a now but a soon if I stay out for more than a couple of weeks
- FUTURE Cooktop for burner/blender
- Water dispenser – easy access and fill up’s – take a pitcher/gallon jug?
- Dog tie out access
- Dog supply storage with daily access
My dad then added:
- Black out “screens” for windows
- Mosquito nettings or screens for partially opened windows
- Portable (10’x10’) awning.
- Extra 8’x10’ tarp for emergency
- Small propane burner
- 5’x7’ or 8’x10’ rug to use under your awning and expand your outside use area
- Small portable, adjustable height table for outside work/cooking/eating with corresponding comfortable size chair
- Spray bottle of ?vinegar/water? for cleaning dishes, etc. w/o water
- Comfortable, cozy socks/slippers
- “Welcome” mat to use to wipe your shoes off before entering car.
- Flashlights – small & large
- Hooks for hanging clothes, etc.
- Spray bottle & wipes to use to “freshen up” on non bath/shower days
- Portable, disposable #1 (urine) “bags”
- TP
- 5 gallon bucket w/toilet seat & plastic bags & composting material
- Portable mirror
- Swiss broom and dust pan
- Extra wipes for clean up
- Plastic bags
- Hatchet for splitting wood for kindling
- Machete for intruders, clearing limbs, security on hikes, etc.
- Bear spray, security alarm, “tear gas”, gun?
- Small packs of Kleenex
- Emergency tire inflator
- 1 or two quarts of oil for car
- 1 or 2 gallon plastic container for extra gas
- Extra sets of car keys w/at least one set available outside your car using a hide a key or something like this
For this past trip to Texas, I just set up the basics. I have bedding, emergency supplies, dog supplies, and clothes and hygiene items. Once it’s confirmed that the house will sell, I will be working on the build out to make room for water storage and kitchen supplies.
Sidenote: I went to lunch with one of my neighbors in Georgia the week I left for Texas this time, a goodbye lunch perse after 8 years of living next to each other. She gifted me a 2 burner Coleman camping stove. Woot, woot! Free, on my wishlist for the future, and now I’ve got one. So excited.
I am so grateful for all the support people in my life have given me during this “crazy” time of life. I’m so excited to see what is next.
Have I missed anything on my planning list?
Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.
But life has a way of rewriting your plans.
A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.
Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.
Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.
She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.
