After 25 years of watching rigs roll in, we've learned exactly what guests forget — and what they haul for nothing. Here's our desert-tested list.
The ten things guests always forget
Drinking-water hose splitter, sewer hose support, wheel chocks, a long lighter, headlamps with red mode, a basic tool kit, leveling blocks, extra fuses, a printed reservation, and quarters — our laundry still loves them. Forgot something? The camp store stocks all ten.
The five things to leave home
Firewood (buy local — it protects our trees and your first bundle is free), extra coolers (your fridge works; the ice is for day trips), the generator (our loops are quiet hours, and hookups cover you), more chairs than people (borrow ours), and anxiety about leveling — our pads are graded flat and Wade checks the tricky ones personally.
Desert-specific extras
Sunshade for the windshield, twice the water you think you need, lip balm, a wide-brim hat for the midday hike, and a warm layer — desert nights drop 30 degrees even in May. Tent campers: add a ground cloth and a mallet; our soil is honest caliche.
The one-bag rule: If you can't carry it from the parking lot to your site in one trip with our carts, reconsider it. The best-packed rig is the one you can actually relax in.
Traveling light on purpose? Our tent loops loan full gear boxes free with any tent-site stay — stakes, lantern, ground cloth, and all.