Packing list
Nobody wrote this list. It's assembled from the gear every activity in the itinerary calls for — so it grows as the route does, and nothing on it is here without a reason.
- layersNew England · The Coastal Southeast · The Deep South · Texas & the South Plains · The Desert Southwest · California · The Pacific Northwest · The Northern Rockies · The Colorado Rockies · The Great Plains · The Upper Midwest & Great Lakes · Appalachia & the Return49 activities
- waterTexas & the South Plains · The Desert Southwest · California · The Pacific Northwest · The Northern Rockies · The Colorado Rockies · The Great Plains · The Upper Midwest & Great Lakes · Appalachia & the Return48 activities
- walking shoesNew England · The Mid-Atlantic · The Coastal Southeast · Florida · The Deep South · The Desert Southwest · California · The Pacific Northwest · The Northern Rockies · The Great Plains · The Upper Midwest & Great Lakes24 activities
- beach gearNew England · The Mid-Atlantic · The Coastal Southeast · Florida · Texas & the South Plains · California · The Pacific Northwest21 activities
- hiking shoesThe Mid-Atlantic · The Coastal Southeast · The Deep South · Texas & the South Plains · The Desert Southwest · California · The Pacific Northwest · The Northern Rockies · The Colorado Rockies · The Upper Midwest & Great Lakes · Appalachia & the Return21 activities
- sun protectionThe Coastal Southeast · Florida · Texas & the South Plains · The Desert Southwest · California · The Pacific Northwest · The Colorado Rockies · The Great Plains · The Upper Midwest & Great Lakes20 activities
- comfortable shoesThe Mid-Atlantic · The Coastal Southeast · Florida · The Deep South · Texas & the South Plains · The Upper Midwest & Great Lakes10 activities
- swimsuitFlorida · The Deep South · Texas & the South Plains · The Desert Southwest · California · The Northern Rockies · The Colorado Rockies · The Upper Midwest & Great Lakes10 activities
- hiking bootsTexas & the South Plains · The Desert Southwest · California · The Pacific Northwest · The Northern Rockies · The Colorado Rockies6 activities
- lots of waterTexas & the South Plains · The Desert Southwest · California6 activities
- warm layersNew England · The Desert Southwest · The Northern Rockies · The Colorado Rockies6 activities
- binocularsThe Deep South · The Pacific Northwest · The Northern Rockies · The Great Plains5 activities
- comfortable walking shoesNew England · The Mid-Atlantic · The Coastal Southeast4 activities
- water shoesThe Coastal Southeast · Texas & the South Plains · The Desert Southwest · Appalachia & the Return4 activities
- bug sprayThe Mid-Atlantic · The Coastal Southeast · Florida3 activities
- a designated driver or a tourCalifornia · The Pacific Northwest2 activities
- a light layerThe Deep South · The Desert Southwest2 activities
- a warm layerThe Desert Southwest2 activities
- bikeNew England2 activities
- bike optionalNew England · The Northern Rockies2 activities
- closed-toe shoesThe Upper Midwest & Great Lakes2 activities
- early startThe Desert Southwest · The Northern Rockies2 activities
- headlampNew England · California2 activities
- rain shellCalifornia · The Pacific Northwest2 activities
- sturdy shoesThe Northern Rockies · The Colorado Rockies2 activities
- waterproof shoesCalifornia · The Pacific Northwest2 activities
- a cameraTexas & the South Plains1 activity
- a full tankThe Desert Southwest1 activity
- a layer — it is 68°F down there year-roundTexas & the South Plains1 activity
- a warm layer — it is 10,450 feet at the topThe Northern Rockies1 activity
- a warm layer — it is twenty degrees cooler at the topCalifornia1 activity
- a warm layer (it's cold underground)The Mid-Atlantic1 activity
- a windproof layerThe Northern Rockies1 activity
- bear sprayThe Northern Rockies1 activity
- bike (or rent in Bar Harbor)New England1 activity
- bike-friendly clothesThe Upper Midwest & Great Lakes1 activity
- canoe/outfitterThe Upper Midwest & Great Lakes1 activity
- cash for the boardwalkThe Mid-Atlantic1 activity
- change of clothesAppalachia & the Return1 activity
- clothes you can crawl inThe Upper Midwest & Great Lakes1 activity
- comfortable shoes for cobblestonesNew England1 activity
- do not cross the line — the arrests are real and expensiveThe Desert Southwest1 activity
- dusty-road-ready vehicleThe Desert Southwest1 activity
- good shoesAppalachia & the Return1 activity
- headlamp for cavesThe Northern Rockies1 activity
- headlamp for the drive downThe Desert Southwest1 activity
- hiking polesThe Desert Southwest1 activity
- kayak (rentals nearby)The Coastal Southeast1 activity
- layers (it's foggy)California1 activity
- layers for evening chillNew England1 activity
- light jacket (coastal wind)New England1 activity
- outfitterAppalachia & the Return1 activity
- passportThe Pacific Northwest1 activity
- patience — it is slow going in bloom seasonTexas & the South Plains1 activity
- poncho / rain gearAppalachia & the Return1 activity
- rain gearThe Pacific Northwest1 activity
- reef-safe sunscreenFlorida1 activity
- salty snacksThe Desert Southwest1 activity
- sandboard/sledThe Colorado Rockies1 activity
- shoes that can get wetNew England1 activity
- sledThe Desert Southwest1 activity
- start at dawnThe Desert Southwest1 activity
- swimsuit or layers, by seasonCalifornia1 activity
- towelThe Northern Rockies1 activity
- warm layers — it is 2,000 feet above TaosThe Desert Southwest1 activity
- warm layers (the summit is frigid and windswept)New England1 activity
- water shoes / rented drysuitThe Desert Southwest1 activity