Packing to Move is Very Different Than Packing to Live on the Road!

Packing up your house to move is never fun. We’ve all done it and probably more than once. My husband and I have been together for nearly 30 years (yes, we are childhood sweethearts), and in that time, we have moved close to ten times before this adventure. So, we thought we knew what we were doing and what to expect when it came to packing up and moving out of this house to hit the open road. Boy, were we wrong!

Packing to move to a new home is a significant challenge in itself. But when you are purging and packing everything you own to fit it all into a storage unit, it’s a different beast altogether. We should have started three months before moving! No joke!

Start Early

If this is something you plan on doing, start early. Months early! Have a garage sale, or have someone come pick up everything you are okay with letting go of as early in the process as possible; you will likely do another purge before all is said and done. Keep in mind you have to pay to store everything you keep in a specific-size unit, so you can’t —or likely can’t —keep everything. To be honest, when you return, you won’t even want to keep everything you ended up keeping, and you will question why you paid to keep most of it in the first place. Like Elsa says in my kids’ favorite Disney movie (just kidding, they can’t stand Frozen), “let it go”! You will be so much happier in the long run, and you will be helping someone else who needs what you have. So, just... “let it go”.

Another thing we didn’t think about purging until the last minute was food. Oh my gosh, the food! The frozen food, the spices, the pantry full of food. When you do a regular move, you throw all of this into boxes and bags at the last minute and bring it all to your new house. No biggie. But when you are going to live on the road, you can’t put any of this into your storage unit, and you can’t take it with you! This was something we hadn’t even considered until a couple of days before we had to leave. We ended up wasting a lot more food than we should have. We were able to give many open, gently used items to neighbors and donate sealed items to the local food bank and churches. Still, it would have been better to address this issue much earlier than the last few days of moving out. I would recommend getting a jump on this months in advance and then just shopping for items you need for a week at a time. We ended up packing one plastic storage bin with a few staple spices and non-perishable food items, such as coffee, hot cocoa, and teas, that we would use daily on the road. That’s about all we could take other than a few snack items in a Trader Joe’s cooler bag. This added stress at the end of an already stressful packing experience, so learn from our mistakes and go through your fridge and cupboards early.

Aside from packing, selling, and donating items, we also had to pack what we could take with us on the road. We were traveling in our new 2022 Kia Telluride with two cargo carriers attached to the back tow hitch and a third cargo carrier on top of the roof rack, and that’s it. We did have a little space in the back of the car for some items, but it was limited. So, not only did we have to pack for storage, but we also had to leave out what we were taking with us on the road and ensure it would all fit in the limited space we had.

Our Next Big Mistake

At first, we thought purchasing new luggage would be a great idea. Something with wheels that we could move in and out of these Airbnbs easily. It would need to be durable, since we would be loading them in and out of the cargo bins frequently. We hadn’t really done much traveling before this, so we didn’t own any nice luggage. It looks like we needed to go on a shopping trip.

The kids and I went shopping together so that they could pick out what they liked. We wanted them to feel like they had a part in this whole process, too, and this was the first big step for them. Everyone found what they wanted, and in the end, we had spent almost $400 on new luggage! $400! And we got it at places like Ross and Marshalls. It wasn’t even full price! 

We got everything home, removed the price tags, and started packing the clothes we wanted to take with us on the road. Then came something we hadn’t considered. These cargo bins all had weight limits! Oh my gosh, how did we miss this? At best, they could hold between 80 and 100 pounds. The suitcases alone were 8 to 11 pounds each! That was half the weight right there, just in empty luggage. This was not going to work. We just wasted $400 because we had already removed the price tags and could no longer return them. It was then that I remembered a friend of mine mentioning the big blue IKEA bags. At first, I had brushed this idea off because luggage seemed so much more sophisticated, and I liked the idea of having wheels on my luggage since we would be moving it around often. Well, I had to put my bougie ideals to rest and get practical; it was time for big blue IKEA bags, and lots of them!

IKEA to the Rescue

Oh my gosh, these things are the BEST! Seriously, if you plan to live life on the road, out of your vehicle, for any extended period, splurge on the IKEA bags! I mean, they are quite pricey at $1 each, and they weigh next to nothing, but I’d say load up! Get 10 if you can. HAHA. Seriously, I could have spent $10 instead of $400 and been way better off. Please, do not make the same mistake we did on this one. You will thank us, I promise!

Another item you should splurge on, whether you are planning a road life adventure of your own or traveling at all, is packing cubes! As I mentioned, we hadn’t traveled much before this and definitely not since 2019, so these were entirely new to us. Maybe you are familiar with them, but just in case you aren’t, they are a lifesaver. I will add a link for you to buy these little gems.

Packing cubes are fabric bags that come in various sizes to hold and organize all your clothes, shoes, and laundry. They usually come in packs of 4 to 8, depending on the supplier. We got different colors for each of us, and they fit perfectly in the blue IKEA bags! And with our Marie Kondo folding hacks, we fit so many clothes in each of these bags (too many, really. In a few weeks, we would be sending many items back to very kind friends, so we would have less to deal with). The great part was that when we arrived at an Airbnb, all we had to do was take out each bag and place it in the dresser drawers (or on the floor in houses without dressers. That’s a story for later). Everything was organized and not touching the insides of other people’s drawers or the floor. This also kept everything neat and tidy for packing up when it was time to leave. Buy an extra set to pack activity books and reading books in for the kids in the back seat of the car. You can also keep one to pack souvenirs in. You will love them.

Creature Comforts are Important

As I said, we didn’t have a lot of room to take much with us, but we did have some non-negotiables. One of the back bins was primarily for the cats. We had plastic bins to carry their food, toys, leashes and anything else they might need to feel comfortable in this new experience. We tried to bring a lot of familiar items for them so they weren’t too stressed. A couple of months before we left we bought them a pop-up outdoor cat tent so that they could feel safe inside it in an unfamiliar house, have an area to play with each other if needed for safety in a home (since we didn’t really know what these houses would be like), and so that they could sit outside on the porches or in the yards safely in new homes. They loved it. And when we finally hit the road, it was a safe, familiar space for them, so that was very helpful. We also bought them a large fabric cat carrier that we could put both cats in at the same time. We knew this would make them feel more comfortable in the car since they are siblings and really close to each other. Instead of a traditional litter box, we use a plastic bin with a lid that is a more shallow rectangular shape. It was extremely helpful to have a LOCKING lid so that we could safely pack it up on travel days, and didn’t have to completely dump the litter out every time we moved. Food and litter weigh a lot, so this was something we had to consider when packing the cargo bin for the cats. We wanted to bring enough for each stay, but we also couldn’t bring too much extra, so that it wouldn’t weigh too much. Pro tip: Look ahead to see where you will be traveling to ensure a store in the area carries the food and litter your cats are used to, or place an Amazon order and have it delivered to an Amazon Locker in the area. We learned this a little later in the adventure. Again, don’t let our mistakes be your mistakes. 

When You Are All Packed Up, It's Time to Celebrate

Back to packing up your entire life and fitting it all in a storage unit. Research the storage units! I recommend getting one with climate control and good security. Also, ask around to people who have had units for a while. We had no idea that the storage unit we chose was allowed to raise our rent every 4-6 months. That was rough to say the least. It would be fine if you plan on being out for only a few months, but if it’s an open-ended adventure, be prepared for rate increases and plan accordingly. Put items you will not need access to and your big furniture in the back of the unit, and in the off chance you circle back around to your home base at any point and need a few items for the kids or anyone else, put those items at the front so they can be easily accessed. Pack it all in early and live off the bare minimum for the last two weeks in your home. This will help eliminate a significant amount of stress. Another pro tip: if you can afford it, or you have an awesome friend with a vacant Airbnb/guest house,  plan to stay there for that last week or two. You will have beds and furniture, and you can fully pack up your home without also having to live in it. It is a lifesaver that we didn’t know we needed until a close friend of ours saw our struggles and offered up his summer vacation home to us. It saved us. We are forever grateful. 

When you finish cramming everything you own into your storage unit and move out of your house, enjoy the next few days in peace with your family at either your first, local Airbnb, or a very generous friend’s house. Buy the treats, watch some movies and talk about what you are excited for and nervous about. This will get you and your family on the same page, in a somewhat familiar space, and excited to embark on this amazing adventure you are about to experience together. Take a few deep breaths, say some much-needed prayers, relax, and enjoy the ride. 

Let the adventures begin.