Everything You Need and Might Forget for Your Vacation Rental on Amazon Prime
If you’re headed to a vacation rental this summer, pre-trip shopping on Amazon Prime can be the difference between a perfect getaway and a poorly equipped one. It’s easy to forget even the most important items when you are rushing to get packed up and ready, but with Prime, you can ship necessities straight to your rental—a useful tactic if you’re coming by plane or an already-packed-to-the-brim car. (Procrastinators, rejoice! Free two-day shipping is standard, and many items are delivered for free the very next day.) Moreover, some rentals come stocked with next to nothing and may be located in areas with limited shopping options—picture a remote mountain cabin with bare-bones supplies and no nearby commerce. Here’s a list of (almost) everything you’ll need to make your vacation rental a total success.
Cutting board: Chopping without a cutting board can not only mess up knives, but also damage countertops.
Food storage containers: Great for leftovers, great for picnics: plastic or glass containers for food are a must-bring.
Wine tool: We’ve all been there—desperately searching the rental kitchen for a corkscrew that’s not there.
Pitcher: A pitcher pulls everything together for serving lemonade, juice, or cocktails; some also have plunge-style filters for making iced tea.
Bottle opener: Forget a bottle opener, and you’ll end up buying bottles that don’t have twist-off tops; it’s inevitable.
Dish soap: Don’t expect your rental to come stocked with dishwashing liquid.
Sponge: While your rental might have a sponge, you won’t know where it’s been or what it’s seen.
Paper towels: More than just napkins on a roll, paper towels are useful for everything from cleaning up spills to drying lettuce.
Multi-surface cleaner: Rather than lugging multiple cleaners, pick up an all-purpose cleaner that you can use on the counters, sink, and stovetop—even the walls and floor.
Ice cream scoop: It’s not vacation until you break out the half-gallon; avoid bent spoons with a proper ice cream scoop.
Can opener: A can without an opener is about as useful as a car with no gas.
Potholder set: There are better things to do on vacation than nursing second-degree burns brought on by makeshift oven mitts. Order potholders.
Measuring cups and spoons: Incorrectly eyeballing quantities can turn that peach cobbler into a big ol’ mess, so if you planning to use that rental kitchen for cooking or baking, a measuring cups and spoons set can be your best friend.
Whisk: The difference between lumpy and smooth pancakes? A whisk.
Vegetable peeler: If you prefer your potato salad without potato skins, grab a fruit and veggie peeler.
Aluminum foil: Besides wrapping up leftovers, aluminum foil is also useful for making foil packs for campfire cooking or makeshift baking pans (or even shimmering swords for the kiddos).
Garbage and recycling bags: Big plastic bags are a must for hauling out your trash and recycling (if you’re anything like us, you’ll be shocked at how many bottles and cans you go through). Bonus points: both make great emergency ponchos.
Fire starter: If you prefer grilled barbecue to a dinner of cold cuts, don’t forget extra fire lighter.
Ground coffee: Your vacation might not be the best time to quit caffeine, so you might as well bring your favorite coffee along.
Coffee filters: Chewing on coffee grinds isn’t a pleasant way to start your vacation day (or any day, really). Pack filters.
Cooking oil: We’ve all had little more than a sputtering old can of Pam in vacation rentals past; you’ll want to bring your own multi-purpose oil for cooking, baking, and making salad dressing.
For the House
Portable fan: In the summertime, sleeping with the windows open isn’t always enough. If you’ve opted for a non-AC rental, grab a portable fan to keep your space cool.
Extra batteries: If you don’t bring back-up AA and AAA batteries, you’re definitely going to need them.
Portable steamer: Unless you’re going for the living-out-of-a-suitcase look, a small travel iron or garment steamer may be your saving grace.
Extra clothes hangers: Like hotel rooms, vacation rentals often have far fewer hangers than you need.
Laundry detergent: Remember how you specifically rented a place with laundry facilities? That washing machine won’t do you much good if you forget laundry detergent.
Power strip: Some rentals don’t have enough outlets; others have them in all the wrong places. Bring a power strip with a long cord along to save yourself from having to move furniture every time you need to charge your phone.
Mosquito repellant coils: The rhythmic crashing of the waves or the peaceful silence of the mountains mean nothing if there’s buzzing in your ear all night. Bring a pack of mosquito coils for a bit of preemptive fumigation.
Mosquito repellant candle: You paid premium for that ocean-facing front porch, so you might as well enjoy it. Pick up a lemongrass candle to keep mosquitoes away.
For the Bathroom
Bath towels: Instead of sharing thin and rough towels, bring a color-coordinated bath towel for each member of your family.
Washcloths: Even if towels are provided at your accommodations, washcloths aren’t always standard, so make sure to bring your own.
Toilet paper: If there’s one thing you don’t want to find yourself without when hundreds of miles from home, it’s toilet paper.
Shampoo and conditioner: If every bottle of watery, almost-out shampoo we’ve used in rental properties’ showers is anything to go from, it’s safe to say that stocking high-quality hair care isn’t a priority for most hosts. Providing your own shampoo and conditioner is the difference between a sleek mane and a nest full of snarls.
Bug spray: With warm weather comes mosquitoes looking to feast. Be sure to stock up on insect repellant.
Headache medicine: A new clime, vacation food, and (maybe) more booze than usual can bring on headaches, so make sure to have pain-release tablets handy.
Toothbrush: Vacation rentals definitely won’t provide a toothbrush.
Toothpaste: We’re no stranger to using baking soda in a bind, but there is an easier way. And its name is toothpaste.
Razor: Razor burn is never a good look; a fresh pack of razors will keep your skin smooth and soft.
Night light: Staying in a new place can be scary for little ones, but a plug-in night-light can bring comfort (and help make middle-of-the-night trips to the bathroom a little easier).
For Fun
Beach towels: Keep your bath towels fluffy, soft, and sand-free. Instead, pick up a set of dedicated beach towels.
Beach toys: A set of sandcastle-making tools will keep your kids entertained for hours, buying you precious beach-reading time.
Beach chairs: If you’d rather keep sand on the beach and not in your swimsuit, pack beach chairs.
Shade structure: Extend your beach time with a protective canopy that keeps the sun’s harmful rays at bay.
Portable cooler: There’s nothing refreshing about lukewarm beers and hot juice boxes. Invest in a cooler to keep your drinks drinkable.
Pool float: Make pool time even more fun (and set yourself up for a killer selfie) with a gigantic pool float.
Board games: Rainy day? Board games to the rescue!
Portable Bluetooth speaker: Create your own little party by streaming music from your phone to a portable speaker.
Portable phone charger: If you’re on vacation, you’re taking photos. Instead of helplessly watching your cell phone battery enter the red zone, give it a boost with a portable charger.
S’mores skewers: A random twig from the yard will do, of course, but official marshmallow-roasting skewers are heat-resistant and long enough to keep you away from the fire.
Books: For some of us, the best part of vacation is finally catching up on your reading. Just don’t forget the books!
Umbrella: Be prepared for rainy days (and shield yourself from the sun) with a good umbrella.
Water balloons: We’re guessing you don’t usually let your kids throw objects at one another. But you probably relax the rules a little for snowballs and their summertime counterparts: water balloons.
For the Dog
Travel bowls: A dog’s gotta eat (and drink), too! Travel food and water bowls do the trick and pack down sleekly.
Poop bags: Vacation is a break from many of your day-to-day responsibilities, yes—but picking up after your pet is not one of them. Bring poop bags.
Dog leash: Order a leash to keep your pup safely close and avoid potentially hefty off-leash fines.
Dog life jacket: Keep your best friend safe with a doggy life jacket; get one with a shark fin to double as a conversation starter with your neighbors.
Dog water toys: Get colorful floating dog toys that won’t sink to the bottom of the lake the first time you play fetch.
Pet towel: Avoid unwanted indoor shake-offs that could cost you your pet deposit by picking up a special dog-drying towel.
