3 Things I Always Pack, No Matter How Short the Trip

It’s getting to be Casey and Dan Travel Season (aka, summer weekend road trip adventure season) and I’m so ready to go.

I spend all winter with thoughts of road trips and camping subconsciously permeating my brain. This is because my home gym setup is in the attic, where it’s surrounded by all of our travel and camping equipment.

So while I’m doing a million squats and getting a juicy booty (thanks, EMKFIT), I’m also getting influenced by the sight of our sleeping bags and camp stove and paddleboarding equipment and all the gear I love to load up in the car when we hit the road.

Not all of this crazy gear is necessary for every trip, though.

Sometimes we’re going to watch minor league baseball in a small New England town for a night, or sometimes we’re going to see a cool indie band (not as cool as Tay Tay, but easier to get tickets) in a little venue upstate.

Whatever we’re doing, these small trips give us just as much joy as the big ones. There’s actual research to suggest that little weekend trips really do have a cumulative effect on your happiness!

And there are certain things I always bring with me no matter how short the trip, because my comforts matter whether we’re at a beach campsite, a random Holiday Inn Express,

Here are three travel essentials I always pack for my adventures — other than underwear and pajamas, of course.

Pour-Over Coffee Rig

This is cheating a bit, because it’s a bunch of things in one bag, not just one item. But having a really good cup of coffee first thing in the morning is absolutely crucial to me. I bring my:

• collapsible MIIR Pourigami coffee dripper and filters
• teeny tiny scale so I can portion out my coffee
• 1/4 cup measuring cup
• coffee scoop
• mini electric kettle
• and coffee + dry milk powder

All of these items except the kettle fit into a small bag, taking up about as much space as a portable hair dryer (an item I don’t bother to bring). That’s an extremely fair tradeoff in my world!

A Big-Ass YETI

Filled to the brim with water, of course.

As I was saying to one of the dudes around the firepit outside Levon Helm Studios recently, yes, YETI is a total bougie status symbol, but the brand really does make incredibly durable and dependable water bottles.

I have dented, crunched, and ruined a lot of metal water bottles from a lot of other brands thanks to my clumsiness. But my retinue of YETI items keeps up with my mess and looks no worse for the wear.

So I always bring a big 36-ounce YETI Rambler filled with water on every trip. Even if the water at the hotel tastes a little metallic and suspect, even if I’m going to a place where I can’t refill, I’ll always be able to stay hydrated for a night or two.

OK, and here’s the confession: we will frequently bring more than one YETI in the car with us. One for water, one for beer at the hotel.

Cheap But Cushy Sandals

Now that all my hydration needs are taken care of, there’s one more small travel essential that keeps me comfy: a pair of sandals to shuffle around in.

Come on, we all know hotel carpets are pretty sketchy. If it’s cold, you’re protected by your socks, but what about when you want to run down the hall for ice or to the lobby for snacks, and you don’t want to take the time to lace up a pair of real shoes?

That’s why I pack a squishy, lightweight pair of Old Navy slides in my backpack and I’m always set for whatever floor I might encounter anywhere.

You can get the fancy EVA Birkenstocks if you want, but I’m kind of sentimentally addicted to my Old Navy pair now. They’ve served me as well at a remote, hike-in cabin on an island in Maine as they did at the Harrisburg Hilton.

And if tragedy strikes and I lose them, I’m not losing sleep over an expensive pair of shoes.

How I Make Travel Packing So Much Easier

No matter how short the trip, I always consult my Travel Packing Dashboard in Notion to make sure I have all the travel essentials I need.

Every item I travel with is easily categorized and can be added to a packing list by clicking a checkbox. Undies, socks, PJs, hiking boots, raincoats, motion sickness bands, even my camp skillet — if it has ever come with me on a trip, it’s in the database so I can quickly and easily compile my list again.

I even have space to note which toiletry items I’m running low on so I can do a Target run before we leave. (Note to self: gotta restock the floss.)

You can get your own copy of the Travel Packing Dashboard Notion Template and make your pre-trip planning that much simpler.

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