For many people, their summer trip is often one of the highlights of their entire year. You get the chance to explore new locations, take a break, and spend quality time with family and friends. There’s a variety of different summer trips you can take, but by far on the best is an RV road trip. This is the perfect way to get to the great outdoors on your own time, but there can still be some stressful moments if you don’t plan it right. The worst part of any trip is packing for it, and your upcoming summer RV trip is no exception. It seems that for every trip, no matter how much you try, something always ends up getting left behind.

Leaving important items at home can put a huge damper on your trip, which is why you need the ultimate packing list. Follow this guide on what to pack for a summer RV trip to make sure you have everything you need.

Clothes

What you pack clothing-wise will depend on what you’re planning to do during your trip. No matter what you’ll be doing, you already know you’ll be needing basics like enough t-shirts and shorts to last you the length of the trip. You know you’ll need sneakers for outdoor activities, but you should also bring along a pair of flip flops to have something easy to take on and off quickly. For most people, this means packing bathing suits if your campground is near a lake or has a pool.

Even though it’s summer, you know that there’s always going to be a night where the temperatures drop. When this inevitably happens, you don’t want to be left with only shorts and a t-shirt. No matter what the weather is calling for, be sure you’re packing a sweatshirt so that you’re ready for some chilly nights. You’ll also want to bring along important accessories like hats and sunglasses to protect you from the sun.

Kitchen Supplies and Food

One of the most enjoyable parts of a summer road trip is getting to cook and eat meals outside. Any meals you plan to make yourself should be planned out in advance to ensure that you have everything you need to make them, as well as snacks for in between meals. Everyone in your RV should also have a water bottle with them to keep hydrated. To pack for this, you need to make sure you have not only food to make, but everything you’ll need to prepare and eat it. You might not always have a picnic table nearby at mealtimes, so you should always bring along portable tables and chairs just in case.

Outdoor Equipment

No summer RV trip is complete without filling your days with your favorite outdoor activities. Maybe the group you’re traveling with wants to spend every day of the trip fishing, so make a list of what you need for that. Many people who RV are also fans of things like rafting and kayaking, which require space for large equipment. If you’ll be out on a walk or hike for the day, or even just a few hours, you should be sure to pack a backpack to bring along anything you might end up needing while you’re away from the RV.

Summer is also the perfect time to play games outside, so you should also bring along everyone’s favorite lawn games. This could be something like cornhole, ladder toss, or any outdoor sports you like for some lighthearted competition for any downtime you have. It’s easy to focus on all of the fun things, but you should bring everything you need to spend time outside. This includes smaller items like sunscreen and bug spray to keep everyone protected, in addition to towels for each person.

Tech Products

A decade ago, there might not have been a reason to bring tech products with you, but now most people don’t have a choice. You might want to take a tech break and unplug from the world for a bit, but you should still have a phone and GPS in case of emergencies. While you’re making sure you have everything you need for your phone and GPS, you don’t want to overlook one of the most basic, but essential RV and camping items, a flashlight. Sure, you might have a flashlight on your phone, but phone flashlights are nothing compared to a flashlight that’s meant to be used for camping. If you forget to bring a flashlight, you could be creating a safety risk if you end up needing one.