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lauren & jacob | outdoorsy travel + suv camping

@trekonthewildside

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🚙 suv camping + road trips
🌲 obsessed with nature
🌻 remote workers based in KS galavanting as often as possible
📧 [email protected]

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Full Car Camping Packing List 👇🏻🚙

Some things depend on the trip, but here are our main items that go on every car camping road trip with us! Much of this can be found in our “let’s go camping” Amazon list as well. 🙌🏻

🪟 Window Covers
We have a storebought reflective windshield cover and made our own window covers for the rest of the windows using upcycled cardboard and reflective foil insulation from packages. We also have a set of bug net screens that go over the middle windows so we can leave them open overnight if the weather is nice.

🍳 Kitchen Bin:
Skillet, collapsible pot, silverware + utensils (don’t forget a can opener!), enamelware dishes, cutting boards, camp stove, collapsible pour over coffee maker + filters, oil + salt/pepper, lighter, dish soap + sponge, hand towel + washcloths, trash bags

👖 Clothing Bin
We keep the first couple days worth of clothing easily accessible in a plastic bin under the platform, and then extra clothing (if needed) inside the box portion. We also have our toiletries kits that typically go in the misc bin or in our personal backpacks.

🥪 Food Bin
We keep our non-cooler items like bread, peanut butter, & granola bars in an easily accessible small bin.

😅 Miscellaneous Bin
This is for the stuff we want easy access to, but doesn’t fit a category. For this trip, it had our white noise sound machine, fan, lantern, twinkle lights, percolator (that didn’t fit in the kitchen bin lol), sunscreen, hairspray, and headlamps.

🛏️ Bedding
Depending on the weather in the location we’re traveling to, we always bring sheets & our pillows, then we’ll either bring our @seatosummit down sleeping bags or @hotkokooutdoor down alternative blankets. We have a full-sized mattress topper from @viscosoft that we use as our mattress.

⛺️ Sand & dirt free camp rug by @cgear_sandfree

🌲 @grandtrunkgoods hammocks

🧊 @rticoutdoors cooler

💺 Camping 2-seater loveseat (this one only comes along sometimes, depending on space)

Have you ever been car camping before?! 🚙🌲⛺️

#carcamping #carcampingadventures #carcamp #suvcamping #campinglife #campingtrip #roadtripusa #usaroadtrip #campinggear #campgear #nissanxterra #xterranation #xterra by @trekonthewildside

…and I wouldn’t have it any other way. 😉❤️

Today is this guy’s 29th birthday (yes—we’re only 5 days apart hehe)! 🥳 Beyond grateful that he is mine! This man makes me a better human in so many ways—maturing and growing, but also learning to let loose and have more fun with life. 🥰

Thanks for making life so fun, Jake. I love you beyond measure and I’m so thankful to have had almost 11 years of our lives spent together! We’ve packed so much into the time we’ve had so far and I can’t wait to see what else we do with the lives we’ve been given. 🥰

Happiest birthday to my favoritest Jacob in the world! 😜🫶🏻🥳

#travelingcouple #wanderingcouple #travelcouplelife #travelcouplesinspiration #marriedlife💍 #highschoolsweethearts #travelcommunity #wanderlustcouple by @trekonthewildside

Happy birthday to my bestest friend in the whole wide world. 🥰✨🧡 It’s Jacob’s birthday (and yes, we are only 5 days apart! 🤪) so I’m sharing something a little outside of my “norm” today, but I wanted to celebrate him and I love this video we got a couple summers ago. 🥹

Jacob and I met when we were in high school, and we started officially dating in July after graduation (after a couple months of basically “courting” lol we were homeschooled and it shows). High school sweethearts are not common, and honestly, we think we know why…we are both very different people than those kids that started dating back in 2013, but luckily for us, we grew into people that still worked well together (which doesn’t always happen) and loved each other deeply.

We’ve truly grown up together. Graduating high school, navigating college, getting married & moving in together, living in an RV, buying a home, changing up careers…the list is endless, and then there’s all the “in-between’s” too.

It sounds cheesy, but I love him more than my heart knew I could love a single human being. He is truly my best friend and one of the few people I can be wholly myself with without fear of judgement or needing to refill my battery afterwards. He fills my soul, pushes me to be a better person and trust in myself, all the while being an amazing human to the other people in his life too.

We often talk of how lucky we were to find each other so young, and I’ll do my best to never take that for granted.

Here’s to another year of this precious life together, Jake. 🫶🏻 I love you mostest of all. 😉🧡

#slowlivingforlife #slowlived #slowlifestyle #healingyourinnerchild #innerchild safe relationship, married life, Midwest living, healing your inner child, living a playful life, whimsical living, adding whimsy, simple joys by @trekonthewildside

Life lately: a compilation of late summer moments spent in Arkansas 🌊🦌🌳☀️

A little different than my typical content, but I felt like it deserved a place in the feed nevertheless! 🧡 I may not be a summer girlie, but I don’t mind it as much when I’m spending my afternoons at the lake. 🌊 We spent last week with family in Eureka Springs, Arkansas at Beaver Lake and it was lovely! We saw so many deer (the BABIES!) and geese in the backyard of our stay, and it had its own private dock that we were able to swim from which was so nice! It was 100+ every day, but it was a lot more tolerable from the water. 😜

How are you spending the last bits of summer? ☀️

#lakeday #lakesideview #lakedays #eurekasprings #travelarkansas #discoverarkansas #naturalarkansas #beaverlake #beaverlakearkansas #arkansas #slowlivingforlife #slowlifestyle #slowlived #slowliving #slowlife #summeraesthetic #summermood #augustmood #augustvibes #latesummerdays #latesummer by @trekonthewildside

When I tell you @visitalabamasbeaches has it all, I mean it has it ALL. 🌊☀️🚲🥾 (a d)

Last year, Jacob & I visited Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, AL & had the BEST time! So when I found out that @allegiant is now offering 2-hour nonstop flights from KC straight to Gulf Shores I was STOKED. ✈️ I owed my sister a beach trip since the last sister trip we went on was a van camping trip in WA without heat or electricity (a true testament to how much she loves me 😉🧡😅), so we packed our bags & had the best time together!

Stay: Island Shores 257 via @beachballproperties
This 2-bed, 2-bath condo was absolute perfection! We were right off the beach with an ocean view from the balcony & loved having our own rooms while also having shared spaces to hang out in. The kitchen was so nice, especially for making our @topsailsteamer on the first night too!

Activities:
🚲 e-bike rentals from @beachbikerentals + ride the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail in @gulfstatepark!
🐬 @sailwildhearts dolphin cruise—we saw so many dolphins & had a wonderful time sailing the gulf too!
🛶 @pure_aloha_adventures_alabama kayak (or SUP!) rentals on Little Lagoon!
🏝️ chill on the beach (obviously 😉)

Eat & Drink:
@foamcoffee (SO CUTE & delicious coffee & toasts!)
@topsailsteamergs (steam at home seafood meals that are so easy & absolutely DELICIOUS! They also ship!)
@picnicbeachal (super delicious, fresh, light options & near the beach!)
@gulfbabe_wineboutique (one of our absolute favorites of the trip! Super cute vibe, fantastic drinks & food, & the kindest people!)
@coastalorangebeach (right on the beach + delicious food & drinks!)
@hightidedaiquirismimosas (get the daiquiri flight!!)
@bolo_oba (delicious dinner option! The steak & Brussels sprouts were so good 🤤)
@_florabama (this place is a WHOLE VIBE. Located right next to the AL/FL state line, you can grab a drink in AL & drink it in FL! Be sure to grab a bushwhacker while there, but be careful because they’re strong 😅)

Have you visited the AL coast before?! 🌊

#ALBeachBlogger #VisitALBeaches #alabama #visitalabama #onlyinalabama #gulfshores #gulfshoresalabama #orangebeach #orangebeachalabama #beachbabe #beachtrip #sistertrip by @trekonthewildside

UPDATE: as of June 25th, National Forests have been removed from the amendment! However, BLM lands are still included, so continue to make your voices heard!!

These lands are NOT FOR SALE and it’s up to us to make sure they stay that way! 📢📢📢

Utah Senator Mike Lee proposed as part of the Big Beautiful Bill the *mandatory* sale of 3.3 million acres of public land to be sold over the next five years - chosen from a pool of 250+ million acres in the US. The bill is being sold as an affordable housing solution, but the language is incredibly vague AND the locations are on National Forest and BLM lands which would not be ideal for housing anyway.

If keeping our National Forests and BLM land safe important to you (and tbh I think it should be to EVERY AMERICAN) make your voice heard!

📝 I have links in my bio for @5calls and @outdooralliance’s super helpful resources that give you the names and contact info for your senators as well as a script to read when you call if you’re not sure what to say!

These lands are NOT FOR SALE and they NEVER SHOULD BE. PROTECT OUR PUBLIC LANDS. 🏔️🌊🏜️🌲

#bigbeautifulbill #protectourparks #protectourplanet #protectourwildlife #protectourpubliclands #outdoorsy #outdoorsycouple #outdoorsygals #outdoorsyaf #naturetherapy #foresttherapy #americathebeautiful #roadtripusa #usaroadtrip #usatravel #travelusa #nationalforest #nationalforests #blmland #bridgertetonnationalforest #sparkslake #quinaultrainforest #quinault #naturalwashington #naturaloregon #naturalwyoming by @trekonthewildside

Can we talk about how adorable my new swimsuit from @naniswimwear is?! I am absolutely in love with the fit, style, and color! 👙😍 (a d)

I’ve been on the lookout for quite some time for a swimsuit that offers coverage while still being cute—and I definitely found it!!! The piper cut back crop top and colorblock bottoms are SO cute and flattering while offering coverage that doesn’t make me feel like a grandma either. 😅 I loved that I was able to wear my suit while jumping off the side of a catamaran, snorkeling, and even surfing without worrying about showing off more than I’d like to on accident. 🤪 It stayed in place and kept me feeling secure and confident! 🧡 Not to mention the ostler baywatch rashguard kept me from getting super burnt on our 6-hour boat tour during the harshest UV hours of the day without having to reapply sunscreen constantly. ☀️

I literally brought 6 swimsuits on this trip and ended up only wearing this one 99% of the time because it was so comfortable! Could not recommend them more (and can’t wait to jump into some alpine lakes in it later this summer too 👀).

#outdoorsy #outdoorsygirl #swimwear #outdoorsygals #kauai #kauaihawaii #beachbabe #beachbabes #beachyvibes #napalicoast #boattour #catamaransailing #sustainablymade #sustainablefashion #swimsuit #swimming #granolagirl #saltedgranola by @trekonthewildside

Nothing like the sounds of breakfast while camping ☕️🍳⛺️ (a d)

We finally got out on our first camping trip of the season and it was PERFECTION. The weather, the activities, the vibes…all A+. 🥰

We were at a site without power hookups, so we brought along our @udpowertech C600 portable power station to keep our tech charged and be able to make fresh coffee at camp! It charged our phones, e-readers, and ran our coffee grinder and electric kettle without issue (and can do so multiple times without charging again). We typically just charge it at home (it has long-term storage with 0 power loss!) and don’t have to while on the road, but for longer trips, it can charge via the auxiliary power outlet in the car while you’re driving too (or solar panels if you get those as well)!

How do you keep things charged at camp? Or do you prefer to fully disconnect and unplug? 🔌🏕️

P.S. You can use “TTW20” for 20% off your @udpowertech purchase!

#camping #campmore #campmoreworryless #campinglife #campingtrip #campinggear #campinghacks #campingseason #campingadventures #campingbreakfast #campbreakfast #campfood #campcoffee #campingfood #campinglove #relaxingsounds #soothingsounds #portablepower #portablepowerstation #portablecharger #carcamping #roadtripready by @trekonthewildside

What are you doing to prepare for camping/car camping season?! 🚙🏕️ a d

After getting the oil changed in the Xterra and being told we needed some suspension repairs, we…put it off for a while. 😅 However, with car camping season starting back up, we knew we needed to stop procrastinating and get them taken care of.

To save on time and money, we ordered parts via @apremiumcom and it made it so much easier! We were able to check that the parts would fit our make/model and they were shipped quickly right to our front door. They also offer free standard shipping, 90-day returns, and 24/7 customer service!

Extremely thankful to have my dad’s help in making the upgrades (since YouTube videos can only get you so far sometimes 😅) so we were able to save on auto shop fees as well and really make it happen on a budget. 🙌🏻

Do you do your own car repairs/maintenance or typically take it into the shop? 🚙

P.S. Use code “LJ15” to get 15% off your @apremiumcom order!

#carcamping #carcamp #suvcamp #xterranation #xterraoffroad #xterraplanet #nissanxterra #carcampingadventures #roadtrip #roadtrippin #roadtripready #adventuretravel #traveladventures #carmaintenance #carmaintenancetips #automaintenance #budgettravel #budgettraveler #budgettraveller #camplife #campmore by @trekonthewildside

Our two biggest budget travel hacks: car camping and credit card points. 🚙🏕️💳

When we’re traveling the lower 48, we’re all about saving money via car camping and free outdoors activities…buuuut you can’t really make that happen when traveling internationally or to places like Hawai‘i where we can’t just drive there. 🤪 To keep trips like that on a better budget, we use our @chase credit card points (not an *a d*, we just love the rewards from our card!!!)

We pay a $95 annual fee to have the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card and signed up when there was a bonus program going on that gave us 100,000 points if we spent $5k in the first few months. We paid for everything on that card to hit the limit (and then made sure to pay it off asap). We use our card to pay for every day purchases and earn points on things we’d be paying for no matter what to earn free travel!

We had been hoarding points for a while now, so we were able to book this $2k+ stay using points for our big 30th birthday trip last month. 🥰 Disclaimer that it wasn’t technically free as we had to pay the resort fees when we arrived, but we were able to stay there for $107 instead of over $2000, so we’ll take it. 🤪

If you haven’t signed up for a Chase card before, we’ve got a referral 🔗 in our bio that will get us both bonus points (we get 10k and you get 100k points!) 🥰

Would you stay here for $107 for 3 nights?! 😍

📍@hanaleicolonyresort

#budgettravel #budgettraveler #budgettraveling #budgettraveltips #budgettravelhacks #travelhacks #traveltips #kauai #kauaihawaii #hawaii #visithawaii #discoverhawaii #explorehawaii #travelhawaii #visitkauai #travelkauai #discoverkauai #explorekauai #onlyinhawaii #hotelview #resortview #chasepoints #creditcardpoints by @trekonthewildside

48 hours in Chicago? 🏙️ Here’s some less well known spots (and a few well known too!) you can’t miss!

Must-sees 👇🏻
📚 @barnesandnoble in wicker park (1601 N Milwaukee Ave—outside of downtown but easily accessible via public transit) with a coffee in hand from @lacolombecoffee right across the street!
🧱 the rookery building (can access lobby for free or take a paid tour certain days of the week)
🪽 @palmerhousehilton (the lobby of this hotel is STUNNING and also has a bar and restaurant!)
🫘 “the bean” / cloud gate / millennium park (touristy, yes…but you have to visit at least once while in Chicago! Make sure to walk or rent bikes alongside the lakeshore path too!)
🌊 navy pier (great spot for taking in the skyline and views of lake michigan)

Must-eats/drinks 👇🏻
🇮🇪 @fadoirishpub (the food and drinks were all delicious—and the ambiance was so fun!)
🌸 @sugarychicago (fun, fancy drinks—my lavender lemonade had a rose shaped ice cube and edible glitter!!!—right across from millennium park)
🍹 @cindysrooftop (rooftop bar with great cocktails and mocktails and a view of millennium park / lake michigan)
🥐 the french market (quite small but a great place to grab lunch! We loved our lunches from @b.i.tea.dimsum and kkitchenchicago there, and the chocolate chip cookie and macarons from @vanillechicago were delicious!)

🏨 Stay @hamptoninnchicago downtown/n loop

Have you been to Chicago before? 🏙️ What’s your favorite spot there?

#chicago #chicagoillinois #chicagoil #chitown #chitownfoodies #chitownlove #chitownfood #midwest #midwestblogger #midwestbloggers #midwestgrammers #midwestisbest #midwestliving #midwestlife #midwesttravel #midwestmoment #travelchicago #explorechicago #discoverchicago #onlyinchicago #travelillinois #exploreillinois #visitillinois #onlyinillinois #visitchicago #chicagotourism #travelingcouples #travelcouple by @trekonthewildside