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The ultimate packing list for all your summer road trip and cabin must-haves
Summertime was made for long, leisurely road trips to the family cottage. But whether it’s camping or visiting the cabin, there’s a lot of preparation and packing involved. We’ve come up with a long list of must-haves, categorized by activities, travel accessories and more. Before hitting the road, load up the car with these essentials.
The Ninja FrostVault 30-quart portable hard cooler ($280) from Canadian Tire is a necessity on any road trip, especially in warm weather. It can keep its contents chilled for up to five days, and the DryChill drawer allows quick and easy access without having to open the cooler’s lid.
Harvest Snaps Crunchy Loops ($3.69) come in mouthwatering flavours such as sour cream and onion and kick’n BBQ. The best part? Each one delivers plant protein and fibre, thanks to the star ingredient: red lentils. Stock up on these yummy treats at stores across the country including Walmart.
Need to avoid peanut allergens, or just looking for something a bit different in your snacks? Vancouver-based Sowleil makes seed butter ($13) using a combo of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds and dates. The perfect topping for bread or crackers, this nut-free butter can also be used in smoothies or as a dessert topping—or grab a spoon and eat it straight from the jar. Extra ingredients in the decadently delicious chocolate tiger nut butter ($16) include cacao, cocoa butter and tiger nuts, which are a naturally sweet, high-fibre, nut-free tuber.
B.C.-based OHME! makes the ultimate healthy treat for nibbling on the go: freeze-dried apples, mangoes, figs, dragon fruits, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and more. Tasty on their own, these crunchy freeze-dried snacks also go well on yogurt or breakfast bowls. Bonus: They contain zero added sugars. Buy an individual bag for $12, or save by signing up for a subscription box.
Before setting off on any road trip, stock your cooler with Poppi soda ($3.49). Made with natural ingredients such as fruit juice and apple cider vinegar, this low-calorie, low-sugar soda comes in fun flavours including strawberry lemon, raspberry rose, lemon lime, classic cola and wild berry (a mix of raspberry, blueberry and strawberry). Find Poppi at London Drugs, Costco and other stores.
Made by the Strathcona Beer Company in Vancouver, Lolo canned cocktails ($15 for a four-pack) are a welcome addition to any backyard barbecue, camping trip or dinner at the cottage. These refreshing ready-to-drink bevvies come in three flavours: tequila lime fizz, tequila paloma fizz and tequila mandarin fizz. Low in calories, with 4.5% alcohol, they’re made from freshly squeezed citrus juices and contain sea salt electrolytes. Find them at liquor stores throughout the province.
Want to know what summer in a glass tastes like? Take a sip of Jackson Triggs Reserve Pinot Grigio 2024 ($17)—bright, aromatic, with notes of lemon, white pear and nectarine, and just a hint of honeysuckle, plus a burst of lemon and ginger. To fully appreciate the flavours of this wine, it needs to be sipped on a patio at sunset. Find it at liquor stores throughout B.C.
Petite but powerful, the Master Chef portable charcoal grill ($90) from Canadian Tire is the ultimate tool for barbecuing steaks and burgers while on the road. Its removable legs make transportation and storage easy-peasy.
The lining of the Hydro Flask ceramic wine tumbler ($36) from MEC won’t add any unwelcome flavours to your glass of red, white or rosé, and the double-walled stainless steel on the outside protects your vino from the heat of the sun. We’ll raise a glass to that.
The waterproof Coelle jacket ($500) from Arc’teryx is the perfect lightweight shell to stash in your backpack on day hikes and afternoon outings, especially when the weather is looking uncertain.
Stay cozy on chilly mornings and cool nights with Kathmandu’s Ridge 100 Primaloft Bio pullover ($80). This lightweight half-zip polar fleece is made from recycled polyester.
For the ultimate in cottage comfort, pull on a pair of Sweat wide shorts ($40) from Uniqlo. These long unisex shorts were designed for lounging, relaxing and just generally taking it easy.
Available in a rainbow of colourful designs, Smartwool’s Everyday Cozy Cabin Games crew socks ($33) are crafted from a mix of merino wool, nylon and elastane that’s comfy but durable, ideal for long hikes or cooler cabin evenings.
Whether on a sandy beach or a city sidewalk, Keen’s Kona leather flip-flops ($75) offer lots of cushioning and arch support, plus traction on wet surfaces.
Lightweight but durable, Thermoball Traction Mules V ($90) from The North Face work equally well in the car, at the cottage or by the campfire. Their fleece lining delivers cozy warmth.
Waterproof and breathable, the Pacific sneaker ($145) from Vessi is the ultimate in versatility. And the best part? These shoes can be tossed in the washing machine.
Surface Athletic’s Evo sports top ($180) and Evo swim shorts ($210) transition seamlessly from shore to surf and back again. These lightweight, quick-drying pieces were made for active adventures such as swimming and working out.
The Class V Brimmer ($45 to $60) from The North Face offers protection from the sun. To keep the hat firmly in place, even in windy weather, it has an adjustable cord in the back along with an adjustable chin strap.
Protect your precious peepers with a pair of show-stopping sunnies. Veronica Beard’s first sunglasses collection includes modern takes on classic silhouettes, such as the cat’s-eye Edie ($371), square-framed Jane ($371) and oversized Brigitte ($398).
Discover 100 places to splash about in B.C. in Swimming Holes and Beaches of Southwestern British Columbia ($27). Authors Alex McKeen and George Harwood Smith have included outdoor swimming spots throughout the Lower Mainland, the Gulf Islands, the Sunshine Coast and south-central Vancouver Island.
The summer sun packs a wallop. Fortunately, Blue Lizard makes a range of broad-spectrum mineral sunscreens ($15 to $23) for both kids and adults. These SPF 50 lotions, sprays and sticks are reef-friendly and water-resistant for up to 80 minutes.
The aloe, witch hazel and chamomile in Sarna’s bug-bite patches ($17) sooth irritation, and these hydrocolloid patches are kid-safe and mess-free.
The Somewhere Sunnier quick-dry beach towel ($63) from OCIN repels sand and packs down small, making it a necessary addition to any beach bag. Made entirely from post-consumer waste (mainly plastic bottles), this highly absorbent microfibre towel offers a gentle reminder to protect the ocean.
Sink into a Woods mammoth folding camp chair ($85) from Canadian Tire and truly relax. The chair’s comfortable padding will entice you to linger just a bit longer…and a bit longer…
Chill out with a pal in a Vivere double tropical hammock ($179) from The Home Depot. Comfortable and durable, this striped-cotton hammock comes with a stand constructed from heavy-duty steel.
This outdoor pillow ($18) from Indigo celebrates all the best things about summer at the cabin: reading, lounging, swimming, napping, dreaming. It’s made from weather-resistant cotton.
A hand-painted custom paddle ($170 to $279) from Etsy is the perfect décor for any beach cottage. Choose the paddle size, custom text and font.
The Ryobi 18V One+ LED camping lantern ($29) from The Home Depot puts out 400 lumens of light and can run for up to seven days. It uses the same lithium ion battery as other devices in the Ryobi family.
Seeking big sound in a small package? The waterproof Middleton portable speaker ($400) from Marshall is ideally suited to lazy days at the cabin or on the beach. It boasts 20 hours of playtime and can double as a power bank.
Can’t make up your mind what to read while on vacation? Live in fear of finishing one book and not having another one to start immediately? Carry up to 24,000 e-books—or 150 audiobooks—on the Kobo Libra Colour e-reader ($240) from Indigo. This waterproof e-reader boasts a colour display, no glare in bright sunlight and a dark mode for evening reading. Pairing this device with a Kobo Stylus 2 ($81) allows you to mark up, underline or highlight passages in colour, plus jot down book club notes or journal entries.
Speaking of books, here’s a good beach read recommendation. Set in a lakeside cottage, the novel One Golden Summer (paperback $27, e-book $15) by bestselling Canadian author Carley Fortune was designed to be read while lounging in a hammock or drifting lazily in a canoe.
Take the fun outside—or keep it inside—with a set of Outside Inside freestyle soft bocce balls ($56) from MEC. The set includes eight throwing balls and one target ball. Bonus: The balls float, so there’s no need to worry about them accidentally getting tossed in a lake or thrown in the ocean.
Two creations from Incredible Novelties will have exhausted parents weeping (quietly) with joy: the Incredible B-Ball ($20)—for noiseless dribbling and shooting—and the Incredible Soccer Ball ($20), for noiseless kicks and passes. Both balls are made from soft but durable materials, and they work just as well as their noisier counterparts. Find them at Staples Canada.
L.L.Bean Canada’s iconic Boat and Tote bags are made from heavyweight canvas, and each one has a zipper on top to keep everything securely stashed inside. Choose the right size for the task at hand: small ($55), medium ($59), large ($75) or extra-large ($85).
Klorane’s gentle cleansing wipes ($15) are a must for quick clean-ups on the go. Originally designed for babies, so they’re extremely gentle on the skin, these biodegradable wipes are made from natural fibres and enriched with organic calendula flower.
Keep clothing, accessories and tech gear organized while on the road and at the cabin with an Everyday packing kit ($70) from LOJEL. Fun fact: The company’s name means “Let Our Journeys Enrich Life.” This set of five zip pouches comes with a carabiner, making it easy to clip them all together or attach them to various bags or backpacks.
Strap it onto a roof rack, toss it into a pickup truck, drop it onto the wet deck of a speedboat—MEC’s Scully dry duffle is up to the task. Choose from three sizes of this durable waterproof bag: 30 litres ($170), 50 litres ($200) or 100 litres ($230).
Filled with soft and expandable foam cutout pieces, the Therm-a-Rest compressible pillow from MEC delivers a good night’s sleep. Then, in the morning, the pillow can be rolled into its built-in pocket, which has a handy drawcord closure. Choose from various cute patterns in small ($48), medium ($54) or large ($68).
Available in an array of appealing colours, Rumpl’s travel puffy blanket ($125) is warm, lightweight and made entirely from recycled materials. It can pack down to the size of a water bottle, and it comes with a handy roll-top stuff sack, so it’s easy to tuck into any backpack or suitcase.
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