The American Southwest is a vast region full of unspoiled natural beauty and “need-to-see-it-to-believe-it” destinations. The best way to see it all is on the open road. While the clothing you bring will depend on the season, there are a few essentials to keep at the top of any Southwest road trip packing list.
The Perfect Southwest Packing List
America the Beautiful Annual Park Pass
If you plan to visit at least three National Parks (my five day Southwest Road Trip itinerary covers Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, and Zion), it will save you money to purchase an annual park pass in advance for $85. Plus, now that you’re the proud owner of an America the Beautiful pass, it may encourage you to get out and explore other incredible parks in the country.
Packable Folding Chair
This CLIQ camping chair impressively fold up to the size of a water bottle, making them a travel-friendly essential for any summer road trip.
SPF
With an average of 299 sunny days a year, whether you head to Arizona in January or July you should be prepared with sunscreen and your favorite SPF lip balm. Some can leave a funky after-taste, but this one by Supergoop is my all time favorite.
Refillable Water Bottles & Electrolyte Supplement
No matter how much water it felt like we were drinking, we were never fully hydrated. A large refillable bottle helped us stay hydrated, and Nuun tablets gave us an extra boost and the electrolytes we needed to keep going.
Proper Footwear: Hiking Boots, Sneakers & Water Shoes
To keep our feet fresh, we alternated between these affordable hiking boots and my favorite Asics sneakers for some of the less strenuous hikes. If you’re traveling in the summer and plan to visit Lake Powell, water shoes will be a welcome addition.
Bonus: I added a casual canvas sneaker for dinners and around-town exploring.
Band-Aids
Packing seven hikes into four days will inevitably cause a few blisters. Toss a few Band-Aids in your toiletries to avoid
Plastic Baggies to Keep Valuables Dry
If you plan to kayak on Lake Powell, plan on everything you bring getting wet. While there isn’t much cell service on the part of the lake that leads to Antelope Canyon, you’ll definitely want to bring your phone along to snap pictures of this once-in-a-lifetime experience. If you don’t have a water-proof case, toss it in a zip lock for extra splash protection.
Car Charger for Phone
No road trip packing list would be complete without it.
Travel Tissues
When you’ve gotta go – you’ve gotta go. Just don’t leave your tissues behind. Toss them in a zip lock and bring them out of the trail with you.
Quick Dry Towel
This was a last minute add to our Southwest packing list, but one I was so grateful to have on hand. A quick-dry towel will come in handy to give you something to sit on when taking a sandwich break mid-hike. It’ll allow you to wipe sweat in the hot summer months. It’ll help you dry off and stay warm when kayaking Lake Powell in cooler months.
Camera & Accessories
Charger – check. Memory card – check. Lenses – optional, but check.
If you’re looking for a good DLSR camera for beginners, check out the Canon EOS Rebel T7.
Backpack
Because you need something to keep it all in! I love the size of this one from Amazon.
Carry On Travel Tip: Your backpack could be your carry-on personal item, but if you’re anything like me you’re going to need a bigger bag. Pack your empty backpack in your suitcase or in a larger carry-on tote to maximize packing space.
A Sense of Adventure!
I can feel the teenage version of myself rolling her eyes at that one. There were many times on our trip where a sense of adventure, and humor, was definitely required. For example, when I mistakenly navigated us to the wrong side of the Grand Canyon, which required a three hour backtrack. Maybe not the adventure we were looking for, but we made it work.
Essential Layers for Winter Months in the Southwest
In the span of a day – or even the span of a hike – the temperature can jump from freezing to 60 degrees. The ability to add or remove layers will keep you comfortable over the course of a day.
- Base layers: tank tops, t-shirts, long sleeves
- Lightweight zip up jacket (try this Lululemon Define Jacket dupe from Amazon!)
- Fleece jacket
- Windbreaker or lightweight down jacket
- Head Wear: Grab a winter hat for those chilly mornings and sunsets, and a baseball cap for the spring-like sun by noon.
What to Buy Upon Arrival
Snacks & Water
Upon arrival in Sedona, we loaded up at the nearest grocery store on bananas, protein bars and a case of water bottles so we always had quick fuel and water on hand. There are not many places to stop along many of the routes of a southwest road trip, so be prepared for anything.
While I’m not usually a proponent of single-use plastic water bottles, it felt essential to have enough water on hand when there wasn’t an option to refill.
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