Hey, all! I am going to outfit you with a list of the most important and necessary things I stocked up on before making the move to live out of my prius for the medium-term.
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Car Things
Blind spot mirrors – Enough said. Makes you see more, safer on the road. Cheap as hell and easily adhesive.
Mesh Window shades – These things are great when you’re hanging in the car and need a breeze, day or night. They cover the window and then you roll it down and boom, you have all the benefits of an open window without bugs or people peeking in.
Rain Guards – Rain guards are those things you stick on the outside of your windows so you can crack them without rain coming in. They’re especially great for stealthily having your windows cracked at night so the car can not collect condensation.
Steering wheel cover – If you’ve ever burned or frozen your hands off, you understand the value of this. I made sure to get a cheerful one so I can feel even better about taking adventures!
Seat cover – You sweat, especially when it’s hot out. Get a seat cover to absorb sweat and messes and then you can wash it no problem.
Windshield sunshade – Necessary to block the sun on hot days, or to add additional privacy when I’m working in the car and don’t want to stress the AC as much.
Phone mount – I’ve heard great things about this prius-specific phone mount, honestly, I’m still using some garbage one I got at the local Five Below store.
AAA Membership – Have roadside assistance just in case, whether you get stuck in a sand dune in Moab, or with a dead battery in Boise.
Sleeping Essentials
Tri-fold Mattress – Easy, foldable, comfortable, practical. Everything you need in a mattress. I opted to go with the twin size that I lay down on the 60 (passenger side) of the 60/40 fold-down back seat. They also make a full-sized one that will fit, if you prefer to fold down the entire backseat.
Yoga Mat – I placed the yoga mat under the tri-fold mattress to add another layer of cushion to avoid princess and the pea drama.
Mummy sleeping bag – I chose this sleeping back because it keeps me warm when it counts, and packs down pretty small. Perfect to lie in on the cold nights, and to scooch half into on moderately warm nights.
Camp blanket – A durable, woven blanket is great to lie under whether in the sleeping bag or not. You can also lie this out on the grass or sand during the day when you want to lounge.
Packable Camping Quilt – Lightweight, packable warmth for those cold nights. Can take the place of a sleeping bag on warm nights, on cold nights this can supplement the warmth of the sleeping bag if you don’t want to run the engine.
Sleep Mask – A must when you’re sleeping under harsh parking lot lights.
Travel pillow – I tried a regular pillow, but honestly sleeping on this at night was great for me, and I like its multi uses and the fact that I can clip it around my headrest during the daytime for storage.
Black throw blanket – OK, so this is how I solved the problem of people being able to look into my car at night — I lay this throw blanket across the headrests of the front two seat so folks can’t look into the back. Some people opt to go with a curtain, or a velcro curtain. Whatever works for you, I like this blanket for its ability to have multiple uses and to not have to modify the inside of my car.
Fan – Wow, I love this little portable camp fan. It keeps me cool at night and the air circulating on one easy USB charge. Also has a light in case you need to see where the F that mosquito is in the middle of the night.
12 Volt Electric Blanket – Warmth! If you want to run your car at night and have some dedicated warmth.
Storage Solutions
Packing cubes – This is where I keep my clothes — I roll them up and stuff them in here. It keeps everything organized, easy to find, and minimizes wasted space.
Cooler – I got this idea from Live Easy, who stated that modular options for storage are best. He uses his cooler for garbage storage, lining it with a shopping bag and then zipping it shut. I found I didn’t have too much waste, so I slung the cooler around the passenger seat to hang from the headrest, and kept my food in there.
Hanging toiletry bag – Great to keep bathtime and hygiene stuff in, can hang from the headrest when in the backseat for easy use and zip up to bring into gyms, Tinder dates’ homes, you know, whatever.
Mesh Gym Tote – Great for those trips to the gym. Make sure you bring your lock for your gym locker, too.
Travel containers – Self explanatory, create smaller travel-sized editions of things you already use.
Laundry Bag – Store your clothes and transport for washing them.
Car Glasses Clips – Throw your sunglasses up on the visor out of the way.
Plastic bin – I used one of these for storage on the floor behind my passenger seat.
Hiking and Camping
Hammock – Most important travel accommodation and relaxation tool, in my opinion.
Hammock with bug net – If you’re sleeping outside, or you’re in Michigan, a mosquito net is really nice to have so you can relax in peace.
Tent – Just in case you get the urge to primitive camp! I stored this in the compartment in the trunk without issue.
Lightweight backpack – Important to count those ounces when backpacking. I like to have a lightweight one to take with me easily too because my canvas pack is weighed down by all the pins and stuff I threw on it.
Rechargeable flashlight – Important for safety, navigation, and just good to have one of these in your car always anyways. Bright, and easily rechargeable using the USB.
Camp chair – I brought a chair with me and never ended up using it because I used my hammock so much. Even so, you can bring one of these and store it in the trunk compartment if you think you might use it.
Safety whistle – I bring this little compass whistle keychain with me just in case!
Bear Spray – Always good to have if you plan on hiking. Or just in general for safety when car camping, too.
Pocket knife – Hey, you never know.
Life Straw Water Bottle – If you’re planning on taking a long hiking or backpacking trip, not feeling water insecure is a huge plus.
Electronic Stuff
USB Car Charger – Necessary, and with three ports, you can get a lot of bang for your buck.
Power Bank – This power bank holds enough energy to charge a phone 24x, a laptop 3-4x, a cooler, a TV, a tablet, whatever you bring with you that you need powered. I use mine as an inverter to charge my laptop on the road.
Solar Panel – How freaking cool is this — you can power your huge battery bank using the sun. This is great for longer camping where you don’t have access to recharge and don’t want to sap your car’s power.
Anker portable charger – I keep this in my backpack always in case I get screwed while hiking. It can charge your phone a few times, just in case emergency strikes, I like to be prepared.
Bluetooth Headphones – I like these universal headphones to keep me company on pensive walks and hikes. They’re small, portable, easily rechargeable, and also charge up in the case between uses.
Selfie stick & Tripod – If you’re solo travelling, you’ll probably want to take nice pictures of your adventures that potentially have you in them. Lean into the cringe and get a tripod, it’s worth it.
Gear
Canvas backpack – heavy duty, can take a beating, and substantial enough for me to fill with junk and pins.
1 Gallon Water Jug – Helps me to carry a lot of water in the car with me in a portable, refillable, and easy-to-drink way. I don’t lug this around with me, it’s generally in case of emergency or if I have to fill a more accessible receptacle.
Nalgene 48oz – Light, portable, intensely millennial-chic, stickerable water transportation.
Splashguard – Throw this in your Nalgene so you don’t accidentally take a bath. Revolutionary.
Sea Bands – Do you get really freaking carsick like me if someone else drives? I literally cannot believe it but these wristbands totally eliminated that for me.
Turkish Towel – I got this towel as a lightweight, multi-use, and quick-to-dry towel that won’t collect sand and dirt and shed it all over my car. It stays dry so it doesn’t get musty and take up a bunch of space in my car. It’s lightweight so I keep it in my backpack all the time. Invaluable.
Conventional Towels – I like to lay this over the front or back seat so it can absorb moisture. I also roll it up and put it behind my back when I’m driving and my back hurts so I can open up my shoulders and not be so hunched over. I don’t take it out of the car, really.
Stone paper notebook – I like to journal and sketch, so I use stone paper when I’m travelling because it’s more rugged and waterproof.
Deck of cards – I love to take cards with me on every trip because it’s a universal way of connecting with people from all backgrounds, and you’ll likely learn a new game or two.
Scissors – Great to open stuff, even better to make history of split ends I keep finding while playing with my hair while driving.
Cutlery – Having a fork and spoon on hand is endlessly useful.
Laundry Detergent – Travel packs of Tide Pods are the easiest, in my opinion.
Checkbook – How are you gonna pay for all those car repairs and speeding tickets??
Stamps and envelopes – Great to send mail to friends (best), or handle speeding tickets on the road (worst).
Hygiene and Health
Antibacterial soap – This stuff kills bacteria so when you’re taking one of those cute sink showers, it’s helpful to rise out ya pits because the bacteria is what makes the smell!
Foot powder – I’ve literally never experienced my feet smelling until wearing the same hiking sandals and hiking all the damn time with limited access to a conventional shower. Ugh! Definitely recommend this stuff.
Sunscreen – Seriously, don’t be like “Oh, I’m fine!” and then notice your skin is literally bubbling. Been there.
Baby wipes – These are the best ones I’ve found, no terrible weird scent.
Bug Spray – Very important.
Nutritional Shakes – I found I had low appetite when traveling and hiking. I brought these along to ensure I got enough nutrients on days I was not feeling hungry.
First aid kit – Just in case!
Leukotape – This stuff you tape on blisters and hotspots and it works wonders. Because the last thing you want when you are planning on hiking for weeks is a god damn foot blister.
To Wear
Rain Poncho – For the days you’re gonna get really wet.
Rain Jacket – For the days you might get a lil misty.
Packable Down Jacket – Light, packable, portable warmth.
Hiking Sandals – I wore these Teva Tirra sandals every. single. day. They held up, great on different terrain, great in water, comfortable. There was an initial break in period where I got blisters but it fixed itself. I highly recommend these, I brought hiking boots and ended up never wearing them. On my next excursion I am bringing these and a pair of Mephisto hiking sneakers I thrifted.
Hiking socks – I’ve never had a pair of socks fit me so well — cushiony, well fitted, these won’t slip around inside your shoes.
Wool socks – The warmest socks imaginable, cushy, maybe a little itchy, but extremely fast to dry and odor and moisture wicking, these are the best socks to wear when out and about. I highly recommend the wool camp socks from LL Bean, also.
Hiking sun hat – I bought the ugliest hat imaginable so I wouldn’t get sunburnt and it worked out.
Flip flops – I like these when I’m just farting around my car and truck stops and whatever on driving days, easy to slip on and off.
Sunglasses – Obviously.
Girl Stuff
Female Urination Device – Oh, the future. You want to pee standing up? Now’s your chance. I honestly didn’t get an opportunity to use this yet because I’m fine with the ol’ squat, but this is good to have on hand just in case.
Protection – I got a lot of questions about how I protect myself being a single woman on the road. You can definitely opt to get pepper spray, a taser, or one of those protection keychains. Always let someone know where you’re at and check in often.
Leggings – I jut got these and they are so soft, smooth, AND they have pockets. AND they aren’t see through! Yoga pants and leggings are the best to wear while traveling.
Sports bras – Get something you like that is comfy, cozy, and breathable. If you are going to go a bit between conventional showers, you’re gonna want to wear something that doesn’t feel all grody and terrible.