The Family Overland Packing List: What Earns Space in Our Forester

If you drive a Subaru, you know space is a premium (even with the Wheels and Feels drawer system), and most overlanders overpack… going out for the weekend, well that means bringing the whole house. (IFYKYK 😅)

There’s no “throw it in the truck bed and forget it.” Every single thing we pack has to earn its spot — because it shares that spot with a kid, a dog, and my wife. Basically, we’re fully loaded.

This is our actual packing list. Not aspirational. Not sponsored. The stuff that goes on every family camp.

The rule: everything has a home 🏠

Our wooden drawer system in the cargo bay is the whole game. One long drawer, divided bins, and a flat top that doubles as a table. If something doesn’t fit in the system, it doesn’t come.

Easy summary: build your packing around fixed homes, not piles. Piles become chaos by day two. And invest in storage totes — gear in boxes that doesn’t fit the drawer or wheel well is a lifesaver. (If you’ve ever rummaged for utensils after driving 4 hours, you know what I mean.)

Box one — Sleep system 😴

• Sleeping bags rated 20°F below the forecast low
• Sleeping pads — insulated, not the pool-float kind
• Jonah’s bag and pad (kid-sized, he carries his own)
• Pillows from home. Real ones. This is the hill I’ll die on. (And yes, they fit in the box — you don’t have to sleep on crumpled clothes.)

Box two — Kitchen 🍳

• Coleman camp stove + 2 fuel canisters, plus the mounted propane tank
• One pot, one pan, one flattop
• Spatula, tongs, knife, cutting board (the GSI camp kitchen setup covers this)
• Plates, bowls, mugs — enamel, one set per person
• SetPower fridge, stocked — it holds more than you think, especially with Tupperware
• Trash bags. More than you think. Then two more.
• Paper towels and a dedicated dish towel and washing setup
• Toilet paper because, well… sh*t happens 💩 (we also have Klean Freak wipes — I just never want to have to consider using leaves)
• Coffee — this is a necessity. Just bring it ☕
• S’mores sticks — because yes, you could cut a stick, but it’s the 21st century. They are collapsible, take no space, and just make life easier.

Water 💧

• 5 gallons in the rig, always
• 1 gallon per person per day planned, plus the 5 as reserve
• Water filter as backup — not as the plan

Safety and recovery 🛟

• First aid kit (restocked every spring, dated)
• Fire extinguisher — mounted, reachable from the driver’s seat
• Tire repair kit and portable compressor
• Jump pack (charged — check it monthly)
• Headlamps: one per person, plus one spare 🔦
• Paper map of the area. Phones die. Maps don’t.

Kid and dog kit 🐾

• Jonah’s headlamp (his own — this matters more than you’d think) and his “survival bag”
• Comfort item. Packed first. In the cab.
• Coloring books, normal books, Switch, all the non-essential “essentials” — kidding, books are totally essential. I carry a Kindle; Jonah carries whatever books of the week are his theme… maybe I should get him a Kindle 😛
• Boo’s food, bowl, long lead, and poop bags
• A towel that lives in the car permanently — mud happens

Clothing 🧦

• One more layer than the forecast says
• Rain shell per person, even when it’s “not supposed to rain” 🌧️
• Camp shoes — flip-flops or slip-ons, because boots come off at the tent
• Wool socks. Two extra pairs. Always.

My drawer system is fully loaded and will be a separate post, but it carries the “essential backups.”

Extras — not needed, but definitely nice ✨

Ignik FireCan — pretty much year-round is a burn ban for Texas, so the FireCan lives in the car. No more of the “we can’t start a fire.” 🔥

Pittman inflatable couches — yes, they take up space, but inflatable couches at camp are just fun, and comfortable. It’s not the 1800s, I can be boujee. 😎

Tent — I run a rooftop tent, but I always have a ground tent, because it takes little space and allows a change of camping (if we want), and it’s a nice extra for when you bring a friend and their tent has a hole… I say it because it’s happened. Saved the trip, and honestly cost me nothing to carry in my wheel well.

Hygiene 🧼

We have a small bag with the hygiene essentials (soap, toothpaste, deodorant, skincare, etc.) for each person. It’s prepacked (in tackle boxes and a small bag), takes no space, we grab it and we know we have all the essentials. And Klean Freak wipes live in the Ghost already, so no camp funk for us!

What we stopped bringing 🚫

This is the more useful list, honestly:

• The camp table. The drawer top is the table. One less thing.
• The giant lantern. Headlamps and a string of camp lights do more with less.
• “Just in case” clothes. Three days of outfits for a two-day trip is how you run out of space. You don’t need a closet of clothes, be reasonable. If anything, extra socks and underwear for the win.
• The full tool roll. A compact kit covers 95% of trail fixes. The full roll lives in the garage — carry the essentials for what can break.
• Firewood. A) I have the FireCan, and B) if we want to start a fire I’ll buy wood closer to camp. Lugging wood in the car? Not my jam. I’m an overlander, not a lumberjack. 🪓

The 60-second check ✅

Before we roll, I walk the rig once: tires, fluids, lights, straps tight, drawers latched, kid buckled, dog watered, snack bag in the cab. Sixty seconds. Every time.

The full version of that scan is our free Rig-Ready Checklist — same list, printable, free forever.

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New here? Start with what “preparedness without panic” actually means — it’s the whole philosophy in one post.