Packing Tips and Tricks

[vwwestyman]

In a few weeks my wife and I are finally going on our honeymoon! The actual itinerary is a bit in the air, but the basics are we're planning to drive from Kansas out to probably Denver or a little west, and do a big circle between Colorado and Utah. We'll be on the road about a week and a half. (May 16-27).

I've been thinking about the best ways to prep/pack for this. It kind of seems like an in-between type trip, where we aren't going on a super long epic journey but we also aren't just going up to the nearby state park for a day or two where it doesn't matter how things are tossed into the Bus.


I've been considering best ways to pare things down a little bit so we don't end up jamming the Bus with crap, but also am worried about not having enough! ha ha

So maybe this thread isn't just about, "How do you pack up your Bus, and where do you put everything exactly?" (though I expect a lot of that) but also, "What sorts of things to you think about/consider when packing up the Bus?

I do have the option/ability to use cross bars on the pop top, and also have a hitch-mounted rack that could hold a couple totes. But do I want to worry about/mess with all that?

Incidentally, this is a '78 Westy. I figure you guys seem more likely to have these sorts of conversations.
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[childofthewind]

There's a lot of good info in this thread. Poor yourself a coffee/drink and read away...

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=428885
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1987.5 wolfsburg hardtop; 2.1

“As for me, I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote." - Melville

[Jeffrey Lee]

Congrats on your (belated?) honeymoon! Sounds like a great trip route through some beautiful country.

If it's just the two of you, I doubt you'll need any external storage like cargo boxes (unless you have a lot of other sports gear for rock climbing, biking, etc.). Even on a month-long trip the only stuff we carry outside the van is a big duffle in the forward luggage rack, containing camp chairs, hammock, campfire grill, etc..

We usually bring a range of clothing for a variety of weather conditions, and then just layer as needed, to minimize our luggage. In general, less is more: less to pack, less to keep organized, less to trip over. In a pinch, you can even buy forgotten items along the way, at thrift stores if you're cheap like me.

One key for us is to stay organized, so stuff is easy to find when you need it, and to avoid clutter.

You might find this helpful:
https://campwestfalia.com/packing-for-the-road/

Good luck, and have a great trip!

[E1]

Just bring less, except for beer.

When an item brings any hint of "Should I bring this or not?," then don't.

Per Colorado, if debating between Rocky Mountain NP and about anywhere else, skip the Park.
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[vegpedlr]

The Mountainsmith cubes and tote hauler work well for me. I can get a little organization between the cubes, and the tote makes it easy to move the whole pile as needed while camping. Another good practice is to find a way to streamline your outdoor camp gear so it can be easily moved, stowed, set up etc. to help get more room in the bus. It also helps to do a daily repack. It helps keep things organized, both physically and mentally, and avoid the hurricane in a dorm room look.

As far as personal packing, you don’t really need much more for weeksof traveling than a weekend. Just bring the appropriate layers and gear for where you’ll be and what you’ll be doing. For May in CO, you could have everything from desert heat to snow. Almost anywhere. Last time I was out there, in May, I got snowed on in Cortez, and a week later it was 100 in Moab.

Shoes are a real hassle. I’ve yet to figure out how to contain them.

Have a great trip!
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1985 Tintop 4 sp GW 2.3 “Connie”
2006 Mk V GTI 2.0 FSI “Penelope”

[vwwestyman]

[Jeffrey Lee]

[vegpedlr]

On the less is more tip, you can always buy what you discover you need along the way. Shopping with a purpose is more fun than wondering why you packed stuff you never used.
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1985 Tintop 4 sp GW 2.3 “Connie”
2006 Mk V GTI 2.0 FSI “Penelope”

[dobryan]

Pack lighter than you think. You can live on a weekends worth of stuff by just adding a few more T shirts and underwear. Layers for cold weather is much better than a heavy coat.

The Mountainsmith cubes work great. Perfect size for a bus, fits right under the bed platform during the night.

Maybe you can swing by Syncro Solstice in Moab May 17-18.

I bring one of these to use as a storage shed when we arrive at a camp. It really helps keep the inside of the bus clear. Takes 30 seconds to set up and folds into a very flat disk which fits behind the rear bench seat. I put a cheap tarp under it to keep it from wearing out. I've got many months of camping on mine. YMMV.

https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-2000014781-2-Person-Pop-Up-Tent/dp/B00FGPY9CE

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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[Jeffrey Lee]

[djkeev]

Yea, pack way less than you are thinking!

One of the greatest and most memorable trips my Wife and I ever took was totally unplanned.
Back in the 1970's Florida was largely uninhabited with vast stretches of empty beaches and almost nothing in the Central part.
We lived in Miami (a dive in the 70's) and took off for a drive.
We kept going and going and going eventually realizing that we weren't going to make it back for the night and we had just about zero with us.
These were the days before rampant credit card use so we had the cash in our pocket and a brand new thing called a MAC card.

We waundered for days on very little money and with few possessions. We stopped at KMart for tooth brushes, under wear and other "must haves".

It was a fantastic trip and it clearly demonstrated to us that you need just a smidgen above nothing to have a great time!

For the camper I got many of the Mountainsmith bags including a water proof/insulated one for refrigerated goods which works great as a smell free dirty clothes hamper!

Have fun!!!!

Dave
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Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[E1]

Dirty clothes are a great place to save room.

Waterproof (scent-inhibiting) stuff sack right back into each piece of luggage. No dirty clothes visible or taking up more space.
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[ledogboy]

My wife and I are generally the type to pack light. When we travelled through Europe for a month we both managed without checking bags, standard sized backpacks were plenty. That being said, we would never do a van trip without our Yakima car top carrier. It holds our folding camp chairs, a fairly large mat that goes on the ground near the slider, our small propane grill, fishing poles (when necessary), trash bag, and anything miscellaneous that doesn’t have a known cubby in the van. Having that stuff up top keeps the van free of clutter and deadly projectiles. Have a great trip!
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1986 Westy Weekender
Now a full camper
1.8t Syncro conversion
Some people call him Maurice...

[Howesight]

Packing light versus not-so-light is one of the biggest sources of arguments between Mrs. Howesight and I. I have even made up lists on past long trips of all the stuff we didn't use on the long trip, and proposed not bringing those things next time. No bueno. Apparently, we "might" have needed to use those items. My biggest gripe is the surfeit of pillows.

Oh well, I'd rather have a wife than additional space in the Van, although on some days, it feels like a dead heat between the two.

So, the only useful contribution I can make to this thread, especially for newlyweds, is to hide some keys on the exterior of the vehicle. Nothing kills the mood like the old "But I thought you had the keys!" argument when going back to the vehicle that contains all your keys.
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'86 Syncro Westy SVX

[Jeffrey Lee]

[jimf909]

It's helpful to have a few favorite clothing items. For me, it's a sweater that I don't mind wearing every day for two weeks, likewise with a lighter shirt, pair of pants, shorts shoes, etc.

As for kitchen gear, we started with a backpacker's kit and added to that. The colander that fits in the sink, the heavier but still handle-less fry pan (we use a single pot gripper for all the pots and pans), the knives and collapsible tea kettle are a few things you wouldn't find in a backpack but most other things wouldn't be out of place. We used to catty and insulated 8 cup french press all the time but now we only take it when we'll be camping with other people and want to make more than a couple cups of coffee at a time.

The on-demand hot water heater and larger furniture items are things we've added that are worth the space.

My travel partner loves bringing along this wooden chair and a Levenger writing desk https://www.levenger.com/home-office-22549/lapdesk...lsrc=aw.ds that sits on the arms but writing is her passion and these things are well worth the bulk. I sit on a smaller, collapsible chair that I prefer.

In short, pare down where possible and take the "luxuries" that matter to you.
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- Jim