So first thing to admit here is we have no idea what we’re doing. Our great adventure supply list is sort-of a cobbled together from a mixture of people giving us suggestions, other websites, and just kind of guessing what the best thing to do here is. If there’s any other time to utilize the comment section below that I built myself, please do. We could use any advice or additional direction to help make the entirety of this trek as smooth as possible!

Our Supply List So Far

Below we’re attempting to categorize everything in just a few sections. No reason to over-complicate things if we can help it, and this is one of those times. Besides the van itself comes with a lot of amenity, so mostly what we need are things for hiking (and surviving those hikes), keeping ourselves comfortable, and stuff to document the adventure. Without further adieu…

1. Camper Van

The camper van itself is probably the #1 item on this list for obvious reasons. We have to use it to drive, partially live in it, perhaps use it when we have emergency bathroom issues, cooking, and the list goes on… I guess part of choosing a camper van is based on what you need it for combined with budget (assuming you are going to rent one like we did). A few highlights on what the van itself has:

• Queen sized bed
• Kitchenette (sink, burner)
• Countertop/Cabinets
• Dining Area
• Storage

2. Outdoor Stuff

• Cafe Table and Chairs: This one may sound bizarre at first, but hear me out. I want to snag a small cafe table and chairs to have a nice coffee experience in whatever visually appealing area we find ourselves in. One of my favorite things to do hands down is to have a nice sit and a nice cuppa while just enjoying the scenery.
  
  Since this is a camping trip and not very glamorous, why get complicated? Below is something I imagine working out pretty well. Although probably not the most comfortable, it’ll get the job done.

• Awning: Some camper vans will come with an awning. Unfortunately, ours doesn’t. This is good for having some slight shelter from the rain or sun while you’re having a relaxing tea or a cold pint. Without an awning, I imagine it being somewhat more uncomfortable outside overall. Again, I’m not sure. We’re just guessing here. That’s why it made the list.
• Outdoor Speaker: What better way to enjoy some scenery than a bluetooth outdoor speaker? I imagine having a small one clamped to our backpack as we sip a nice drink. Nothing too expensive or nuts, just something to get the job done like this JBL Clip 3 from Amazon.

3. Hiking Gear

One super-essential item for us for when it comes to short hikes and taking Enzo to view some cool scenic areas would be this backpack carrier from K9 Sport Sack®. The Plus 2 model seems to have the best all-around functionality for our needs. A combination of keeping him comfortable, holding up to 40lbs (Enzo is 18lbs), and offering some simple storage for treats and other essential gear for a short trek.

Hiking gear is something I have ZERO experience with. I haven’t had a chance in my life to need to research any of this stuff, so again, this is coming from a few other sources. Also this is almost a mini-list in itself, so I’ll be listing the hiking essentials below. Any other suggestions welcome.

• Hiking Shoes: Preferably not ugly ones.
• Hiking Clothes: I assume they need to breathe properly and keep you from getting sunburned. This includes proper shorts/slacks, socks, hats, etc.
• K9 Sport Sack Backpack: One super essential item for us when it comes to short hikes and taking Enzo to view some cool scenic areas would be this backpack carrier from K9 Sport Sack. The Plus 2 model seems to have the best all-around functionality for our needs. A combination of keeping him comfortable, cool, and holding up to 40lbs (Enzo is 18lbs), and offering some simple storage solutions for treats and other essential gear for a short trek.
• Hiking Backpack: Something completely secondary to the backpack mentioned above, this is primarily for carrying essentials like protein bars, water, and whatever else I’m not thinking of.
• Water Bottles: You know, for hydration so we don’t die. Also a bit rugged so we can afford to smash them or run them over a few times.
• First Aid Kit: Because it’s not a matter of if we get injured, but when.

I know there is room to add more to the list above, but remember, we’re only doing very short treks from our parking area. We’re not going miles and miles for hours and hours, we’re doing a short walk with Enzo on our backs and we’ll be heading back. Also, I’m aware… and I can hear someone out there saying this already… we know the dangers are the same. We’ll be careful and are open to new essentials for any just in case moments 👍!

4. Camera Gear

This is hands down my favorite part of this list. For awhile now I’ve been wanting a good reason to dump some resources into learning how to take a decent photograph. What better time than now to record our adventures for our little guy’s milestone of a birthday? None! Here’s the list of gear as of now:

• Canon M50 MKII
• Tripod
• Camera Bag
• DJI Mavic Mini 2
• Extra SD Cards
• Extra Batteries
• Macbook Pro 13″ (You know, for editing)

**Of course as we get a bit more educated on what we need, I’ll edit the list above.

Christine an I spent a deal of time researching cameras, but ultimately settled on the Canon M50 MKII thanks to the direction from the powerful Mr. Ant Pruitt from Hands on Photography on TWiT. He was graceful enough to reply to my email and not only answered my question, but also included some tips for beginners like us to snap some decent shots. That along with his show, I feel confident we’ll be able to shoot something decent. 📸

Alongside the Canon, I’m looking into a drone to capture some great aerial shots of wherever we decide to stop. Since I also have limited experience with these, I thought it would be a good idea to keep it on the lower-end… perhaps something like this DJI Mavic Mini.

This camera gear list is still a work in progress, but admittedly we’re just trying to keep things lightweight and easy to handle. At the end of the day, we want to easily take some great shots, get some cool footage, have fun, and pack up and move on.

Still a Work in Progress…

I’m nowhere near finished concluding this post with what we have – I’ll keep adding to it as time goes on, but either way, if anyone stumbles across this and has any suggestions, feel free to post something below!