Must have essentials for a long RVing vacation

2. Instant-pot

This all-in-one cooking device is a great item to bring along extended trips. The idea of having both a slow-cook setting and a pressure cook setting is phenomenal. And being able to brown your meats in the same pot before slow-cooking and not having to do it in another pan (and making more dishes) is the best thing ever. Because honestly life on the road is constantly changing no matter how much planning you do. You may find that some days you just don't have enough time to prep and slow-cook your meal, but at least you've got a pressure cooker to help speed things up. This is also a great alternative to using your oven with meals like roasts, ribs and baked chicken. Having this item also saves you some propane during the colder months so you’re only using your propane for heating purposes and save you some time and money by not having to fill your propane as often.

3. Portable Induction cooktop

This item also saves you time and money with propane as mentioned earlier for cooking that needs to be done in a flat pan (such as boiling water, frying eggs, steak or fish). While traveling in the summer months, it also helps with keeping your trailer or RV cool by not using the oven or stove. Plus it works with cast iron cookware!

4. Amazon Firestick

Although most of our time camping should be outside, having a firestick is a great item to have - not just to watch and stream. The firestick is a great way to mirror your phone so you can share videos or photos you took throughout the day with your family and friends without passing around your phone. Spending the evening going over photos and videos and laughing together as a family is a great way to spend the evening.

5. Cast Iron Cookware

Cast iron cookware is expensive but it is definitely worth the investment. It will last forever with proper care. I mean honestly, how many pots and pans have you gone through because of chipping or scratches? And just thinking about that chipped coating getting into our food makes me cringe. What I love about cast iron cookware is that it is very versatile. You can use it on a stovetop, over an open campfire or in your oven - also eliminating the need to bring different cookware for the oven. A sheet pan, baking dish or casserole dish isn't necessary because your cast iron can do it all. And clean-up is a breeze - a quick wipe down or rinse with hot water and you're all done. This is especially good for dry-camping when you're trying to conserve water.

6. Cell phone booster

Having a cell phone booster for your vehicle is worth the investment whether or not you are towing. It’s always a great idea to have it while passing through small remote towns or mountain passes. Let’s face it, for all the adventurers out there, we’ve all found ourselves in some remote area after we’ve off-hitched. Having a cell phone booster will come in handy when you really need it.

7. LED Candles or String lights

These battery operated items are great for dry camping when you are trying to conserve battery power.

8. Sleeping bags/wool blankets

We tend to bring these items for emergencies regardless of the fact that we are in a travel trailer. This is good to have should you need to abandon the trailer/RV, if the furnace decides to stop working in the middle of the night or you run out of propane because you somehow forgot to check the propane level. Things happen on the road and it’s always good to be prepared especially during cold months or if you're in the mountains. Mountain weather is no joke.

9. Portable gas fire pit

What is camping without a campfire? Having a portable gas fire pit is always a great item to have while traveling. It offers a safe alternative to enjoy a fire during dry months or windy days.

10. Serving trays or boards

Eliminating the use of too many dishes (and disposable products whenever possible) is always a good practice when traveling. Use a serving dish or tray when you can and just lay a piece of foil/parchment paper/cloth napkin over it if needed and serve it using one dish. When done, you can store any leftovers in the same foil/parchment for later, simply roll it up and toss it in the recyclable bin if it’s clean enough to do so or toss in the tash. These are perfect for meals like building tacos, burgers, hotdogs, etc. that have many sides or condiments.

Whether you are dry camping or camping with full hook-ups, I hope you find this list of essentials worth getting so you can spend more time adventuring and making memories and camping more efficiently.