First van trip: What to pack?

After completing an overnight in the van, we were prepared with what we thought we would need: a few items would require a quick trip to the store. It will be interesting to revisit this list as we take Ody out on more trips and see what deletions and additions we make.

Kitchen	Food	Bath
Stanley stainless pot	Spice mix	Bathing wipes
Lodge cast iron skillet	Freeze-dried meals	Toothbrush
Kitchen utensils	Ramen	Shampoo and conditioner
Paper towels	Salad kits	Dr. Bronner’s castile soap
Sporks	Milk	Toothpaste & toothbrushes
Camp flatware	Seltzer	Lotion
Aeropress	FITAID	Contact lens solution and case
Coffee	Energy chews	Bamboo mat
Coffee grinder	Protein/energy bars	Trelino toilet
Jetboil and fuel	Bread	Small animal litter
Grill lighter	Peanut butter and jelly	Vinegar & water in spray bottle
Microfiber towel	Granola	Extra trash bags
Sponge and sponge holder	Instant oatmeal	Pack towels
Dr. Bronner’s in a spray bottle	Yogurt	Bug spray
Measuring cups and spoons	Fruit	Sunscreen
Hand sanitizing wipes	Mac & cheese	Face wipes
Bowls	Trail mix	Kula cloth
Dometic water jug w/ faucet	Hummus and bagel chips	Toilet paper
Yeti mugs	Chips & salsa	Privacy tent
	Grape leaves

Bed	Clothes	Dogs
Crib sheets	Sunglasses	IKEA & fleece dog blankets
Rumpl blanket	Sun hat	Yeti bowls x2
Sleeping bag liner	Shoes – everyday, hiking, clogs	Dog beds
Hest pillows	Gaiters	Leashes and harnesses
	Tops/bottoms/socks	Tie out cables
	Sweatshirt	Dog towel
	Jacket(s)	Dog booties
		Dog food
		Poop bags
		Dogger
		Medications

Electronics & cables	Van needs	Other
Starlink	Outdoor shower hose	Bear spray
Laptop and iPad	Fresh water hose w/ regulator	Cards & Yahztee
USB cables for phone	Outdoor extension cord	Hiking poles
USB cables for Apple Watch	GoTreads	Mini vacuum
110V plug for USB-A & C	Smart plug w/ converter	Yeti blanket
Kindle	Gray water hose	Camp chairs
	L track rings & tie-down straps	Mini dust pan and broom

Finding a spot for everything

With everything in hand (we hope!) now the challenge of figuring out where to put it all. There are four drawers in the galley (including the one that is already mostly utilized by the induction cooktop) and five cabinets (not including the one that houses the shower).

• Passenger side rear: Miscellaneous
• Passenger side front: Pantry
• Driver side rear x2: Clothes
• Driver side front: Dog gear
• Galley drawers: all kitchen gear

Based on suggestions from other STO owners, we acquired some shock cord and created additional storage under the beds, which is perfect for jackets, camp chairs, and window covers. As this worked really well, we intend to buy a bit more shock cord to finish off the other side.

The FlexSpace (shower pan) also provides great storage space for the toilet and other items that would be needed only intermittently. We also wanted to make loading and unloading the space relatively easy so as to not create yet another “thing” when wanting to use the shower, so we utilized bags and stuff sacks to organize the space.

We also contemplated how we were going to prevent the dogs from wandering up to the front and potentially creating a safety issue by getting by the pedals. Turns out that the privacy tent is a perfect fit between the driver and passenger seats – high enough to prevent the pups from hopping over and low enough for us to climb over. We placed the straps over the seat belt receivers to keep it in place, which also makes it easy to remove when we want to swivel the seats.

Time to travel!

Before hitting the road, we did take the fully-loaded van around the neighborhood to make sure that the rattles were manageable and to make any last minute adjustments. We’ll definitely revisit the packing list after the trip is over to see what we wished we had and what we brought but didn’t need.