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 and solutions-driven business manager who has spent nearly two decades helping clients streamline their operations and grow their businesses through project management, digital marketing, and tech expertise. Recently transitioning from her role as a single mom of five foster/adoptive children to an empty nester, Hope is navigating the emotional and practical challenges of redefining her life while maintaining her determination to regain financial control and eliminate debt.
Living in a cozy small town in northeast Georgia with her three dogs, Hope cherishes the serenity of the mountains over the bustle of the beach. Though her kids are now finding their footing in the world—pursuing education, careers, and independence—she remains deeply committed to supporting them in this next chapter, even as she faces the bittersweet tug of letting go.
Since joining the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015, Hope has candidly shared her journey of financial ups and downs. Now, with a renewed focus and a clear path ahead, she’s ready to tackle her finances with the same passion and perseverance that she’s brought to her life and career. Through her writing, she continues to inspire others to confront their own financial challenges and strive for a brighter future.
That’s a big list, will all of that fit in your car? Do you have WiFi figured out so you can work?
Some of certainly wish list that I don’t think will fit…like my big work monitor. But overall, yes, by packing the passenger seat and the back right well, I believe everything will fit. And for seasonal items, I can always leave a bucket at my parent’s house or check in with storage quarterly to replace items as needed.
For Wifi, I can currently use my phone and ipad hotspots. If/when I travel more extensively, I will have to consider a dedicated hotspot or satellite service, but I’m not there yet. And library, coffee shops, etc. also provide great wifi even if you are sitting outside.
Hope are you towing a trailer? I am struggling to understand how this all fits.
It feels just unsafe and uncomfortable. I am worried for you as a single woman out there alone.
No trailer. These last couple of years of travelling back and forth to Texas have given me a good handle on space. And now we are building out some storage on the right hand side of the back to give me secure storage (so it doesn’t topple over on dogs when I’m driving), a desktop that will pull out on heavy duty shelf slides to give me a place to work and cook, and with designate spots to hold my water storage, cooking appliances, and other specific items that I need to access regularly. It’s certainly going to be an iterative process.
1. Towel(s)
2. Oral hygiene items
3. First aid kit (for yourself and dog)
4. Flea control for your dog
Best of luck with the laws of physics…
I have a few questions. 1. Where in that car do you believe you can fit so many things? It looks as if the mattress takes up the majority of the space. Where are you going to “build out”? 2. What will you do with your dogs when you are not in the car? You will be in and out of shops, appointments, etc, 3. What will you do if you get sick? For example, you may come down with a bad stomach virus in the middle of the night? That would be terrible to try to deal with in a car.
Good questions:
1. We are building out the right hand side of the back to give me hidden storage, a pullout table top, and storage going up. My friend came yesterday and we laid it out. He’s going to build the framework and then we will iterate as I use it.
2. Choosing the places and time that I travel carefully makes a difference with the dogs. I do have a temp monitor I leave in the car when I leave them. It sends an alert to my phone. I can leave windows cracked, have battery operated fans, and so forth. But really, I don’t have to leave them too often or for too long. I also have a tie out attached to my car, so I can back into green spaces and they can “roam” when I’m set up working.
3. Yes, being sick would be terrible. Kind of tested it out this trip back from Texas as I was recovering from the flu. Thankfully, my set up is really comfortable. I rested a lot between drives taking naps at rest areas, in a Buccees parking lot and so forth.
So many concerning things here.
How are you going to stay safe with your hearing aids out (presumably at night?)?
Will you and the dogs be safe sleeping and hanging out in the car when it’s hot?
Are you leaving enough clearance to see out your rear view mirror when driving (your car is your house, you need to protect it!!)?
How will you keep fruit/veg without a fridge?
Now that you have health insurance I suggest you get bloodwork done and preventative screening you’re behind on – mammogram and colonoscopy, Pap smear. I suggest you get a full psych eval also. Your decision and planning process conveys that you may have ADHD and /or an executive function disorder.
How do I stay safe without my hearing aids? Aside from my dogs notifying me of anyone around, I am always very aware of my surroundings and in all my years of travelling (even before hearing loss,) I’ve never come across a situation where I didn’t feel safe or unable to handle things.
I will mostly limit travelling in the hot months. Spending those months visiting people I can stay with for a few days at a time versus living in my car. And this summer, I will hunker down at my parents. The extra help is needed now more than ever before. But will always be conscious of weather prior to taking a trip with the dogs.
Yes, I’m only building up on one side of the back of the car, it will not hamper my back up camera, blind side camera, or rear view mirror at all.
I currently have a cooler that I travel with. If I end up taking longer trips where I can refresh my ice, etc. I would need to invest in something more robust or switch to more freeze dried fruits. But for now, my cooler does the trick.
I had all my annual woman exams last fall, paid out of pocket. No issues found. And am actually headed to a general physical exam this afternoon. I don’t think I have ADHD but certainly been battling depression big time. Am hoping to get back on Lexapro now that I have insurance again. I’ve been off of it for a little over 6 months and can feel the difference and have for a while.