• I recently went on my first camper van trip, where I forgot to pack some essential items. 
• I wish I'd brought salt and pepper for cooking, and a comfy sweatshirt instead of my denim jacket.
• I also packed some items — like my hair dryer and heels — that I definitely didn't need. 

I recently broadened my big city horizons and went on my very first camper van trip.

Unless you count a week of camp when I was 13, my experience sleeping in the great outdoors is slim to none. Camping has just never really appealed to me. 

But when I heard The Hoxton hotels were launching Camp Hox — a 3-day road trip that combines nature with luxury — I knew I had to give it a chance. 

The trip completely changed my perspective on road trips, van life, and appreciating my home state of California in a whole new way. 

It also taught me a lot about packing. Here are five things I wish I had brought for my very first camper van trip, and three things that — in hindsight — I can't believe made it into my bag. 

While Camp Hox packed our van with plenty of delicious snacks, we realized there was no salt or pepper in the drawer.

My friend Kristen and I cooked almost all of our meals during the road trip, and salt and pepper were essential seasonings for our salads and scrambles. 

Thankfully, we realized they were missing before we got to the farm, so we stopped at a local grocery store and picked some up. 

I eat hot sauce with just about everything, so I should've trusted my instinct and packed some in my luggage.

I love hot sauce so much that my sister once gifted me a Sriracha key chain dispenser. And, in the Before Times, I always had a bottle of Cholula on my desk at the Insider office. 

So as I was throwing things into my luggage for this trip, I wondered if I should grab one of the nine (yes, seriously) hot sauce bottles I had sitting in my fridge. But I figured condiments might be provided in the van.

Lesson learned! Kristen and I grabbed a small Cholula bottle at the grocery store, which we almost finished in the span of three days. 

As a California girl, my understanding of cold weather is pretty terrible. So I wasn't surprised to find that I didn't pack the right outerwear for van life.

My camper van trip was at the end of August, and the days in LA were as beautiful as ever. I figured I didn't need much to keep me warm just a few hours north in Paso Robles.  

Wrong!

While I did pack a jean jacket to wear while sitting outside on the farm, the van itself still got a bit chilly at night. And who wants to sleep in denim? 

So I wish I had packed a sweatshirt, which would've been far more comfortable as van loungewear. 

An extra blanket would've been nice for hanging out under the stars.

Camp Hox provided a super plush comforter for the bed, along with a nice teal knit blanket on top. But we didn't want to take either outside and potentially bring dirt back into the bed. 

So I wish I had packed an extra blanket from home that we could've used to help keep us warm while eating dinner and listening to music outside on the farm. The thin beach towel I had packed didn't really do much.

I also didn't realize we'd need extra cash for the local produce market.

Camp Hox gave us a carefully curated itinerary to explore the California coast, with spots including Finley Farms Honor Stand — a small market on the side of the road filled with fresh produce. 

I loved that Camp Hox led us to such a cute local find, but Kristen and I didn't have much cash on hand. After dumping out our wallets, we were able to find enough for some tomatoes and peppers, along with one cucumber and an ear of corn. But I wish I'd had some extra cash so we could've sampled even more local produce. 

While I forgot plenty of essentials, I did pack a few items that I definitely should've left at home — like my hair dryer.

I know what you're thinking and, yes, I deserve to be shamed for bringing my hair dryer on a van trip like I'm the 2021 embodiment of Meredith Blake camping in "The Parent Trap." 

I didn't use my hair dryer once on this trip, letting it dry under the hot sun instead after my morning showers — as Mother Nature intended! 

A pair of heels was also absolutely unnecessary.

OK look, in my defense, I packed heels because I figured they were required for wine country. My experience with wine tasting prior to this trip had only been at fancy wineries, where flowing maxis and wedges are the norm. 

But Paso Robles, I was excited to discover, has a much more laid-back culture when it comes to tastings at Tin City, an industrial park not far from the downtown area where you'll find more than 20 independent wineries packed next to each other. 

I didn't even try to wear my heels, seeing as Kristen and I had to walk a mile through the farm just to meet our Lyft driver. And I'm glad I didn't — not a single person was dressed up during our three different tastings. 

The fancy maxi dress I packed also went unused all week.

Farms and long dresses don't mix, clearly. And when I realized Kristen and I were going to have to walk a little before our tasting, I knew I should switch to my denim shorts instead. This isn't Napa! 

But it all worked out. I was way more comfortable for our long day of walking around Tin City and downtown Paso Robles, and I would've looked overdressed at our tastings. 

I've definitely learned how to be (a bit) of a better packer after my camper van trip.

I've always been an overpacker, and I'll probably always be one. I just want to be prepared for any possible fashion moment, you know? 

But my trip up the California coast definitely helped me embrace some of the benefits of camping as I stopped worrying about my shoes, outfits, and hair. It was also a much-needed reminder that I still have no understanding of the weather.

But the most important lesson is one I'll carry for the rest of my life: Always pack extra hot sauce.

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