Before you go
Activate your home alarm
Ensure all windows and doors are locked
Gather your travel guides and maps
Install on/off timers on a few lamps in your house
Leave a key to your home to a trustworthy neighbor
Passport (ensure validity past your expected return date)
Put a hold on your newspaper delivery
Reserve your campsite(s) ahead of time
Shut down your water heater
Travel insurance documents
Tip: Make a photocopy of your passport and other important documents and store them separately from the originals. If you lose something, a photocopy will speed up the replacement process.
Cooking
Bowls
Cooking oil
Cutting board
Electric griddle
Foil paper / Saran wrap
Pots & pans
Propane gas bottles
Salt, pepper, spices
Wax paper
Food
Almonds
Bacon
Butter / Margarine
Cereals
Coffee
Eggs
Flour
Fruits
Garlic
Herbal tea
Ketchup
Maple syrup
Mayo
Milk & cream
Molasses
Mustard
Oatmeal
Onions
Peanut butter
Potatoes
Pickles / Hot peppers
Rice
Salad dressing
Soups
Sugar / Artificial sweeteners
Tea
Clothing
Footwear (sneakers, sandals, shower shoes, rain/hiking boots)
Gloves
Hat, baseball cap and/or sun hat
Pyjamas / sleepwear
Rain gear - a poncho or a rain parka with pants
Sewing repair kit
Shorts and long pants, jeans, belt
Socks including a pair of thick wool socks
Sunglasses (with UVA/UVB protection)
Sweater or fleece
Swim wear
T-shirts and shirts (long and short sleeves)
Underwear and long thermal underwear ("Thinsulates" are great)
Windbreaker / light jacket
Tip: Pack clothing using the time-honored "roll" technique. Lay two or three items on top of one another, smooth to flatten, and roll them up like you would a sleeping bag to save space and prevent wrinkles. For added wrinkle insurance, place a sheet of heavy tissue or packing paper between items of clothing before rolling.
Toiletries / Bedding
Bath towels
Bed sheets
Blankets
Contact lens essentials
Cotton buds (Q-tips)
Dental floss (also great for fixing things!)
Deodorant
Facial tissues (Kleenex)
Fingernail clippers & nail file
Hairbrush, combs
Lip balm / lip gloss
Make-up
Mirror
Mouthwash
Moisturizer (face and body)
Pillows, pillow cases
Prescription glasses
Razors, shaving cream
Sleeping bags
Soap, shampoo, conditioner
Sunscreen (waterproof if you're planning to go swimming)
Talcum / baby powder (useful against heat rash / sweat rash in shoes)
Tampons and pads
Toilet paper (1 / 2 ply)
Toothpaste and toothbrushes
Washcloths
Wet wipes / baby wipes
Tip: Buy travel-size containers for your toiletries and enclose toiletry containers in airtight plastic bags to prevent contents from spilling into your suitcase in the event of a leak. Wrap socks or pajamas around breakable items to cushion them.
Medical supplies
Alcohol swabs
Antiseptic ointment
Bug spray
Compression bandages
Diarrhea tablets
First-aid kit (Band aids, gauzes etc)
Hand sanitizer (ex: Purell)
Ice packs
Insect and/or mosquito repellent
Insect bite lotion (After bite)
Iodine / hydrogen peroxide
Medication (prescribed or otherwise)
Motion sickness tablets
Nail clipper
Re-hydration salts sachets
Small scissors
Tweezers
Water purification tablets (just in case....)
Tip: Be sure to pack medications and other important items in an easily accessed baggage.
Cleaning supplies
Broom
Brush
Dishwashing soap
Disposable gloves
Laundry detergent
Lysol spray
Multi-Purpose cleaner
Paper towel
Rags
Sanitizing wipes (ex: Clorox)
Vinyl gloves
Pets essentials
Bed
Carrier / trailer
Food
Leashes
Medication
Pee pads / litter
Ramp / steps
Scissors
Shampoo
Tick remover
Toys
Miscellaneous items
Axe
Backpack
Batteries (all types), battery charger
Beach chairs
Beach shoes
Bicycles and helmets
Binoculars
Books
Camera tripod
Camera
Chargers (Phone, tablet, laptop)
Citronella candles
Compass
Drying rack (and clothespins)
Electric cooler
Electric fan / heater
Electrical adapter and plug converter
Flashlights
Games, playing cards….
Garbage bags
Lighter fluid, lighters
Locks (combination or key)
Maps or GPS unit
Mosquito net
Outdoor kitchenette
Pens / Pencils / Markers / Highlighters
Picnic table tabletop cloth & clips
Radio (battery operated)
Rope
Scissors
Sunglasses
Tablet / Laptop and chargers
Tabletop light (battery, kerosene….)
Tape measure
Travel / guidebooks
Umbrellas
Walkie-talkie set
Zip locks (various sizes)
If you're tenting....
Aluminum foil (especially if you're planning to cook on a open fire)
Axe or a hatchet
Broom
Can opener and a corkscrew
Candles
Cooking pots, a frying pan, a kettle, a few mugs and some utensils
Cooking stove (and fuel) or a small BBQ
Cooler / ice box
Dish pan
Emergency tent "repair kit" (seam sealer, patches, glue, needle, thread ....)
Flashlight or two (always have a few spare bulbs around)
Folding table (very convenient)
Food containers
Hot dog sticks (weiner forks)
Knife (swiss army knives are always useful)
Lamp (battery operated)
Lantern for outdoor use
Large water carrier (2-5 gallon)
Laundry bag (garbage bags also work fine)
Matches (waterproof if possible) or lighter
Pillows
Plastic bags (small and large)
Plastic butter container
Plastic egg container
Plastic tablecloth
Rope - at least 100 feet (nylon being the most resistant to weather)
Sleeping bags and/or warm blankets
Sleeping mat (foam or air-filled.... don't forget the air pump)
Small (folding) shovel
Tape (electrical and/or duct tape work best)
Tarp (for your cooking area or to install over/under the tent if necessary)
Water bottle / canteen
Your tent (don't forget the stakes and poles)
